“Not now.”
Xavier put up a hand to stop the cries. “We are safe here for now, but only if Prince Thanerbos’s army is stopped from passing through Caelesta. I will be of little help to you if the defenses fail. Morelpis will recognize me, and he might take anyone else as an insult.
“If Morelpis agrees, the king wishes for him to block the mountain pass. That will give the king a safe haven to evacuate the city to, if need be. Give them a safe place to retreat. With Morelpis guarding the mountain, we also gain the advantage of time. Not even Prince Thanerbos’s army would be able to get past Morelpis.”
“Time for what?” Thaniel dared to ask.
“For Scarlet to finish her quest,” Xavier said hopefully.
“These are lofty thoughts, Xavier. Lofty indeed,” said Brynn.
There followed a long silence while the weight of the coming turmoil sank in fully for the crowd. Finally Xavier spoke again.
“Tomorrow Scarlet, Udd Lyall, and Mr. Hopewell will set off to complete her training.”
“Is that going to be enough? Just three?” Thaniel asked.
“The prince knows that eventually she must leave the sanctuary of Illuminora to face him. The Mortada are combing the country for her, and they will expect a large group of us to protect her. If it weren’t for her youth, I might even argue for just her and Udd Lyall to go.”
“Where will they go?” Thaniel asked.
Xavier frowned at him, his eyes darting briefly to Dakota. “Even I will not be asking that question.”
The council dispersed, and Scarlet immediately ran to Xavier, catching him before he could leave. He looked down at her with sad eyes that might have even held a touch of guilt, or at least regret.
“You aren’t going to teach me more?” Scarlet pleaded. She had been putting on a show of being strong and confident
in front of the council, but with only Xavier, Dakota, and her father there to hear her, she felt no need to posture now.
Xavier’s expression changed to one of compassion. “I wish you could stay here with me for a lifetime, and I would gladly teach you everything I know. I care deeply for you, young lady. But I have helped you awaken the light inside you. Teaching you to wield that power as I would is not what will win the battle against Thanerbos. If that were true, then I would keep you safe under the great oak, and I would face him myself.” Xavier paused, and then reached out and lightly touched her face. “It is you who will win this battle. Those you meet along your journey will help you to awaken all the magic there is time for, and then you will find the way to use that magic as Scarlet would. As the For Tol Don. Not a silly old Tounder.”
“You aren’t silly,” Scarlet protested.
“When there is no more war to fight, you’ll see that I am quite silly indeed.” Xavier smiled warmly. “I have to go and get some things in order. We will speak again before you go.”
Scarlet watched as Xavier left the room. Even though Dakota and her father were still in the room, she felt remarkably alone.
16
The Northern Woodlands
Brennan slept uneasily, his dreams filled with cries and screams. They’d come to the city through rolling hills and fertile farmland, and left it in the semidarkness of a long, damp tunnel. They’d passed under the moat and through the mountain pass, emerging a day later in a completely new world. The tunnel opened into a forest of majestic oaks and spruce, maples and redwoods. It was very different from the Southern Wildlands, which had been wild and untamed, filled with an overwhelming sense of danger and chaos. The Northern Woodlands exuded an air of peace, of order and comfort. Its denizens were almost all small mammals, gathering nuts and berries in the serene leafy shade and dappled sunlight.
And yet his dreams did not change. When Brennan slept, his mind was filled with images of Caelesta under siege, horrible things happening to the women and children who had hoped that the city’s great walls would protect them. And always, in the center of it all, the redheaded girl . . . He woke drenched in cold sweat, striking out against some unknown force.
He had little time for waking reflection. Driven by his determination to reach the girl, Chosen insisted they wake before dawn and be on the road moments later, often not stopping to eat. Occasionally he would suddenly change direction, going east instead of west or doubling back. Often Brennan could sense the passing Mortada that Chosen had barely avoided with these maneuvers.
