Cate revealed that they were marching to Kalmarin, trying to cut off the Queen’s probing forces before they could ransack villages. When they could, they stopped the men and creatures before they reached their targets, but sometimes they arrived right in the middle of the destruction. That was how they had found me.
“We were fated to meet,” Cate told me. “It is part of the Maker’s web. We cannot see the strands as they are being woven, but they form a pattern that connects everything to the center.”
“Wise words,” I said in my most serious voice. “Do they teach all shamans deep, meaningful sayings when they are apprentices?” Cate rolled her eyes and tapped my shoulder, the one that I had not dislocated in my fall from the second story of the boarding house. I tapped her back. Days after my discovery, I was still in a state of ecstasy. I could joke, laugh, and smile again. Colors seemed brighter. Food tasted better. The air was sweeter. Since Rapunzel was not with me, I rejoiced with my new friends, comforted by the fact that I would soon be reunited with my love.
…
Chapter Three:
We stopped to make camp for a few days while the rebels helped the villagers to rebuild their town. Larna spent much of her time working in the city itself, leaving Cate to tend to the injured, including me. Now that I was mostly well again, I helped her, since I also possessed a good deal of magical, herbal, and medical knowledge.
For the moment, we were taking a short afternoon break outside. Cate even found a patch of grass for us to sit in that the fire had not destroyed. Over the past few days, I had opened up to my rescuer and nurse, telling her some of my history. Rapunzel was foremost in my thoughts and I found myself talking about her frequently. To my relief, Cate accepted my rambling with polite interest and did not try to discourage me.
“When will I be well enough to travel?” I asked her. “I want to see her again as soon as possible.”
Setting down her mug of tea, Cate ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to bring some order to her wild red curls. The color of her hair and her bright green eyes made her look like a true child of Amendyr. Although my hair was not the same rich hue and I was far taller, we did not look entirely dissimilar. “Soon, I hope,” she told me. “I know you are anxious to return to Rapunzel.”
I had not touched my own tea, which Cate said would help me to sleep more peacefully, and she nudged it towards me, a not-very-subtle reminder.
“I am,” I said with a sigh, accepting the tea and taking a small sip. The taste was not unpleasant, but I was too preoccupied to enjoy it. “It’s been so long… I wonder if she has changed. Part of me is absolutely certain that she will welcome me when I return, but I am still afraid. What if something has happened to her? What if she blames me for leaving?”
Cate took another long drink of her tea, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth. The steam rising from the cup washed over her face, bringing more color to her freckled cheeks. “Rapunzel is a woman now, Ailynn. You cannot always be her keeper.” Confused, I waited for her to elaborate. “I know that you blame yourself for abandoning her, even after all these months, but I think you needed to leave.”
I felt uncomfortable with the conversation, but did not try to change the subject since I had introduced it in the first place. “I know I needed to leave. I had to find a way to break the binding spell…”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” Cate interrupted. “I’m going to give you some advice. It has nothing to do with clairvoyance and everything to do with your own descriptions of your relationship.”
Feeling defensive, I almost told Cate that her advice was unwelcome, but her attitude was open and relaxed, not aggressive or irritated. Since she was offering the guidance in a calm, friendly spirit, I relented. “All right,” I told her.
“Don’t allow Rapunzel to become swallowed up in you, Ailynn. She was only a baby when you first met her, and you became her whole world. Give her a chance to grow up and become a person apart from you. Granted, that is difficult to do while you are trapped in a tower, but she is eighteen now.”
I flinched at the mention of Rapunzel’s age, acutely aware of the year that I had lost with her. “She has had to stand on her own for a year without you to guide her and protect her. You have been her sister, guardian, friend, and mentor in addition to courting her, and having so much of yourself wrapped up in another person can be frightening.”
For some reason, I sensed that Cate was not just talking about Rapunzel and me anymore. The past year had taught me many things about social interaction, and I could tell that she was speaking about something she had experienced in her own life.
“Is that what happened with you and Larna?” I asked hesitantly, not wanting to pry.
Cate nodded. “To a small extent. We fell in love quickly, and I was still emotionally weak after recovering from painful events in my past. My friend Ellie, who owned the book I gave you, had just started to show me how to be my own person with my own wants and needs. Then I went and fell in love before I had a chance to discover who I was.” She smiled. “I was consumed by Larna. I was deliriously happy, but a small part of me was still discontent.”
“But you worked through your problems?” I asked.
“Yes. Our love was more than strong enough, but there were a few times when I had to remind myself that I was more than just half of a whole. It was difficult finding a balance at first, and Larna and I had our fair share of fights, but she was supportive and attentive to my needs.”
Secretly, I was relieved that Cate and Larna, who seemed like the perfect pair, sometimes fought and struggled. It made me feel more confident. “Maybe being Tuathe doesn’t guarantee that everything will be perfect,” I said aloud.
Cate leaned back onto the grass, her hair spreading out in an auburn fan behind her head. “Nothing can guarantee happiness, Ailynn, even a soul mate. You must seek it within yourself. But being Tuathe, having a love that you can depend on and draw strength from, should be a help instead of a hindrance.” Cate sounded wise far beyond her years, and I was struck once again by the strange, ageless quality of her knowledge. Perhaps it was connected to her Sight and shamanistic powers, or perhaps it was a personality trait.
