“ This is ridiculous!” exclaimed Finn, rubbing his face roughly with the palms of his hands. “There has to be a break somewhere up ahead.”
“The light is nearly gone,’ Clayton remarked. “We can camp at the first opening we find.” “One thing is for sure,” Taz laughed. “I’d like to see those Tibris Guards follow us in here on horseback. I can barely stand up straight in all this rot.”
Clayton smiled and ushered the group onward. As they trudged along, Adelaide couldn’t help but notice Taz taking a quick glance at Clayton’s backside.
“Ugh,” she thought, “no class.” And then she did the same……“hmmm, not bad.” The forest was alive with the haunting sounds of ravens cawing in the trees. Mice scattered about under the leaves and bark beneath their feet, causing Adelaide to occasionally shriek in fright and dart about the ground nervously. There were no rivers or streams from what the group could tell. The air around them was all but suffocating. It was like being in the world’s largest coat closet: dark, dank, and musty. There was also a strong scent of pine that stung everyone’s nostrils. The longer they walked, the more each craved fresh air, just one breath of it. What dangers were lurking around them seemed insignificant compared to Huglund and his Tibris Guards. Adelaide couldn’t help but wonder what was worse: being set upon by thieving bandits who most likely hadn’t seen or felt a woman in years, or finding themselves standing face to face with a Tibris Guard, a sharp blade in hand, and a malevolent smirk on his face. In the end, it was just better to focus on trying to breathe while not losing sight of the person in front of her. She could feel Finn behind her, his hand squeezing her shoulder as they walked along. A loud yawn from the back of the group told Adelaide little Cherry was still fast asleep, her body warm in the stifling air of the forest.
As she walked along, Adelaide ’s mind again wandered to hidden thoughts of her mother…..that poor, weak woman. There was a chance she had made it out of Havendale. None of the Tibris Guards had seemed interested in killing her, or taking her prisoner. Maybe she was somewhere safe, living off berries and roots in the Wallowing Woods, or perhaps she had come across some good fortune in the form of a passing traveler curious about the rising columns of smoke. Deep in her heart she wished this, and that she might one day see her again, alive or dead.
“Adelaide?” Cherry interrupted. “Are you crying?” “No, little squirm…I’m fine.”
It wasn’t long before the group found themselves leaving the thick forest brush and walking onto an open grassy knoll. A spring of water sat nearby, the clear, undisturbed liquid calling out to them as they gazed longingly towards it.
“We’ll camp here tonight,” Clayton announced. “We can rest up and get an early start in the morning.”
“I’ll lay out the blankets,” Taz replied. “I don’t want Cherry to freeze.”
“Oh, I should be fine,” the girl laughed. “I have Raoul here to watch over me.”
“Oh, good for you,” Finn muttered sarcastically. “If I wanted warmth, I’d turn to Raoul, too. He’s my hero.” “Finn,” Clayton hissed sharply. “Why don’t you help Adelaide find a comfortable place to sleep while Taz and I go check the perimeter? Raoul, I trust you to guard the camp and our supplies while we’re gone. You’re in charge now.”
Raoul nodded with a grunt. Cherry stoutly saluted him, an action that yielded more than one chuckle from the rest of the group.
“I’ll be your second in command,” she stated.
“Um…yeah,” Raoul said with a reluctant grin. “That’s exactly what you’ll be.” The group spent their evening in lively and pleasant company. The sky above eased from pinkish gray to a star studded blue, while distant owls and chirping crickets serenaded them. As she lay curled up next to Finn, Adelaide tried desperately to not notice Clayton and Taz laughing together as she drilled him with question after question about his life in Havendale, his dreams, and the many wondrous stories about his past. Raoul showed Cherry the finer art of whittling wood by carving her a small statue of himself, presenting it to her as a gift. She attempted to make one of herself, which came out looking like the victim of a savage mauling, but he smiled broadly and accepted it all the same, praising her for her effort. Finn relayed some of his earlier childhood pranks to Adelaide as the night passed on. Try as she did to pay attention, Adelaide couldn’t help occasionally turning her head back to watch Taz and Clayton. Every now and then Taz threw a playful punch at his shoulder. He’d return it with a ticklish prod of his fingers to her rib cage. They were bonding quite quickly from the looks of things.
