The Woman In the Tree

by Natasha D Lane

  No one came to rescue my uncle. No one came to rescue Alistair. Why would they come to save you?

  The man beat at her back and though it hurt, Robin let go only when she decided to. He clutched at his face. Robin sat up, tightened the hold she had on the rusty knife and shoved it in his throat. The man stilled. She pulled the knife back and red showered her and Alistair. But something moved in the shadows.

  There was a thunk, and then the man fell sideways. It didn’t really take much effort. Robin was sure he was already dead.

  But as he fell, a young woman stood behind him with a large branch raised in the air. She was breathing hard as her eyes poured over the scene. An unconscious Alistair, a man missing pieces of his face, and a girl covered in blood.

  The young woman closed her eyes, flashed them open and her breathing had calmed. The anxiety and fear disappeared from her face.

  Her eyes landed on Robin. “Help me grab Alistair. We need to get him home. The guards will be coming. They’re only slow because they’re at the other end of town dealing with a matter.”

  She stepped over Robin and draped Alistair’s arms around her shoulders. The way she held Alistair, the familiarity, she obviously knew him. But Robin was not herself. She was not Robin Leingard. She was a woman covered in red with the irony taste of blood in her mouth who had just been assaulted by a drunk pig. So, instead of helping the young woman, she launched at her and pressed the knife to her throat.

  “Who are you?” she said between clamped teeth.

  They were at the edge of the alley now and the moon’s rays were in full reach. The woman’s hair was an odd shade of black, no, it wasn’t black. Just a dark green.

  The confusion had to be apparent on Robin’s face, but the girl didn’t show she saw it.

  She simply said, “My name is Maddy.”

  “What should we do?” Alistair’s head rested in Robin’s lap. She stroked his face while he lay motionless.

  Maddy was staring at the poisoned knife. She moved it from side to side and sniffed. She covered her face and heaved a breath.

  “One option left,” she stated. With a quick flick, she moved the tip of her tongue over the blade’s end.

  Robin nearly gagged. Thankfully, she had already vomited enough on their way here.

  The young woman closed her eyes and moved her tongue around in her mouth. There was a quiet moment and then, she flung the dagger into the wall.

  “I can’t tell what poison it is. It’s covered in too much blood.”

  “Well, do you at least have some medicine? Something to slow it until we can figure out what it is?”

  A green shade had appeared in his face. Robin wiped at his cheeks, wishing she could wipe the color away.

  Maddy shook her head. “All my herbs are gone. Sold. I could go into the forest to search for more but I--”

  Alistair jerked up an inch from the ground. He wrenched to the left. Shivers ran down his body. His head remained still yet his body tore in every direction. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he gazed straight up at Robin.

  She felt as if her heart was going to spill from her.

  Robin pressed her face close to his and let a few tears slip out. His body continued to convulse, knocking at everything close by. Robin whispered soothing words in his ear, shushing him as his body fought with itself.

  “Omay.”

  “What?” Robin moved her face from beside his and stared down into his eyes. They hadn’t moved. His pupils were still fixated to the spot where her head had been and his teeth were mashed together.

  “Ine.”

  “Is he speaking?” Maddy moved to her side and placed her ear close to his mouth.

  “Ine.”

  “Listen,” Maddy said.

  Robin placed her ear by his mouth once more.

  The words were short and clipped yet clear now that she had heard them several times.

  “He’s saying he’s fine,” Robin said. “He’s all right.”

  She went to squeeze him when a hot pain shot through her arm. She fell backward and his head rolled out of her lap.

  “Are you hurt?” Maddy asked.

  Robin nodded but she couldn’t even look at the stranger. All she saw was Alistair’s silver patch shimmer, then turn a bright white.

  The torches in the room began to fade, darkness slowly creeping in. And then, the fires died, the light was gone but Alistair’s silver still shimmered a brilliant white--their only source of light in the darkness.

  Chapter Six

  A listair had never been hungrier and he knew hunger. Actually, they acquainted themselves with one another about once every three weeks. It was a standing appointment.

  He stretched and rolled over when he saw strings of dark hair on several of the cushions. The same shade as his but much longer…

  Where is Robin?

  Alistair jumped to his feet and leapt to the door. He was already stepping out and only noticed them sleeping in the corner because he had to turn forward to climb down the ladder.

  Robin and Maddy sat cuddled together, their hair loose and falling around them. They both were snoring, as well, something Alistair would make sure to bring up later.

  His eyes fell on Maddy.

  She never comes to the stables in the evening…and why is she in my room?

  Horses neighed below him and one neigh stood out amongst the others. It was loud and breathy and sounded more like a pig’s snort to Alistair, though, of course he would never mention that to Fred.

  He started to make his way down the ladder when a burning started in his thigh. He turned his leg to the side while he gripped the ladder. There was a wound on the back of his lower thigh, about two inches across and deep from the pain it was causing. It wasn’t bleeding and seemed to have been cleaned.

  “Alistair!”

  “Oh, my God. Where did he go?”

  “We have to find him.”

  “The guards might be looking for us.”

  “Yes, we need to stick to the edge of town and move around the perimeter.”