“So, you are telling me not to stifle Rapunzel’s growth as a person, even if I feel intimidated by it?”
Cate turned her head to look at me and grinned. “And once again, you have summarized several minutes of complex advice into a single sentence. You make me sound foolish, Ailynn.”
Her good mood was contagious, and I found myself grinning back. “Shamans can’t help making long speeches when they impart their sage advice to unwilling recipients.”
“Both of us use too many big words,” Cate sighed, staring up into the sky, which was a brilliant shade of blue. White clouds floated across the landscape of the sky, carried by the breeze. “Oh, that one looks like a hare!” she said, pointing excitedly.
I was amused by the sudden change of topic and mood. “As long as you don’t try to eat it.” The first time I had seen Cate devour raw meat had been both shocking and unpleasant, to say the least.
“No,” she said. “I am happy with my tea for now. You, however, still haven’t finished yours. I made it just for you so that you would be able to sleep well tonight.”
Guilted in to action, I took a second, longer sip from my mug before returning to my contemplation of life and the clouds.
..
Although her manner and words were much simpler, Larna also imparted some knowledge to me on the night before I left camp. We were cleaning up after a large dinner, gathering bowls and simple traveling cutlery to be washed.
“Cate tells me that you are leaving us tomorrow,” she said, breaking the silence between us as we worked. I adjusted the weight of the dishes in my hand, turning to face her. Although I had formed a quick friendship with Cate during the past several days of my recovery, Larna and I were not able to spend as much time together. She was always busy organizing something or
helping someone, the responsibilities of leadership.
“I need to go back,” I said, allowing Larna to relieve me of my stack of dishes and set them beside a large black cauldron. An hour ago, it had contained stew, but two strong young men had refilled it with water for washing. During dinner, I had observed Larna picking out the bits of meat in her stew to eat first, reminding me of a child that started with their favorite thing on a plate.
Together, we began rinsing out the bowls, using some damp rags to wipe them clean. The simple chore, almost automatic, reminded me of home. Although I missed Rapunzel terribly, I was surprised to discover that I also missed the mother who had raised me. A different creature entirely than the present Mogra, if she was even still alive, the mother of my memory had taught me everything I knew.
“Ailynn? Be you all right?” she asked. I looked up at her, staring into concerned brown eyes. I found it touching that someone who did not know me very well was concerned about my happiness. Despite the horrible things I had seen, perhaps humankind still possessed a core of goodness.
“I am worried,” I admitted. “How did you know?”
Larna shrugged. “You were after washing the same bowl three times.” Her accent was much more pronounced than Cate’s or my own, indicating that she had grown up somewhere along the coast or closer to the center of Amendyr, away from the border.
“I don’t know what is troubling me,” I lied, not really wanting to discuss it. Truthfully, I was thinking about Rapunzel and how I had left her. Cate’s conversation from earlier in the day played in my head. Although I wanted to return to my Tuathe with all my heart, I did not know what kind of welcome I would receive. Perhaps she would be furious with me for leaving without a proper goodbye, even though I had been trying to spare us both the pain of a final farewell. What if she felt cheated of her final moments with me? What if she was upset that I had been gone so long? Worse, what if I had been wrong, and Mogra did find a reason to hurt Rapunzel. Did a madwoman really need a reason?
Larna shrugged a second time, seeming to dismiss the subject. Relieved, I picked up a new bowl, dirty this time, and began cleaning it. “You feel guilty.” Again, Larna’s voice made me look up, although I did not stop the motion of my hands. I chose not to answer her. “Well… stop.” The rest of her comment remained unspoken, but I still understood. You did what you needed to do. She will understand. I could only hope that Larna was right.
…
“You look tired,” said Cate, brushing back a lock of my hair and tucking it behind my ear in an affectionate gesture. “There are dark circles under your eyes. Will you be all right on a horse?”
“More than all right,” I assured her. I had been unable to sleep during the night, too preoccupied with what the morning would bring. Of course, the passionate sounds drifting over from Cate and Larna’s tent, which was beside mine, had not helped my situation, but I was too embarrassed to mention that.
Studying me doubtfully, Cate handed over the reins of a middle-aged quarter horse, patting him affectionately on his rump. The horse twitched, uncomfortable with Cate’s touch, and she sighed. “Horses have not liked me since the change… I wish that my friend Ellie were here. She can speak with animals. She might be able to convince the horses that I only want to ride them, not hunt them.”
“He still lets you handle him,” I pointed out.
“They are even more frightened of us when we change. They start whickering all through the camp. Sometimes it takes an entire candlemark to calm them down.” I could not blame the horses, I thought to myself. I had only seen Cate’s half-shape form once and I still remembered the terror it stirred in me.
Careful to move slowly so that she did not startle the horse, Cate began checking my saddlebags and traveling packs. “Do you have everything?” she asked, reminding me of a fretting mother.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes,” I sighed. “This is the third time you have asked.”