Cherry finally nestl ed up against Raoul’s chest, an act which he didn’t seem to mind. He allowed his right arm to fall onto her waist and his left he used to stroke her hair as she hummed to him a long tune she’d been taught as a child by her parents. It was the only thing she had to remember them by. As she gazed around the group Adelaide felt Finn place a passionate kiss on her cheek, one she quickly returned. His cravings for alcohol had apparently abated, or been replaced with something else entirely. She certainly didn’t mind. For the moment, all felt as it should be….or well enough.
“It’s getting late,” Clayton finally remarked with a drawn out sigh. “I’ll take first watch.”
“Not a chance,” Taz laughed. “You always take it. How about letting off for a night?”
“I can watch as well as any of you,” Cherry said. “I shouldn’t be treated special.”
“Yes you should,” Raulo said, shaking his head down at her. “Taz is right,” said Adelaide. “I don’t care if you can. You shouldn’t have to be up for half the night. Why don’t we start taking equal shifts instead of just putting four or five hours on just two people?”
“I can do it,” Clayton laughed. “With all that’s happening….I’d just prefer that every one of you be as refreshed and awake as you can be, should we run into any trouble.”
“Well, what about you?” Cherry asked him. “You’re our leader. We need you awake and refreshed too.” This remark struck Clayton unexpectedly. Everyone else in the group could see it in his eyes. Even with all that had happened, he had never once considered himself higher above or in charge of their little troop, not even once. Maybe it all had happened too fast, maybe it was just never an issue worth debating. No one else seemed interested in leading the way. It had always been assumed that wherever they went, they went together. He just kept ending up in the front of the group.
“Yeah,” Adelaide laughed. “You are our leader. We shouldn’t be expecting you to do everything for us. You already saved our lives more than once and stuck with us through thick and thin. I say we give Clayton a night off,”
This was agreed upon by everyone. Clayton allowed himself to fall asleep just seconds after his head touched his knapsack. Cherry wrapped herself up firmly in her blanket, her face content and at peace as she cooed her way to sleep. Raoul lay out beside her and stretched out with his hand resting on top of hers. The moon shined brightly above them as vigilant owls and other nightly creatures moved to and fro around the campsite.
Adelaide woke suddenly as Finn slowly wrapped his arms tightly around her slender trembling waist. His shift had just ended and Raoul had quietly slipped away from Cherry’s side to relieve him. A thought came to Adelaide as she felt Finn nestle up against her. It was an odd thought, one she hadn’t had very often in her lifetime, but more than once since the attack on Havendale. It was one she had been once embarrassed about, but soon had come to enjoy and even ponder on each night before going to bed. The thought was one of desire, a desire to be comforted. It was not just the protective warmth of someone beside her she wanted. No, it was something else. It was something more….physical. She turned over to Finn, whose eyes were starting to droop.
“Would you kiss me?” she quietly asked.
Finn smiled and leaned in for a short, passionate kiss. “There,” he murmured. “How was that?”
Adelaide inched her body closer to his. “I was hoping for somethi
ng a bit…more.”
Finn raised his eyebrow. “More?” Adelaide nodded. Her hand was now intertwined with his, her fingers playing seductively as her breathing started to grow deep and heavy.
“Have you….ever done more?” Finn asked. Adelaide smile d and placed her lips against his cheek. “No. I don’t think I’d even know what to do if I tried. You’re going to have to show me.”
He stared at her for a brief moment, his eyes studying her face, as if he couldn’t be sure whether or not she was being serious. He finally gave a slight nod and began to place himself on top of her. “I suppose I do,” he murmured, his lips once again returning to hers. “I suppose I do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Adelaide awoke the next morning fully clothed and alone beneath her blanket. Finn had already risen for the last watch, leaving her to sleep. Clayton was rummaging through his knapsack nearby, fully invigorated from his night of rest. Taz lay curled up nearby. Cherry had nestled against Raoul in order to wrap her hands around his waist. The sun was just beginning to rise over the top of the nearest ring of trees. Already, the sky was slowly clearing of stars as the early dawn crept across it. Clayton crouched beside her with a plate of leftover jerky.
