I crept down the stairs and out the back door. None of the terrifying creatures or the men in black armor with torches in their hands saw me, or if they did, they chose not to pursue me. Perhaps they thought they would round up the escaped villagers later. Not me. I was too clever, too skilled for them. At least, that was what I told myself. It was less frightening to believe that lie than to admit that I had just been lucky.
I still carry the memories of that night. Images of it, flashes really, haunted my waking hours as well as my dreams for the next several weeks. Memories of a hand, detached from its host, lying in the middle of a road, and a child with half of his face gone. I wished that I could do something to help, but there were too many. The villagers put up no resistance. They were totally unprepared. Although my heart screamed with guilt, I reminded myself that I needed to stay alive – if not for my own sake, than for Rapunzel’s.
Despite the increasing danger, I continued traveling. The going was rougher now. People were less hospitable to strangers, fearing that anyone they did not know – or even those they did – might be a spy for the queen, or one of her soldiers come to burn them out of their homes. I did not blame them.
The second time that I encountered the Queen’s forces, I had time to prepare. I was already leaving the village and I saw them coming as I stood on a high hill, a large dark block of them against the horizon line in the south. With hatred and regret stinging in my eyes and on my tongue, I turned away and urged the horse I had bartered for into a run. I knew there was nothing I could do. The villagers had seen them, too, and warning bells rang from the church towers, so there was no need for me to go back. I ran as fast and as far as I could, but not far enough to escape the flicker of burning houses in the distance later that night or the screams in my mind.
I regained some of my honor during my third encounter with the Queen’s creatures. It was only three weeks after I saw them marching across the downs from my hilltop perch. I had been traveling quickly for most of that time, hardly stopping to sleep. I stayed in the small villages and towns I visited for no more than one night, only long enough to ask them where the most knowledgeable magical person in the area was.
Some of these people knew what I was speaking of when I mentioned the binding spell, but could not help me. Unfortunately, many of the powerful magic-doers had left to join the rebellion or gone into hiding. I considered that maybe I, too, should go to the Rengast and seek out the rebellion. As the Maker would have it, they found me first.
It was the scent that I recognized first; the clawing, biting scent of blood and fear and hopelessness that burned through the throat with each breath. I smelled it over the meat in my stew and all thoughts of dinner in my room for the night were forgotten. I felt it congeal in my chest and prepared to run, barely pausing to grab my pouch of jewels and gold. But this time, I was too late.
I noticed the heat as soon as I opened the door. It coated my face and hands, and I pulled back immediately and ran to the farthest wall in my room. There was no visible fire, but I could hear, smell, and feel it only a few rooms beyond mine. It was somewhere across the hall. Even though I was on the second floor of that particular boarding house, I knew that my only chance was to climb out the window.
Grabbing my cloak in case I needed to cover my face and protect my lungs from smoke, I tossed it over my shoulder and unlatched the window, pushing it open and gasping for fresh air. It was not much better outside. Other houses were burning and the streets were filled with screaming masses of people all trying to run away at once. Mothers called for their children and the old were shoved and pushed aside by the more able-bodied. It was pandemonium.
Ignoring the rest of them, I put one foot over the windowsill and looked down, reeling with vertigo as I realized how far I would have to jump. There was nothing for it. I swallowed, took a deep breath as though I was about to submerge myself in icy water, and hopped over, gripping the windowsill with my hands and hanging as far as I could before dropping to the ground.
I hit the hedge beneath the window with a rustling crash, but the chaos around me prevented anyone from noticing. I tried to get to my feet, but a wave of dizziness and nausea made me clutch at the wall. I cried out when I realized that my shoulder was throbbing – probably the cause of the dizziness. I gritted my teeth, pushing the pain to the back of my mind and focusing on survival.
