Alex was watching me. “Still riding, I see.” He smiled. I couldn’t remember seeing him smile like that. Not even when we were younger.
“Of course.” I stroked Calyx’s mane, trying to ignore Alex’s charm this morning. “I suppose your life of luxury and self-importance doesn’t give you much time for this sort of leisure.”
“Lucky for me this supposed life of luxury I lead requires I ride.” He raised a brow. “I might even be better than you now.”
I grinned. “This I have to see.”
I’d always been a better rider than Alex. Although if I thought about it, “better” might be the wrong word. Reckless was more accurate.
Just as he lifted his foot to the stirrup, Parsec sidestepped. Alex’s foot plummeted to the ground, landing with a squish into something green and slimy. Manure.
“Better?” I laughed. “Well, at least I know your reputation has nothing to do with riding.”
Alex glared at me, but not without a grin. I laughed even harder. Shaking his head, he scraped his boot clean and fluidly hopped into the saddle like he’d done it a thousand times.
The two of us exited the barn to where Cicero and Sonya were scrutinizing the land ahead. Just beyond the blanket of fog, I could make out a wall of shadow. It looked like a forest. A dense, tall forest. I knew it must be the Kirkwoods.
Cicero glanced over his shoulder. “You two ready?”
Alex responded with an affirmative while I focused on keeping a straight face. I kept thinking about the manure.
“Run hard, straight for the woods. We can’t be followed. The fog should hide us till we reach the trees, and we’ll reconvene once we’re under the cover of the forest. Daria?”
I fought back my smile and tried to sound as serious as Cicero did. “Yes?”
“Remember what you agreed to.”
I nodded. What he meant was that he expected me not to run off. And I would keep that promise, as long as they kept theirs.
Chapter 12
Magical Missives
Once we reached the forest, Cicero didn’t waste time. We stopped just long enough for Cicero to say it was all right to talk, but don’t yell, and we were safe, but keep our weapons ready. And never, under any circumstances, was I allowed to go off on my own. Not even when I went to the bathroom.
The fog followed us into the forest, blanketing the air with a thin veil of haze. The trees looked like dark veins, stretching and bending, angling up from the ground into a grey abyss.
I had no idea where we were or what direction we were headed. Everything looked the same; grey, dark, cloudy. Every so often I heard a sound like a crow’s call. It was always off in the distance, echoing endlessly in the mist, and was the only sign of life aside of ourselves. For the most part nature was quiet, letting us pass through her uninhibited.
Calyx proved to be an incredible creature. His temperament was remarkable; he didn’t startle, and didn’t require much—if any—guidance. Before I even reached to pull him in a certain direction, he would walk that way. I wondered where Master Durus had found the horses and how they’d been trained. Out of all the horses I’d been exposed to, none were so controlled and intuitive. If this was what my dad was used to, no wonder he couldn’t stand riding Cadence.
My thoughts drifted back to Thad and his words repeated again. “Makes you wonder what else they’re not telling you.”
Shoving my fingers into my pocket, I pulled out the little rook Thad gave me.
A tower with impenetrable walls. For all its strength in battle, what was it hiding inside? What was it fighting to protect? To Thad it was the most important piece. To me, it just sacrificed itself for the king like all the other pieces. But Thad had employed this little rook again and again, using it to dismantle every strategy I didn’t have.
The wind stirred. Shadows moved as the mist glittered in sunlight. Wasn’t that what Thad had warned? That the Black Bard would come as a shadow? Was it possible he was real and following us right now?
“What are you worried about?” Alex gazed sidelong at me.
He and Parsec walked beside me, and I hadn’t even heard them approach. “Nothing.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Parsec, I don’t believe her.” He patted his stallion’s mane. “See how she’s playing with her hair? She always does that when she’s nervous.”
Parsec and Calyx both whinnied as I dropped my fingers from my hair.
I glared at the perfidious pair. “Just something Thad said, before we left. About a Black Bard.”
