“We need to stay awake.” Leif’s breath is warm in my ear. He edges closer to me so his legs lean against mine.
My teeth are chattering so badly it’s difficult to speak. “Oh, and have you done this before?” My spirit has dropped with the temperature. We were stupid to think we could do this on our own. Now, we’re probably going to freeze to death.
“No,” he replies. “But my granddad was a mountaineer. He used to encounter storms like these all the time.”
“Really. And what advice did he give you?”
“Stay warm. And don’t fall asleep.” I can tell he’s grinning at me, even in the dark. It’s irritating.
Tui nudges in closer to me. I’m wedged in between my two friends, but I still can’t stop shaking.
“Don’t worry, Raven, we’re going to be fine,” Tui says. He wraps an arm around me, which helps quell the shivering a tiny bit. I pull my knees up tighter to my chest and put my numb face down into my arms. I am tired. Very tired. Somehow, my friends’ warmth reaches me through all our layers of clothing. My teeth stop chattering. The shivering ceases.
And then I fall asleep.
Chapter 13
In my dream, ice and snow continue to pelt me. The wind shrieks and whips at my frozen face. Something picks up my body and holds it close. I’m warm. Whatever has hold of me is carrying me somewhere. I feel treasured and relieved.
There’s a terrified shriek behind me. It wakes me up, and I see I haven’t been dreaming at all. Something really is carrying me swiftly through the storm. With my free arm I claw at my scarf, which has fallen over my eyes. My other arm is being gripped tightly, along with the rest of my body. I can’t see anything in the dark and swirling snow, except for one thing right above my head: a furry golden ear with a missing chunk.
“Cecil! Is that really you?” I scream into it.
The huge furry head nods. “It is I, m’lady. It’s a good thing we found you when we did. This storm is ferocious.”
“How did … what are you doing?” I’m so confused I can only stutter out my questions.
“I’ll explain when we get there,” Cecil says, patting my back in a comforting way. “Just hang on!” He’s gripping me so tightly it’s no effort to hang on at all.
“Where are we going?”
Cecil’s huge paw slightly adjusts my body, which has been sliding down his enormous shoulder. “To the cave, where it’s warm. We’re nearly there.”
“But what about Leif? And Tui?”
“Do not fear, m’lady. They are right behind us.”
I realize the shriek I heard must have been Leif. He’s probably never seen a bearcat before.
I lay my head back down on Cecil’s shoulder. It’s warm, and smells of moss and wood smoke.
Minutes later, Cecil’s footsteps slow. I feel his body duck down. I look around the small cave we’ve entered; it must be the one we’d been trying to reach. There are three other bearcats there, tending a small fire.
Cecil sets me down before it. It feels like the warmest fire I’ve ever encountered. He places my pack, which he’s carried on his other shoulder, near the cave wall.
Two other bearcats arrive at the cave mouth. One has Tui in his arms, cradling him like a small child. The bearcat gently sets him down.
The other is holding a struggling Leif. “Put me down, you beast!” he hisses.
Looking annoyed, the bearcat deposits him next to me by the fire.
“Why are you laughing?” Leif spits at me.
I hadn’t even realized I was. I pretend to cough. “Never fear, dear Leif. These are our friends.”
“Friends? Since when have bearcats been our friends?” He’s stamping snow off himself, brushing off bits of bearcat fur stuck in his coat.
I smile at him warmly. “Since they kidnapped me not long ago, and told me their story.” I pat the ground next to me. “Sit down, I’ll fill you in.”
When Leif and Tui are settled by the fire, I tell Leif how the bearcats detained me in their forest; about how they were exiled during King Katan’s reign, and how they hope to be free again, one day.
“If there’s a Woman King one day, you mean,” Leif says, winking at me.
I don’t acknowledge this. Instead, I turn to Cecil, who has settled himself nearby. “You promised to tell me what you’re doing out here. How did you find us?”