They were everywhere, the men in black armor, with swords, maces, clubs, and axes drawn. I wondered where they had come from. Some said they were enchanted Amendyrri, others said they were mercenaries from across the sea. I did not care. Many of them held torches. I was cautious, but not as frightened of the men as of the demon Shadowkin and the Kerak that I knew had rushed into the town ahead of them. I caught a glimpse of a giant, hulking shape further down the street chasing after a pack of villagers and quickly turned to run the other way.
In my haste, I did not notice the group of five that broke off from the sea of marching men to pursue me. I hurried back the way the invaders had already come, crawling along walls and over several still, bleeding forms, some alive and some already cooling with death or left to burn. “There is nothing I can do for you,” I panted breathlessly, not to the dead and dying, but to myself. “Be peaceful, brothers and sisters… but there is nothing I can do…”
When a black, gloved hand clamped tight over my mouth, I could not scream or speak a Word of Power. All strength left my body, and there was a strange silence all around me. The only thing I could hear was my hammering heart and the scraping voice that shouted,
“Ay! I’ve got a fresh one.”
My eyes veered wildly in their sockets and for a moment I could only see blurred streaks of dark color. There were more of them, all around me, then a flash of white skin. I bit down, hard. My captor, who had been moving his hand, pulled back and swore. To my right, another man drew his sword. I stared directly into his cold blue eyes and prayed for a swift death. My last thought was of Rapunzel, who would wait for me in vain and never learn my fate.
Red… a red-black gush spurting from the man’s throat. He crumpled to the ground like a limp doll, the life snapped out of his neck. The creature I saw behind him was even more frightening.
She was tall, taller than all the men and covered in red fur. I could only tell it was a she because of the small, high breasts perched on her torso just below a mane of red fur at her neck. But my eyes, for the most part, stayed focused on her huge mouth and the long, dagger-like teeth smeared with thick black blood. The other four men began shouting, quickly deciding to turn and run back to the main group. That was when I noticed there was no main group.
The creature I was facing was not alone. There were others like her, at least two score of the giant beasts, and they were not the only ones pouring into the village. Among them were men and women, some of them armed, some of them using magic. The smell of it did little to cover the gore and smoke, but the humming energy was a comfort. They were fighting the army, and the army was actually retreating into the gutted buildings, trying to find positions of defense. I suddenly realized that I was not going to die.
I looked back at the red beast, which had pointed ears like a fox. No, a wolf. Still, there was something overwhelmingly human about its green eyes. I was amazed when it – she, I reminded myself – inclined her head. I was frozen stiff and did not move to respond.
It was only then that I noticed the area around us was clear. There were still a few scuffles going on, and corpses of all kinds littered the streets, but a little of the unbridled panic that had swallowed the little town was receding. A few wary faces peeked out from behind piles of unburned wood and stone, trying to make sense of what had just happened. I could not make sense of it myself, and I had witnessed it. How had everything happened so quickly?
I suddenly found myself flat on my behind in the middle of a puddle. Someone had tried to stop some of the fires that were spreading. I was wet, covered in ash and blood, and shaking all over, filmy-eyed
and half-delirious. Who were these things, these people?
A low moan startled me from my daze and my head snapped up. I looked in time to see the creature begin to… change. It was a sharp, cracking, jerking process, but also smooth like the blowing of melted glass. The last thing I remembered before darkness swallowed me whole was a fiery-haired naked woman and a pair of bright green eyes staring down at me.
…
Chapter Two:
“Wake up, Ailynn.”
I breathed deep, a smile twitching at the corners of my lips as Rapunzel’s golden voice spoke to me. Her soft white hand touched my shoulder, gently pressing against my sleeve. “Rapunzel?” I murmured sleepily, turning toward the sound of the voice, seeking it, seeking her.