He sighed with understanding. “I might advise you not to listen to dear Thaddeus. He is a professional jokester and gets some sort of sick pleasure from distressing others.”
He had a point there. “Well? Is it true?”
Alex stared ahead, his face fixed in concentration. “It depends on who you ask. I would say no. People have a habit of blaming any unusual or unexplainable event on the Black Bard, but no one has ever seen him. I think he’s more myth than anything. Don’t waste your time worrying.”
A dark shadow sliced through the mist, right over my head, and cawed so loudly I jumped. Stupid birds.
“Daria, seriously.” Alex smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. If he really exists and tries to attack, we’ll hand you right over and be done with it.”
“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you,” I said.
He chuckled then, the sound of his laughter making my heart flutter. I hadn’t heard his laughter in years, but the sound had changed. It was deeper and richer and seemed to pulse through me.
“What’s that in your hand?” He nodded towards my rook.
I’d forgotten I was holding it. “Oh. Thad gave it to me before we left. Thought I might practice my strategy so I don’t have to talk to you.”
Alex’s expression grew distant as he stared at the rook in my hand. Without another word, he slowed Parsec and walked behind me. I suddenly wished I’d kept my mouth shut.
Darkness began to consume our clouded, narrow trail, and Cicero halted. He jumped down from Nova and led her towards the overhang of an enormous tree branch. “This looks good.”
I hopped down from Calyx, grateful Alex moved me to the bed last night. Well, a little grateful.
“I’ll help you.” Alex stood at my side.
“I don’t need your—” he took my pack off the saddle “—help,” I finished quietly.
“I didn’t ask if you needed it.”
“Daria,” Sonya called over to me. “Grab Parsec, will you, dear? There’s a stream nearby and I’d like to get them some water while we fill our canteens.”
Alex held the reins out for me, his expression hard. “There’s no need to punish Parsec because you’re mad at me.”
“Mad? I’d have to care about you to be mad…”
Alex dropped the reins and walked away before I could finish my sentence, leaving me with both Calyx and Parsec. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the horses were glaring at me.
I led Calyx and Parsec after Sonya, Orion, and Nova. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of bubbling water. A few paces more and we reached a narrow stream trickling through the trees. It was shallow enough to walk through, but wide enough to ensure one got wet if they tried. The water was crystal clear, glittering through beams of sunlight, bounding over and around small rocks. The horses were already lapping it up.
Sonya knelt along the bank a little downstream from me, filling her and Cicero’s canteens. I grabbed mine and Alex’s.
Alex. He brought out the worst in me. Mad? I wasn’t mad at him. He was the bane of my existence. There was a difference.
But I couldn’t let him go without water.
I dipped my hands in the stream, the water icy cold against my skin. I filled his canteen first to make sure I didn’t conveniently forget, and then filled mine. After some of the water went in, I lifted the canteen to my lips. The water was so refreshing and revitalizing that I gulped down the rest. I dipped it back in the river
to fill for our journey.
A gust of wind whispered past my ears. With it came voices, layers of hushed voices, all whispering at once.
I glanced around, but all I could see were trees. Nothing but trees.
Thinking I imagined it, I went back to my canteen. The whispers sounded again. I looked back towards Sonya. She was focused on the stream, filling the canteens. Feeling my gaze, she glanced up at me and smiled, then returned to her task.
I must’ve been hearing things. I hurried to fill the canteens and secured the caps.
Just as I stood, a bright red leaf caught my attention. It fell from the sky, floating back and forth through the air. It looked strangely out of place amidst the green of the trees. Nothing was red here, except for this leaf.
It continued to fall, gracefully sliding through the air until it landed in front of me, right on the water. But rather than glide downstream with the current, it just stayed there, floating. I watched the leaf as it spun in place, its deep red edges curled upwards as if reaching for me. Then it moved. Upstream.
