The Wildest Woods

by S. K Munt

  Martya had definitely come out of her shell, but although she was brighter, stronger and more social than she had been in the harem, she was still very obviously a lone wolf, just like me. Yes, she knew everybody by name and yes, people treated her with respect and went out of their way to include her in their activities or conversations, but she was still almost as introverted as she had been in the harem, and spent an excess amount of time gazing off into the distance with a thoughtful look on her face. If you asked a question that she could answer, or if she thought of a question that she’d like to ask another, she became quite the chatterbox, but most of what she had to say on any subject had come from between the pages of some book, so I couldn’t help but wonder how much of her free time she’d spent reading about life since she’d left Arcadia rather than living it. Plenty of other guys our age regarded Martya with frank interest, and yet she seemed completely oblivious to all but one, so I laughed to myself when I decided that she’d probably only noticed that Sam was alive at all because his hair was too bright to go unnoticed.

  We walked for thirty minutes before we began to approach the edge of the wastelands, and I noticed that although Lady Lucida and Papyrus had come along, they were lingering at the back of the pack with Siria, Montgomery, Gabby and a few other uncertain-looking people- keeping a safe distance from me while trying to pretend that I didn’t exist at all. They made me nervous, the whole lot of them, but Lady Lucida was wearing a scarlet wool cloak, so at least I knew that she wouldn’t be sneaking up on me because she was the only one of us aside from Sam that actually stood out against all of that white and grey. I wasn’t intimidated by them, per se, but I did wish that Gigi had indicated to Bastien whether I’d live a long life or not, and I was even contemplating asking Arial if she’d had any insight of her own concerning my longevity, now that I’d seen how she’d anticipated that run-in with the wolf that morning. I’d thanked her for that, but all she’d said in response was: ‘Follow the steps of those that came before us all, but never their actions…’

  Very helpful. But at least she hadn’t said: ‘Yes, that dodgy crew are plotting your death.’

  The path that I’d glimpsed wasn’t as easy to access as I’d hoped it would be because the snow was piled so high in across the rim of the wastelands that sometimes it concealed even the trees behind it, which threw off my inner compass. But when I started to become disorientated by all of that monotonous white, I went for a quick and painful flutter and soon found that denser part of the forest again, sitting somewhat to the right of where we’d been heading so we changed course straight away.

  Once I’d gotten to where I needed to be over the lip of the valley and facing this new section of The Wildwoods, I got a few of the sensible adults to get the children out of my way while Sam got me the canister of kerosene that Papyrus had grudgingly obtained for me from his stores. I made quick work of splattering the Devil’s Claw trees with the pungent liquid inside, (shrugging out of my cloak first and being careful not to accidentally splash any of it on myself) and once the little tin was empty, I hurled it into the trees and smiled with pyromanic anticipation. It wasn’t the most creative plan in the world, but it would save us hours and hours of chopping if it worked.

  All right Larkin… time to harness your inner dragon!

  People were watching me keenly now, and as though I’d absorbed some of Sam’s power, I felt like I could sense everything that they were thinking about me and my actions in that moment- from those that were excited but confused (Serif) to those who were counting on my great idea fizzling out, like Lady Lucida, and it made me feel weird- self-conscious and yet sort of determined to prove myself. I cupped my hand and generated a tiny ball of fire within it to make sure that I wasn’t going to go up in flames too, but nothing bad happened, so when I glanced over my shoulder and saw Lady Lucida’s simpering smile, (‘This will be amusing,’ that smile said) I did not attempt to suffocate the swell of heated fury within me. I didn’t know who the hell she was, but if she was afraid of Sam entering her mind and seeing her truths, than she wasn’t half as self-assured as she looked, and had no right to look down her nose at me!

  In response to my ire the ball of fire in my hand expanded, and although all I could feel was the lightest touch of warmth in my palm and against my face, I could tell that the fire was burning hotly enough to do some serious damage, even with all of that ice and snow coating the trees. I pulled my arm back slowly, keeping my eye on my fire, pointed to the kerosene-soaked patch of Devil’s Claw with the other hand and then bowled the ball overhead, feeling a rush of pride when it hit the second tree in and immediately bloomed like a flower, sending out a crackling of sparks and more than two dozen lively flames.

