by Katie Macey
The lines of water beads lengthened and widened until ropes created with old arts hung beside the scared boy. Niamh knew he was afraid because his eyes didn’t focus on her anymore.
"Hey, we've got you," she called down to him.
He half nodded, and she pretended not to see the water dribbling from the corner of his eyes.
"Kick your legs, brother." A woman of Traot Crurg knelt and called gently to Jomen. Niamh's arms hurt, and she glanced sideways at Aarin. Sweat beaded on her forehead and he threw her a smile, that didn't quite hide the state of his exertion. Niamh muscled began to shake, and she knew she couldn't hold Jomen's arms like this forever. He kicked his legs, reaching for the ropes against the wall. Thankfully they swung out a little ways from the scathing crystals.
A grunt from Aarin let her know that he was struggling too. Jomen's movements only made it harder to keep a tight grip.
"I'm having trouble..." Niamh gritted her teeth, but her hands were getting sweaty.
"No, no, no!"
His hand began slipping. Aarin braced himself, actually managing to pull Jomen up a little ways. Then, their burden lifted. Jomen found a foothold in the water rope and it held! Focusing only on placing one foot after the other, up the woven ladder, Jomen laughed with pent up emotion. Niamh pulled on his shirt as he climbed back onto the path, falling onto his back on the sodden ledge. Collapsing beside him, Aarin rested one arm on his knee and ran a hand through his hair, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Don’t do that again!” said Niamh, slumped on the damp stone path. Jomen grinned at her and sniffed. He wiped the tears from his face, as he looked from Niamh to Aarin. Then he stood and addressed the crowd of Traot Crurgians.
“I won’t forget this,” said Jomen. “Thank you.”
The chanting faded and Niamh and the others resumed their rushed exit from the caves. Dragged and pushed they hurtled further down the cavern’s path, grabbing onto each other’s arms to keep their feet from slipping. The crystals embedded in the walls faded from pink to orange.
"Is that..." said Jomen, as he squeezed her shoulder. Niamh suddenly realised that tiny shards of light reflected off the crystallised walls.
"It's the sun!" said Veayre.
She squealed and rushed to the doorway, now ablaze with golden light. They erupted from the cave and celebrated their newfound freedom in the fresh, open air. Three small packs hurtled from the cave’s mouth. Aarin inhaled deeply and threw himself down in the soft grass. “Niamh, Veayre, you two sure make things interesting.”
“You’re blaming us?” said Veayre.
Aarin laughed.
“Not really. But these last few days have been more exciting than many months before them.”
“Exciting?” said Iilen. “I’d say ‘scary’ and actually, I’ve been thinking.”
“About the fire?” said Aarin, staying flat on the ground.
“Yeah,” said Iilen. “How’d it catch so quickly?”
“And how did it spread so far?” said Caeednce.
“We’ll get answers when we get back,” said Aarin.
"This must be the border,” said Niamh, crouched down to examine the bundles. A quick search revealed basic travelling supplies, but best of all: a map.
"So where abouts are we?" said Jomen, looking over her shoulder. Niamh lay the map out flat across her lap.
"Who cares?" said Veayre, spinning in the sunshine. "We got out of Traot Crurg!"
"Our location isn't marked,” said Niamh, frowning at the map.
"Why should it?” said Jomen. “This is a scout's map. See how there's a burnt symbol in the corner?"
Niamh lifted it closer and saw he was right. The map felt waxy in her hands and its edges showed signs of heavy use.
"Hey,” said Niamh. “Do you think they had their own library?"
"What, back in the caves?" said Jomen, with a shrug. "Probably. We under-estimated just about everything about that forest."
"We haven't got much daylight left,” said Aarin, reassuming a serious outlook. "We'll need to set up camp."
Niamh shouldered one of the packs and peered up at the sky. Caeednce and Jomen shouldered the remaining packs. Just like Aarin to only remark on what they needed to do. No mention of the brilliant beauty that spread across the skies.
"So that's just a reminder of the time of day?" said Niamh, nodding to the brilliant sunset. They were all tired and worried. She should’ve taken more care, but it was too late now.