It glided across the surface of the water, away from me, away from Sonya. Sonya was still fixed on her task, now tending to the horses, and the leaf was moving away. Farther and farther it went.
Careful and quiet, I set down my canteen and followed after it.
The leaf grazed the surface, threads of water streaming behind. It glided with purpose, as if being pulled forward by an invisible string. Sonya was soon out of view and the leaf stopped moving.
It floated in place as before, fighting against the current with little effort. I crouched and picked it up, and something glittered in the water right beneath it.
I bent forward to get a closer look. Nestled in the stream, amidst the bed of rocks, was a strip of silver. A dagger. I dipped my hand into the cold water, folded my fingers around the hilt and retrieved it.
The blade was remarkably light, and was very old and dulled with strange symbols etched along its length. The same kinds of symbols I’d seen on the amulet the Del Contes used to travel to my home back in Fresno. The hilt was wrapped in a coil of copper wire with a sort of round medallion at the end, split into four engraved quadrants. But there was something strange about the dagger, like it held a power deep within. And even though I’d pulled it from the cool stream, it felt warm in my hands.
It was then I realized I wasn’t alone.
The wind rustled again, with more strength this time.
I peered over my shoulder. There was a shadow, a few yards away. The ground beneath it swirled as the shadow thickened into a dark mist and began floating towards me.
“Daria?” I heard Sonya call from up ahead.
A sharp gust of wind snatched the leaf from my hands, taking it to the canopy so that it was lost in the green sea above. When I looked back behind me, the mist and shadow had vanished, and the ground beneath it was still.
Whatever it was had gone.
“Coming!” I shoved the dagger beneath my cloak and through my belt.
Taking one last glance at the place the shadow had been, I ran back to Sonya and our horses. I didn’t mention what I’d seen, or what I’d found. I was still trying to make sense of it myself. And besides, I still wasn’t sure I should trust her. Not yet.
The sun had hidden itself by the time we reached our camp: the tree branch
We were greeted by the sound of metal clanking upon metal. Cicero and Alex were fighting with swords. My eyes had a difficult time following their movements as they darted around each other, feinting this way, moving that. Metal jarred, arms were almost dislocated, and I’d never seen such smiles.
“Nice to see you haven’t wasted your time either.” Sonya left Orion and Nova beneath another large branch.
I left Calyx and Parsec beside them.
“Your son is pretty good.” Cicero laughed as he spun around just in time to block Alex’s thrust. Cicero always referred to Alex as Sonya’s son, unless Alex did something exceptional.
“But, Daria—” Cicero rolled away, repositioning himself “—if you really—” clank “—want to learn, watch me.”
I smiled as Alex darted across the space between him and his dad. My whole life I’d known this family—thought I’d known this family. It didn’t matter that I’d seen them carry the weapons; it was astounding watching them use them. Round and round they went, swords darting through the air. Always controlled, always with such strength.
Captivated, I stepped closer. Alex was smiling, but I could see his sharp focus. I could feel his raw power, determination, and skill. Where did he learn that? He moved with accuracy and grace, each movement fluid and precise. And then we locked eyes.
It was all Cicero needed. In the split second I had Alex’s attention, Cicero swung out his leg, uprooting Alex’s stance. Alex fell on his back with a thud, his sword lying in the underbrush behind him, and Cicero’s laughter was boisterous.
“I am the victor!” Cicero held his sword at Alex’s throat with a smile. “And your son is my prisoner.”
It was difficult not to laugh. It was rare seeing such childlike glee from Cicero—especially lately—and I was afraid my laughter might snap him back to his own reality. His reality ruled by, well, rules. Cicero re-sheathed his weapon as Alex hopped to his feet with a grin, dusting himself off. His cheeks were tinged with pink.
“You got lucky.” Alex re-sheathed his sword.
“Pure skill, my boy.” Cicero patted Alex on the back.
“So you admit to me being your son then?” Alex laughed.