Cecil’s lips curl up in his bearcat grin. “Ah yes, where do I begin?” He rubs his chin with his enormous paw, pondering. “At the beginning, I suppose?”
I nod and smile at him.
“When we met you in the forest, we were overjoyed that you were on your journey to safety. At that juncture we had a decision to make ourselves. Should we comply with the Bastion’s laws and stay in the forest, or should we follow along not far behind you? Perhaps our assistance would be of use. Should the occasion arise, that is.”
“And you left,” I say. I flush, realizing the enormous risk the bearcats have taken, and all for me. If they should be discovered outside of their forest, the King could easily have them put to death, deemed too dangerous to roam free.
“I left, of course, as did most of my fellow bearcats. Some stayed behind—the eldest; those too feeble to travel, and a few who couldn’t stomach the idea of going against the King’s orders. I bid them well and we departed the forest the night after you left.”
“But how did you travel unnoticed? We’ve heard the King’s Hunters are all over the kingdom. Surely they would have noticed a large herd of bearcats?”
“Ah, m’lady. We are quite skilled at traveling unnoticed. Bearcats travel only at night and only in small groups of two or three. We have now scattered all over the country. My friends here, and I, have been following you. All this way.” Another grin.
Tui’s and Leif’s eyes are wide. I’m thinking, if we’ve traveled this far without noticing a group of bearcats following along, what else have we not been aware of?
“Even to Sagegate?” I ask.
“Even to Sagegate,” he answers. “We were hiding out on the mountainside the entire time.”
Something occurs to me. “You’ve noticed our friend Catriona is no longer with us?”
Cecil nods his head, and his golden fur shimmers in the firelight. “Yes, we saw her leave with the horses. We guessed it wasn’t planned between you, as she left long before dawn, while you were still asleep.”
“You’re right. She departed without our knowledge. Do you know where she went?”
There’s a low growl from deep in the bearcat’s throat. Almost undetectable.
“Several of us followed her. She backtracked to the main road, then east in the direction of the pass valley.”
“Did she … did any of your bearcats see her talking to the Hunters?”
Cecil’s mouth turns up in that smiling way again. “No, m’lady. She came very close, but avoided them at each turn. She seems astute in that way.”
I let out a long breath, relieved.
Another bearcat lets out a sort of cough. Cecil glances over at him. “Yes, Sedgewick?”
The bearcat’s enormous eyes flick around nervously. He seems to have something to say, but is hesitating. We wait.
“There was that one time, Sir. I’m sorry to remind you of it, but I think it might be prudent for the girl to know—”
“Thank you, Sedgewick.” Cecil sighs. He pauses, clearly considering how to tell me something. “My cats did observe one worrying instance, but it may be nothing. I don’t want to alarm you unnecessarily, m’lady.”
“Go on,” I say. Not that I really want to know. But it’s better to have news of any kind, even if it’s bad.
Cecil nods toward Sedgewick.
“M’lady …” Sedgewick bows his head toward me. “One night we were following your friend riding along the main road—she would only travel at night—when she came upon a lone traveler. He was on foot. She stopped to speak with him. Sadly we couldn’t hear what was said, even though our ears are very
good. We can hear the smallest sound, from even a mile away—”
“Of course you can. Please go on!” I plead, my heartbeat rapidly increasing.
“Yes, m’lady. So we were unfortunately too far away to hear what they said. It was but a few words, spoken very quietly. But that wasn’t the most alarming thing.” He pauses.
The pace at which the bearcat is telling his story is killing me. “And? What was?”
He hesitates for a moment. “They exchanged something,” he finally replies.
“Do you know what it was?”
His face grows downcast. “I am sorry, I do not know, m’lady. It was a small parcel of some kind. Your former companion passed it to the man.”
I’m not sure what to make of Sedgewick’s news. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe Catriona was sharing a bit of food. Or maybe it was something far worse—payment, perhaps? A letter of some kind? My throat constricts at the thought of her betraying us, passing on news of our whereabouts. But I can’t believe she would do that. Would she?
