Passages (Alternate Worlds Book 1)

by Taylor Leigh

  ‘You will not stumble on their land if you go back.’ Flynn pointed out.

  Victoria waited.

  Flynn sighed. ‘The Blaiden’s land begins with the pine barrens. You will know it by how the wood changes to pines and swamp. Their sacred mountain is there,’ he pointed to the rising peak in the near distance. ‘It is the land of their Guardian. No-one goes there.’

  Victoria tried to memorise the shape of the Guardian’s Mountain and what differentiated it from the other peaks. ‘Thank you.’

  Flynn started off at a walk, back towards the trees. ‘My people are hunting. Be careful as you return.’

  Victoria clasped her hands behind her back and smiled innocently.

  ‘And don’t scare the prey!’ Flynn barked. And with that, he was gone.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Tollin was beginning to think that he’d possibly made the wrong choice when he’d picked the river on the left. So far, he had seen nothing. The air smelled normal and the grass tasted fine—yes, he did admit he’d had a small nibble here and there. Overall, it appeared to be an average, every day, boring stream.

  He stood on one of the mossy banks, hands in his pockets, and stared at the water, as if staring hard enough might force the spores to come crawling out of the water and attack him. He pulled a face, bobbed up and down and turned round in a small circle. He was antsy and frustrated. Not a good combination for someone like himself.

  He was obviously getting no-where and he’d left Victoria all on her own. It was pointless for him to keep on when his stream was clearly not the trouble. Best to find Victoria, mark out a path and then trudge back and manipulate Thedric into coming along with some of his men to help remove the mess. Righto. Sounded like a plan. He was in the process of swinging round to traipse back the way he’d come, when he heard a slight rustle.

  It wasn’t a noise perhaps anyone would hear, and if they did catch it, they’d think it nothing more than a bird or a lizard moving about in the soggy leaves, but he was different. Tollin considered his hearing rather good and he could certainly make out the sound of a foot carefully settling down in the underbrush. Someone—some human—was following him, and had been for some time. He wasn’t sure when he’d first become aware of the stalker. He had notice it rather early on, when he’d still been with Victoria, in fact. But he’d just lodged it in the back of his mind, not really conscious of it till now.

  He debated his options. Confront the person now, or continue on his way until his follower finally decided to come forward. His curiosity was, unfortunately, getting the better of him and Tollin decided it would be much better to have a chat with whoever it was before he got back to Victoria. Some people tended to slow him down, and he wasn’t sure yet about Victoria. No, best to do things on his own—for now, at least.

  ‘Well, we’re alone now, seems like a good a chance as any to have a little talk, wouldn’t you say?’ He eyed the trees.

  Silence.

  Tollin rolled his tongue across his teeth. ‘Of course, I could just go back and your whole day of following me would have been rather wasted. Why not just come out in the open? I’m Tollin; some people call me the Traveller. I’m here to help.’

  ‘I know who you are,’ a familiar voice cut him off.

  Tollin watched as Story slunk out of the wood.

  ‘Story!’ he cried, grinning. ‘Oh, I’m glad it’s you!’

  ‘How long have you known I was following you?’ She watched him warily.

  ‘Oh, not that long. Well, a few hours. Eh, most of the day. Got a rather good sense of hearing…and smell… But here you are now! We can catch up! It’s been a while.’

  Story glowered. ‘You shouldn’t be here, you or the girl. What are you doing?’

  ‘Oh, you know,’ Tollin eyed the river and strode towards it as casually as he could. ‘Heard about some strange events happening in the forest. Couldn’t resist.’ He grinned.

  Story crossed her arms. ‘Everything is under control here,’ she said tightly.

  ‘Really?’ Tollin raised his eyebrows in surprise and bent down next to the water. ‘Because last time I checked, you said things were getting worse.’

  He studied her, aware of his left eyebrow rising impressively high. He kept his eyes on her but cupped his hands and dipped them into the water. Slowly he raised the water to his lips.

  Story lurched forward. ‘Don’t drink that!’