Cicero beamed. “No, absolutely not. Not until—“
“Cicero? Alex?” Sonya called over her shoulder. “Where’s the firewood?”
Cicero and Alex froze, eyes wide. “Still in the forest,” Cicero said.
Sonya raised a brow. The wind ripped through the trees, their protests filling the forest with violent creaking.
“Be right back,” Alex said, heading off into the forest with Cicero running after him.
Sonya shook her head with a grin, glancing at me from beneath the low bough of the tree.
I joined her. “I’ve never seen Cicero so excited before.”
She sighed, staring after them. “Duty and responsibility have done that to him, but I know his light heart is in there. It just doesn’t always show itself.”
I sat on a blanket beside her. She reached into her pack and pulled out a tattered looking leather book.
“Was he like that when you met him?” I asked.
“More so.” She opened the book, and began reading.
I wanted to ask her more about the transformation to duty-ridden Cicero, but she had focused her attentions on the page in her hands.
“What are you reading?”
It took her a moment to hear my question. “A documentary.”
A documentary? Out here?
Whatever her reasons, it was obvious she was consumed by what she was reading, so I turned my attention to the storm that was beginning to barrel its way through the forest. I hoped the men wouldn’t be gone long. Any moment the clouds would unleash their terrible fury on all the poor souls caught beneath it. Namely us.
Just as the soft patter of rain descended upon the treetops, Alex and Cicero returned, each carrying a few chunks of wood.
Alex arranged the logs and used flint to ignite a spark.
“Any word?” Cicero glanced at his wife as he lay down his pillage.
Alex froze. Sonya exchanged a look with Cicero, and I immediately felt Cicero’s irritation at himself.
“What do you mean?” I glanced at the guilty trio. “What word?”
Sonya took a slow breath. “Your father has made it to Orindor safely and should reach Pontefract by tomorrow evening.”
“Love…” Cicero’s tone held warning.
I held Sonya’s gaze. “How do you know that?”
“This.” She waved the journal in her hands.
“Sonya!” Cicero was incredulous.
“Dear,�
�� she said. “You already gave us away. Daria is dealing with many things right now. It won’t do any harm. I just read it myself.”
He held his wife’s gaze a moment before taking a deep breath and sitting down. Alex turned his attention back to his small fire. He was staying out of this one.
“This—” Sonya turned back to me “—is a bindingbook.”
“You said it was a documentary.”
“It is.” She nodded. “But it’s a documentary of our travels. It’s a way to communicate with another person across long distances.”
I wanted to remind her that obscuring the truth was still lying, but since she was the only one willing to share information, I kept my mouth shut.
“This book,” she continued, “has a mate in Stefan’s possession. He writes in his, and we see it in ours, and when we respond in ours, he can see it in his.”
“How is that even possible?” I asked.
“Magic. Both are created from one, each being a representation of the whole. What happens to one happens to the other.”
“Stefan…does he share a book with my dad?”
“Yes. Stefan is representing your father at Court in his absence. With this book, Alaric can instruct Stefan what to do. Stefan is also relating our travels to your father and vice versa. According to Stefan, Alaric is right on track, about a day’s journey from Lord Commodus Pontefract. From him, we hope to learn information about the Pykans, or at least Alaric can raise a warning before meeting us at Amadis.”
“And you’re just now telling me this?” I stared hard at the three of them.
Sonya glanced at Cicero, who gave her a very pointed look that said “I told you so.”
“It hadn’t come up,” Sonya answered simply.
My anger flared. “Ever since you showed up at my house I’ve been asking you about my dad. You could’ve let me read this—actually, you could’ve let me write Stefan myself. Ask him how my dad’s doing.”
“I’ll let you read, but you aren’t allowed to write in it.” Sonya’s gaze did not falter, despite the open-mouthed, incredulous look of her husband beside her.
“Sonya.” Incredulity had transformed to pure horror.
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