"You want me to stop and admire the colourful sky?” said Aarin, quickly standing up. “We're not all pink-haired girls who live close to the palace. Some of us just want to survive long enough to get home."
Niamh bit her lip, and said, "I only meant, it's just, I've always loved the sky at sunset, and yes, my aunt used to say my hair was sunset-dipped… but ignoring all beauty along the way isn’t going to make our journey any easier."
She hadn’t meant to start an argument. But getting 'set-free' right at dusk was so annoying. Niamh looked longingly back at the cave.
"Uh, I'm not going back in there,” said Veayre, pre-empting Niamh’s thoughts.
"I'm not suggesting-" said Niamh as she fiddled with the ends of her hair.
Iilen lifted a finger to his lips.
They froze, standing like statues. Niamh held perfectly still, but her senses strained to pick up whatever Iilen had heard.
Iilen grinned at them all, then laughing, spun around with his arms spread wide.
"Who cares where we camp!” said Iilen. “We're out of Traot Crurg, and off the forbidden road! I'm assuming we'll take that path right there-"
He pointed to the only way down, rubbing his arm where Aarin had thumped him for giving them all an unnecessary fright.
The cave opened onto a grassy clearing. Niamh peeked around the others and saw a relatively easy path leading down the mountain. Beyond the mountain, the forest stopped, as though inhibited by an invisible boundary. Rolling grassy hills, with tiny pickets of forest, spread before them like a green patchwork quilt.
"We should go slowly, you know, for some of us…” said Iilen as he paused and pointed at Caeednce.
"Hey!” said Caeednce. “I haven't tripped any more than you!" Iilen grinned and darted away from Caeednce’s jab.
"As I was saying,” said Iilen. “We all want to hear the juicy bit of news that Aarin overheard…”
✽✽✽
None of them needed to be told to reach the plateau before all light had disappeared. Caeednce touched Niamh's arm, just below the graze. Niamh jumped, pulled out of her thoughts.
"Oh, sorry,” said Caeednce. “Does your arm feel okay? I wish they hadn’t rushed us out so quickly in the end. I mean, when we weren't sure we'd get out, yeah- but in the end, it felt – well, I don't know."
"I get it,” said Niamh. “I hope Jomen is okay. I'm shaken, and I wasn't the one dangling. Have you ever seen people use chanting like that before?"
"No. Not in a long time, anyway."
"So you actually have? I'd love to know more about you, Caeednce."
"It's complicated."
Caeednce fell back to follow behind Niamh.
Ahead Iilen groaned loudly saying, "Aarin. Spill."
The sky’s masterpiece deepened to burnt orange. Aarin cleared his throat.
"They said-"
"From the beginning," Iilen corrected.
Aarin punched him in the arm again, but Niamh noticed how he was careful not to knock him from the narrow path.
"So I'd taken a bath, gotten into these," said Aarin, speaking loudly so they could all hear as they walked single-file. He tugged at the side of his baggy silk trousers, "These are completely impractical. And those baths were creepy...but I snuck out. I found a staircase, right? They cut right into the stone, slick with dripping water and the same pink crystals sticking out of the walls. I don't know how they don't get hurt all the time..."
The path curved, and the sky melted into a deep vermillion that reflected
in Aarin's black hair.
"Just cut right to it, Aarin,” said Veayre.
"Okay, so we all know how the king is-"
Veayre thumped his back.
"Okay, okay!” said Aarin, raising his palms, “-how the 'High' King is getting old right? That's why you're abroad isn’t it, Niamh?"
Niamh hadn't expected to be mentioned just then. She wanted to find out what Aarin knew - not share her own story again. It made less and less sense, even to herself, the more times she told it…
"Uh, yeah. If he dies, Lord Gleriledd controls the throne until another heir appears,” said Niamh, right as her footing slipped on a run of gravel. But she righted herself and said, “He doesn't approve of my sisters much."
"What has he got against them?" said Caeednce.
"No idea,” said Niamh, weighing her words carefully. “My aunt is pretty secretive about it actually. And I've always done what she asked without question, so..."
