“You lasted much longer than I thought you would,” he said, stopping me at ten steps away. “For a moment, I considered the possibility I was wrong, and you’d see it through.”
“See it through?”
At last he turned, and his eyes chilled me like no winter could. Dark, swirling masses of browns and greens filled the orbs, a miasma of earthy depths that caused me to recoil.
“The girl,” he replied with a kind smile. “You know so little about the world, we thought maybe you would be trusting enough to wait it out, and perhaps you would have if not for outside interference. But, the damage is done, and so, here we are. Shall we go inside and see what we might do to fix it?”
Without waiting for my answer, he started forward, heading for Belinda. The old man stopped when he reached her, and set a hand between her eyes. I watched on as they held a silent conversation, him nodding or shaking his head from time to time. The moment passed, and he retracted his hand.
“That’s as much as I can tell you. I’m sorry it’s not more, but it’s a start. Thank you for bringing him, my dear. Blessings upon you in your travels.”
Belinda straightened and bowed low. Her eyes rested on me when she stood again, and I felt her words from that morning echoing in my heart. I dipped my head to her in gratitude. “I will tell her and make sure you see her safe again.”
The wolf huffed an acknowledgment, turned, and bounded off back the way we’d come. I stood there watching her until she disappeared over the ridge, wondering how I’d make it off the mountain with her gone, when a clearing throat disturbed my thoughts.
“Well?” the old man said from the doorway of his dark hovel. “She’s other things to see to, and so do you. Best get moving if you intend to.”
I took as deep a breath as I could manage in the thin air and thought of Erata. If she could only see the stark beauty of those mountains…
“The moment the sun goes down, you’ll freeze for sure.”
My options limited, I headed for the shack. It was time for some answers.
* * * * *
The light spread in a circle around us, unable to penetrate the darkness past the two small stumps on either side of the fire. The old man motioned me to sit, and the shack door shut with an echoing thunk. With nowhere else to go, I lowered myself onto one of the stumps and waited.
His strange eyes stared at me for the longest time, as though I were a sheet of ice he could look right through. My visits to our elderly neighbors had taught me to be patient when speaking with such people. They might take their time in getting to the heart of things, but patience was often rewarded with valuable lessons or entertaining stories.
When he did speak, his tone was soft, not quite kind, but understanding. “You don’t know much of the world yet. Even less than we first thought. I do see why it had to be you, however.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand any of this.” My brow furrowed despite my effort to be patient. My sense of urgency was greater than I’d ever known before. “Why what had to be me?”
“First, you must hear the story. There are greater things at work than you are likely ready to hear, but hear them you must.”
Seeing that I had little choice, I sighed. “I’m listening.”
He adjusted his position on the stump, a slow, creaky movement that didn’t look as though it did much for his comfort, and the tale began in earnest. “Sagara was the smallest of his brethren. Since his earliest days millennia ago, he has always worked to be stronger, faster, more clever and powerful than his siblings. Born with a natural command of water, after years of working his way up the ranks, the Dragon King, Ryu-o, appointed him ruler of the Great River. Wanting to secure his position, he searched for a very long time to find a mate that would ensure his descendants were even greater than he. When he found Lilith in the Wildlands, he refused to settle for any other. Convinced she would bear him many strong children, he attempted to court her. Lilith was a child of the earth, however, with no desire for the far lands Sagara hailed from. She did not want his distant palace, nor to leave the trees of her home. Along with talents for speaking with the land, Lilith was blessed with the gift of true sight, and Sagara’s illusion of human form couldn’t fool her. She ran from the dragon he was, but could not escape him. It was not until his ultimatum that she capitulated. Under threat of a great flood that would destroy her people, Lilith joined Sagara, bearing him a single son before succumbing to the grief of losing her freedom.”
He paused in his story, taking a moment to judge my reaction. “Sagara’s son, Na-gi, was not what Sagara had hoped for. The child was simple, with some talents for water and earth, but displaying none of the sharp intellect Sagara or Lilith possessed. Unsatisfied, Sagara turned his focus to grandchildren, hoping they would prove to be the progeny he wished for. It was shortly after that decision that a young woman came to see him. The girl was clever, but overconfident. She was searching for something she believed would grant her the ultimate freedom. In trade, she offered Sagara a power he did not possess: the ability to trap the wind itself.”
“You speak of Erata?” I said, stunned at the revelation.
The old man nodded. “She is clever and cunning, but the dragon more so. As one who wishes to extend his reach, to command more than the greatness granted him, Sagara is possibly the most dangerous of all dragons. In her, he saw an opportunity not only to take her offered trade, but to further his line’s reach into magic. And so, he proposed the match. Naturally, she refused. She had seen for herself the possibility of love despite all odds, and wouldn’t give up on the potential to have it for herself. Rather than argue, Sagara gave her a choice. Erata could leave without the thing she’d come seeking, or earn everything she wanted and more if she could complete one simple task.”
“She struck a deal with a dragon?” I blurted, not believing my ears. What prize could be worth so much?