I smile at Sedgewick. “I appreciate you telling me this. We’ll keep this instance in our minds as we continue on.”
“I do hope it’s nothing.” The bearcat bows his head to me then looks down to study the fire once more.
I awake the next morning to find Leif hovering nearby with a fresh cup of coffee for me. I take my steaming mug to the mouth of the cave to look out. The storm is over. The view from up here is magnificent. I can see peaks and cliffs and valleys miles away. The sky is clear blue, and everywhere is white with snow. I have to shield my eyes from the reflected sun, but I’m glad of the warmth on my face.
“You need to go down that way,” says Cecil’s deep voice behind me. I can see the route down the mountainside he’s referring to. “You won’t see us, but we’ll keep watch over you. That is, if you’ll let us.”
“Of course, Cecil. I am very, very glad you were here. We wouldn’t have made it without you and your tribe.” I shiver at the memory of the freezing cold storm. If they hadn’t found us when they did …
“No, m’lady. You three were very, er, brave to cross the peak this time of year.”
“You’re familiar with this mountain?”
“Oh, yes, m’lady. My ancestors are from here. This was our territory. Until …”
“Until your family was banished to the forest.”
“Yes, m’lady.”
“Well then.” I put a hand on his golden furry arm. “Welcome home.”
After breakfast we continue on down the mountain. We make good time, now that we are warm, dry, refreshed, and fed.
Nearly a week later, we make our last camp on the mountainside. It’s early evening, and while Tui gets the fire started, Leif and I wander around. We sit down on a small rocky ledge and gaze down at Pinehaven’s lights, twinkling in the valley below.
“Have you been there before?” I ask Leif.
“Unfortunately, no, m’lady. It’s one of the few places Pa and I never travelled to. We’ve always heard they don’t welcome visitors. I don’t know what they’ll think about our stopping in.”
“We’ll make our visit brief.”
It’s the last town we’ll pass through before reaching the Bastion. The thought of returning to the place where I was born sends butterflies through my stomach. The place where I’m decidedly not welcome.
“That would be wise,” says Leif, taking his usual stalk of peppermint from his mouth. “But hopefully not so brief as to skip a good hot meal and bath.” He takes a piece of my hair and puts it to his nose, breathing in deeply. “Not that you need one.” He tucks the strands behind my ear.
“Ha! You’re funny. I don’t think I’ve ever needed a bath more.”
I hope it’s dark enough that he can’t see my face, which I’m sure is blushing brightly. “How about some dinner? Last feast on the mountain.”
“Now you’re being funny,” Leif says. All we have left is dried meat and hard crackers.
He stands and offers his hand. Without hesitating I take it and he helps me up. Together we return to Tui’s fire.
We arrive in Pinehaven mid-afternoon the next day. It’s a tidy town, quite like Sagegate, nestled in a small forest glen. The three of us must look and smell atrocious, and judging by the stares we get walking down the main street, we aren’t managing to blend in one bit. All I really care about is how nice a hot bath at the inn is going to feel.
Toward the end of the road we spot a small sign on the side of a building: Pinehaven Inn. The green paint is peeling and the windows are dark. It looks anything but welcoming. When we’re close enough to see the much smaller sign underneath, my heart sinks.
“Closed for the Season,” Tui reads aloud. “Well, that’s just great.”
“Let’s try, anyway,” Leif says, and before I can stop him he grabs the big brass knocker and bangs on the door three times.
We wait. My heart starts to thud; I have no idea why. I tell myself we’re just three travelers needing a place to rest for the night. No need to be nervous.
After what seems like an eternity, a small window in the door flies open. A big doughy face peers through it and spits out, “What d’ya want?”
I nudge Leif, hoping he’s able to answer. My heart is in my throat and I’m speechless. This whole place is giving me a very bad feeling.
“Yes, Sir.” Leif’s voice is confident. “We were wondering if you might be able to put us up for the night. I know the sign here says you—”
“Can ye not read?” the man growls.
