The Woman In the Tree

by Natasha D Lane

  “No.” Maddy sighed and turned her eyes back to the sky.

  Alistair watched her, and she could feel more heat rising in her cheeks.

  She cocked her head and stared at him. “I know it’s been several weeks, but it’s still odd seeing you with white hair.”

  He scoffed. “You think you feel odd about it? I feel like I’ve aged several decades.”

  Maddy giggled. “You don’t look old, Alistair. It’s only the color that’s different.”

  “No, no. I assure you there are some wrinkles creeping up too.”

  “Where?”

  He gestured to his face. “All over. I look like a rotten vegetable.”

  “I thought we women were supposed to be concerned about our looks,” she said, a teasing tone in her voice.

  Alistair sighed and leaned against the new horse. “Perhaps I am just a sensitive soul.”

  “Hmm. Perhaps. I always thought of you as sweet.”

  The rising pink in his cheeks contrasted the white of his hair. Maddy chuckled, her own hear beating a little fast.

  Alistair cleared his throat. “Madelia, could I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  He took her hand. She glanced from their clasped hands to his eyes. The humorless look he had punctured her core and something enticing spread through her.

  “Robin told me a bit more about your mother and brother,” he said. “I…I’m not sure when this will all be over. But when it is, I want to go to King Essen’s lands with you and reunite you with them.”

  He took hold of her other hand and Maddy found her stomach had turned into knots.

  Alistair’s eyes briefly drifted to the ground, before returning to hers. He moved his thumbs along her wrists.

  “Maddy, I’m not sure what my aunt will tell me when we arrive home. We don’t know right now what the creature inflicted me with before Edwin killed her.”

  He took a hard swallow. His hands trembled.

  Her eyes searched his face. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” he whispered. “I feel fine, but I have a bad feeling the witch still has her claws in me somehow.”

  He shook his head.

  “If I am to leave this world or lose my mind,” --the words were slow and heavy-- “I want to spend my time making sure you, Robin, and my family are taken care of.”

  Maddy’s throat began to constrict.

  “Because,” he continued, “you, of all people, Maddy deserve to be happy. After everything—"

  She closed the space between them. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and the smooth skin of his neck became her comfort. His breath breezed into her hair, tickling the strands and his chest rose and fell beneath her own.

  Alistair’s muscles tensed, then, eased under her. His arms encircled her, and his fingers found their way into her dark green tresses.

  Maddy’s mind had a single thought.

  You can never leave me.

  Chapter Nineteen

  A listair was certain he was going to lose a thumb.

  He had accepted his fate. He was going to be a thumb-less white-haired old man and live out the rest of his days as such. There really was no other option and since neither the cold nor snow showed signs of letting up, he figured better to be thumb-less than dead.

  I’ve been gone from the north too long. The cold never bothered me before.

  He looked to his left. Maddy’s teeth hadn’t stopped chattering since they left the last village. It had been small, mostly farmers and travelers. The sky had been clear, so they had stopped at the local inn to rest and warm themselves with a bowl of soup.

  Little did they know, less than twenty minutes into their departure a storm would hit, releasing every snowflake there was from the sky.

  And now both they and the earth were covered, the broth’s warmth a distant memory.

  “Are you all right?”

  Robin’s voice broke Alistair’s thoughts. He turned to respond but her sights weren’t on him. She was staring at Maddy, brows knit together and eyes narrowed.

  The hood of Maddy’s cloak bobbed up and down but the movement was staggered.

  Alistair tugged Fred to stand closer to the horse Arthur had given them, Mary. He placed a hand on Maddy’s shoulder. Short bursts of vibrations ran through his palm and Maddy’s teeth chattering echoed in the storm.

  “Maddy, may I pull down your hood?” he asked.

  Another nod.

  Alistair released his hands from the reins and shook them a bit, before tugging Maddy’s hood down. Suddenly, the cold was not what chilled him.

  We should have taken the third horse.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is it bad?”

  “Here.” He reached into one of the pouches and pulled out a small blanket.

  “I want you to wrap this around your face like a scarf and tie it tight. Do you hear me, Maddy?”

  “Yes,” she stuttered out.

  “Alistair, what’s going on?” Robin darted her gaze between the two of them.

  “You and Maddy have to go ahead without me.”

  “What!” they both shouted.

  “Listen,” he said with a slow exhale. “Frost has started to coat Maddy’s face. Her cheeks are becoming a dark red.”

  “I don’t understand,” Maddy said voice still quivering.

  He took her face in his hands, hoping to transfer some heat to his companion.

  “It means you’ve been exposed to the cold for too long and your body is suffering.”

  “What are we to do?” Robin’s voice was shrill. “Your family’s home is still nearly a day’s trip away. We won’t reach until nightfall.”

  Alistair shook his head. He pulled at Fred’s reins and the horse came to a stop.

  He hopped off Fred. “We’re going to reach there before nightfall. You and Maddy take the horses and go ahead.”

  Robin’s eyes squinted into a glare. She opened her mouth, but Alistair waved a hand.