“Good morning, Miss Stokes,” he said. “Morning,” she replied, rubbing her eyes. “Is it time to move already?” Clayton nodded. “We’ve been here for nearly six hours. I’m afraid what might happen if we waste any more time. I’ll give everyone a chance to wake up, and then we’ll be on the move.”
“I suppose we’d be a lot better off if I hadn’t made so many mistakes on this trip,” she declared.
Clayton nodded without hesitation. Adelaide gave him a nasty glare. “Even so,” he laughed, throwing up his hands in surrender. “You have been more than helpful with Cherry. Finn really likes you, too. Frankly, I think you’re one of the few reasons we haven’t lost our heads yet, Adelaide. I’m glad you’re here with us. I want you to know that.”
Adelaide smiled, looking over to where Taz still lay in deep slumber. The only thing that would have made that moment any better would have been if she’d been awake to hear him say it.
“Oh well,” she thought. “At least he’s forgiven me. That counts for something.” Before long, the group had been roused. They ate a hasty breakfast and left the open space of the knoll. Clayton took the lead, followed closely by Taz. Finn came next, followed by Adelaide. Cherry walked behind her with Raoul bringing up the rear.
The chilly morning air soon disappeared as the stuffy atmosphere of the Obrillo once again consumed them. The forest was just as dense as it had been the day before. Fortunately, after a good night’s rest and relatively full stomachs, it wasn’t as difficult to endure the second time around.
Spring was now in full effect. The crisp morning air felt refreshing against the group’s faces. Warm rays of sunlight poking through the breaks in the foliage above their heads toasted their limbs. Adelaide and Clayton started talking again as if they’d been close friends for years. Taz herself seemed interested in the stories Adelaide was bringing up as they marched along. She touched on her family, her brother Ronan, and his noble end. She spoke on Gable and how she hoped he had somehow survived the attack on Havendale. She even informed them about her journal of personal works, something she worried she would never be able to hold again.
“Not many girls get published that I’ve heard of,” Taz said. “That’s quite an accomplishment.” “I read it over three times,” Clayton laughed. “Once I showed it to Lazlo Darden back in Havendale, he insisted it be used as the new activation code for the village defenses. It was the best thing either one of us had ever seen. I especially enjoyed the less than joyful finish. Life isn’t always as fair to lovers as it should be.”
“It’s so winked,” Adelaide said. “Even with all the constant tragedy and betrayal the two lovers experienced, they still always ended up together. It’s just so…..so corny and unreal.”
“Some people like that,” said Taz. “Adelaide here has never been one to bend to the wants of the masses,” Clayton laughed. “So, she wrote a poem where even with all the love between them, the man and woman ended up apart. It was one of the most accurate love stories I’d ever read. It’s pretty catchy, too.”
“Not bad,” admi tted Taz. “Most stories or poems I read back in Pinewood were about lumbermen and building the ideal house on a small budget. There wasn’t much else to do when I wasn’t…well, you know, on duty.”
“Why didn’t you leave?” Adelaide asked. “You had Hollis. The two of you could have run.” Taz shrugged. “I thought about it. Once my family was killed and any friends I had disappeared, I started thinking that was the best I deserved. Hollis taking off was the last confirmation I needed. Then I met you rotting pluggers, and now I know different.”
“At least you knew your family,” Clayton sighed. “My memories are a little faint. “ Do you know what happened to your dad?” Adelaide asked. Clayton shook his head.
“One day , he went out exploring a possible breakthrough concerning lorbs and the mysteries of Sanctumsea….and he never came back. After that, his months of research and progress were forgotten and his name blocked from the medical academies of Sanctumsea, given his reckless urges and unsanctioned research.”
