When the brooding one, Kyle, asked from the doorway what we had found, I finally looked away. “Coleman has gathered all the humans in the center of the city, caged like animals,” I did my best not to stare at her. “Carbons surround the city, but these aren’t the same Carbons that you’ve seen before, they’ve been modified. The Bots roam the streets looking for stragglers, but most have come willingly. Coleman made sure they all knew what happened in Cytos. He streamed video of the destruction across the city and they don’t want that for themselves.” I walked over to the screen and tapped it twice. “This is the video we received two days ago.”
The screens lit up and a young man stood before them. His black hair was slick with sweat, and blood dripped from his brow as his narrow slit eyes scanned the room around him.
“Please, can anyone hear this? We need help! He’s taken everyone! They're all gone! He’ll come for me, too, I know it!” The man looked behind him, and we could hear something coming in the background. “The key is in the stars. That is all she told me. It’s in the stars! You must hurry!”
The screen went black and there was silence for a moment.
“What does it mean?” Kyle asked finally.
“We don’t know,” I answered.
That night, I found it hard to be around everyone so I went to the secret place I often went to, up on the canopy rooftop above the base. As I stared out at the stars sparkling high above, something spoke to me and those stars shone brighter and brighter.
The stars have willed you, Max. You know what you must do.
And though I had never heard that voice before, and though I didn’t know what it meant…
I trusted it.
Aelish & the Ladies of the Muted Forest
A Watcher Series Mini Novella
Chapter One
I stepped onto the dry sands of the Wastelands and took a deep breath, filling my lungs before I steadied into a jog. I may have the body of an old woman, and the snow-white hair to match, but I was strong and skilled. I wouldn’t slow down. I was the leader of the Ladies of the Muted Forest, and with that burden, I, too, had to keep my presence away from the forest brief.
For many years, I’d listened to the stars. They whispered to me, filling me with a knowledge few will ever understand. Tonight was no different. I had run with haste toward the Wastelands. A cool breeze carried me, surrounding me with the pine smell of hadn’t the forest I loved. It led me to a place most did not enter, but the Ladies of the Muted Forest knew it was safe. We knew many things the world outside our forest was unaware of. It was best kept that way.
This was my second journey across the Wastelands, which separated the Muted Forest from the city of Cytos. My first journey was only two years earlier when I was summoned by the stars to a birthing room at a hospital inside the city limits. I wasn’t often pulled toward the city nor to its people. An evil had crawled across the lands. If I failed at the mission that the stars revealed to me, the consequences would be devastating. Just the thought of failure made my stomach clench.
That was how this worked, this gift I was given. The stars spoke to me and guided me where I was most needed. I, in turn, would do as I was asked, and never reveal any information that the stars deemed only me worthy to know. It was my burden alone to bear. Though I was grateful for my gifting and proud to have been chosen, I was torn by the weight of responsibility that fell upon my shoulders.
All the Ladies of the Muted Forest had a gift, bestowed upon us long before my generation was born. My ancestors found that the forest provided much more than just safety for our people after a war that reshaped the very ground we stood on. Within this forest was a power that allowed our gifts to come into fullness. Each human had something inside them, waiting to be revealed—a gift, an ability, call it what you will—but we all have it. The forest opened them for us. For others, their abilities would never be revealed, and for a few they would be forced out and used for evil.
The hard, packed sand turned to soft rolling dunes. By the time the clouded over sun rose, I was forced to wait out the rain under the shelter of my canvas tent. The cold rain seeped into the very marrow of my bones, chilling me from head-to-toe. This was why I traveled at night, knowing the temperatures in the desert would be even colder at night. The rains of a warmer winter climate were dreary and dark, a contrast to the forest I lived in. I could feel when the temperature dropped, and the rains came in before I had even seen a single cloud. Rain has a distinct smell, and mixed with the desert it was both a blessing and a curse when the cool air filled my lungs. I kept moving through mud and sand until I reached the stone wall surrounding the city of Cytos on my third day of travel.
I made quick work navigating the city and its busy streets. I kicked off mud and dirt from my boots as I ran. The day had only just begun. Single Person Air Crafts, or SPACs as they called them, were transporting humans and bots to their places of work, humming over the magnetic streets. It was a sight I was both aware of but unfamiliar with. Truth be told, I wasn’t comfortable here. I preferred the quiet of the forest and its people.
I weaved through the streets between tall, towering buildings until I found the one I was looking for. Ian J. Coleman General Hospital was written on the outside in large, bold letters.
I walked through the doors. “May I help you?” A plump, curly-haired lady at the front desk asked. I shook off the rain still coating my black cloak.
“Yes, I am looking for my daughter’s room,” I lied. “Would there be a Russo on your list somewhere?”
The lady typed in the name to her computer. “Oh yes, here it is. Floor 19, Room 117. And congratulations on being a new grandmother.”
I smiled to her before I made my way to the elevator. Lying wasn’t something I liked doing, but that was my only way to locate the woman, along with the newborn baby. I was sent with a gift and a message. The guilt was easy to swallow back, for the purpose was greater.