“They are searching hard now,” Chosen offered in a rare forthcoming moment.
“Who are?” Brennan asked, not expecting any response. By now he didn’t really care whether Chosen answered his questions; perhaps childishly, he found a little enjoyment in the thought that they were at least an annoyance.
“The Mortada. Like the men by the river. Apparently they have fixated on Illuminora as her hiding place.” Chosen had stopped momentarily, scanning the forest for the path he’d take next.
To Brennan, the forest all looked the same. It was beautiful and peaceful, but nothing distinguished one area from another. It occurred to Brennan that if Chosen hadn’t been acting as a guide, he could easily find himself lost within these lush green woods for the rest of his life. Most of the time Brennan couldn’t even tell which way they were headed.
“Isn’t that where we’re going—where you think she is?” Brennan asked timidly.
“That is surely where she is,” Chosen snapped. “And if the idiots keep trudging around the forest in such numbers, that is where she is likely to remain for some time.” His annoyance was palpable, and mixed with an anxiety that Brennan had never seen in him before. With few exceptions, Chosen had always seemed self-assured to the point of arrogance.
Brennan couldn’t help but struggle over the disparity between Chosen’s motives and his character. Chosen was clearly connected somehow to these Mortada. In fact, Brennan was almost sure that he was one of them. He certainly knew a lot about them, and he looked remarkably similar. And yet . . . he seemed to speak of them with such disdain. Little about Chosen fit neatly into any single formula, but it was his connection to a group that was clearly evil that worried Brennan the most.
“If you mean her no harm, why can’t we just go and see her in Illuminora?” Brennan asked, feigning ignorance. One way or another, he would make Chosen admit that his intentions were not virtuous.
Chosen’s head snapped around, and he gave Brennan a look of mixed anger and disbelief. “Don’t test me with ignorant questions, Brennan.”
“I thought it was a pretty simple, intelligent question, actually,” Brennan snipped back.
“Simple, yes. Simpleminded. Nobody gets into Illuminora without being invited, and I’m not likely to receive an invitation. We’ll leave it at that.” Chosen selected a direction and took off at a run.
***
From a rise in the woods, Brennan could just make out the clearing below. At the center of it grew the largest tree he could ever have dreamed of, towering nearly fifty feet above the rest of the forest and covered in shimmering silver and golden leaves that seemed to gather into themselves all the light of the day. At the forest’s edge around the clearing, Brennan could also make out the shadowy figures of Mortada, shifting about restlessly, searching either for a way into the clearing or for anyone trying to leave.
“What now?” Brennan asked.
“We wait,” Chosen hissed back.
“If she leaves the tree, won’t the Mortada get her?” Brennan asked, genuine concern in his voice.
“The leader of the Tounder will not be unaware of the Mortada’s presence, I can assure you,” Chosen said, dismissively.
“The Tounder . . . I thought they were a myth,” Brennan said.
“No, they’re not a myth.”
They watched in silence until the sun began to set beneath the tree line. Small fires began to flicker in the forest, giving away th
e positions of the many groups of Mortada.
“Get some sleep,” Chosen said, after the sun had completely disappeared. “I’ll take the first watch. Nothing is going to happen tonight.”
“And what about in the morning? What are we going to do if we can’t get into Illuminora to help her?” Brennan asked, suddenly frustrated by the standstill, now that they were so close to their goal.
“The morning will take care of itself,” Chosen said, taking out the root from his pocket and biting off a piece, chewing on it methodically as he continued to stare down at the clearing.
17
The Lightning Trip
Even though Scarlet woke feeling rested, it seemed as if she had just lay down when her mother shook her gently awake.
“Scarlet, sweetheart. It’s time,” she said softly.
Scarlet opened her eyes to find her mother sitting on the edge of her bed, tears unmistakable in her light blue eyes. Scarlet wanted to say something reassuring to her, something that would ease the worry and fear they both felt, but she couldn’t think of anything satisfactory. She settled on “I love you,” and threw her arms around her mother’s neck.
