Brint took the small pouch Gabriel had handed him and peered inside. “Why, it’s licorice root!”
“Yes, and not much of it, but it should be enough. Keep it safe.”
Brint looked at the man, probably wondering if he was playing a joke, but he seemed fairly serious, at least, as much as he ever did. There was still that sparkle in his silver eyes that made you wonder what he was really thinking.
“Thank you,” Brint said, and tucked the pouch deep into a pocket.”
“You are most welcome. Now, is everyone ready? Good! Off with you!”
They said their farewells and started further into the trees. Tabby thought it odd to be setting out so close to nightfall. She wondered why they didn’t wait until morning, but she supposed it didn’t really matter, and everyone else seemed in a hurry to get going. Gabriel had told them they were being hunted, but he wasn’t more specific as to how many pursuers there were, how far behind they were, or even if they were looking in the right place—to those questions, there was no response.
What a group they were. They walked single file with Logan in the lead, as he knew the country best, though he admitted he'd never been anywhere near this far before. Next came Holly. Surely she was uncomfortable walking so close to Logan. They all knew, now, that she had been more than just a little interested in him. His obvious preference for Tabby had been the blow that had sent her stumbling blindly through the forest. Still, it was probably easier to walk near the person you could not have, rather than the one you'd recently discovered wanted you.
Tabitha was third in line. She'd have preferred to be talking to Logan. They'd only recently found the attraction they felt was mutual, so naturally, she wanted to spend time with him. They'd talked, but they didn’t truly know each other. She knew enough about life to know that real relationships were built, they didn’t happen by magic. Unless, that is, you were her parents. With them, it really had been like some kind of fairy story, at least, to hear them tell it.
Brint brought up the rear. What could she say about Brint? She wasn’t happy with the way he'd behaved, but after she'd calmed down, she understood. He always looked out for her, and she was even a little warmed by his protective nature. Mostly, what she felt was pity. She’d had no idea he liked Holly. As a matter of fact, she would have thought her the last person he'd ever be interested in. He was very capable and confident, whereas Holly had always struck her as a bit mousey. It wasn't that she couldn’t speak up from time to time, but more that she always seemed to blend into the woodwork when she was around people. Brint was larger than life, always the center of any group. He was destined to rule Maj one day, and he would do it well. As twins, it could have fallen to either of them, or both, if they chose to co-rule, but Tabby was even less interested in that role than she was in learning how to fight. No, Brint could have the job, with her blessing.
The more she thought about it, the more she started to feel sorry for Holly. What an embarrassing situation to find yourself in. Almost without knowing she was doing it, she quickened her pace until she was beside the smaller girl. The men must have sensed the need to give the young women some time to themselves, for Logan increased his pace, and Brint slowed his, until they were able to speak without being overheard.
“I wanted to tell you,” Tabitha began, “that I was really glad when we found you safe at Gabriel’s house.”
Holly huffed quietly. “I’m surprised you cared one way or the other.”
“I’ll be honest, Holly. I was a little surprised myself.”
Holly looked up sharply. It was obvious she hadn’t expected to hear that come from Tabby’s mouth.
“I’m not going to pretend that you and I have ever been more than what we were, two people of similar age, who just happened to live on the same island. You did your thing, and I did mine, but I think…I think we could have been more if it weren’t for my prejudices.” Tabby looked down to see what Holly’s reaction was to that statement, but she couldn’t read her at all.
“I’m sure it’s no secret that I'm uncomfortable around fairies and their magic. I didn’t know I was so transparent until Aunt Aesri said something on the trip to Etrafa. Since that time, I've given it a lot of thought, and I've come to one very painful conclusion—I'm not uncomfortable; I'm not afraid…I'm jealous.”
“Jealous?” Holly said it so loudly that Logan turned in their direction, but seeing nothing was wrong, he returned his gaze to the trees ahead. “Why in the name of Cyrus would you be jealous?” she said in a more moderate tone.
Tabitha looked at her. It was one thing to offer the hand of friendship, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer that question, and she mentally kicked herself for even bringing it up. Who wants to admit wishing they were more than they are because they don’t feel that they measure up? Compared to her brother, she felt like the runt of the litter, and compared to her mother…well, there was no comparison. Her name didn’t even belong in the same sentence as her mother’s.
Holly was still looking at her, waiting for her to answer the question, but all Tabitha could do was shrug. Thankfully, Holly let it go at that.
They walked like that for a long time. It was full dark, but Logan kept urging them forward, not happy with any of the spots they might have chosen to camp. There were precious few solas oir trees to guide them, but they managed without getting into too much trouble. Still, it was with great relief that Tabby saw Logan wave them forward to a small rise where the trees thinned. From that vantage point, they'd be better able to see anyone or anything that might approach.
Logan helped ease the pack from Tabby’s shoulders, and she smiled at him gratefully. He tried to help Holly, but she'd already shrugged free of her burden, and moved off to gather fallen branches for their fire.
As much as Tabitha loved the woods, she thought it would be nice to be free of the trees again. On Maj, the forest was rarely so dense, and she missed the comforting golden leaves of the gnarn trees, and the sound and smell of the ocean, which was never very far away.
