Aleena nodded. "Makes sense. Give me a few minutes to gather some things, then we can be on our way."
"Hurry. Wholesome or not, this place is going to smell worse as the sun bakes them."
Aleena made her way into the house and noticed immediately how run down everything looked. Wood was splitting and furniture showed signs of rotting and breaking. Many of the books had split or their bindings had fallen apart. She gasped at how it looked like the cabin had spent a few months in the swamp in the few hours since they last left it.
She had to put her shoulder to the door into Therion's bedroom; the door had warped and swollen shut. On her second attempt to open it, the rotting wood cracked and fell apart, leaving her to stumble into the room.
"Aleena! Are you okay?" Celos called from the front of the house. Before she could respond, he followed it with, "By the saints, what happened here?"
"I'm fine," Aleena said. She stared at the bed where Therion lay. Little more than a skeleton remained. Even the cloth sheets he lay on were beyond threadbare and rotted. She turned her head back to the door and called out, "Whatever magic preserved this place is gone."
"Hurry," he urged, "or else this place may fall down around us before we can set fire to it."
Aleena's eyes went to the books on the walls. More than half of them were rotting in the humid climate. The ones that remained she remembered all too well. They were magical texts, most of them with words she couldn't hope to read. Aleena picked through a few of them and then remembered that she'd hoped to find a sack to carry them in. Her hopes were dashed now. If the sacks were anything like the rest of the cottage, they wouldn't hold their own weight, let alone a book.
She went through the wizard's chests anyhow, wrinkling her nose at the garments that reeked of mold and decay. She turned away in disgust and went to his armoire. Expecting the same, she was amazed to see a dark gray robe with dark blue runes worked into the fabric. She frowned and took it out, amazed it showed no sign of decay. She glanced at the magical books and nodded. The robe must have been magical as well.
Many of the other garments were falling off their hangers. She pushed a moldy scrap that had fallen to the bottom of the armoire aside and found what looked like a whole piece of cloth. She picked it up and it unfolded and smoothed out to reveal a bag. She frowned. The bag looked to be in good condition. More than good, it looked like it had just come from a tailor's loom. Was the bag magical, too?
"What can magic do to a bag?" Aleena whispered to herself. She frowned and opened it. It looked the same on the inside as it did on the outside. She reached in and found nothing amiss with it. She turned and grabbed one of the wizard's spell books. Her fingers tingled, making her gasp and shove it into the bag. She held the bag open and stared at it; the book lay at the bottom.
Shaking her head at her suspicion, she turned and grabbed a few of the other magical texts that were less dangerous. Or at least they didn't make the hair on her arm stand up when she grabbed them. Eight books later, she realized the bag looked like it hardly had anything in it. Even the weight of it was slight compared to the many books she'd put in it. Aleena held it up and stared at it, and then opened it and peered inside. She could see several of the books, but the bag looked less than half full.
Aleena shook her head and shoveled more books into the bag, cleaning out the wizard's collection of arcane text and spell books. She grabbed his magical robe and put that in the bag as well, and then turned and went out to the books she'd collected the night before. The tome titled Order of The Dragon was still fresh and new. It had magic in it, she knew. Another reason she was glad she'd passed on it. Kar might find a way to safely read it. She slipped it and a couple of other books into the bag, and then frowned when she saw Tales of Faerie had pages eaten by mold and a binding that had fallen apart.
"Are you hoping to spend the entire day in here?" Celos chastised her.
Aleena jumped and spun about. He had a stern expression on his face but he also held a pair of boots in his hand. She grinned at him and tied the bag shut before taking them from him. "I found a magical bag. It's holding more than a dozen books but feels like a load of feathers."
Celos's brow furrowed as he looked at the sack. "Is it safe?"
Aleena laughed as she tried the boots on. "It's a bag! What's it going to do, eat us in our sleep? Besides, everything else is rotted or falling apart."
"Close to it," Celos agreed. "Do those fit?"