"You don't even know why you have to become a priestess?" said Jomen, coughing. Niamh was grateful she couldn't see the incredulity that definitely would’ve shown on his face.
"We didn't really talk about it,” said Niamh. “Let Aarin say what he found out."
They neared the end of their descending path. Small shrubs dotted with tiny flowers and longer grasses began cropping up beside their way.
"Anyway, the stars show the king's decline, right?” said Aarin. “We all know that. But there are rumours… that room I found, the Lady wasn't in there, but other officials were arguing about whether or not to tell her something. One guy was all 'we must tell her, this could change everything' and another said 'no, brother, it is our job to prevent distractions like these' and so on. They spilled the story in between all of that."
Niamh chuckled at his impersonation, and how his voice had deepened in the telling of the story.
"But the basics are,” said Aarin, “in the stars: there's an heir."
The group crunched to a halt.
"Let's not talk about this anymore just now,” said Veayre, her voice hushed to a whisper. They were so closely bunched they all heard her. Only Niamh noticed the clenching of her fists, and how she remained tense as they continued down the mountain. Gradually the sun dipped below the horizon, and the shadows lengthened.
"Ah, the plateau,” said Niamh when their path levelled, but no-one responded. Jomen met her eye but quickly turned away. Caeednce didn't even do that much. Laying sideways across the three bedrolls, they cushioned their shoulders and heads from the hard earth. Caeednce and Veayre took one, Iilen and Aarin took another. Jomen stared at the bedroll.
"The other half is there if you want it," said Niamh. She laid down, facing away from the others. There was enough tension in this group without any girl-boy drama over a stupid bedroll. Curling her legs a little, she waited until she felt him lay beside her.
Nobody's breathing slowed. The stars cycled overhead, and Niamh knew she wasn’t the only one searching the sky for the sign. Falling asleep seemed impossible, but eventually, dawn's rays woke her up proving otherwise.
✽✽✽
"Is it safe to eat?"
If anything was going to break the code of silence that had settled over the group, even after daybreak, this was it - hunger.
"Well, it's wrapped like food so..." Caeednce ventured.
"What if they put us out here to die,” said Veayre, “and this is just in case we didn't die fast enough?"
"Far out, are you this annoying all of the time?" said Iilen stepping forward. "Show me a look."
He lifted the sparkling lump to his nose, sniffed it once, and then nibbled a bit off the side. Niamh watched him closely. Iilen’s face scrunched up and he threw himself backward. Veayre squealed as Iilen coughed and spluttered.
"I told you!” said Veayre. “They're enemies! It's a trick!" But her anger quickly turned to confusion as Iilen cracked up laughing.
"You should see your face!" said Iilen, between bouts of laughter. Niamh smiled. Veayre’s face turned a funny shade of pink.
"Why, you-"
Veayre stormed off.
"Veayre, we've got to stick together!" said Niamh, hurrying after her. Niamh suspected that the Traot Crurg knew about this plateau and planned for them to sleep there, just like they packed four days worth of food for them, strange through the offerings were.
"I'm not going far Niamh, I just need to cool my head!"
"Alright, but don't be long. We need to keep moving."
Niamh returned to the others who happily munched on the glittery food.
"I mean, I get it,” said Iilen. “They like crystals and stuff, but sparkly food?"
"Why not?" replied Caeednce. "It's more fun than old stew."
"Old stew is fantastic,” said Iilen. “Just because you don’t have superior taste buds..."
Niamh unwrapped her portion, still suspicious. Everyone else ate happily, but she wondered if they'd been given sugary desserts. That wouldn't get them far on an open road.
"Where's Veayre?" said Aarin, stretching his legs out.
Veayre re-entered the grass clearing and pointedly ignored any questioning looks. Silently eating her portion, she jumped when Niamh asked,
"You okay? What were you doing?"
Veayre crossed her legs.
"Just seeing if I could get a vantage point for where we are, maybe match it to the map..."
"Oh! And did you?" said Niamh. She whipped out the map, laying it on the grass so most of them could see it.
"We're a long way from home,” said Jomen, perusing it carefully. Niamh pursed her lips. He was right. Oplijah lay to the north-east, with her home even further north again.