“Ailynn… wake up…” She was farther away now, as though calling to me from a great distance. “Wake up…”
I tried to lift my hand, but my arms and legs were coated in lead and could not move. Once again, I tried to reach out to her. My hand hit something soft, and then it was gripped firmly. “Wake up…”
Finally, I opened my eyes. My heart cracked and splintered when the hair that I saw was the wrong color, the shape of the face was more pointed, and the tone of the skin and the color of the eyes were different. Tears welled up, pressing out against my eyelashes. “I thought we had lost you,” said a voice that was not Rapunzel’s. “You breathed in a lot of smoke, Ailynn. You are lucky to be alive.” It was the woman that I had seen before I… what had happened to me? Where was I? I tried to sit up and realized that I was on a bedroll inside of a tent.
I suddenly noticed that I was holding the hand of this strange woman – was she a woman at all? – and quickly let go. She did not react and simply allowed me to reclaim my arm, although she did put pressure on my upper chest and forced me to lie back down. It was a wise decision for my head was spinning and my shoulder ached terribly.
Despite the strange surroundings, my instincts told me that I was not in danger anymore. The smell of fear and blood had faded, and I could only smell the good, strong scent of a human camp with cookfires.
Knowing better than to try and rise again, I remained lying down on the bedroll and stared up at the stranger who, if I remembered correctly, had saved my life. The startling green eyes were familiar, as was the color of her wild red curls, but they were confined to her head this time and did not cover her entire body. “Who are you?” I asked. “What are you? How do you know my name?”
“My name is Cate,” she said, giving me a tired but genuine smile. There were dark half-circles under her eyes and I wondered when she had slept last. “My mate, Larna, leads the Farseer Pack. We fight with the rebellion.”
I suddenly realized what manner of creature this strange woman was. I felt a little stupid for not guessing immediately, but there had not been time to analyze her during the chaos I last remembered. “You are a Wyr,” I said, blushing at the breathless wonder that I heard in my own voice. I had read enough bestiaries and magical texts to recognize a Wyr now that I was no longer running for my life.
Cate nodded, lifting the hem of her shirt slightly to reveal a thin strip of fur around her hips. Because of the enchanted wolf skin belt that was permanently attached to her flesh, she could transform into a wolf or take half-shape, the half-human, half-beast form that she had rescued me with.
“I owe you my life. Thank you,” I said, meaning it. Seeing death in the eyes of that soldier and imagining the afterlife without Rapunzel had terrified me, and I was relieved that my time had not ended.
Looking surprised, Cate blushed, the shade contrasting with her red hair. “You are welcome, Ailynn.” Her accent was similar to mine, an unusual mix of Amendyrri and Serian. Perhaps it was a product of the border between the two countries, like my own, or perhaps she had lived in both countries.
“How do you know my name?” I asked again.
Cate thought for a moment, searching for the words to explain. “I am a shaman, a daughter of the Seventh Daughter. I was supposed to rescue you that night… the spirits showed me in another realm.” There was power and magic in her voice, and the force of it made me gasp.
I knew the history she was speaking of, the seven siblings that had begun the Amendyrri tradition of magic centuries ago. The Wizard, the Shaper, the Enchanter, the Oracle, the Druid, the Necromancer, and the Shaman: seven of the Blood that were called to spread high magic, for both good and evil purposes, throughout the entire known world.
“What do you know of me?”
Cate pressed her lips together, looking unsure of herself again, and I realized that she could not be much older than me. She was only a young woman again, and if I had not seen differently with my own eyes, I would not have believed that she was a Wyr and a shaman. “I know your name, Ailynn Gothel. I know that you are seeking a spell, one that will free the mate that waits for your return. I can help you.”
That, perhaps more than anything else, shocked me. My heart swelled with a fierce joy and laughter bubbled up in my chest as I processed what she was saying. “You have it?” I blurted out, unable to hold the questions back. “You can help me? What kind of spell is it? Where…”
“So many questions,” Cate sighed. “Wait, stay on your back. I will show you what you want, but please hold still. I worked hard to fix you and I do not want your body broken again so soon.”
Quivering with excitement, I tried to see what my host was doing without lifting my head or neck. Frustrated and unsuccessful, I contented myself with listening, all sorts of thoughts running through my head, but one standing out above the rest: I can go home! I can go home to Rapunzel!