  The door flew open. Both women stood on the edge of his home, gaping at him as if he had suddenly grown horns and a second head.

  Alistair shifted from side to side, before pointing his gaze back at them. Finally, whatever spell they were under broke and Robin began to gush like a child.

  She snatched him by his hair and planted several kisses on his forehead. “You fool! You nearly scared us to death.”

  “Um, all right. I didn’t know grabbing breakfast was such a treacherous deed.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” she said and released her hold on him. Her hands moved past his head and Alistair snatched the one to his right, catching something wrong in the color. Instead of a pale white, there was a light, crusted red that caked in her palm’s crevices.

  He turned his eyes back to her. “I think someone needs to tell me exactly what is going on.”

  “You almost died,” Robin shouted and pulled her hand away. “We almost died. Then Maddy came and saved us.” She wrapped the green-haired girl in a tight hug. Maddy’s eyes pinched at the corners as she smiled.

  They stood there hugging one another while Alistair stood on the ladder replaying Robin’s words in his head.

  Died? I think I would have remembered that.

  “I didn’t really do much. Seems like you had already ki--”

  “Shush, shush, shush.” Robin pressed a finger over Maddy’s lips. She glanced at Alistair.

  “Okay, we need to talk,” he said not missing her gesture. “I’m coming up.”

  The women nodded and stepped out of his path. He made his way back into the room and kicked the door shut behind him.

  “All right,” he said, scratching at his silver patch. “What happened?”

  “How much do you remember?” Robin asked.

  “We were going around town asking about your friend. We went to the Midnight Tavern down the way yet found nothing. Then, we came home.”
r />   Maddy narrowed her eyes.

  “What?” Alistair replied.

  “This must have been a strong poison. Not only did it make you forget. It replaced your memories, as well.”

  Alistair pushed his hair back and looked at the ceiling. “Hm. Fine. What else happened?”

  Both women stared at him.

  “You seem calm at the news someone tried to kill you,” said Maddy.

  Robin nodded, confusion plastered on her face, as well.

  Alistair suddenly knew what a rabbit felt like when it saw the arrow racing towards it.

  “I’m just, uh…I…” He went to smooth down his clothes, hoping to avert his gaze.

  His hands felt the dried spots before his eyes saw them. Alistair was coated in dark, stale blood. He took in a trembling breath and turned his head to look back at his companions.

  “Tell me everything,” he said.

  Robin nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears. “We were leaving the tavern after asking about Arthur. This man had been raging on about the easterners and refugees. He saw me, followed us out and tried to attack us in an alley we were hiding in. We almost escaped but he grabbed you at the last second. Then, we were running and he threw this poisoned dagger into your thigh.”

  She reached behind her. When she faced him again she held a blade dulled with blood.

  Alistair took several steps back until he hit the wall. His legs didn’t feel right. Nothing was right about what she was telling him. What poison could be so strong he’d forget the previous night?

  He slid to the floor and ran his hand over his thigh, trying to force the memory back. It refused.

  “You passed out. He…um, tried to hurt me…” Her eyes shifted to Maddy who moved her attention to the floor.

  “Anyway,” she said and cleared her throat, “I fought him and then Maddy helped me…with the rest, I mean. We brought you here. You weren’t responding. Then, you started shaking. Your silver streak started to heat up and it turned a bright white. After that you just fell asleep.”

  He wiped his face and clutched his jaw as it tightened to the point of throbbing.

  “When you say, ‘the rest,’ you mean you killed him?”

  The women exchanged glances.

  “We didn’t have a choice, Alistair,” Maddy said. She squeezed Robin’s hand.

  He nodded. “Robin?”

  “Yes.”

  “He did more than hurt you, didn’t he?”

  There was a pause.

  “We don’t need to—”

  “Please, just tell me.”

  He heard the uneven breaths and the sob she caught in her chest.

  “He touched me,” she whispered. “He wanted to do more, said he was going to have fun with me…I went cold and then, anger flared up and I…I--”

  Alistair slammed his fists against the wall. He dug his nails into his palm until he felt the pain in his whole hand. He chewed on his bottom lip, grinding until the flesh became sore.

  He wanted to have fun with me.

  Alistair brought his knees up and hung his elbows there while he stared at the floor. His eyes burned, and he twisted his fingers, imagining they were around the drunkard’s neck. His throat felt tight.

  “I failed you,” he wheezed.

  “No, Alistair—”

  “No, Robin. I did.” He looked up to meet her eyes. “I did. When you needed me the most I was useless.”

  “You had no way of knowing,” Maddy said.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Alistair shot to his feet. “I’m going to take a walk. We have some things to discuss later.”

  “Where are you going?” Robin asked. “And what more is there to discuss?”

  He closed the door behind him and headed outside. The early morning air turned his breath into mist though he didn’t feel the cold himself.

  A single feeling consumed him. The feeling when Robin said those words.

  He touched me.

  Alistair balanced a bucket on his hand and a plate of food on his elbow. He leaned against the ladder and stretched his other hand up to knock. Maddy smiled down at him as she opened the door.

  “Hello, there. Welcome back.” She took the plate and bucket from him, then, moved aside for him to step up.