“If she could find love in a year’s time, she would be granted her wish. If she couldn’t, she would marry Na-gi and belong to dragons for all her days. Greed and pride overcame her better judgment, and she agreed, only learning later about the restrictions. Sagara decreed that no man would see her true face, as love is blind. In the light, she became an elk, fully aware of who she was and why. In the dark, her form was as it should be, but her mind clouded, unsure of who she was or what her life had been. Sagara was certain she would never find one who cared for her as both animal and human, and that was his mistake.”
I hung my head, ashamed at my failure and mourning what I’d cost Erata. To have come so close, only to be betrayed…
“She must hate me.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps a year ago that would’ve been true, but her trials have changed her. She learned the rarity of true compassion, the willingness to sacrifice for another person, and she’s seen for herself the depth of love that’s attainable. Even now, I think she hopes to find a solution, to see you again no matter how briefly. You do not believe in second chances, but perhaps it’s time you started to.”
A second chance. How many times had I wished for such a thing, knowing it was impossible? My parents loved me despite my failure to protect my little brother, and I’d worked every day to be worthy of it. I lost Erata, but perhaps the spirits had seen fit to grant me an opportunity to correct my mistakes.
I lifted my eyes to the old man, scouring the shifting depths of his eyes. “Tell me what I must do.”
A hint of a grin turned up one corner of his ashen, wrinkled mouth. “You must find the dragon’s palace. It lies east of the sun, west of the moon, and is unreachable by foot. If you can get to the village below it, I have no doubt you will find a way to save her.”
My heart sank. “But if it’s unreachable by foot, how can I get there?”
“That I cannot tell you, but my brothers may know.”
“Your brothers?”
“I can see you to one, but I must warn you, he isn’t easy to find, and less inclined to converse with
people than I am. He will judge you before he agrees to help you, and only your truth will win his trust. Do that, and he will assist you.”
Through no outward sign, I knew my time with the old man was ending. I needed to act quickly. “And what of the dragon? How will I free Erata when I find her?”
He considered it for a moment, then reached inside his robe, drawing out a small comb. “Sagara is clever, but his son is not. Take this, and it may help you in your endeavor.”
I took the item, noting the smooth feel and variations of browns resembling the hard shells of turtles. “A comb?”
His enigmatic smile told me nothing and left me unsettled.
A crack of light distracted me, and I turned to see the shack’s door slightly open.
“Follow the sun for half a day,” the old man said. “Stray for nothing, and eat only that which is on the path before you.”
Standing, I pulled my coat tight around me after adjusting my pack. “Half a day’s walk through the barren snow of the mountain will likely see me dead.”
He chuckled a little and waved me towards the door. “Just remember my words, and you’ll be all right. You will be tempted, but I think you’ve learned a lesson about such things. Be swift, be safe, Lukas.”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Spirits willing. Thank you for your help.”
He dipped his head at me, but said no more. With nothing else left to do, I walked to the doorway and opened it fully.
I realized two things in that single moment. First, I wasn’t going to need my coat at all.
And second, the shack and the old man were gone. Not a trace remained of either as I stared at my new surroundings.
I may not have known much about the world, but I knew, without any doubt, exactly where I was.
Not even Erata’s stories could have prepared me for a stroll through the Wildlands.
Chapter 14
In every direction, all I could see were trees, their branches choked with dripping greenery. Above the top of the jungle canopy, the sun peeked up overhead to add its blazing rays to the already oppressive heat. Moisture hung so thick in the air, it was as hard to breathe as it had been atop that peak. Mere minutes before, it had been sunset in the northern mountains, but it felt like near midday already.
The old man said to follow the sun, but not knowing the time made it impossible to guess which direction I needed to travel. Already beginning to sweat through my clothes, I took a few minutes to rearrange myself. My coat I returned to my pack and stripped down to my undershirt to avoid overheating. The task before me seemed impossible. I had no water with me, and only a small knife at my belt for a survival tool. Never mind that the Wildlands were as foreign to me as the moon, how was I expected to fend off whatever creatures dwelled there? My limited knowledge of plants might be of some use, but information on the flora of that part of the world was scarce in Valmyr. Few ever went to the untamed jungles, and fewer still returned. My head ached from lack of food and sleep, and all I had to go on was “follow the sun for half a day.”
I was either the greatest fool that ever lived, or braver than most men I knew. Most likely, it was a mixture of both.
After a short while to get my bearings, I was fairly certain which way I needed to go. The sun had climbed a little higher, so I put it to my back and found a relatively clear path to follow. Relatively, in that it was the only place not made impassable by overgrown bushes and plants clinging to the tree trunks, reaching green tendrils out to anything in their way.
I was careful to always keep track of the sun, and the few times I was presented with more than one option of where to go, it decided for me. At one point, I crossed a fallen tree over a stream, easing some of my thirst. At another, a small creature bounded across my path, but headed away from where I needed to go before I could catch it. It paused on the southerly path, looking back at me with glittering black eyes, as though waiting for me to give chase, but the old man’s warning, coupled with my own history with disastrous hunting excursions, steeled my resolve not to stray. My dedication was rewarded by a raspberry bush flush with fruit, the ripe red gems practically outnumbering the leaves it was so laden with them. I gorged myself, not knowing when my next meal would come, then continued on as the sun overtook me in the sky.
