Tree of Ages 2

by Sara C. Roethle

  Kai could admit to himself now that half the reason he took her was because she intended to branch off with Iseult and Àed the next day, leaving Kai and Anna behind. He wasn't sure why he couldn't just let her go. He was good at letting go. In fact, it was what he did best. Anna wouldn't hear of it though, and after what she had been through in the Blood Forest, he hadn't the heart to tell her no. Plus, it delayed his parting with Finn.

  After the initial sighting, he’d continued to follow them, leaving enough distance that they would not catch sight of him. In the evening, they’d made camp, and he’d listened as Iseult and Finn had a rather odd conversation about things out of legend. They’d spoken of the Archtree, and the Faie Queen’s shroud, objects straight out of Faiery stories for children. Yet, they’d spoken of them as if they intended to find them.

  Kai crouched in the darkness as the party’s conversation died down, and they eventually crawled into their bedrolls. Finn lay between the two men, who were understandably fearful of losing her again. He waited a while longer, until the night grew still, and the party fell into the gentle rhythms of sleep. Hoping that his movements would not wake anyone, he stood to retreat back to where he’d left his horse, but a sudden movement caught his eye in the darkness. Something serpentine was creeping up near Finn’s feet. At first Kai thought snake, and was about to rush forward, when countless other snakes appeared. They writhed upward in the moonlight, and Kai suddenly realized what they were. Roots. Just like the roots that had crushed a man to death in front of Kai while he traveled alone with Finn. He’d speculated that she had called those roots forth, but there was no way she had called these. Her small form was perfectly still, deep in the throes of sleep.

  He ran forward to save her, pushing aside the memory of the mangled corpse that had been left behind on the previous occasion. He couldn’t seem to run fast enough as the roots multiplied and swarmed, fully covering Finn’s body, and the bodies of her two companions. Reaching her, he pulled a knife from his belt and hacked away at the vine-like tendrils. The roots coated his hands in their sticky blood as he cut and pulled them away, but the more he removed, the more quickly the roots swarmed. He continued cutting frantically until he reached bottom of the mass to reveal only bare ground. Finn was gone.

  Panting with exertion, he turned to the other two root-covered mounds, illuminated by the moonlight. With grunts of panic and frustration, he began to chop away at one of them, all the while glancing back at where Finn should have been. Àed gasped for breath as Kai revealed first his head, then his chest. Tears stung at the back of Kai’s eyes as Àed struggled free from the rest of the roots, then aided Kai as he freed Iseult. Once Iseult could breathe, Kai fell back, feeling numb and shaken, and let Áed help the other man with the rest of the vines around him. Finn was lost, and it was all Kai’s fault. If only he'd been faster. If he hadn't stood gawking when the roots first appeared, he could have saved her.

  Once free of his trappings, it didn’t take Iseult long to recover. Instantly comprehending Finn's absence, he jumped on Kai like a ravenous beast, knocking him to the ground as he pressed a knife to his throat. Exhausted from his efforts against the roots, Kai barely reacted, not that Iseult had given him much of a chance. Kai felt himself once again in awe of how fast the man could move.

  “Where is she?” Iseult growled into his face. His black hair, flecked with gray, tousled from sleep, gave him a wild appearance to mirror the intensity in his grayish green eyes.

  “Gone,” Kai rasped against the pressure on his throat, “but through no doing of my own.” He wouldn’t have minded if Iseult had stabbed him right then. He felt little fear at the notion.

  Iseult's face crumbled slightly, but his anger was back in the blink of an eye. “Why did you help us?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Why not simply leave us to die?”

  “I'd answer you,” Kai managed to grunt, “if I could breathe.” He could feel blood welling on his throat as Iseult pressed the finely-honed knife against his skin. Kai was quite sure that he was about to die.

  “I should kill you now,” Iseult stated coldly, affirming Kai's suspicions.

  “Iseult,” Àed said calmly, standing back while he brushed the dirt and sap from his ragged clothing, though Kai could make out little else in the darkness. “Let the lad go.”