  Tollin’s mouth parted as he analysed her, mixture of amusement and fascination slowly filling him. ‘Ah, I see. And why not?’

  Story glared. ‘You already know why.’

  Tollin stood. ‘Yes I do. So why are you acting so funny about it?’

  Story shifted on her feet. ‘The Blaiden, they’re…’ She cast a look round the wood furtively.

  Tollin moved in closer. ‘What have they done? Come on, speak up!’

  Story sucked in a deep breath and then looked up at Tollin. She stood on tiptoe and rested her hand on his shoulder, pulling his ear down to her lips. ‘The Blaiden, they have ears everywhere. They are probably watching us now. They have taken over the forest completely. Their packs are growing by the day and each day they grow wilder. And their sickness is spreading to my people. I don’t know what streams are safe. You can’t drink from any of them. Many of my people are falling, and I cannot save them all. And, Traveller, I feel they are planning something. Something big.’

  Tollin peered at her. ‘That doesn’t bode well. We’re having problems of our own. But, hang on, can you save some of them? Story, do you know of a cure?’ He gripped her shoulders, hardly aware of how fast he was talking.

  Story nodded and pulled out of his grasp. She slid a leather pouch from her waist and held it up. Gently she tipped it into Tollin’s hands. Black powder spilt out.

  ‘This is from the stoneflower seeds, a flower which grows in the fens of the Blaiden land.’

  Tollin nodded. ‘Ah, yes! I’ve been looking for those! That’s the only place it grows?’ He eyed the powder, then licked his palm, tasting it. He made a face. ‘Ugh, hardly a nice sweet, is it?’

  ‘The fens are the only place it grows for many kilometres. I risked my life going there to find it. The Influenced of their kind are prowling everywhere. They’re so drugged they do not even know what they do.’

  ‘Yeah, met one of them in Flotsen of all places. Not the most pleasant of chaps.’

  ‘The powder, mixed with water, I have found, dilutes the effect of the spores completely. It makes people no longer addicted, no longer want to take the spores, but if they do take them, they still feel the effects, unfortunately. Some of my clan have been at the point of murder, but have returned to their normal selves after drinking this. I’ve been sneaking it into Flynn’s water when I can. But the Blaiden keep forcing him to drink more. So it doesn’t do much good.’

  Tollin studied the tiny amount cupped in his hands. ‘Story, you are brilliant! This could save hundreds of lives—thousands, if you count Scrabia!’

  ‘There are not many flowers, Traveller. Deeper in the Blaiden’s land, maybe, but you cannot get to them!’

  Tollin held up a finger. ‘One thing at a time, Story! We may just be able to cure these worlds! Especially if I can figure out how to grow them…Blaiden saved and Denizens gone, Tartans back on their side of the lake. Druids happy here!’ He spun round in a tight circle, excited. ‘Oh!’ he growled. ‘Where to begin?’ He ran his fingers through is hair. ‘Right, I should probably find Victoria.’

  Story smiled patiently. ‘Do you really think you can fix this problem, Traveller? It is too much.’

  ‘Oh, I’ve faced bigger. Helps to be optimistic!’

  Story crossed her arms. ‘I’ll just think realistically for the time being, thanks.’

  Tollin smiled. ‘You don’t believe me? Give me time, Story. I’ll give you something to believe in!’

  Story tied the pouch of powder shut and tossed it to him. ‘That would be nice, Traveller. I’ve not had anything
to believe in in quite some time.’

  Tollin regarded her. ‘I won’t forget about you, Story. I won’t forget about the Druids. I promise you.’

  Story broke into a smile and waved him off. ‘Well, stop blathering on and get out of here before it gets dark! You won’t save anyone standing here talking! Stars, you could talk the bark off a tree, you know that?’

  Tollin grinned. ‘Thank you again, Story! You really, truly are a lifesaver and you’re brilliant!’ he paused. ‘You remind me of someone I know, someone I lost. She was good with plants like you as well.’

  ‘You mean Molly,’ Story said quietly. ‘She was a friend of mine. Well, as close to a friend as a Druid can have with a Tartan. We heard about her death. I am sorry.’