“We can, sir. We were just hoping you might be able to take us in. We’ve been traveling a long way you see, and—”
“Well if ye can read, then you know what it says. Goodbye!” The window slams shut in our faces.
The three of us stand there, stunned.
“I guess we’ll go see if we can find some food, then,” I say.
We backtrack to the center of the village and are happy to find the small pub open. We tuck ourselves into a table in the darkest corner. It’s perfect. The meat pies we’re served are bland and gooey, but at least they’re hot.
When the pubkeep collects our empty dishes, I ask him where we might find some provisions.
“Store’s closed for the winter,” he grunts. “Everyone who lives here has all they need put away.” He noisily stacks the dishes and stomps back toward the kitchen.
The three of us stare after him, open-mouthed. He’s the rudest yet.
It doesn’t look like we’re going to find supplies in Pinehaven. But if not, then where? We’re down to a few hard biscuits.
“How far to the Bastion?” I ask Leif.
He shrugs. “My guess is at least a week. More like two, I’ll bet.”
I tip back my pewter mug and finish the last swallow of ale. “Up for some more fishing, then?” I say. Even in the dark, I can see Tui’s grin.
“You bet,” he replies, and tips back the last of his ale as well.
We leave a small pile of money on the table and gather our things to leave. Just before we reach the door, a soft voice calls out behind us.
“Wait! Before you go …”
I turn around. A small woman not much older than me is approaching us, holding a large bundle in her arms. “I apologize for my pa’s behavior. ’Twas not very hospitable.” Her voice is very low.
“No, it wasn’t,” I say. “We weren’t asking for charity; we just wanted to buy some provisions for the next week or two.”
She adjusts the heavy bundle in her arms. “Are you headin’ to the Bastion, then?” she asks. My eyes dart around the empty pub, searching for her father. She notices. “I sent Pa out back to have a nap. Told him I’d take care of any customers for a bit. So … are you?”
Tui and Leif both hold their tongues, leaving it to me to decide what we should tell this woman. I don’t get the sense that she’s dangerous. I hope I’m correct.
“We are,” I say, finally. “We expect to arrive in a week or two, weather perm
itting.”
She smiles. “I thought so. There were some men here not long ago, asking about you.”
“What did you tell them?” I ask.
“I told them nothing. I had no idea what they were talking about. But now I do. Eventually they left to go back to the main road. You’re not going that way, are you?”
“No, we’re planning on keeping to the south from here. Is that possible?”
She nods and smiles. “Yes, that is surely the best route from here.” Her eyes twinkle as she says the next thing: “I was hoping you’d be passing through, eventually. And now here you are.”
“Who do you think I am?”
“Why, you are the Queen’s daughter, are you not?”
I’m speechless. Should I be comforted or alarmed by the news that the entire country now seems to know what I’m up to? This explains our cold reception by the innkeeper and this girl’s father. Thinking I’d be able to get away unnoticed now seems very naive.
“Anyway,” she continues. “This is for you three. It’s enough to get you as far as the Bastion, even if it takes you several weeks longer. But, it shouldn’t,” she says. There’s a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
I take the bundle, which I can tell is full of food. My heartbeat slows down. Her kindness fills me with a sense of peace like I haven’t felt in months. Like everything might be okay after all.
Her face grows serious. “There’s something else you should know. I’m afraid it’s sort of bad news.”
My sense of peace evaporates quickly. “Go on, the more we know the better.”
“There were commoners with the King’s men. It appears they have been recruiting others in the search for you. I imagine it would be easy to avoid the uniformed Hunters, but not so the others.”
“How many were here recently?” I ask.
“There were ten or so Hunters. And about thirty others.”
She was right about this not being good news.
“I have a bit of advice, if I may,” she says.
“Of course,” I reply.
“It may be prudent for you three to travel at night. When the searchers were here, they spent all evening drinking ale and were fast asleep by moonrise. Night may be the safest time for you to travel, if you are able.”
Fortissima Page 15