"They might fall off my feet, but they'll do for now," Aleena agreed.
"Last thing you want is blisters breaking open. Swamp water gets in those and you're in for some trouble," he warned.
"No worse than if I break a toe on a rock or split my foot open on a sharp stick," she reminded him. "I can make do."
"Good. I want to be free of this swamp," Celos said. "I found some casks of lamp oil that are still good. Spread them about the back and I'll oil the front of the house."
Aleena nodded and fetched a cask, and then did as Celos instructed.
They met at the front of the cottage, Aleena holding her new bag over her shoulder rather than dragging it through the muck. Even with the load of books, it felt no heavier than her shield. Celos struck flint to steel and lit a rag, and then he tossed it into the open door and watched as the flames caught on the oil and spread quickly through the cottage. In a few minutes, it was ablaze and flames licked at the sky from the windows and door.
"Come, let's hasten back to Portland," Celos said. He turned away and stopped.
Aleena turned and ran into him. She stumbled back, nearly tripping on her oversized footwear, and scowled. "We'll get there faster if you move!"
Celos didn't respond, prompting Aleena to step to his side and see what his problem was. As soon as she could see past him, she stopped and stared. "Oh!" she exclaimed. A line of five unicorns stood in the shallow waters of the swamp. Behind and beside them, other creatures watched them. Some of the various creatures flitted through the air on tiny wings where others were large enough to look like nude children playing in puddles. Two women leaned against trees, their nubile bodies seductively concealed behind raised legs and crossed arms. Three of the gathered force looked like riders upon horses, save the riders and the horses were the same beings.
"Friends of yours?" Aleena whispered.
Celos frowned.
"Sorry, I forgot, you don't have any," she said.
Celos turned to stare at her, his brows drawing together in irritation.
"These are creatures of nature," Aleena explained. "They're the good guys."
"I thought we were the good guys?" Celos asked.
"Well, yes, we are, but from what I read last night, they would have opposed the things we fought last night."
"So where were they when we needed them?" Celos scoffed.
Aleena shrugged.
Before either could ask or do anything else, a shirtless boy walked between two of the unicorns and approached them. Unlike some of the others, he wore shaggy brown pants. He stepped out of a puddle and onto dry ground, earning a startled gasp from Celos. His pants weren't pants; they were fur. His feet were hooves.
"We have watched and waited," the strange being said. "In time, Nallipura's magic would have failed and she would fade. We kept it from spreading until the human arrived. He used it to defile the creatures and the forest."
"Why didn't you stop him?" Aleena asked.
Celos hissed at her but she ignored him.
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"Aleena, a squire of the Knights of Leander," she thrust her chest out and said.
"And I am Sir Celos Lyonsbane, Knight of Leander," Celos said. "Who are you?"
"I am Esjederial," he said. "You may call me Jed. I am a servant of the forest. We didn't stop him because it would have done more harm than good. In time, they will all be gone, returned to the earth to bring forth new life."
"In the meantime, innocent people are harmed and their lives disrupted," Celos
said. "We have dealt with it, and no harm was done to us."
"Who destroyed the tree?" Jed asked.
Aleena met the gaze of the servant of the forest and spoke. "I did."
He nodded and turned to look behind him. A moment later, a unicorn moved forward, his hooves splashing through the puddles and rising out of them without a hint of mud or water on them. The magnificent animal walked up to Aleena and lowered his head until his glowing horn touched her upon the forehead.
Aleena gasped as she felt the connection. It was over in a heartbeat but she felt as though she'd rested for a week. She lifted her hand to stroke the unicorn's neck but he stepped back and turned away from her. He whinnied, carrying on for a long moment before he quieted down. The other four unicorns moved forward, advancing slowly but providing an imposing wall of pure white equine flesh.
"Twice in a short time we have witnessed pure spirits who wish only good for the world within this forest," Jed said. "The last one was troubled, but he had much potential, enough to earn the assistance from one of our number."
"Alto!" Aleena hissed. She glanced at Celos and saw him staring hard at Jed.