The elevator dinged when it reached the 19th floor, and I took my time walking toward room 117. Through the open door, I saw a dark-haired woman with a baby in her arms. The man whom I assumed was her husband stood beside her, his eyes on the baby girl and a smile across his face.
Keeping my eyes down, I passed the room without notice, my pulse still racing from my journey. I took a few calming breaths before I settled into a chair in the waiting room with a view into the room. Another man had his back to the door. He was short in stature, and his hair was showing speckles of gray. I could tell from the way he stood he was a powerful man.
“She’s just beautiful, Peter,” the man said to the new father. “She clearly got her looks from Jessi, though.”
The woman smiled at her little wiggling girl who was making herself comfortable in her mother’s arms.
“Thank you, Ian,” Peter Russo said, and it was then I realized why this short man felt so powerful. His name was the one on the outside of this building.
“Well, I just wanted to drop these off for you guys, a little something for both of you.” Ian handed Peter a basket. “I better get going. You’ll be back in the office tomorrow?”
“Yes, you should see me bright and early, if I get any sleep that is.” Peter nodded as he shook Ian’s hand. “Let me walk you out.”
I slid back into the shadows as the two men stepped out of the room. They continued chatting as they walked down the hallways, oblivious to the old woman in the waiting room.
A Medibot entered Jessi Russo’s room to check on the baby. I took the opportunity to sneak in unseen. Jessi had moved into the bathroom in the corner of the room. I moved past the Medibot and to the baby gazing up from her crib.
She was small and pale, but her brown eyes, outlined by a subtle amber ring, stared at me with interest. I was quick as I pulled out the small needle in my pocket. I took a small vial of blood. It was over in less than a second. Thankfully, the baby didn’t stir or cry.
When Jessi stepped back into the room, I placed the vial of blood next t
o the other inside my cloak pocket.
“She’s precious,” I said, stepping away from the baby. Jessi eyed me before she picked up the little girl.
“Thank you,” Jessie said cautiously. “Sorry, who are you?”
“A friend of a friend,” I said with a welcoming smile. She warmed up a little, but she was wise to be suspicious.
“Which friend?” Jessi asked, positioning herself in a chair by the window. The rain was still coming down hard and the sky was dark and dreary, making the mood in the room resemble its melancholy state.
“One you don’t yet know, but one day you will,” I said.
Jessi tensed. I did my best to seem unthreatening, but there was no way to tell her what I came to say without leaving a few key things out. No one should know their own fate until it is sealed. Otherwise, that fate could change, and with it the fate of many others.
“What have you named her?” I continued, keeping my distance so I wouldn’t spook her anymore.
She paused, glancing first to the small comm on her wall. Perhaps I had spooked her too much, and she would call for help. After a few tense moments, her gaze returned to me. “Sawyer.”
I smiled. “A beautiful name. Strong.”
“Why are you here, if I may ask?” Jessi pressed.
“I have come to give you a gift. It will be very important in the near future. Even I am unsure of its meaning, but I trust fate, and the stars will reveal what is to be when the time comes.”
This didn’t quell any suspicion Jessi had of me; in fact, it likely made it worse. I reached into my pocket and pulled out two small, star-shaped pendants. One was attached to a silver chain, the other to a small key chain. I stepped forward to hand them to Jessi, but she flinched, pulling baby Sawyer in closer to her chest.
“I mean you no harm.” I held out the two pendants.
Jessi waited, calculating my intentions before she reached her hand out and took the two items. She held them in her hand, her brows knit together. “I don’t understand.”
“You are to hold onto both pendants until the time comes to give them to their true owners. The first, the necklace, will one day belong to your daughter. The girl with the amber brown eyes.”
Jessi cast her eyes down at her daughter.
“The other will be given to a young boy, only a few years older than Sawyer. You will know him by his blue eyes, the color of the ocean.”
Jessi shook her head. “I don’t understand. What are these? What are they for?”
I shrugged. “I do not know, but one day soon it will be clear to you. The stars will lead you to their true intentions.”
Jessi still didn’t look convinced, and there was one more thing I had to tell her. “Your daughter will be a symbol of hope for the new world. She will bridge the gap between two peoples who know nothing but hate, fear, and destruction.”
Jessi shook.
“And you will be her guide. You will lead her to the path fate has chosen for her because she will need someone to be her strength, her vision.”
I took a step forward and placed a hand on the baby’s head. Jessi’s body tensed, and she looked ready to bolt. She stayed strong and rigid as she watched my every movement.
“For some time now, you have dreamed about a slow-moving current and a lightning storm converging on it,” I said.
Jessi’s eyes lit up, knowing there was no way for me to know about the dreams she had been having for months.
“Your daughter is like the slow-moving current, steady, strong, and calming. The other, the boy with the blue eyes, is like the lightning. More powerful than even he knows, precise and erratic, but never beyond his own control. Together, the two can change the course of a future currently written in bleak darkness. A life without the sun or the stars is not one that can happen, and these two stars will be the key to ensuring that doesn’t happen.”
Jessi was overwhelmed. I saw it in her eyes. Her hands shook as she pulled Sawyer in closer to her. “But…how?” she stammered.