Her mother held her tightly, rocking her gently as they both let tears fall freely. It felt good to let go. Safe, if only for a moment, in her mother’s arms. So much of Scarlet’s life was now unknown territory, filled with danger and uncertainty.
They met her father, Melody, and Cricket downstairs in the dining hall. When she saw her sister, Melody jumped from the table and ran to give Scarlet a hug. Her swollen eyes gave away the fact that she too had been crying.
“It’s not good-bye,” Scarlet said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I know. That’s what Cricket said. I’ll be okay,” Melody chirped, giving Scarlet a smile so big that she felt a lump rise in her throat.
“You are a brave girl, that’s for sure,” Scarlet added, giving Melody a tighter squeeze.
Everyone tried to act as normal as possible at breakfast, and for the most part they did a pretty good job. They talked about things that had nothing to do with Scarlet’s coming quest, and even managed to laugh a little. Their time together ended quickly, though, and soon they were all seated in Xavier’s study, going over the final preparations for departure.
Scarlet’s dress was exchanged for leggings, boots, a blouse, and a traveling cloak. Looking at herself in a mirror, she had to smile. She looked like some hero from Tolkien or a King Arthur tale. Her father had changed as well. He looked wilder somehow, a thick shadow growing on his face and a desperate look in his eyes. His clothes had been exchanged for an outfit that Xavier said had been the garb of ancient Tounder warriors. It was strange to see him dressed that way, although to Scarlet, through childhood eyes, he looked dashing. His pants were made from beetle leather, and he wore boots lined in fur. His shirt, like Scarlet’s entire set of clothes, was spun from spiders’ silk and was certainly shinier than anything Scarlet had ever seen her father wear. According to Xavier, spiders’ silk was stronger than steel, and though the clothes were light and comfortable, they could protect the wearer from knives, swords, and even, Xavier suspected, a bullet, although he admittedly had never seen one.
***
Charles grunted as he hefted the large pack of supplies several Tounder had just lugged into the study onto his back.
“Sorry there isn’t much I can do about the weight,” Xavier said. “Some things are the same whether you have magic or not—packing for a trip being one them.”
Despite his conflicting emotions, Charles smiled. He was going to miss chatting with the old Tounder. “Where is Dakota?” he asked, noticing for the first time that the big dog was missing.
“He’s looking for the best route out of the clearing. The woods, I’m afraid, are filled with Mortada,” Xavier responded, though his face betrayed no real concern.
“Mortada!” Charles exclaimed. “We’re surrounded by them?”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t worry.” Xavier walked over to a large chest in the corner of the study. “This is actually advantageous to us.”
“How is that, exactly?” Charles said, failing to keep a sarcastic edge out of his voice.
“We’re going to slip you past them, and as long as they still think you’re in Illuminora, they’ll remain watching over the oak while you—”
“Get a head start?”
“Exactly.” Xavier smiled. “Now, I have a few more gifts for your journey.” He pulled two items from the chest, each wrapped in a soft white cloth, and handed one to Scarlet and the second to Charles.
Scarlet and her father looked at each other quizzically, and then, with a shrug, Charles removed the cloth. A gilded sword, its hilt inlaid with silver in an elaborately interlaced design, glittered under the lights in the study. He pulled the blade from the scabbard, revealing metal polished to such a shine that its dazzle hurt his eyes.
“It’s so beautiful!” Scarlet exclaimed.
“You realize, of course, that I have no idea how to use a sword . . .”
“When the time comes, you’ll find a use for it, I’m sure. Besides, from what I understand, the premise is rather simple,” Xavier said, with a little wink at Scarlet. “Sharp along the edges, pointy at the end.”
