by N. M. Howell
“If it’s so important,” Rhea began, reaching for the paper, “then why is it written in a cryptic message? We have no way to decipher this, no way to know what this means. If anything, this is just going to set us back, confusing us.”
Taelor shrugged. “Maybe it’ll come to us soon. Just keep it safe for now, okay?” He handed back the paper.
Rhea nodded, folding the paper back up into its small package. She tucked it in her pocket and patted it with her hand. “I’ll hang onto it, but I really have no idea what the hell it is.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, sitting in the middle of a circus, in the middle of a dry desert, in the middle of the war. What a strange turn of events.
Rhea yawned and stretched, exhaustion setting in. She shivered as the night air grew colder and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.
“Shall we all head to the tent?” Taelor asked her.
She nodded and stood up, her bones sore and tired and her body craving a warm bed to sleep. “Yeah, that sounds great. And then we can get out of this strange place in the morning,” she laughed.
Taelor smiled as he led the way back to the tent. They walked in silence under the twinkling lights that hung and floated overhead. The stars above disappeared, intermingled behind the glistening faery lights, and Rhea’s eyes felt heavy as she was led down the winding paths toward their resting place.
The tent was nothing glamorous, but it certainly was an upgrade from where she had slept the night before. The walls were high and the beds were divided by thick hanging sheets. She smiled when she saw they actually were proper beds, not just thin rolled mats that hardly offered any comfort from the hard ground. The floor was covered in a thick carpet with intricate patterns of gold and purple, making it feel like a room in a house rather than a tent. The room glowed warmly from the heavy lanterns that hung above. There was a small fire pit in the center, warming the space. It was better than anything she could have imagined, and it was exactly what she needed. She was grateful that they’d stayed, despite her wanting to go.
Rhea smiled at her companions, excusing herself as she went to the back of the tent to wash up. She cleaned her face in the small basin that sat in the far corner of the back room and took care of her bodily functions away from the prying eyes of her guardians. That was perhaps one of the worst parts of traveling with male companions; taking care of business as a female usually warranted privacy, which wasn’t something she always had. She let out a slow sigh of relief when she noticed there was even a small looking glass above the basin, and she looked at her reflection as she splashed some more cold water on her face. Her freckled human self looked back at her, her hair dull and her eyes tired. She couldn’t help but smile at the plain, familiar face looking back her.
Returning to the main area, she chose a bed chamber next to Roan’s. The wall hangings separated the beds side to side, each opening into the central area by a small hanging door. She walked in and threw herself on the bed, too tired to even undress herself. The mattress was hard, but much more comfortable than anything she had slept on over the last few years. She was grateful and pulled the blanket over herself, too exhausted to even bother untying the hanging sheets that offered her privacy.
She closed her eyes, listening to the rhythmic sounds of Roan’s snoring from the bed next to her on the other side of the sheet. The rhythm of his heavy breathing and snores felt like home, comforting in some strange way. It lulled her into a calm state, masking the surrounding sounds of the circus and holding her attention within the tent. She allowed her eyes to close and fell into a deep, exhaustion-filled sleep.
16
Rhea felt relatively rested by the time she was awoken. Roan shook her shoulder gently, and she woke with a start. Gazing up at the large man above her, she smiled. "Morning already?" she asked him.
Roan smiled with that easy lopsided grin of his and laughed. "Yep, didn't want to wake you. But at the same time, I couldn’t let you sleep any longer as your snoring was going to wake up the entire circus."
Rhea's eyes flung open wide, her body sitting up bolt upright. "I do not snore," she gasped.
Roan crossed his arms, his eyebrow raised. "Oh yeah, wanna bet?"
Rhea scoffed. "You’re one to talk, you basically shook the floors last night."
"I guess you learned from the master then," he grinned. He then winked at her and turned to leave, giving her some time to get ready.
She hadn't bothered taking her clothes off the night before, she was so exhausted. Fully dressed already, she clambered out of bed and stretched, her muscles grateful for the mattress she had slept on. She still felt gross, though, desperately needing a shower, but she had the feeling they weren’t going to have that luxury for a while.
As she slowly stumbled out of her small area of the tent, she walked around to the back to splash some water on her face from the small basin before joining the guys outside.
The sun had barely risen and a low mist hung in the surrounding area. Drops of dew clung to the outside of the tent, the cool damp air making Rhea shiver. "What time is it?" She yawned loudly.
"Early," Taelor replied. He tapped his fingers against his hip, gazing out into the sunrise, his eyes narrowed. Grayson was missing and Rhea figured he was out getting the horses. She looked around and saw him coming in the distance. Smiling, she watched him lead her own horse, its massive frame towering over even him.
Grayson was followed by the three pixies they had left the horses with the night before. They were positively diminutive next to him, standing barely to his hips. It was funny seeing them lead such large beasts, and Rhea wondered why someone so small was tasked with taking care of animals so large. Not that she would ask them that and risk sounding rude.
When they got close enough, she smiled at them and took the reins of her horse from Grayson, stroking the soft fur of her horse’s neck as he nuzzled into her.