"In hastening Nallipura's departure and with your own selfless purity, you have earned the assistance of the forest. Choose your companion, Aleena."
Aleena shook her head and forced herself to breathe. The unicorns stopped moving in front of her and bowed before her, tucking one of their hooves and stretching the other one out. She heard Celos catch his breath and then force it back out. She glanced at him but her mentor was focused on Jed.
Aleena turned back to the five unicorns and studied them. Her eyes kept coming to the smallest one that was also the furthest from her. She stepped around Celos and walked in front of the gathered magical steeds, taking in the beauty and power of each. When she reached the small one at the end, she knew she'd made her choice. She reached out to the unicorn and brushed her hand along its cheek. She felt a surge of warmth rush up her hand.
All five unicorns rose up. The other four turned away but Aleena only had eyes for the one before her. It lowered its head and brushed the glowing pink tip of its horn to her brow. Aleena felt the world disappear in the blink of an eye. Explosions of colors and sound filled her being. She felt elation and sadness, joy and heartache. She was left with a feeling of triumph and friendship. As her vision returned, she was left with a lingering sense of belonging and of acceptance.
"Her name is Moonshine," Jed said.
"Like the drink?"
Jed paused, his train of thought broken by Celos's interruption. "Like the beautiful luster of the full moon on a cloudless night."
"She's perfect," Aleena whispered and stroked the unicorn's neck. Moonshine nuzzled against her.
"She will travel with you and be there for you when all else fails," Jed said.
Aleena couldn't stop smiling until she turned and saw how stiffly Celos stood. "What of Sir Celos? I could not have defeated Nallipura without him. He kept her forces busy and sacrificed himself so that I could reach her."
The same unicorn as before walked forward. Celos held up his hand to stop him. "What wizardry is this?" he demanded. "I am sworn to Leander and I'll do nothing to weaken my bonds."
"Magic? This is life and it is nature. If you've naught to fear, then you need not fear, knight."
Celos turned back to the unicorn and nodded. "I am not afraid."
The unicorn's horn brushed against him and then he backed away. Aleena wondered if it had really been over in an instant with her, too. The unicorn relayed its verdict to the servant of the forest and then returned to the others.
"You are goodly and pure," Jed said. "But your heart is blinded to the world because of this."
Aleena heard Celos's sharp intake of air. "Blinded?" he challenged.
"You are too good," Jed continued. The boy-goat smiled. "Fitting, perhaps, for your beliefs, but it is no match for anyone here."
"I need no match," Celos said. "I serve Leander. He is chief among my priorities."
Jed nodded. "Much as the well-being of this forest is mine. You have our thanks, Sir Celos. I would invite you to share in the bounty of the forest with us. Come, rest, bathe yourselves, and enjoy the fruits of your labor."
Celos shook his head. "We have pressing affairs to tend to," he said. Aleena stared at him until his eyes flicked her way. He relaxed just enough for her to see his shoulders droop. "But I thank you for your offer. Evil does not rest and so neither shall we."
Jed smiled. "And once evil has been wiped out, what then?"
Celos returned his smile. "Then we will rest."
"Evil does not lie only in the hearts of men. One of our own succumbed to dark powers. I fear for you, Sir Celos."
"Fear not for me, noble servant; fear for the evil that I will uncover and release from the world," the knight said.
"No, good knight, it's my fear that you become so blind that you will become the evil you seek to destroy," he said.
Jed bowed low and turned away while Celos stared at him with parted lips. Aleena shook her head as Jed and the others disappeared into the swamp and headed to the south, where the forest became green and vibrant.
"You'll never become evil," Aleena told her mentor.
Celos snorted and stared after the retreating faerie folk. "It wasn't evil in the conventional sense he meant. He fears I will become cruel and merciless in my judgments. Or perhaps see fault where none truly lies."
"You wouldn't!" Aleena said with conviction.