***
Curiosity had now gotten the better of Scarlet, and she too unwrapped her package. Instead of a single item, as she had originally thought, there were several, and an odd assortment of items they were. The largest was a beautifully carved wooden staff, silken to the touch, with a small crystal shaped like an acorn wedged into a carved slot at one end. The crystal gleamed as Scarlet turned it in the light, shining a green very much like that of her eyes.
“That staff was carved from the wood of the great oak,” Xavier said proudly. “A very rare and mysterious treasure. It is not often that the oak gives up her wood.”
Scarlet thanked him and picked up the next item, a green satin bag about the size a child would keep marbles in, with a drawstring gathered at the top. Scarlet opened the bag and peered inside. It looked to be filled with grass seed. She looked up at Xavier, but he didn’t offer any explanation. The next item was a curiously shaped stone, weightless as a piece of paper and attached to a coiled bit of leather cord. Scarlet placed it on the cloth and picked up what looked liked a black rock.
“That’s flint,” her father said, recognizing the familiar stone.
Finally Scarlet came to the last item, a pretty bracelet of simple interlinked white and yellow gold hoops. Scarlet placed the bracelet on her wrist, gathered up the flint, stone, and seeds, and gave them to her father to stow in his pack.
Dakota met them at the tunnel that led out of Illuminora and up to the trunk of the great oak tree. He nodded to Scarlet and her father before turning to Xavier.
“Can you maintain our current size beyond the clearing?” Dakota asked, his eyes flashing.
Xavier looked concerned. “How far beyond the clearing do you need?”
“Ideally—a mile,” Dakota answered.
“I’m sorry,” Xavier said. “I can possibly manage a few yards beyond, maybe a little bit more—but not much. That power is from the tree, it’s not my own.”
“That will have to do,” Dakota said, his mind turning over rapidly. “I have a distraction in mind, but we are going to have to be moving when we break through the clearing.” He looked at Scarlet and her father. “You up for that?”
“Guess we don’t have much choice,” Mr. Hopewell admitted. He looked to Scarlet, who managed a smile.
“Let’s get a move on,” Dakota said.
As they exited the castle, Scarlet caught sight of Delfi, standing sheepishly by the entrance. She waved to Dakota to give her a minute and ran over to him. Without even waiting for a word, she threw her arms around his neck.
&nbs
p; “I going to miss you so much,” she cried.
“I tried to make them let me go with you,” Delfi said with deep regret in his voice. There was a touch of anger as well.
“I wish you could. It would be so much better if you could,” Scarlet said, breaking her embrace with Delfi and looking up at him, tears in her eyes.
“Xavier said I was too young, and my parents were even less keen on the idea.”
“But you’re a year older than me!” Scarlet protested.
“I know . . . I said that. Xavier said if he had a choice in all this, you wouldn’t be leaving either. Said it was the worst thing he’s ever had to do, whatever that means,” Delfi said.
“I’ll come back, though. I promise I will,” Scarlet said, her voice breaking. She hoped with all her heart that it was true, but she couldn’t really know. She had absolutely no idea what was out there waiting for her.
“Take care of yourself, so you do,” Delfi said, and gave her another hug.
The rest of the walk up the stone steps was solemn and quiet. No one seemed to have anything to say until it came time to move from the safety of Illuminora. The Hopewells embraced in tearful silence. Scarlet held on to her mother for a long time, feeling the weight of the coming separation and all that it meant.
When they finally parted, Mrs. Hopewell bent down to speak to Dakota. She reached out and placed a timid hand behind his ears and smoothed his rough fur. “I used to feel like my life was so in control. Now it feels so out of control, I don’t know how to think about it anymore. Not to mention that I haven’t even come close to understanding all that’s happened.”
“I can appreciate that, Mrs. Hopewell,” Dakota admitted.
“I used to tell Charles that it made me feel so safe to have a big German shepherd in the house, to scare off burglars
or . . . or . . .” Tears began to fall openly down Mrs. Hopewell’s cheeks, and it took her a moment to regain her composure. “You keep my baby safe,” she managed.
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