"You look rested." Grayson smiled at her, his mood looking significantly heightened from the night before.
Rhea smiled back and shrugged. "It's amazing what a good night’s sleep will do.”
"We better get going. I know a good rest spot that should be about four hours away. We can stop and clean up a bit at before heading on," Taelor said. "You all ready?"
Everyone seemed ready enough, so Rhea mounted her horse with help from Roan and followed the pixies as they led them down a path toward the back exit of the circus grounds.
Rhea's legs ached now that she was back up on the saddle, her muscles tight from the long ride the day before. She adjusted her position in her seat, stretching her legs out as best as she could. In the process, she heard a crinkle in her pocket and reached a hand in and pulled out the folded note the fortune teller had given her the night before.
She peered down at it, her fingers tracing the edges of the folded paper. She still had no idea what it meant, and wondered if there was actually some secret to it or if it was simply a trick to keep her mind preoccupied.
She'd heard of things like that before, psychological tricks to pull your mind away from one thing and toward something else. She wondered if the whole thing had been a ruse, though something in the back of her mind was telling her that it wasn't.
She was about to open the paper, but thought better of it and slid it back into her pocket, tightening her sweater around her as they left the circus grounds and returned to the wide-open plains. It was much colder that morning, the heat from the sun not yet having had a chance to set in and warm their surroundings.
The threatening red of the ground around them dimmed, too, as they traveled farther from the circus. Gazing around herself at the changing landscape, she figured they were nearing the edge of the Crimson Plains.
The terrain became hillier, and she even noticed a few small bushes appearing around them. There must have been water nearby, she figured, or else the plants wouldn’t have been able to grow. They were dry, but still alive. The faded greenery brou
ght solace after their long journey through drought-infested territory.
Rhea had forgotten to fill her water skin and hoped they would come upon a ravine sometime soon. Maybe that would even mean she could have a bath and wash her hair. The idea made her ecstatic and a small smile began spreading on her lips. It was the simple pleasures, she figured, and she would have to hang onto every one of those that she could going forward. She had a feeling that the simple pleasures were the only ones she was going to be getting for a while.
They traveled for a solid hour before diverting their path and heading west. It was still early, but she was grateful she had the sun on her back warming her as it climbed in the sky. There was a peaceful stillness to their surroundings that she enjoyed. She closed her eyes as they went, her body swaying with the beat of her horse’s steps.
Rhea felt at one with her animal, as if he were an extension of herself or she was an extension of him. There was a strange yet familiar synergy to them as they walked and Rhea felt connected to him, body and mind. She wondered if all horses were like this or if it was because he was of special elven stock. The horse huffed and swung his tail, his hair tickling her back. She laughed and wondered if he could understand her thoughts, and she stroked his mane in reply.
“I have a feeling you can understand more than you let on,” she said to him. He huffed again in acknowledgement. Pressing her lips together, Rhea suppressed a smile. She could think of worse ways to travel, that was for sure.
Once they climbed the large hill that rimmed the edge of the plains, Rhea could see out for seemingly hundreds of miles. The circus was hardly visible behind them—a small speck in the distance, blending in with the orange-red soil that seemed to shine in the distance under the warm rising sun. It looked like a complete wasteland behind them. What lay before them was a completely different landscape; a welcome respite after the dryness of the plains.
Wide, winding rivers slithered over the vast expanse in the direction they headed, endless green rolling hills surrounding them. It seemed a completely different climate.
Taelor took off ahead of the group to inspect the surroundings and survey the area. Rhea stretched her limbs on horseback, waiting behind with her other guardians. A few moments later they heard the soft sound of Taelor’s voice over the wind, signaling for them to join him.
The horses trotted down the hill toward where Taelor stood near a river bed. The river was wide—so wide they looked hardly able to swim across—and a massive oak tree stood beside it, offering shade from the rising sun. Taelor disappeared again as the rest of them dismounted from the horses and led them down to the water to drink.
The horses drank deeply, thirsty from their morning ride. Rhea was also thirsty, her throat having grown dry from the journey, and bent down to drink from the river. The water was cold and crisp and tasted delicious, much better than the city water back in Detroit. Much better than any water she had ever had, if she were being honest with herself.
She felt refreshed and content, her body still a little sore from the ride but for the most part her energy felt replenished and she felt great. Her mind was another story, but she made an effort to just focus on her physical self and her surroundings. The landscape was stunning and she trailed her fingers over the surface of the water, gazing at the ripples she caused in the calm waters.
It was beautiful. The flowers that bloomed over the ground seemed much healthier than the ones she had seen when they first arrived in the Otherworld the day before. They still weren’t the typical bold and colorful things she was used to from when she was young, but being so close to the river, they at least didn’t seem to wilt as much. Despite the dark magic that had set in throughout the realm, these blossoms were doing their best to shine.
Rhea bent down and plucked a small orange flower from the soil, tucking it into her hair above her small, human-shaped ear. She smiled and looked around, watching the horses drink from under the shade of the tree. It was still cool, but the air warmed as the sun rose high above them. They rested for a while, waiting for Taelor to return, enjoying the quiet that hung in the air.