  The stinging at his throat made Kai grateful for the interjection. Unfortunately, he was not sure Iseult was going to listen to Àed's advice. More pressure was applied to the blade, to the point where he thought it might cut through more than just skin. The rage in Iseult's eyes spelled the end for Kai.

  “Iseult,” Àed said more firmly. “Finn wouldnae want the lad harmed. I can assure ye of that.”

  Before Kai could even blink, Iseult was off him, stalking away into the dark trees like an angry predator. Kai had just gathered his wits enough to rise, when Àed's face came into view above him. He offered Kai a hand up, which Kai took appreciatively.

  Once he was on his feet, he dabbed at the blood on his throat and looked down at the aged conjurer who'd rescued him. Àed still wore the tattered gray robes that he'd worn when Kai first met him, topped with a burlap cap in even worse shape than the robes. Though his long, silvery hair was matted from sleep, his sky blue eyes were as sharp and clear as ever, looking almost eerily bright in the moonlight.

  Those aqua eyes watched Kai steadily. “What did ye see?” he asked suspiciously.

  Kai's thoughts raced. He wasn't exactly sure what he’d seen. The roots had been just like the ones that killed one of the thugs that attacked him and Finn in the woods, but in that instance, a body had been left behind. No one had been sucked into the earth like Finn.

  Kai gestured with both hands to the dismembered roots strewn all about them, oozing dark fluid into the soil where Kai’s knife had sliced them. “They covered her like a mass of snakes,” he explained. “I did my best to cut them away and free her, but when I reached the bottom, she was gone.”

  He felt a sudden jolt in his gut at his own words. The roots had taken her, but that didn't mean she was dead. He had suspected that Finn had somehow summoned the roots that killed the thug that day, what seemed like ages ago. She was of the Dair, after all, though he wasn’t quite sure what that meant. All he knew for sure was that she wasn’t entirely human, and had been trapped in the form of a tree for nearly a century. Still, despite what magic she might possess, he highly doubted that she would summon the roots to steal herself away while she slept. She had been searching for Àed and Iseult, and Kai saw no reason for her to leave them.

  Àed muttered under his breath and examined the severed roots. He picked one large chunk up off the ground and held it up to his nose, then dropped it as his lined face crinkled in disgust.

  “It's a good thing she's been shining brighter than the sun,” Àed said more to himself than to Kai. “She should be easy enough to find.”

  Hope welled up inside Kai. “So she's alive?”

  Àed spat on the ground. “Aye, lad, though what state she's in, I cannae say. I imagine we'll want to be leavin’ as soon as Iseult returns.”

  Kai felt sick again. “We?”

  Àed chortled. “Ye've been following us for a reason, and I'm not about to suppose ye've fallen in love with me.”

  Kai's mouth went dry. “I haven't fallen in love with anyone. I followed out of curiosity, nothing more.”

  “I'd call you a liar,” a voice called from out of the darkness, “if I thought you'd take offense.”

  Kai backed away as a now-calm Iseult approached, but Iseult paid him little mind. Instead he went to stand beside Àed. The two of them peered off into the darkness together, looking odd with the great difference in their heights.

  “How far is she?” Iseult asked.

  Àed left Iseult's side to untangle their bedrolls from the dead roots. “Far enough, lad. I can sense the direction, but little else. She seems to be on the move.”

  Iseult finally turned back to Kai. “I
imagine you have a horse hidden somewhere around here?”

  Kai nodded. He’d left his horse hidden in a copse of trees, fearing the animal would snort or whinny, alerting those he was spying on of his presence. “I'll be out of your sight in no time.”

  He turned to make his escape, but stopped in his tracks as Iseult said, “I don't think so.” Kai turned back around as Iseult continued, “I will not kill you for Finn's sake, but I will not let you run free where you may harm her again. You will travel with us, and perhaps Finn will let me kill you once we find her.”

  Kai took another step back. “You caught me unawares the first time, but if I choose to leave, I'm not so sure you could stop me.”