“You have the book I gave you?”
“Yes.”
Cate frowned as the horse stomped one hoof uncomfortably. “Well, I went through a lot of trouble to get it for you and I don’t want you to leave it here.” A curious look crossed her face. “I am sure that Ellie will forgive you if you lose it, however.” I rolled my eyes at Cate. That book was the answer to my prayers. I seriously doubted that I would be careless enough to lose it after only a few days.
Placing my foot in the stirrups, I swung my leg over the large creature’s back, shifting in to a comfortable position in the saddle. Riding was another skill I had gained during my year away from home. I still remembered the first time I had dismounted a horse and discovered that the most difficult part of the process was walking on sore legs afterwards.
“Larna and I will be traveling to the west, past Catyr Bane, on a diplomatic mission. Jett Bahari wants us to ask the Liarre for help. If you need to find me, that is where I will be.” The curious expression of secret, guarded knowledge had remained on her face, and I wondered for a second time if Cate knew something I did not. However, I knew better than to ask.
“Have you seen the Liarre before?” The half-human, half-animal hybrids had always fascinated me from a historical standpoint as well as a magical one. They had their own territory to the west, and although they were not aggressive towards humans, they were not overly friendly, either.
“No, but we have been in communication with them for a while. We think that they will receive Wyr diplomats better than human ones.”
“Aren’t you a little young to be a diplomat?”
Cate grinned. “Were you picturing an old man with a gray beard?” I shrugged sheepishly. “One more thing,” she said, squeezing my thigh affectionately since I was too high up to give her a hug. “After you finish playing the knight-errant and rescue the maiden, you might consider coming back to join us. We have need of skilled Ariada in the rebellion. You would not need to see combat directly if you wished, I promise that you would be more than welcome in my sickroom… to help,” she added quickly as an afterthought.
“I cannot leave Rapunzel again,” I said, although the idea of joining the rebellion intrigued me. Although we had only known each other a short time, Cate and Larna already seemed like friends and I did not have many of those. Besides, I liked the idea of helping to undo some of the damage caused by the Queen.
“Bring her with you. There are several women and children with us now that stay away from the scouting parties and fighting units. Honestly, there is no safer place for you to be. With the Queen burning cities and destroying villages, you stand a better chance with an army to protect you.”
“I will ask,” I promised. I would follow Rapunzel wherever she wanted to go once she was freed, but mentioning the idea seemed reasonable. “Cate… thank you. Thank you for giving me back my soul.”
Cate accepted the words with a small smile. “You are most welcome, Ailynn Gothel. Let the Maker watch over you. I am sure that we will meet again.” I prodded the horse’s sides with my heels and urged him into a brisk walk, turning around to give my friend a last wave goodbye. Although I had no trace of the Sight, I also suspected that we would see each other again.
…
Chapter Four:
The journey home was surprisingly short and thinking of Rapunzel made it seem even shorter. With a clear destination, I could ride in a straight line instead of traveling in zigzags from village to village. The quarter horse that Cate had given me was not very quick, but what he lacked in speed he made up for in strength and endurance. I struggled far more than he did after a long day of riding. The extra hours that he was able to travel quickly added up and within six days I found myself nearing the edge of the Forest.
The sights, sounds, and smells of the Forest were like a welcoming embrace to me. Suppressing feelings of nostalgia, I dismounted and led my horse carefully through the trees. Clearly uncomfortable in such close quarters, he shuffled forward and back nervously, resisting when I tried to guide him with a tu
g on his reins.
“Sorry, boy,” I murmured. “I promise we won’t be staying long.”
Traveling on foot was much slower going and it took me most of the daylight hours to penetrate the Forest’s outer edge. Once he became accustomed to the terrain, the horse began to pause near trees that he found appealing, stopping to munch on the leaves. My scolding had no effect on him
The deeper into the Forest we went, the more familiar it became. There were the giant’s-hands trees where the evil man had attacked Rapunzel over six years ago, and there was the small brook where I used to gathered watercress.
Before I knew it, I was following the familiar forest path that I had traveled so many times before, the one that led to Rapunzel’s tower. I had created the path during my frequent visits, finding it convenient to travel the same way every time. I realized, sadly, that Mogra had been too consumed by whatever dark energies lived in her to notice or object. That is, if she still lived in the forest at all.
As I approached Rapunzel’s tower, I battled feelings of disbelief and doubt. After waiting so long for this moment, it almost seemed impossible that I was finally here, finally home. It looked no different than when I had departed on that gray morning over a year ago. The same slender ash trees surrounded the magically aged tower and the same ivy crawled up the familiar stone walls. Hands shaking, I tied my horse’s reins to the branch of a tree. He seemed content to wait.
With my hands free, I opened my mouth, trying to call out, but my voice would not come. Clearing my throat nervously, I tried again. “Rapunzel!” There was no answer. “Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.” I waited for several heartbeats, hearing loudness in the silence and stillness.
Perhaps she was asleep, I thought. For one brief moment, I wondered if Mogra had taken her somewhere else so that I would never see her again, but I wrestled that fear into submission. I would not worry until I climbed up to the tower and saw for myself.
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