Rhea leaned back against the rough bark of the tree, her eyes closed and her head tilted back as she hummed to herself in peace. Her guardians busied themselves with the horses and she used the opportunity to think.
Her fingers played with the folded paper in her pocket, but her mind was elsewhere. She thought back to her days as a child at the Greystone castle when she was too young to truly understand the horrors of what was going on outside of the walls. When her biggest concern was choosing which color dress to wear in the morning or which one of her favorite types of foods she would eat at breakfast.
A hard pang settled in deep within her stomach at the thought of how naïve she had been. Had she known the truth about the world she lived in, even at that young an age, she wondered if her life would’ve turned out any different. She would’ve at least been more prepared. Or perhaps she would have just run away sooner.
A twig snapped above her and she jumped, stumbling forward and tripping over a root as a small scream escaped her lips. She pummeled into the soft ground with her shoulder, fortunately cushioned by the carpet of fallen leaves beneath her.
“What the hell?” she shouted.
She pushed herself back up, springing to her feet as lightly as she could. She glanced around, her heartbeat thunderous in her chest and her skin growing cold. Knees bent and muscled tense, she prepared for attack.
A soft laugh came from above her, drawing her attention up. Taelor jumped down from an upper branch at least twenty feet above, landing swiftly on his two feet as if he had just fallen from no higher than a step.
“Shit, you scared me,” Rhea panted, the palm of her right hand pressed firmly against her chest. She felt her heart racing, pounding heavily against her hand. She shook her head. “Seriously, Taelor. Not cool.”
Taelor’s brow furrowed together as he watched her, his foot tapping against the ground and his arms crossed.
“We really have a lot of work to do with you,” he finally said, his voice holding a ton of wild judgement that confused her.
“That’s not fair,” she snapped back. “You caught me off guard.”
Taelor rolled his eyes. “Do you think an enemy will give you fair warning before attack?”
Rhea shrugged. “Well I wasn’t exactly expecting the enemy to be here.” She motioned her hands around her before dropping them to her sides. “It’s not like we’re exactly in the middle of hostile territory.”
Taelor’s frown deepened. “Everything is hostile territory, Rhea. Have you forgotten that your immediate family no longer rules the Otherworld?”
Rhea chewed her lower lip, her shoulder sulking. “You’re right,” she sighed. He always was.
“Fortunately, the horses have given us plenty of extra time in our travel schedule, so we can take this chance to begin your training.”
Rhea perked up. She was excited to learn to fight, eager to finally be able to defend herself against enemies. Her body was weak but her mind was sharp, and she was eager to learn. Nodding furiously, she smiled at the serious elf.
“I’m ready, if you’re up for starting my training now,” she beamed. She was well rested and the fresh air fueled her energy. She could hardly stop herself from bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.
She didn’t think it possible, but Taelor’s frown deepened even more. Deep creases set into his face as his eyes grew even more serious watching her.
“This isn’t a game, Rhea,” he said.
Rhea let out an exasperated laugh. “Oh, don’t be so serious, Taelor,” she said, brushing the hair behind her ears that the wind blew about in front of her face. “There’s enough evil around us. Wouldn’t it help to try and maintain at least a little bit of positivity?”
He blinked at her, his body still. They stared at one another for a long moment before he finally spoke.
“This isn’t a game,” he rep
eated. “I’ve been through too many battles to count, seen horrors firsthand that you couldn’t even imagine. What we saw at the battlefield, the burning village, that’s nothing compared to the sheer vastness of the terror and evil that has been spreading across our world.”
Rhea shivered at his words. He was right. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than hearing the children scream as their village burned. She shook her head, forcing the images from her mind. “But we’re here now. It won’t do to dwell on a past we cannot change. You can train me, we can move forward, and together we can see what we can do to stop this.”
Taelor nodded. “And that’s what I intend, but you won’t see me jumping around giggling like Arry anytime soon. That’s just the way it is.”
Rhea frowned. She glanced toward the river where Arry’s giggles grew louder, carrying in the wind toward them. He was the exact opposite of Taelor. Arry was happy and always smiling, his body language open and welcoming. Taelor was closed off and serious, often angry and judgmental toward the outside world. She realized, though, that war did that to people. It wasn’t her place to try and change him. She couldn’t even understand half of what he had gone through the last few years while she’d been gone.
“You’re right,” she finally said, rubbing her temples as she spoke. The understanding that flooded her mind was overwhelming and caused her head to ache. “I just find it really hard to understand, that’s all. I’ve been here just two days, and I’ve already seen so much death and destruction. I can’t even imagine what it would’ve been like for you over the past few years being a part of the actual fighting.”
Taelor nodded and pulled two small knives from a pouch he held at the back of his belt. He had removed the long wraparound coat he often wore, and his loose-fitting long shirt blew around his tight muscles in the wind. He was thin, but strong, built for speed and dexterity. His muscles looked to be made of steel, and Rhea’s attention went to his biceps as he stretched and flexed his arms before her. Rhea, on the other hand, was just skinny. There was little muscle on her thin arms.