Though I never saw anyone else, I knew I wasn’t alone in that jungle. Whether it was man or beast that tracked me, I couldn’t have said, but something, or many somethings, watched my progress. The scent of roasted meat tempted me more than once, but I held firm in my dedication. Not even the occasional scream of a dying animal, far from my line of sight, slowed my steps.
Where I’d end up at day’s end was a mystery. Perhaps I’d been tricked into walking straight to my death. All I knew for certain was that the presence I felt was growing closer and the sky beginning to darken. When the shadows lengthened to swallow me up, my worries got the better of me. How much farther did I have to go?
The moment the question occurred to me, the way forward stopped abruptly. I stumbled into a small, open area completely surrounded by foliage so dense, I doubted anything short of a wildfire could penetrate it. As I took a hesitant step, the brush behind me rustled, and I spun. Before my eyes, the faint path I’d followed disappeared into a tangle of brambles and vines.
Trapped.
My shoulders slumped, my pack weighing me down as though it were a massive tree crushing me. I was no nearer to finding Erata than I’d been when I started, and I was utterly stuck in the middle of a very hostile environment. Where was the brother I’d been sent to meet? Why had I seen no trace of him? Gradually, my helplessness and frustration morphed into something else entirely. As many winters as I’d spent confined to a cabin, there was always something to do. But there, what was there for me? I refused to die. Even if I had to claw my way out with my bare hands, I’d see it done. Ripping my knife from my belt, I slashed at the vines before me, not about to be the docile prisoner, but around my sixth angry swing at the plants, I was stopped by the sound of something very large hitting the ground behind me.
I spun, unsure of what to expect. Knife out in readiness, I dared not breathe as I met the eyes of the largest man I’d ever seen. He was crouched on all fours, staring at me through amber animal eyes. Sweat glistened off of his clean-shaven head, slipping down to disappear in the pitch black beard hanging from his chin like a dagger. A smooth, white pelt draped his body, covering some of the dark tattoos running along his skin, and every inch of his immense, toned muscles screamed of power and ease of violence.
We stared at each other a very long time, waiting for the other to make a move. Though I had little hope of surviving if the giant attacked, I refused to go down without a fight. If I died, I would die not giving up.
“Why have you walked the tiger’s path, little man?” His words left his lips as more growl than speech.
I swallowed and steeled myself. “I was sent by an old man on a mountain, to see his brother.”
“To what end?”
His eyes bored into me, sniffing out any hints of dishonesty, and I knew a lie would bring a swift and bloody end to my quest. “I seek the palace east of the sun, west of the moon. The old man said his brother might aid me.”
The man’s posture straightened, and he stood to his full height, towering at least three feet above me. “You are the one loved by the wind?”
I lowered my knife a little, but remained cautious. “Loved by the wind? I wouldn’t know. The one I swore to help at all costs was taken from me by my own foolish mistakes. I only wish to free her, even if she never forgives me my faithlessness.”
His wide shoulders relaxed, the tiniest hint of satisfaction easing his expression. “A truly righteous course for a small man. Though I cannot say I’m certain you’ll succeed, I see the truth in your heart. I will not kill you this day.”
I grimaced. “That’s very thoughtful of you, but will you help me? If you’re the brother I was sent to find, can you tell me how to get
to the dragon’s palace?”
With a rough grunt, he crossed his arms, weighing me once more. “I cannot take you to that place, but I may have something to offer you.”
In two long strides he was before me, and even more fearsome up close. From around his wrist, he slipped off a bracelet of five claws, each one visibly sharp enough to slice a man’s skin with ease.
“You have shown commitment and trust in finding me, and my brother has seen wisdom within you, even if it’s hidden by foolish youth. Take this talisman, as it may be of some help in finding what you seek.”
I put my knife away and accepted the gift, though I couldn’t see what good such a trinket would do me save for serving as a potential weapon should I need it. “Thank you for this, though I’m not sure how much farther I’ll get if you can’t tell me what to do next or show me how I might find that place.”
He sighed impatiently and turned away, walking to the other side of the clearing. “You can rest here for the night and be safe. At sunrise, you will go to my brother. Be mindful of what you ask, little man. Finding him will be even more difficult than catching your own shadow.”
I hurried across to catch up with him. “The old man? On the mountain? But I’ve just come from—”
“You speak out of turn,” he growled at me. “Do not question my generosity, and accept my words as truth. When you wake, walk the opposite way the sun travels. Stop only in darkness, and keep hope in miracles. If you are worthy, and have followed my instructions without fail, my brother will find you in your hour of greatest need. No sooner, and not a moment too late.”
He pointed to a small, shallow cave, and the rumble of thunder rattled me. Overhead, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and within moments the first drops of rain fell.
Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales Book 3) Page 13