  “Robin, you can give me a lashing later. If you two don’t go now, Maddy will—”

  At that moment, the green-haired girl turned to him, her light green eyes glassy and distant.

  He bit his tongue and moved back to Robin.

  “Continue heading east now. A carved-out path will appear. Follow it. When it comes to the fork, take the road to the right and ride until you hear the ocean. Make sure Maddy keeps moving, even if it’s a little kicking.”

  “What about you?” Maddy asked.

  She reached for him and he grasped her hand.

  “I will be fine,” he replied. “Once you get to my home, ask for Garron and Una. Have them send my cousins back for me. Two horses are better than one, so Robin will ride Fred and guide you on Mary. No discussions.”

  He released Maddy’s hands and grabbed another pair of gloves and a canister of water while she adjusted in her seat.

  “I will keep her safe and we will come back for you,” Robin said, daring a look at him.

  He nodded. “I know you will. Now go.”

  Robin pulled their horses along, lightly kicking Fred’s sides until he picked up speed and Mary matched it.

  They stayed in Alistair’s sight until the large white snowflakes blocked them from his vision.

  Alistair could still manage to walk easily in the snow, though he wasn’t sure how long that was going to last. Already it was reaching his ankles and he didn’t expect his cousins would come looking for him for several hours. Not until the evening at least.

  Walk as fast as possible, drink plenty of water, and then find shelter somewhere I’ll be easily spotted.

  His uncle Garron had taught Alistair and all his children how to survive in the snow. Thankfully Alistair had paid attention, though he never thought he’d find himself caught in a storm. His aunt Una always ensured everyone was accounted for before a heavy snowfall came in.

  What I would do for a pot of her bone stew…

  His mouth watered. Alist
air tried to focus on that memory as he trudged forward.

  The memory of warm soup eaten around a raging fire and being surrounded by his large cousins with their cozy nature.

  Yes, that’s what he felt. Comfort, warmth, ease. Not the freezing cold.

  His aunt would wrap him in blankets. Since he was the smallest of the bunch, she always took extra pains to ensure he was suited and ready. A fact his cousins never let him live down.

  Alistair’s cloak rushed left and hung flailing in the wind. The wind whipped by him, simultaneously pushing him forward and trying to knock him to the ground.

  He stomped his feet hard into the ground and grabbed his cloak. Not focusing on the razor-like cold that had snuck across his body, he wrapped the cloak around him once more and marched.

  Do not stop. Your journey is not over yet.

  As the snow continued to fall around him, Alistair wondered how well he blended in. He doubted there were any robbers out in the weather but if there were, he’d be a hard target to find.

  His hair had blown in his face and he tucked the white strands back behind his ear.

  Perhaps, you’re more useful than I think. I doubt Robin and Maddy are fond of you though.

  His pulse quickened. He shouldn’t have thought about Maddy.

  The idea he could reach his family’s home and she be taken by the frost made him walk faster. But panicking would do him no good.

  The snow had passed his ankles. Moving a foot forward was becoming more difficult.

  Alistair had to reach her. He had to return to all of them.

  There were many things unsaid, especially with Maddy, especially when she had embraced him without hesitation, something she had never done before.

  Maddy had always been friendly and kind, yet her space was her own and touching was limited.

  And she had never said, much less done, anything to make Alistair think she could have feelings for him. But that day, the day before they departed, the way she sighed into his neck and pulled him to her, he thought maybe there was something there. He only needed to get a hold of it.

  A light sizzle of heat swept over his scalp. He closed his eyes while the pain subsided and then turned to look at Edwin.

  “You decided to stop by then?”

  The boy was almost impossible to see being translucent and surrounded by white.

  “Not exactly. I wanted to see how your plans were going.” He peered around him. “It doesn’t seem you’ve reached your aunt’s yet.”

  “Uh, yes, you could say that,” he replied. “So, you haven’t come to keep me company?”

  Edwin nodded but he did not look at Alistair.

  “I came to tell you something too.”

  Please tell me Cadfen is dead, Morganna has been found and has ascended the throne and that my aunt has bone stew waiting for me.

  “It’s about your parents.”

  Alistair nearly tripped over his own feet. He spun around—as well as he could—to face Edwin. The cold became irrelevant. His blood pumping fast enough to keep him warm for a fortnight.

  The wind blew past him and his mouth dried.

  “What did you say?” he asked after several deep breaths.

  Edwin floated through the air and took hold of Alistair’s hands.

  “I found your parents,” he said. “Well, they found me actually.”

  Alistair clenched his teeth together. His mind was racing with questions and they all wanted to come out at once.

  “I didn’t know…could I have seen them in the Ether? When we were there?”

  The boy shook his head. “No, they’re in a different part. Somewhere I’ve never been.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that I can’t go where they came from. They had to find me.”

  Alistair was sure his palms were covered in sweat, despite the temperature.

  “And what did they say? Did they—"

  “They told me they were proud of you,” he stated. “That they love you and they’re glad you found a home with your aunt and uncle.”

  Foggy wisps of steam were leaving Alistair’s body as he released trembling exhales.

  “And,” Edwin continued, “they said they like Maddy. She’ll be good for you. Does that mean you’re going to marry her?” He gazed at Alistair.