  Tollin nodded. ‘Yeah.’ He sucked in a deep breath. ‘Well, like you said, best be off! No doubt Victoria is getting into all sorts of trouble right now.’

  He gave an awkward wave and trotted off into the forest, following the stream back the way he’d come, new hope set in his heart.

  * * * * *

  Victoria had put behind her all thoughts of turning back. The excitement of being on the edge of discovery pushed her forward and she moved at a rapid pace along the river bank. Is this how Tollin always felt? She knew now why Molly wanted to leave with him. It was addicting.

  She knew she was getting close to the Blaiden’s land—if she was not already in it—because of how drastically the scenery had changed. The forest had shifted from mossy green, with ferns and smooth trees, to scraggly pines and soggy ground. Ferns and palmettos were sprouted here and there in the black earth and everything had a thick, pressing smell to it, like a place for sickness to grow and fester. The river had grown rockier and was winding its way through a tangled gorge, which she was travelling through now. The sides of the river had dramatically risen, sweeping up into steep, boulder-strewn cliffs, closing in on her.

  Her path, up until now, had remained flat as the river ran its course through the gorge, but now things were changing. Up ahead, Victoria tried to ignore what she’d noticed earlier, she was nearing the end of the gorge she was in, and beyond that was a steep embankment that the river was cascading down. Of course there would be a bloody waterfall. She was going to have to climb that. She wasn’t lucky enough to have them all sitting in a nice pile at the base of it.

  It was a daunting prospect. The incline rose sharply, spaced here and there by thin trees. Huge boulders were clumped about in imposing walls, as if pushed down the slope by some disgruntled giant. Those would cause the greatest problem.

  The roar of falling water grew louder as Victoria approached, and as she stood at the foot of the waterfall, she felt her spirits fall like the crashing water. Dressed in her billowing skirts and flimsy slip-on boots Victoria was not prepared for the challenge. She realised how ridiculous she was. A princess, thinking she could tackle a challenge like this! But, if it meant saving others…she couldn’t just give up. Not now. No matter how much she wished Tollin was with her.

  She set her teeth and curled her fingers round a wet, mossy rock at the base of the waterfall and peered up into the spray. She estimated the river fell about five metres before disappearing from her sight above. The slope looked to be hard, given her apparel, but short climb, Victoria figured. What was at the top of the slope was beyond her guess. She had no idea what the land of the Wolves would hold, but the water had to be falling from somewhere. Perhaps there was a lake pooled in the hills at the top and that was the source of the spores.

  The sun was gradually rising behind her. She figured it was late morning. Plenty of time for her to climb a ways, try to find the water source, and then dash back and meet up with Tollin.

  Victoria squared her jaw and began to climb.

  The first leg of the climb was almost too much for her. She fought her way past slimy rocks, muddying her fingernails and dress. In no time at all her front looked like part of the hillside. Leaves and mud and moss stuck to her like another layer of clothing. She was rather sure she had never been so filthy in her life and the thought made her shudder as she climbed. If Andrew could see her now he would have had a hysterical fit over how dirty she was. She began to hope more fervently for a lake at the top. A good wash-off was what she needed.

  Her hand reached up to a soggy ledge above her head and she felt something alive skitter across her skin. With a cry, Victoria let go and fell a few inches before gripping a clump of grass. Her face smacked against the rocks and she felt the wet grittiness of mud hit her lips. Victoria spat it out in disgust and tried to wipe her mouth on her shoulder. Yes. She was sure she had never been this disgusting in her life.

  She almost sang when she reached the top. It took all of her arm strength—which wasn’t much to speak of—to haul herself up the last rock and onto its ledge. Beyond, the ground continued to rise upwards in a much easier slope, something she could hike without having to crawl like an animal. No lake immediately in front of her. She was slightly disappointed by that.