  There was a cheer from someone as the thinnest branches of that tree began to smoulder and drop to the ground almost immediately, but there was no time to stop and admire my handiwork, only to duplicate what I’d just accomplished again before the kerosene that I’d spilled could be diluted by the snow. I bowled a larger ball of fire directly into the first tree and then immediately pelted another smaller one that penetrated more deeply, and though a sweat broke out on my brow and my aching shoulder began to throb in protest to the overuse, I continued to attack those hateful trees until all of the branches before me were hissing, steaming, smoking or smouldering. It was a tough tree to break apart when it was frozen solid, but evidently the heat of the fire defrosted its strength and revealed how old, fragile and willing to die those hateful things were.

  After what could have been thirty seconds or an hour, I dropped to my knees, exhausted and suddenly freezing cold despite the cold sweat that I’d broken out into and helpful as always, Bastien stepped forward with a lit torch and indicated to a group of The Sequestered to join him and finish what I’d started. They rushed forward, leaving only a few of us behind.

  How much fire was that? Fifteen, twenty fireballs? Is the cold I’m now feeling a sign that I’ve used up my energy, or would I be able to go on if I tapped into an exterior fire, as I did last night?

  My head was spinning due to my fatigue and the acrid stink of claw-smoke, but I lifted it just enough and watched with satisfaction as the snow melted from the trees, mixed with the ashes and then fell into the tiny stream that was coming out from behind it, causing it to run faster with grey slush to the right and over the rim of the cove.

  ‘Don’t burn too wide a path!’ one person yelled out. ‘We can’t afford to leave an obvious trail behind us, just in case we are followed.’

  ‘Keep your head low and away from the smoke, and cover your babies’ faces!’ Lady Lucida called out, showing her alpha side. ‘Inhaling too much claw-smoke for an extended period of time can cause all sorts of health issues.’

  ‘Respiratory infections, yes?’ Sam asked, glancing at her, and Lady Lucida nodded curtly.

  ‘Among other things, including sterility, so if you fancy one day spawning a whole bunch of unholy, mind-reading brats to carry on Daddy-Red’s name, I’d suggest that you wrap something around your nose and mouth to keep the vapours out.’

  Sam gave her the finger behind her back, but I looked up at her in shock. ‘Wait… these trees can make people infertile?’

  ‘They use the sap of it to create the infertility elixir,’ she said without looking at me as she waved at some children to come back from the fire. ‘Shouldn’t someone as brilliant as you’re supposed to be know that?’

  ‘Well, they sort of skipped over the baby-making tutorial where I was raised!’ I bit back, unimpressed with her attitude.

  ‘They did the same with me too,’ Lady Lucida said, sniffing and turning around to glower at me, ‘but that didn’t stop me from using my head and investigating the shit that they were going to flush through my system before I allowed them to do it.’

  I felt my blood turn to ice. ‘You w-were a Companion?’ I demanded, astonished. ‘From where? When?’

  ‘Elliot Bronx was my master, and I his dearest friend… unti
l I was kidnapped by Egan McIntyre’s men over ten years ago.’ She shot Sam a dirty look before looking back at me, and suddenly it all made sense to me: her grace, her pride, her presentation… she’d been raised in a harem!

  ‘Pardon me?’ Sam’s face wrinkled up in confusion. ‘Did you just say that my father-’

  ‘You heard me, cabin boy: your scumbag of a father ruined my life,’ Lady Lucida snarled, and although Sam’s face went white, Lady Lucida didn’t take her eyes off me for long enough to enjoy the way that she’d stunned him. ‘Don’t open your mouth to tell me that you’re sorry, girl, or think that this will make me your best friend or you my shoulder to cry on because unlike you, I’m actually proud of who I am and where I have come from.’ Her eyes were alight with the fire of someone that had been judged too many times to count as she peeled her cloak off her shoulder and showed me her brand, making my heart skip a beat. It was just like mine because like me, she’d been a ‘favourite’, but because it was from Janiel it was platinum rather than gold, and actually looked pretty against her dark skin. ‘I don’t like the word whore any more than you do, but I like myself a hell of a lot more than you do, and I won’t be treated like I should be ashamed of that fact now that you know what I am, understood?’