“What do you think he was looking for?” asked Taz. “I haven’t the faintest idea. Whatever it was, he claimed it was going to change the world as we know it…forever.” For a brief time, the group was able to catch a glimpse of the morning sun through scattered cracks in the branches above. The foliage was starting to thin out as the leaves and bushes changed color from deep green to honey-brown. The atmosphere was so peaceful and serene that if there were any thieving murderous bandits nearby, the group wouldn’t have known it. The brush was so thick that it carpeted the trunks and tree branches around them. Blankets of leaves, shrubs, and various other plants padded the soil beneath their feet as they walked on. Eventually, the beams of sunlight faded away, and all but a handful openings in the trees remained. It seemed that the group would be, once again, thrust into nearly total darkness. Just as feelings of melancholy started to take hold, Cherry starting pointing vigorously towards the sky and gasping excitedly.
Not far ahead, through a slight break in the branches above, a tall precipice could be seen. It towered majestically over the surrounding hills and sky bound tree tops with modest nobility. A narrow pathway could be seen zigzagging perilously upward along its jagged face. The band of travelers craned their necks awkwardly to catch a glance of what rested above the cliff’s edge. The only visible objects appeared to be some scattered pine trees and dead blades of grass protruding out into the air from their stony base.
“We’re not going to climb that , are we?” Cherry inquired. “Rotting no,” Clayton laughed. “Even if we did, another day and a night’s march more would bring us to the border of Amber and right into Daroon.”
“I knew that Pulsipher was a dip,” Taz muttered. “We made it without his help and without wasting a single shine.”
“Is anyone having second thoughts?” Clayton asked his companions. “About abandoning our quest to confront Tiberion in Reignfall by fleeing our province as Red Hand fugitives?” Adelaide chuckled. “Not a chance.”
“Just chec king; I reckon we can strike north once we reach that cliff up ahead. A couple more days in the Obrillo should bring us just outside the outer walls of Reignfall.”
“I can’t wait to sit Tiberion down and have a chat with the plugger,” Taz declared. “The tip of my spear will likely prove beneficial in revealing the details behind the Acryptus conspiracy.”
Adelaide smiled. Maybe there was hope to resolve their situation after all. She wondered how much Jonah Longstreet knew of their plight. If he was as informed as he seemed, then perhaps he was aware of her as well. It was possible he might even have read some of her work. To be joined in the fight against Tibris Tiberion by her hero almost made the issue seem thrilling. She allowed h
er clouded mind to mellow as she pictured the reclusive inkman rushing out of the shadows, waving a dozen new manuscripts that only enhanced the clues and curiosities about the brand each Red Hand bore and how their provincial lord was involved in some catastrophical cover up that they would all expose. Her skin rushed with goose bumps as her imagination hurled about like a monsoon. Oh, how she wished she had her journal with her…just one blank page to scribble upon. She sighed as she remembered the Martellos and how their sacrifice would not go unavenged.
She turned back behind her to check on Cherry. It was then she noticed, for the first time, that Raoul and Finn had fallen slightly behind from the rest of the group. Cherry was walking directly behind them, her face livid with concern.
“Look, Blondie ,” Finn was saying. “All I’m saying is that everyone in Havendale knew why you got nominated this year. You were standing behind some little girl and couldn’t get out of the way in time to let her fall on her rump. That’s the only rotting reason.”
“Maybe I actually meant to help her!” Raoul exclaimed. “You ever consider that?” “Um, no I didn’t. I don’t think anyone in the whole village ever considered that thought for a minute. You’re a wink, Blondie, you always have been. You can blame it on your dad all you want, but we both know you don’t try changing because secretly….you liked it.”
“Liked what?” Finn smiled maliciously. “What do you think? You liked getting beaten. You enjoyed all the verbal abuse, everything. The way he never looked at you with love or kindness, not even once. You grew up believing it was the only way to act, even after you saw how other people treated each other. You still believe it’s the right way, even after everything we’ve done for you since the attack.”
“That’s not true,” Raou l retorted. “I’m changing. Something an immature wink like you wouldn’t understand. You think you’re some kind of arrogant model of perfection, but you’re just a pretty squirm who won’t grow up.”
The Acryptus Tree Page 19