  That was not a question he was prepared to venture into with his young friend.

  “How were they, Edwin? Did they look well?”

  He nodded. “They looked…happy.”

  A flood of relief pooled from his gut, easing all the tension away. He could feel his eyes burning but refused to cry. He needed to conserve the water, after all.

  “One more thing,” the boy said. “They wanted you to know they think you’re doing what’s right. You’ve done justice to their name.”

  It made no sense to do so, but Alistair squatted down and hugged Edwin to him.

  The young boy hugged him back.

  “You have no idea how happy you’ve just made me,” Alistair said.

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I have to ask one more thing of you, though, Edwin. If you happen to see my parents again, tell them…I was angry for a while, at them. But I understand now. I know they had to send me away.”

  Alistair blinked to clear away the tears. “And…tell them I love them. Will you?”

  The ghost smiled. “If they visit again. I’ll relay the message.”

  Alistair sighed. “You’re a good boy, Edwin. A proper young man.” He stood up. “Will you be staying with me until my cousins arrive?”

  “If you’d like,” the boy replied.

  “I would but you should prepare yourself.”

  “For what?” Edwin asked, his lips pouted and brows drawn.

  Alistair smiled. “To run. We have a journey to complete.”

  He tugged his cloak tightly around him and lifted his legs as high as he could, then began pounding through the snow. He pumped his arms in sync with his legs and kept his eyes forward, looking towards home.

  “They’re coming,” Edwin shouted as he flew through the storm.

  “Y-you s-saw them?” Alistair asked.

  “Yes, they’ll be here soon.”

  He tried to respond but his mouth was too jittery. Instead, he nodded and kept moving through the snow that was now nearly to his knees.

  Night had fallen and with darkened sky came freezing temperatures. He had only stopped once to drink water. The snow had somehow caught up with him.

  His muscles ached in protest to his movements. His mind was becoming stagnant. He could only think of the cold.

  “I see them!” Edwin screamed. “They’re there. Look, Alistair, look!”

  Alistair tilted his head up and stared into the distance. There were two figures approaching on horseback. Still, they were too far away for him to know they were his cousins. The wind that had been whipping around him died down for a moment and deep voices reached his ears.

  “’Ello, ‘ello! Where’s our middle-born cousin?”

  “Alistair! If you’ve turned into an ice sickle, I’m taking your share of the bone stew.”

  They were still several yards away yet at the speed they approached, Alistair knew they’d be hauling him on one of their horses soon.

  The sound of thudding hooves grew closer. Alistair breathed a sigh of relief.

  He was home.

  “Aw, Alistair, you look a bit like those caterpillars the children read about in their picture books.” His cousin Brima tucked another blanket around him. He had forgotten how blonde her hair was. All his cousins actually. Blonde hair with piercing silver eyes. Except Brima had streaks of gray in her hair now.

  She smiled down at her frozen cousin. Her squared jawline matched well with her smooth cheekbones and round eyes. Brima was nearly an identical match to her mother.

  “More like a newborn waiting to be fed,” his cousin Farren said as he wiped soup off his mouth.

  Aunt Una swatted a spoon a
gainst the back of his head.

  Farren, in all his timber and muscle, flinched and scooted away from his mother.

  “What was that for?”

  “Eating like a heathen. We have guests and you can’t manage your dinner properly.”

  Uncle Garron tipped his head back and slurped, drips of soup getting into the long beard that coated his face. Aunt Una raised the spoon in his direction and the bowl found its place back on the table.

  He cleared his throat. “Forgot myself for a minute.”

  Una narrowed her eyes once more before walking around to the other side of the fire where Maddy and Robin were seated.

  “More soup girls?” she said. “Bone Stew’s a hearty meal for these harsh storms.”

  Maddy, who had square bandages on her cheeks and was almost as wrapped up as Alistair, glanced from her empty bowl to Una.

  “If you’re sure it’s okay—”

  “More than okay!” Una snatched her bowl and filled it to the brim. “We don’t get guests often. Have to make sure we leave a good impression.”

  She handed the bowl back to Maddy and turned her grin on Robin.

  “And you?”

  “I’m quite full actually.” Robin had finished her soup and now sat cross-legged around the fire.

  Una gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Well, if you change your mind, we’ve got plenty. Brima?”

  The young woman stood to help her mother. Alistair’s eyes drifted over the room.

  Not much had changed. The stone walls were mostly bare aside from knitted blankets and decorative flags. The back rooms were separated from the main room by thin blankets and in the center of the ceiling was an opened window where the smoke from the kitchen and living room could blow out.

  The door swung open and in stepped Olen, Alistair’s second oldest cousin, and Deanna, the youngest.

  “Horses are put away and the stables are locked up,” he said, kicking the door closed behind him. Deanna skipped over to Alistair.

  She perched her chin in her hands, grinning.

  “Hi!”

  “Hello, Deanna.”

  “Are your hands warmed yet?”

  “Um,” --Alistair tried to move his hands. He wasn’t sure if their immobility was from the cold or how tightly his aunt had wrapped him.