  Àed, who had set to saddling both his and Iseult's nervous horses, if Àed’s small, shaggy mount could be called a horse, chuckled to himself. “Yer just going to follow us anyhow, so ye may as well do as Iseult demands.”

  Kai's mood soured at that, because it was the truth. He knew he couldn't just let her go. He had to at least know what had happened to her, even if he chose to never see her again after that. Finn thought that he was a bad man. A liar, and a thief. She was right, but it didn't make him want to change her mind any less.

  Finn stumbled through the woods, carrying herself in the opposite direction of the ruined castle as quickly as possible. She knew she would need to face her people at some point, but she would do it on her terms. She would not let them treat her like an object, something they could stick in the ground, then summon when it suited them.

  She shivered as she thought back to the roots she had allegedly controlled, though she’d consciously done nothing to call them. The only explanation was that someone else had controlled them, someone who might be watching her, even now.

  If the roots were controlled by someone else, she had no idea of their intentions. Even with that distraction, her escape would not have been successful without the help of the Trow, so what was the point? Had whomever summoned the vines known the Trow would step in to aid her? Had the Trow lied when they claimed they didn’t know who summoned the roots?

  Finn shook her head, unable to believe the Trow had deceived her. She had given them her thanks before departing, but it didn’t seem like enough. Trow had helped her in the Blood Forest too, and once again while she was held prisoner by Anna and Kai.

  Finn’s thoughts trailed off on that recollection. What she wouldn't give to be back in one of the warm taverns of Port Ainfean with Kai. As quickly as the thought had come to her, she shook it away. It was a product of her cold hands and empty belly, nothing more.

  She looked down at the hem of her dirty burgundy dress to her oversized shoes. Neither offered much warmth, and it seemed much colder in this new region, compared to where she had left Iseult and Àed. It didn't help that she had appeared without her bedroll or any provisions. The Trow had helped to conceal her, but they couldn't keep her warm.

  Even though every step was painful, her body bruised and sore, she’d had to leave the Trow and their offer of aid behind. She couldn't help regretting the decision. The Trow couldn't provide her with food and warmth, but they at least offered company. Being alone in the woods, with the strange trees and unrecognizable vegetation, she found herself more frightened than she had been at any point in the Blood Forest. She had no way of finding food or water, and the only shelter she’d seen was the ruined castle, which she wanted to stay away from at all costs.

  Her fears grew as the sun inched steadily toward the horizon, threatening to leave her alone in the dark. She quickened her pace, though her ribs ached and she felt dizzy with exhaustion.

  Eventually, despite her efforts, Finn’s fears were realized. Darkness came, and still she walked, panic blossoming inside her. As the last hints of sunshine disappeared, Finn thought she heard an animal growl somewhere to her right. She froze, struggling to see anything within the trees. When no further sounds emanated, she started walking again, repeating in her head that she would be fine, as her breath fogged the chilly night air.

  Some time later, panting and drenched in a cold sweat, Finn caught sight of the moon. Its full light swept across the open expanse between the trees. Though the light made Finn’s surroundings seem eerie, she was still relieved. The night she’d been taken was a full moon, which meant she hadn’t lost much time unconscious. Perhaps only a single night.

  She increased her pace, not sure where she was going, but knowing she didn't want to remain in the forest. If the Trow had made it this far, it was likely that other Faie had too. She didn't fancy another encounter with the Grogochs, tiny, rock-like creatures with bat wings, that sung their victims into madness or sleep, and the thought of encountering any of the Travelers, the Ceàrdaman, made her sick.

  She stumbled over a rock and had to brace herself against a tree to keep from falling. As she huddled against the rough bark, surrounded by a veil of her long hair, she almost thought she saw a flicker of light, too bright to be caused by the distant moon. It had to be a fire. She straightened and tried to find the light again, but it was gone.