Logan went down on one knee and Tabby moved to see what he'd found. A mouse was standing on the tip of his boot and looking up at him with interest. Its whiskers twitched nervously, and it issued a few short squeaks before running off.
“Friend of yours?”
He looked up at her and smiled. “More like a new acquaintance.” He rose and brushed the dirt from his pants. “He says he has not seen anything. Of course, being a mouse, it might mean only that there are no snakes nearby. His idea of danger is a little different from ours.”
Logan moved a step nearer to her and swept the hair back from her face.
She smiled at him, but just as she was about to speak, there was a loud thudding noise as Brint dropped the armload of firewood he was carrying.
“You want to come make yourself useful, Logan?”
“I am always useful,” Logan shot back, “but yes, I can get the fire started for you. Are you sure you are part Breken? It is my understanding that even the children can bring fire with ease.”
Brint turned and stomped back down the hill to search for more firewood.
“That wasn’t nice, Logan."
“Are you angry with me?”
“No, but… he is my brother after all.”
“Believe me, Tabitha, I frequently remind myself of that fact.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just that a man can only take so much interference, even from protective brothers, but I am trying; Rah knows I am trying.”
Chapter 22
Logan and Brint stood side by side, looking at the way forward. What they saw wasn’t very encouraging. The trees ahead were thinner and they leaned at precarious angles. The previously solid forest floor gave way to a thin layer of water that hinted at more treacherous terrain ahead. There were thick blankets of green, but they were spongy and offered no support. Even the visible rocks were covered in moss. A chorus of frogs filled the air, and further out, Brint cou
ld see some long-legged birds making their way in search of a meal amongst the thick grasses.
“Can we go around, do you think?” Brint asked.
“I did not see an end to it when I went up to take a look, but we could try. There is no telling how far it stretches one way or the other. Gabriel said to keep north, and this is north.”
“I wonder why he didn’t say anything about this, though.”
Logan shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t know.”
Brint gave him a sidelong look that said he didn’t believe that for a moment. The man seemed to know everything else, how would he be unaware of a giant swamp barring their way?
“Okay, not likely, I admit. I do not think we have a choice. I could float, but you do not have that option, and even I will tire after a while. I think we will have to slog through and do the best we can.”
“As much as it pains me to say, I think you’re right.”
“Very gracious of you.”
“Don’t get used to it, Logan. Consider it an anomaly.”
“Do you want to tell Tabitha to take off her skirt, or shall I?”
Brint tightened his hand into a fist but did not turn his gaze to the man beside him, preferring to keep his eyes turned in a less offensive direction. “Oh, Logan, and just when I thought I might let you live. You say these things just to irritate me, don’t you?”
“I could deny it, but you would know I was lying, Darach Croi.”
Brint exhaled slowly and counted to ten in his head before speaking again. "I will tell my sister. You may tell Holly. Agreed?”
He saw Logan nod out of the corner of his eye. What an annoying piece of work he was. Couldn’t he have simply said that they needed to tell the girls to change into pants? No, he had to find some way to make something totally innocent and necessary into an offensive jab. And the way Logan used his Etrafarian name was one more example of how low the man would sink to aggravate him. It was like he was saying, “Here, let me throw mud in your face, but remember that you are Oak Heart, so don’t go and lose your temper, or anything.” Brint took one more look at the swamp ahead. It might be quite dangerous in there. Any manner of disaster might befall a cocky Etrafarian. The thought cheered him considerably.
***
The wardrobe change hadn’t gone as smoothly as the men would have liked. For reasons known only to herself, Holly had packed the sum total of zero pants for her trip to Etrafa. Skirts were usually fine. They allowed for free movement, and going along as they had, there had been little that could not be climbed, or gotten over with ease, but in the swamp ahead, the excess fabric would be a hindrance. It would become quickly soaked and weigh her down. Had the men grabbed an extra pair of Tabitha’s pants in their wild bid to stuff the packs, everything might have been fine, but they had only packed her one skirt and one pair of pants, so there were none to spare. Out of necessity, Holly had been forced to don Logan’s extra pair. They had to be cut down to shorten them so she would not trip and fall on her face with her first step, but even that was not sufficient. They tried using a length of rope as a belt, but that only made things worse. When he saw the way they ballooned around her, it was obvious the pants were going to be as bad as the skirt. Finally, Tabitha pulled out a needle and thread, and the two of them set about the task of altering the pants to fit more snuggly. The extra fabric was tucked away in Tabby’s pack. She insisted they take it, saying that, should the need arise, it would make for sturdy bandages. The final result of their tailoring was not what Brint had expected. If anything, they had gone too far the other way, and now the pants hugged every curve of her legs and backside. It was…distracting. Brint turned his eyes away from her, but not before he noticed Logan quietly laughing at his predicament. Once again, he found himself counting silently to himself, and for each number, he imagined a new way that an obnoxious fairy might find to die in the swamp.
They had all wrapped some of the rope around the tops of their boots. It wasn’t going to keep the water out—they'd most likely be soaked with their first step—but it might help prevent them from being sucked off in the muck they had to make their way through. They each had another pair of boots, but they couldn’t afford to lose any.