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing- or of how I was being scorned by another Companion! It felt like the worst kind of betrayal, especially under the circumstances- I was there to improve her life, not to condemn her! ‘If you were so proud to be Bronx’s Companion then why have you been hiding here-’

  ‘Because he wouldn’t have wanted me back after I’d been had by barbarians. I wasn’t- I’ve never allowed a man to push me around whether they be pirate, king or commoner-’ her eyes flashed Sam’s way balefully again but he shrugged this time, unperturbed by his father’s actions due to the lack of soul thing, and probably because he’d suffered more at the man’s hand than she evidently had anyway. Besides, he had killed his hateful father, so why should he have to feel guilty for the guy’s actions? He must have been four years old when Lady Lucida and Egan’s paths had crossed! ‘But I couldn’t have proven that after I’d escaped, and wouldn’t have subjected myself to their ridiculous tests anyway. I cared for Elliot, very much, but I have too much dignity to beg for someone’s approval, so I decided to make my own way in the world and see where it took me instead of returning to Calliel.’ She stood taller, looking back down her nose at me. ‘Clearly it’s brought me to you and it’s no secret that Satan wants me at your side- but no, I won’t beg for your approval either, precious.’ She crossed her arms in front of herself in an uppity fashion. ‘You either take me as I am, or you go on without me- it’s your choice. After all, I can make a life and a living for myself anywhere, and if I’ve made it this far without Satan’s help, then who knows where I might end up, hmm?’

  I honestly thought I was going to throw up, and thanks to the tone she was taking with me, I wasn’t sure if I’d throw up dinner from the evening before, or fire. ‘Are you saying that you want to go on being a-’

  ‘Yes.’ She raised her at me eyebrows in a challenge, and I noticed then that they had been very artfully shaped, like a comma on its side. It was effective, but a bit too much for someone her age, which I guessed to be mid-forties now that I was close enough to see the tiny lines near the corners of her eyes, and the dark sun spots around the apples of her cheek that were similar to Windsor’s though not as pronounced. Her dark eyes were glittering youthfully though, and not a hint of grey could be seen in her intricately-braided hair, so I could only imagine how lovely she’d been back when she’d still belonged to the king of Janiel- even if she was a bit of a witch now. ‘My career as a king’s mistress may be over, but I still have a gift to give, and I enjoy giving it very much. I know you don’t feel the same way and although that’s a shame- it’s not my problem. I’ll be respectful of your abhorrent feelings towards the Companion caste because I know that it can be a very cruel system indeed... but being taken into that harem was my destiny, so I won’t be taking one more step in the same direction as you until you swear to me that I will be treated with acceptance and respect when I finally get to resume doing what I was born to do, got it?’

  My temper flared. Was she seriously trying to tell me how to run my own kingdom before I even had one? ‘For someone that demands respect and acceptance, you sure have a lousy way of showing it! Didn’t they teach you any manners in your harem? What right have you got to tell me how things are going to be?’

  ‘I simply thought it imperative that I make my position on prostitution clear before we wasted any more of each other’s time.’ She shrugged. ‘And surely you of all people can understand how I got to be so defensive about my profession and all of the stigma that comes with it, yes?

  ‘I can understand how you go to be so defensive,’ I agreed, ‘but I have no idea how someone that calls herself a lady can behave so atrociously and think that it’s acceptable!’ I shook my head, thunderstruck. I had never said a judgmental word about the women who chose to become prostitutes, because my ill-feelings towards Companionship stemmed from the fact that most were forced to do it, but if Lady Lucida thought she could talk down to me and push me around because she was above me or anyone else, then she was about to get judged very harshly indeed! I’d signed onto Satan’s team to make the world a more equal place, not to take ultimatums from women that thought that they were better than me again! ‘I don’t know what Satan thinks I’m going to get out of an alliance with you, but as far as I’m concerned-’

  ‘Apparently I save the life of someone you love,’ Lady Lucida said quickly, and my body was overcome by a wave of prickly heat. ‘You give me a life worth living again- one full of luxury and comfort and joy with a harem of my own- and that puts me in a position to help you when you’re at your most desperate. I don’t know how or why, but that’s what she told me, and that’s why I’m here.’