  Not willing to let her slim hopes of a warm fire go, she pushed away from the tree and stumbled onward, doing her best to head in the direction of where she'd seen the light. Sounds of wildlife seemed to be all around her, spurring Finn onward. The loud hoot of an owl in a tree directly overhead made her jump. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, then heard a low growl somewhere beside her. Acting purely on instinct, she scrambled to her feet and began to run toward an upward slope. She crested the small hill, and relief flooded through her like lightning. She could see the light again.

  Finn couldn't make out much through the trees, but she felt sure that the light emanated from a campfire. It was risky approaching a campground without knowing its occupants, but she found she had little choice. Even if they attacked her, well, she'd surely freeze to death in the woods regardless. The sound of a branch breaking echoed behind her, solidifying her decision as she darted forward.

  A few minutes more, and the campsite came clearly into view. As far as she could tell, there was only one figure sitting near, absorbing the fire's warmth. Finn guessed the person was female, or otherwise a slender young man.

  She closed the rest of the distance, feeling like she might collapse as soon as she reached the fire. The figure looked up from the light, scanning the darkness.

  Finn halted a few feet away from the fire, then collapsed to her knees as her heart caught up with her. As soon as she was able, she lifted her eyes to observe the person still seated on the other side of the campfire.

  “You scared me half to death,” the woman commented, though she didn’t seem frightened in the slightest. In fact, she didn’t seem surprised by Finn’s sudden appearance at all.

  Still, Finn let out a sigh of relief. A single woman was much preferable to a campsite full of Ceàrdaman. “I apologize,” Finn panted, forcing herself to her feet to take a few steps closer to the fire. “I'm lost, so I followed the light of your fire.”

  The woman nodded, shaking her loose, shoulder-length brown hair. She smiled warmly. Finn couldn't tell for sure in the dim light, but she thought the woman's eyes were a deep amber. She wore a heavy traveling cloak, obscuring any other details of her appearance.

  The woman lifted her hand and gestured for Finn to move closer. “Come and warm yourself before you catch your death. You’re lost, you say? Are you hungry?”

  Every muscle in Finn's body relaxed with relief. She was saved, at least for the night. She did as the woman bade her, taking a seat on the opposite side of the fire. The warmth seeped into Finn's bones, which had remained cold and achy despite her exertion. Finn lifted her hands to the flames as the other woman began pawing through her nearby satchel. A moment later, she produced something wrapped in cloth. She tossed it to Finn, who fumbled it with her cold fingers, dropping it into her lap. Laughing softly at her own shaky movements, she retrieved the package and opened it, revealing dried meat, and hard, crumbly cheese.


  “I can't thank you enough,” Finn said, looking up from what seemed like a feast. “I was worried I wouldn't last the night.”

  The woman smiled softly as she held her hands up to the fire. “It's nothing. I thought I might go mad soon without anyone to talk to, so really, it is you who is saving me.”

  Finn chewed on a piece of the meat and smiled. “My name is Branwen,” she lied, not knowing if there was still a bounty on her head, or if anyone would have even heard of it in these parts.

  “Bedelia,” the woman replied happily.

  Finn took another bite of the tough meat, and Bedelia handed her a water skin to wash it down.

  “Forgive me,” Finn said after taking a hearty swig of water, “but you don’t seem terribly surprised to see me.”

  Bedelia smiled again. “I heard you running from aways off. I was just debating whether I should flee when you appeared. You looked frightened, so I guessed you weren’t barging into my camp to rob me.”

  Finn nodded at the explanation, though Bedelia’s attitude still seemed slightly off. Regardless, her best chance of survival was to remain where there was warmth and food.

  Finn scooted a little closer to the fire, feeling safe for the first time that day.

  Chapter Two

  They had been riding together since the early hours of morning, though Kai felt no less uneasy now that the sun had reached its apex. Any time they dismounted, he expected to suddenly find a knife in his chest. The knife never appeared, but he would have almost preferred it to the sullen faces of Iseult and Àed.

  He looked forward at the backs of the men in question, pushing his shoulder length, chestnut hair behind his ear. Both of them rode on as if Kai wasn't even there, though they were the ones that insisted he come.