When Cate sat back down beside my bedroll, she was carrying a large leather-bound book. “I have carried this with me for months,” she said. “Its owner, a dear friend of mine, risked much to have it smuggled across the border from Seria. I knew that you would need it, and she gave it to me when I asked, despite how protective she and her wife are of their library. It is yours.” She passed the book to me, and I almost dropped the heavy tome as I took it from her with trembling hands. “What you want starts on page one ninety three.”
I flipped through the yellowed pages so fast that I almost tore them, but Cate did not complain. Perhaps she considered the reason behind my urgency a valid excuse. The object of my search was on page one ninety-three, just as she had said. My heart leapt into my throat as I read through the spells and enchantments necessary to bind a person’s aura to a place or an object. No longer caring what the book said now that I had it, and too frantic with my success to read the words anyway, I threw it aside and sat up despite Cate’s protests, throwing my arms around her neck and squeezing her tight.
“What is this?” a low, teasing voice called out from the open flap of the tent. “Do I see my mate in the arms of another woman?” Startled, both of us pulled back. Blushing an even deeper shade of crimson than before, Cate adjusted the front of her tunic and turned to look at the newcomer. One of the warmest, loveliest smiles I had ever seen broke across her face as she stood to greet the tall, lean figure entering the tent.
They melted in to each other, embracing tightly, with Cate’s face buried in the warmth of the taller woman’s neck. I must have been staring for a long moment, because both of them realized that they were being watched and turned back to look at me. “Ailynn,” said Cate, not leaving her lover’s arms, “this is Larna, my mate.”
“Arim dei,” I said politely, even though I was not sure whether the sun was out or not. In fact, I realized that I did not even know what day it was. I decided that I was too happy to care. After a year of grief, frustration, and fear, I had finally found what I was looking for. Although the sight of Larna and Cate, who were obviously a closely bonded pair, would have made me sick with loneliness only a short time ago, now the sight of them reminded me of the woman I would be returning to. “My name is Ailynn. I promise that I was not trying to steal your wife.”
Larna smiled at me over top of Cate’s head,
brushing a kiss over her mussed curls. “Good. I am honored to meet you, but I think I will be staying over here. When she is in a sickroom, Cate hates it when anyone comes near her patients.”
“You have her well trained, Cate,” I joked, feeling so light that I thought I would float through the top of the tent and touch the moon. Both of them laughed and soon I was laughing with them, tears spilling freely from my eyes and my shoulders heaving with release as I sobbed into the traveling blanket draped across my lap.
Concerned, Cate hurried over to comfort me, Larna following. I sensed rather than saw their movements because my vision was still blurry. Soon, soon, the voice in my head kept chanting. Soon, you will be home. Home. Home with Rapunzel… All of the emotions that I had locked inside myself for over a year came spilling out, flooding me with so many sensations at once that I could not make sense of them all.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice breaking as Cate handed me a proper cloth to dry my eyes. I did not ask where she had produced it from. “I’m just… I’m so happy…I…”
“It’s all right,” Cate whispered, rubbing small circles on my back until my heaving sobs calmed to small hiccups. “I do not know all of your story, Ailynn, but I hope you will tell it to me someday. For now, I am glad you are happy and you do not have to explain anything.”
I smiled at her, grateful, for I had no words. Not only had she saved my life, she had given me back my soul.
I stayed with the rebellion for several days, regaining my strength and learning about the people that I was traveling with. There were almost two hundred in our group and this was only one part of their force. I had not suspected that the rebellion was already so large and so well organized from the rumors I had overheard.
Larna was obviously one of the leaders of the group. Although she was young, Cate explained to me that she was the Alpha of all the Wyr in camp – and there were several. I could always tell which of the many humans around me were Wyr. There was a quickness in their movements, a primitive aura that surrounded them. They were powerful, connected to the earth in ways that I did not understand. However, I was not afraid of them. After all, I owed them my life.
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