  She’d save the life of someone that I loved? But how? I didn’t love anyone, did I? I frowned at her, feeling vulnerable and confused. ‘I don’t-’ I looked over at Bastien and Martya who were cutting through the Devil’s Claw that was still smouldering, and bit my lip. As though sensing my unease, Bastien turned around, looked from me to Lady Lucida and frowned in confusion before making his way over to us.

  ‘Is everything all right, ladies?’ he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the wind, and though I was too stricken to move yet, and Sam was just gaping at the Janielian Companion in horror, Lady Lucida nodded.

  ‘Yes Shepherd Birch. Your daughter and I were just getting acquainted, weren’t we Larkin?’ She turned back to smile at me again. ‘I was warning her about the Devil’s Claw sap, and she was telling me how imperative it is to keep you safe from it… isn’t that right?’

  I sucked in a breath through my chattering teeth. Was she implying that the person she would save was Bastien? Was she right? Would he die if I didn’t allow at least one woman to sell herself in my hypothetical paradise?

  ‘Oh? Larkin… that’s so thoughtful.’

  Bastien’s tender voice did it for me, because despite the fact that Lady Lucida was practically frothing at the mouth with sarcasm, all he’d heard was that I wanted to protect him, and now he was beaming like a sun ray- completely oblivious to the fact that I was contemplating ripping the older woman limb from limb. My heart ached, and something inside me felt dirty and wrong, but the shepherd’s smile was quite possibly the most beautiful thing that I’d ever seen so I swallowed hard and nodded slowly.

  ‘Of course I want to keep you safe,’ I said softly, turning away, and I practically felt the triumphant energy ripple off the other woman as I silently agreed to her terms. ‘No matter what it takes.’

  Are you fucking serious? Sam demanded silently. How could you agree to build a harem after how much you risked to escape the last one?

  Because I lost a lot more in Calliel than my virginity- including all of the people that were like parents to me.
I can’t lose Bastien too, Sam. Besides, there will be terms, and she’s not going to feel half as smug as she does right now when she hears what they are!

  But you don’t know that it’s him-

  Which means it could be Martya or possibly even you, I shot back, and his eyebrows hoisted heavenward in surprise. So shut up and let me do my job, okay? Or I might decide not to like you as much as I think I will!

  ‘That’s very sweet of you,’ Lady Lucida practically purred as she lifted her skirts and began to approach the Devil’s Claw forest. ‘Don’t you think, Shep? Cabin Boy?’

  Sam had defrosted, and now he narrowed his eyes after Lady Lucida. ‘I think you can go to-’

  ‘How much of a dose of this stuff does a person need to be rendered infertile?’ I demanded of the Shepherd, speaking loudly and quickly in order to cover whatever awful thing that Sam was about to say.

  ‘A lot, Larkin,’ Bastien said, still looking bewildered. ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘Because Lady Lucida is trying to scare her,’ Sam said, stepping forward while still glaring after Lady Lucida, who turned when she heard her name. He pulled his flattened packet of cigarettes off his packet as we began to walk closer to the blaze. ‘Weren’t you?’

  ‘I’m just stating a fact,’ Lady Lucida said sweetly, toying with one of her pearl-encrusted braids. ‘Why do you think the Barachiel family has never just said ‘To hell with it!’ and set the entire Wildwoods on fire? Because it would cost them at least two generations worth of successful pregnancies, that’s why.’

  ‘Also, because you’re not allowed to say Hell in Calliel…’ Sam’s lips were tight around the butt off a cigarette as he leaned in to light it up using a burning, twiggy branch. But he looked up at her once it was done, took the cigarette out and blew a small cloud of smoke her way as he added: ‘They’re afraid if they do, people like you will find their way in…’