They hadn’t gone more than fifty yards and already they were besieged by biting flies and other insects.
From a distance, they probably looked like they were engaged in some bizarre form of dance as they waved and slapped at the pesky bugs, but up close, it would have been clear they were suffering. Tabitha seemed to be faring even worse than the rest. She had welts on both cheeks, and a trickle of blood flowed unchecked from an especially nasty bite on her arm.
“We’ll be sucked dry at this rate,” Brint said. “Tabby, have you got anything to ward off these swarms?”
“Mother swears by catmint,” Tabby said, swatting at the back of her neck, but she has to trade for it when Captain Koukai comes to the island, as it doesn’t grow on Maj. I might have been able to prepare something with garlic, but who knew there was going to be a swamp?
"I think you’re right, though—we’ll never make it like this. About all I can think of is the mud. Clay would be better. It shouldn’t be hard to find an area where we can dig some up. It will have to go everywhere.”
“Let’s stop talking about it and start doing it.” Holly was already making her way to a promising mound.
Logan took a bowl from his pack and used it to scoop down into the dirt until it became streaked with the denser clay. He had to continually shovel away the water that crept into the depression he had made. They painted every inch of exposed skin, and even added a layer of the mud to their hair and clothing, hoping to mask their scent. Once finished, Brint and Logan looked on in confusion as the girls practically melted in a fit of giggles. It got so they were laughing so hard they had to lean on one another to keep from toppling over.
Logan raised a brow in Brint’s direction as if asking what was so funny. Brint had to agree with the man for the second time that day, which he found to be almost as bothersome as the insects.
Okay, so they did look a little odd. Logan’s hair was massed in stringy clumps to his shoulders, and when Brint reached up and felt his own hair, it was standing straight up at the back of his head. Still, the girls were taking it a bit far. There were streaks of white on their faces where their tears of laughter had washed away the drying clay. They seemed to be getting ahold of themselves, but when they looked at one another, they started up again. Brint would have been angry at their unnecessary delay, but it was nice to see the two of them laugh, and the fact they were laughing together, made it that much better.
“If you’re about through,” Brint said, “we should get moving.”
“Just…just let me…get my hat,” Tabitha said between gasps. She reached down, grabbed a handful of spongy moss, and plopped it on top of her head, whereupon she burst into fresh peals of laughter.
Both men threw their hands up and began to walk away.
“Oh, come on!” Tabby yelled, struggling to catch up to them. “It was funny!”
Brint saw the twitch of Logan’s lips as he walked beside him, and though they would never be friends, he liked him the tiniest bit more for the smile.
***
The day was waning, and no one felt much like laughing anymore. Tabby’s muscles ached, and her head pounded. The spots where she had been bitten were painful and itchy at the same time. There were a few new bites, but not many. They had reapplied fresh mud to their faces where the sweat had washed it away, but they no longer found anything amusing about the need to be covered in the heavy clay.
“Doesn’t this thing ever end?” Holly sighed.
“Do you want me to go up and take another look?” Logan asked, but Tabitha could tell he was only being polite. He had just looked an hour ago, and they had made little progress since then, at least, not enough to have brought them measurably closer to the other side.
Holly shook her head. “No, it will only be the sa
me as before.”
Brint looked worried. His expression had gotten darker the longer they walked. Tabby was going to try and talk to him, but he spoke first. “We have a problem,” he said. “I didn’t think about it before we started, but we are not getting through this in a day. We need a place to bed down for the night, and I’m not seeing much in the way of options. There hasn’t been a flat patch of dry ground, or even semi-dry ground since we began. The most I’ve seen are a few moss-covered rocks and the occasional mound of dirt and grass, nothing big enough for us to stretch out on, especially not together, and I don’t think separating would be wise. I thought maybe we could climb a tree if we had to. It wouldn’t be very comfortable, but we might have been able to rig something so we wouldn’t have to worry about falling. Still, the more I look, the less likely that seems. The trees continue to get smaller the further we go, and I doubt their branches would support our weight.”
“Well, if we can’t find a spot to lie down, we’ll just have to sleep sitting up,” Tabitha said. “Find us a likely tree with a patch of ground out of the water, and we can lean against it for support.”
“All right,” Brint agreed. “Everyone keep their eyes open for a place that will work.”
It was harder than it sounded. There were places where they could sit, but no trees to support them, and there were some possible spots that had a tree, but the area was only large enough for one person—nothing that would let all four of them sit together. Just before sunset, they settled on a couple of spots near to one another. They were no more than slanted pieces of ground, but they would have to do. There was really only enough width to accommodate one person. It was decided that the men would lean against the tree, and the women would lean against the men. In that way, the girls would not be left unprotected, and they would both be able to stay relatively dry.
Tabitha could see that Brint hated the idea. He didn’t like the notion of her snuggling up against Logan, but he must have liked the idea of Holly and the Etrafarian even less, for he didn’t argue when Tabby took Logan’s hand and went to settle in. Brint and Holly moved off to a nearby tree and did their best to get comfortable while touching each other as little as possible. It would have been funny if it weren’t so sad.
Prophecy (The Destiny Series Book 4) Page 18