  She was just about to congratulate herself for making it as far as she had when she realised the water had disappeared. Victoria tossed about for a moment, horrified that she was actually able to lose a river. Then she looked down over the rock ledge and what she saw made her let out an involuntary groan. The water was coming out from the ground beneath her. She flattened herself out onto her stomach, figuring she could not possibly get any dirtier, and peered down. The boulders must have been forming a cave, which was beneath her now, that the stream ran through.

  She sighed and sat back up. There was no way she could fit in there, and even if she could, it would take a great deal of convincing for her to actually crawl inside. Victoria swung her feet out over the ledge and pulled at the dead oak leaves in her frizzy hair. Her arms were still weak from the climb, and now that she had no real path to follow, she decided it was as good a time as any to rest.

  The river puzzled her. It seemed to be coming from the ground here, but the spores were coming from somewhere else. They had to be. She was quite sure she hadn’t seen any pods in the stream on her way and, if Tollin was right—and she was rather confident he was—then there should have been at least one lying about. There were definitely spores in the stream and they had to be coming from somewhere, right? She doubted they were coming from inside the small cave. The pods couldn’t have fallen inside and there weren’t any signs of a dumping site that she could see. No. The spores had to be coming from somewhere else.

  Victoria struggled to her feet and stared up the slope. That stream would reappear somewhere up above her. Call it a gut feeling, but she was sure of it.

  She slid her sleeve along her mouth in an attempt to wipe away the grime. There was only one thing for it; she had to keep going.

  She sighed. ‘Onwards and upwards…’

  Victoria hiked up her skirts and set off.

  * * * * *

  Tollin turned round in a small circle, eyes narrowed. He checked his timepiece again and he knit his dark brows together even closer than they already were. He had said four hours, hadn’t he? He stuffed the timepiece back into his vest pocket and blew out his lips in frustration.

  ‘Royal girls and time, never been able to keep up with it…’ he muttered, glancing round.

  The forest was turning a soft yellow, the colour of afternoon. They would just have enough time to get back to Watcher’s Keep—if they hurried. He highly doubted Victoria would be able to find her way without him. It wasn’t simply a matter of following the river to find the keep. A person needed some sense of direction, which unfortunately, she did not seem to be gifted with.

  He bobbed up and down on his heels, not used to—or liking very much—the fact he was standing in one place with nowhere to go. She should be safe; after all, he’d given her the medallion. Any predator, human or otherwise, should stay away, unless she was making an unbelievable amount of noise. After spending those first few hours with her in the forest he knew there was not a stealthy
bone in her body, but still, the medallion should have distracted anything.

  Though he was not a paranoid person, Tollin couldn’t help but sense that there was still something definitely wrong. It was something tense, something waiting. Not the normal kind, either. This was something foreign, alien. He scanned his surroundings through narrowed eyes, mind working overtime.

  No birds. He had noted that distantly.

  Tollin stuffed his hands back into his pockets and blinked in surprise as he heard a crinkling from within. He didn’t recall putting anything in his coat pocket. Curiously, Tollin withdrew the object, putting the forest and Victoria out of his mind for a moment. His eyebrows rose. It was a piece of paper. A note. Addressed to him.

  How intriguing.

  Tollin unfolded the parchment and frowned at the handwriting. It took him a moment to realise: it was Molly’s.

  Very slowly, Tollin felt his stomach do a flip. When had she written this? When had she slipped it into his pocket? Especially without him noticing?

  ‘What is this?’

  His brain was rushing with questions but he finally managed to focus enough to read what Molly had written.

  My dearest Tollin,

  I am sorry for the deception. Believe me, it was not my intention—I was not even aware of the fact that I was deceiving you. I am not who I thought I was, and for that reason, I believe our time will be cut short.

  I wish I could continue to help you on your quest. Travelling the Realms with you will always be my greatest desire. I am simply grateful I spent the time with you I did. I have learnt much, and will not let what you have taught me about bravery, morality and justice, go to waste. It will be well practiced, I swear that to you. I will not let you down.

  Do not hate the Light for taking me away. It did it to protect me. And protect you. I hope I was some help to you, in only a small way. And I hope that by my leaving, you will be safe.