  “I got some food from the storehouse,” he said. “We were so busy yesterday I don’t think we ate much. I brought some for you as well, Maddy.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, her eyes already glued to the meal.

  “Considering you saved my life, I think I can spare some bread and broth.”

  She grinned, the corners of her eyes pinching again. “Thank you. I’ve always got room for good food.”

  “Has your appetite returned yet, Robin?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I’m more interested in what you need to discuss with us.”

  “Right.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s eat a bit first.”

  Maddy took a hunk of bread and shoved it into her mouth. She rocked from side to side and smiled as she chewed away before draining a cup of water. Alistair ate with her though with less eagerness and Robin only nibbled.

  They went on like that for a few minutes, a strained silence Alistair wished to stretch out until, finally, Robin sighed, crossed her hands in her lap and stared at him pointedly.

  His patch began to itch again. “Fine,” he said. He put his food to the side.

  Alistair grabbed the silver in his hair and lifted it. “This is why the poison didn’t kill me.”

  Robin raised a brow. “Because you have some early graying?”

  Maddy snorted and covered her mouth with a slice of bread.

  He sighed. “No, it’s not early graying. It’s a witch’s curse.”

  Robin eyed the silver but shook her head. “You mean you…a witch tried to kill you?”

  Alistair nodded.

  “But witches are…I guess I can’t say that now. What I mean is most adults don’t survive a witch encounter much less a child.”

  “You’re right but when they do, they get a mark on their body wherever the witch last touched them.”

  He pulled at his silver hairs. “For me, this is the last place she touched me before I was saved. My father came in and tossed blessed water on her. She was in the process of taking me.”

  Robin’s eyes fixed on his hair. She stared and then leaned forward and stroked the strands. Immediately, the itching grew worse.

  “This must be how I got out. Yes, yes, it is! I grabbed your hair. I felt the magic.” She dug both hands in his hair again and was pulling in either direction with an excitement Alistair was sure was going to leave him bald.

  “You can sense magic too, can’t you?” Maddy sipped on her cup of water.

  “Yes,” he said and placed Robin’s hands back at her sides. He looked back at Robin and frowned. “I think that’s also why I can remember. Everything from before.”

  He kept his sights on her.

  His words settled and her eyes became fiery slits. Her hands turned into balled fists.

  “You lied to me.”

  He took a long breath. “I did.”

  “Why?” she barked. “This entire time I thought I was the only one. But you knew. You knew and--”

  “It’s called a curse for a reason, Robin.” Maddy placed a hand on her shoulder. “Most think children who have the curse are possessed by witches. They’re killed.”

  “What?” She gaped at her. “No, those are barbaric rituals from the past. My uncle banished such before Cadfen stole the throne.”

  “The king can’t be everywhere all the time,” said Maddy.

  “That fact is why my parents sent me away,” he said. “They didn’t want anyone to catch on. At the time, most people thought the curses were fairy tales yet many still believed. Even today. That’s why we’re all still terrified to go into The Cursed Forest. If anyone had caught me, I’d probably be dead.”

  Robin fell back onto her knees then pulled her legs up clos
e to her chest. “I see why you lied to me.”

  “Truth be told, I’ve tried to lie to myself about that night. My uncle and aunt told me what I had acquired as soon as I moved north. Their thoughts were only confirmed when I ate a poisonous fish and still lived.”

  Maddy nodded. “Those with a witch’s curse are reversers of fate. That’s why poison doesn’t affect him. Magic can’t affect him either unless cast by the witch who marked him.”

  Alistair narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Robin who had a similar expression on her face.

  “How do you know so much about witches?” he asked.

  She leaned her head to the side and stared out the window. “In the middle kingdom, some have lost faith in the old beliefs. That wasn’t the case in Issin’s or Orof’s kingdom. I’ve been lectured on witches and ghouls since a child.”

  Robin rested her chin in her hand. “Maddy told me more about the eastern wars. Essen and Issin could never agree to anything. My uncle would complain about their bickering all the time. Whoever thought it would come to war?”

  The green-haired girl gave a small smile though she seemed to be only partially listening. Maddy kept smiling and nodding but she wasn’t looking at Robin. She was staring at a spot just above Robin’s head, a spot where some wood was chipped and scarred.

  Alistair recognized the look.

  Once, he had rushed to stop some children from harassing Maddy. They ran behind her throwing stones and manure. After Alistair scared them away, she responded with a flat “thank you” and gave him that look. It was bland and empty. It didn’t match the charming southern girl he was accustomed to.

  Her wavy green hair drew more hate than curiosity. She still refused to dye it even if for her own protection. To be honest, Alistair was a little relieved when she told him she was keeping her hair color. He liked the way her hair was, the way it made her look, like she was a fairy from a children’s book, waiting to sprinkle her magical dust.

  “You said you had been asking about Arthur?” Maddy inquired.

  The name jerked Alistair back to reality. He looked at Robin.

  “I didn’t say a word,” she said to him.

  Alistair sighed.

  She must have let it slip last night.

  “Based on both your reactions, I’ll say yes you were.” Maddy moved her eyes between them, finally landing on Robin. “What’s his last name?”