Celos gave her a thin-lipped smile. "Wouldn't I? I was trying to stop you from becoming a squire. I believed it was what Sir Amos wanted and that I had to serve him and Leander best by doing so. There have been more than a few famous knights who were known not only for their good deeds, but also their merciless natures."
Aleena continued to shake her head. "I won't let you."
Celos chuckled. "I hope I don't let myself. It's easy to become confused at times.
"Come, we have many miles to travel and those boots make you look like you should be performing as a court jester," Celos said.
Aleena looked down at her feet and chuckled. She felt a nudge from Moonshine and she saw the unicorn had turned sideways to her and dropped lower. She smiled and nodded, and then grabbed her mane and swung herself up onto the unicorn's back. Both of the large boots fell off her feet into the soft mud.
Celos glanced over and chuckled. "Come, Moonshine, show me what you've got."
Chapter 9
Garrick walked down the hill towards the large camp that had been set up. He frowned as he looked around. Some of the trees had been cleared and stumps pulled, but that was all the work that had gone into rebuilding the ruined city of Rockwood. He could make out a few figures walking between the tents but soon lost sight of them when he entered the tree line again. Garrick broke into a jog, anxious to learn more.
The barbarian slowed to a walk when he emerged from the pine forest a quarter hour later. He was spotted by kelgryn sentries. They grabbed up spears and bows until Garrick slowed and held up his hands. "Hail, I come alone. I am Garrick."
Two of the sentries approached him. "Well met, Garrick. Sorry for the rough meeting; it's been a slow summer."
"I thought the town would be built by now," Garrick said. "You've got stone, wood, and dwarves. What more is there to building?"
The man who spoke earlier laughed again. "If only it were that simple!"
"It's not?" Garrick blinked, confused.
"They can't agree to terms," the second guard said. "Dwarves are being greedy and demanding too much to do the work."
"So build it yourselves. The kelgryn have strong backs."
The guards looked at each other and chuckled. "That's what we thought, but the dwarves won't let us."
"Ain't their land," Garrick growled.
"The mines were theirs once and the jarl offered them back without contest. Plus the kelgryn aren't miners. Between that and the special benefits Jarl Teorfyr
offered them, we're in a bind."
"Thought the mines was caved in? We hadn't made it out too long before Alto brought the damned mountain down on them."
"Much of it was, but many of the dwarf-built parts survived. Built to last, they said. Even an earthquake. The tunnels leading into the mines was caved in, though."
Garrick grunted and shook his head. "If this is civilized, I'll stick with the north. Is Alto here?"
"Holgasford, last we heard."
Garrick cursed. "Who's in charge here? Can't be just the two of you?"
The second guard shook his head and said, "They couldn't pay me enough to run this nightmare."
The first one nodded. "Man named Halfdir in that big tent. He's meeting with some dwarves right now. Might want to wait until he's done."
Garrick shook his head. He turned towards the mentioned tent and said, "What news I got concerns everyone, dwarf and man alike." Garrick started towards it while the sentries looked to each other before following after him.
Garrick pulled aside the tent flap and stepped in to see two men sitting at a table opposite three dwarves. Two more dwarves stood behind them. The negotiators looked up at him, stunned into silence by his interruption and sheer size.
The stillness was broken a moment later by a dwarven cry of, "To arms! An ogre!"
Garrick scowled and looked at his friend, Mordrim. The dwarf was grinning while the others looked back and forth, confused. One of the dwarves had reached for the axe leaning against the table beside him until he realized it was a joke.
"Don't worry, he'll trip over you on his way to reach me," Garrick responded before he stopped to realize there were other dwarves in the room. The dwarves glowered at him, not appreciating his sense of humor. He shrugged it aside; he wasn't there to make friends. "I'm looking for Alto. You seen him?"
Mordrim glanced at his kin and saw the tension in their faces. The dwarf ducked his head under the table, showing them the running camaraderie between the two men and came back up. "Not here."
The barbarian scowled and opened his mouth to return when one of the men, Halfdir, spoke. "Garrick, right?"
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