"Just more of the same,” said Veayre. “The mountain behind us, and these grassy hills as far as I can see."
"Look, it shows a desert out there,” said Caeednce pointing further west.
"We'll have to avoid that,” said Niamh. “Why doesn't this have any names or titles on it?"
"At least your Oplijah is obvious,” said Caeednce leaning closer, “with the colourful stained glass. And here's Muspary. They've marked it with an iceberg… wow, and we’ve come a long way!"
Jomen, Iilen, and Aarin clambered to see their route, which Caeednce traced with her finger on the map. Niamh grimaced. They were a long way from anywhere. Even with her minimal map reading skills, she understood that much.
"What’s the best way forward?" said Jomen, wondering aloud.
Aarin scoffed and said, "We've got to get back to Muspary, idiot."
"Getting to Oplijah as soon as possible is my priority Aarin,” Veayre snapped. “If that means splitting the group, so be it."
Niamh frowned and lifted the map.
"Hey, now we can't see-" Aarin grabbed it by the corner.
"Just give me a second,” said Niamh, yanking it back. “I think, yes, look, if you hold it up to the light..."
Niamh lifted the map so that it hung between them and the sun.
"Oh!" said Caeednce.
The map wasn't without roads and markings, you just needed the trick to be able to see them. In the light, more details became visible.
"They still haven’t named anything,” said Aarin moving to re-wrap their supplies. Their secret road continued, with no other visible paths.
"Look,” said Niamh, “once we reach the end of this road-"
"More like an abandoned path,” said Iilen trying to inject light-hearted banter. But he gave up quickly. They felt abandoned. Veayre had been so quick to suggest splitting up, but Niamh felt nervous about that. There was so much at stake, and with so many variables, surely it would be better to stick together?
"At the end of this road,” said Niamh, “we will have decisions to make. But by the looks of this, our paths take us the same way. The ocean remains impassable, and Traot Crurg is closed to us. We have this land to cross, that desert area, then some kind of plains…”
Lifted to the light, an outline of a tiger's face illuminated ov
er the area marked with tall grass. Niamh couldn't bear to think about what that might mean right now.
"So we're stuck with each other,” said Aarin.
Niamh couldn't suppress a smile at that.
Veayre stood, and plastered on a smile.
"Let's get started then."
CHAPTER 10
Aarin did his best to lead the group along the water-marked path on the map, down through the soft hills.
“It’s all changing,” said Jomen to just Niamh. "When we looked down on it, it looked green like a churning sea. But down here, it feels like the western path out of Muspary.” His lips curled up into a slight smile. “Almost like home."
"I think I know the one,” said Niamh, “though I spent so little time there, I’m not really sure."
They walked side by side, following the others. Jomen's pace slowed.
"I want you to know,” said Jomen, “I -"
He stopped walking altogether. Caeednce and the others walked on, oblivious, and the distance between them grew. Even so, Niamh stopped with him. Jomen bit his knuckles, then leaned closer, his voice soft but urgent.
"I am ashamed- so ashamed, of what my," he took a deep breath, "my father did to Muspary. Those bandits, no, those children, I felt so…powerless."
His arms hung limply by his sides. Niamh waited for him to continue, but the pause only lengthened.
"Hey, we're not grown yet,” said Niamh. “The older ones, they're supposed to do the right thing. It’s not meant to be up to us to make things right."
Even as she spoke, aiming to comfort her new friend, she winced at how they stung for herself. Her aunt had done nothing to help her sisters. Why was it all up to her to keep them together? She couldn’t remember ever saying she wanted to be a priestess...
Jomen reached out and squeezed her hand. Niamh could only stare at it. His hands were warm, and his fingers curled around her own. Caught by surprise, Niamh retracted her hand and looked anywhere but his face. She knew her own glowed bright red. Had he meant it to be friendly? Was he telling her that he liked her as more than that? What if Caeednce, or worse Aarin, had seen them? Niamh glanced at Jomen’s worried face, then up the path. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing everyone else trudging on as planned, ignoring them entirely.