“Just know that the stars will always keep you safe, and they will always watch over your daughter,” I said.
Light footsteps came from down the hall, and my time was up. I stepped away from Jessi and Sawyer, giving her a warm smile. “You are strong, Jessi, and so will your daughter be. Trust the stars, trust fate, and please, trust me.”
“Wait! Who are you?” she asked.
I glanced over my shoulder and said, “I am Aelish.” I stepped out the door. At that moment, Peter returned to his wife, his brows creased and his mouth agape as I passed. I was quick to make my way out of the room and away from Cytos.
Chapter Two
My journey back to the Muted Forest was less rushed, but I still moved with swift feet. The rains ceased as I neared the forest. I was drenched and had to take some time to ensure I was dry again before continuing. I waited impatiently for a small fire to warm me. Once dry, I continued the journey home. Then the snow began. Winter was on its way out, but the snow was still deep, the sun unable to reach it under the cover of the thick brush.
As I entered the deeper regions of the forest, my body felt strengthened. A calmness within this forest that I had become used to returned. I did not like to leave the forest. The outside world had a way of overwhelming even me, and I was anxious to return home. Overhead, the stars whispered their approval—a quiet reminder I wasn’t yet done.
I made my way to the small cluster of tents deep in the forest where the Ladies of the Muted Forest lived. Annia, my younger sister, discovered my approach before anyone else. She had the ability to hear far beyond a normal person, despite being unable to speak. A mute living in a world filled with sounds and wonders.
She met me at the edge of our territory, tilting her head toward the small tent at the middle of the clearing. I entered at Annia’s silent request.
A small fire ablaze in the middle of the tent warmed us. A table with two chairs sat nearby, and next to that was a cot with my daughter Avery lying upon it. Her swelled belly raised the thick blankets that covered her. I noticed the smell of blood, and my heart pounded faster the stronger the smell became.
“What has happened?” I asked, rushing to Avery’s side.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks streaked with tears. She whispered, “I am glad you are back, mother.” Her hand trembled as I took it in mine.
I sat on Avery’s bedside and rested my other hand upon her belly. She was shaking her head, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “It will all be all right. You will be okay,” I said. “You are strong. The stars have a reason for everything, and one day we will understand.”
“But for this?” Avery rested her hand over mine. I felt no movement against her belly, and I knew what she had already discovered. The baby in her belly didn’t stir, it didn’t move. The only heart that beat inside her body was her own. Avery had just over a month to go, but even with my ability to see the fates of others, I didn’t see this coming.
“I am so sorry, my dear.” I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. Her body shuddered as she sobbed for losing her unborn child.
Behind us, Annia filled up two small cups with water and some fragrant herbs. She passed me one warm cup of tea, and the other to Avery. “Thank you for watching over my daughter, Annia.”
Annia’s face fell. She moved her hands in front of us as she signed, I am sorry I could not save the child.
I shook my head. “I know you have done the best you could.” I gave her a strong nod, swallowing back the emotions that threatened to spill out. I had to be strong for my daughter, for my tribe. Though it killed me inside, I wouldn’t let them see my pain.
I turned to Avery. “You should sleep, my dear,” I said as I watched the tea take its hold. Annia had added a special tonic to help Avery sleep through the night. Without it, it would be impossible.
Annia let herself out as I curled into the bed beside Avery. I held her tight as she fell asleep. Silent tears slipped down my nose and fe
ll to the blanket wrapped around Avery. My heart broke for her, and I couldn’t even properly grieve for her loss. My duty was to my daughter and my people. Weakness wasn’t something I could display. Not now, not here.
To think only days before, the key to preventing a future that would destroy the world had been born, and yet at nearly the same time my future grandchild’s soul had abandoned her unborn mortal body.
Losing this child would hit ours, and our brother’s tribe, hard. We held sacred the birth of a child. Two tribes lived within the forest. Us, and the Mountain Men. Many years before, our tribe was split in two. The men live in Canvas Mountain where their strength was amplified within the mountains. The women lived within the forest where our abilities were at their strongest.
Our two tribes lived in peace. We worked together under the guidance of the stars, both sworn to protect those in need and those worthy of our help.
It was tradition within the two tribes to pair one man and one woman together, whom the stars had blessed, to further the future of our people. Avery was the last chosen from our tribe, and one of the first to conceive a child. It didn’t happen often, a child being conceived. The birth of a child is not only rare but difficult; a fact further proven on this day.
As I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep allowing the tea to take hold of me, I asked the stars why this had happened. I prayed to them for another miracle, though I knew it would be a long time before they answered. It took everything in me to not allow the anger to settle, but to trust the stars. Sometimes it felt like blind faith, but I knew one day it would all make sense.
“Any word from the others?” I asked Annia. We were walking away from the clearing and into the dense forest early the next morning. Though I was still tired and wanted nothing more than to be at Avery’s side, I needed to hunt. My head pounded with dehydration and restless sleep, but that wouldn’t stop me from providing for my daughter. She would need her strength more than ever, and over the course of the cold months, food had been scarce.
Untold: The Complete Watcher Series Mini Novellas (Watcher #4) Page 13