The Joining Tree

by Claire Fogel

  Cara, why have you been unhappy? Your handsome young friend loves you, I know.

  “Well, I’ve been having some problems at home that have been upsetting. Sean is doing his best to cheer me up. All my friends have been.”

  We will talk about these problems another time, Cara. For now, perhaps singing my song will bring you the same kind of comfort it brings me.

  Jason nodded to me and began to play the melody as I began singing the words of the dragon’s song again. Rowenna closed her golden eyes and we could hear that weird humming sound she would make that my father described as purring. When we finished her song, she opened her eyes.

  Thank you, Cara. Thank you, Jason. Cara, I will speak to you soon.

  Spreading her huge wings, she rose out of the orchard into the sky, her magic swirling around us. We watched as she flew to her purple mountain and disappeared from view.

  Jason looked at me and I heard his voice in my head. I know why you’ve been unhappy, cousin. I’m very sorry. We can talk when you’re ready.

  I nodded as I stood up. The three of us left the orchard and walked back to the village. We had a t-shirt full of apples for the greys so the stable was our next stop.

  Jason squeezed my shoulder. “Cara, I’m going back to the woodshop. Garrett is teaching me so much about designing and building furniture. I’m really enjoying it. We’ll see each other soon, I hope. Good to see you too, Sean.” Jason hugged me and left us.

  I wondered how much he was aware of.

  When Sean and I reached the stable, we saw people heading for the dining hall, so I knew it must be close to lunchtime. We each took half the apples and walked through the stable, giving the greys their treats. The sound of the greys’ enjoyment as they whinnied and nuzzled our heads made us both laugh. Will accused me of spoiling them, but I knew he didn’t mind.

  Arlynn and Conor were waiting for us in the dining hall. Both seemed pleased to see Sean holding my hand, although I hoped they didn’t think it meant anything serious.

  I always loved spending time with Conor. He’d been a good friend from the day I first met him, before I knew he was an Elf. Before I knew Elves existed.

  Lunch was great, as usual. Lots of fresh veggies just picked that morning and sliced turkey along with freshly baked bread. I was sure Arlynn had made the bread. I’d never tasted bread as good as hers.

  Conor wanted to know how things were going in school, how Sean’s nose was feeling, and what I was doing with my artwork. We filled him in over lunch and I knew he was glad to see me smiling again and doing normal things. Now that I was no longer crying myself to sleep every night, I thought I should probably make time to visit with Conor. His silvery eyes told me that he was reading between the lines. He knew I was doing my best, despite the sadness that was always with me now.

  After we said goodbye to Conor and Arlynn, I wanted to stop and see Francis Sullivan before we left.

  I knocked on the partially open door to his studio and heard him call out, “Come in, Cara.” He always knew when it was me, and I had no idea how. Magic, probably.

  “Hi, Francis. I brought a friend you haven’t met, as well as some new drawings.”

  He was smiling as he wiped his hands on a paint-filled rag and walked over to us.

  “This has to be a McKay,” he said. “I’m guessing you’re a relation of Conor’s, young man.”

  Sean smiled and put his hand out. “I’m Sean McKay, Mr. Sullivan. It’s an honor to meet you. My mother is a big fan of yours.”

  Francis took his hand. “Please thank your mother for me, Sean. It’s always good to meet a friend of Cara’s.”

  Turning to me, there was a twinkle in his eye as he asked, “What have you brought to show me?”

  Opening my messenger bag, I took out all the drawings I’d done since the last time I’d seen Francis and spread them out on his table.

  He looked at each one carefully, not saying anything until he’d examined all of them.

  Smiling, he said, “Cara, your style is developing beautifully. There’s a great deal of emotion in your artwork now that wasn’t there before. Your love for the trees and everything that grows in the forest is obvious. How are you doing with watercolors?”

  “I’m still getting used to them. It’s a completely new skill. I love the vibrant colors I’m able to put on paper now. I didn’t bring any with me because they’re not good enough yet.”

  He nodded. “I’m anxious to see your watercolors. Don’t wait too long. I have a few art shows coming up and I’d very much like to include some of your work along with my own.”

  I realized my mouth was hanging open. “You really think my work is good enough to be shown with yours?”

  He smiled. “Yes, I do. If you continue to improve this way, you’ll be having your own shows before long. Your pen and ink drawings should definitely be shown. Please put more time into your watercolors. As soon as you feel they’re good enough—and I know you’re your own harshest critic—bring them back to show me. I want my agent to see your work.”

  My head was spinning. “Thank you. I’m very grateful. I’ll work harder with the watercolors.”

  “Good. Come back and see me soon.”

  He shook my hand and Sean’s and returned to his easel.

  As we walked out of the studio, Sean’s eyes were as big as mine. “You couldn’t have a better mentor, that’s for sure. What a compliment that he wants to show your work with his!”

  I shook my head, amazed. “I know. This is the biggest thing that’s happened to me. I expected to be a ‘starving artist’ for years.”

  We talked about Francis Sullivan’s upcoming art shows as we walked to my father’s cottage. By the time we were in sight of the cottage, Ian came running over from his home.

  “Cara, Cara, you’re here! Hi, Sean, what happened to your nose?”

  The little boy hugged me, clearly excited to see us. “How long are you staying?”

  “Just this afternoon, I’m afraid. Sean and I both have school tomorrow.”

  He looked disappointed but then looked at Sean again. “Did you break your nose, Sean?”

  Sean chuckled. “Well, my nose got too close to a baseball bat, but my doctor fixed it and it will look much better soon.”

  Ian looked confused.

  “Ian, an angry boy hit Sean and Gabriel with the bat, but he won’t be hurting anyone else again,” I told him.

  “Is Gabe okay?”

  “He’s fine, he just got a few bruises,” Sean said.

  “We were just going inside to have tea. Would you like to join us?” I asked him.

  “I’d like that.” His smile couldn’t have been much bigger.

  We walked into my father’s cottage and I lit the fire under the kettle of water. While we waited for the water to boil, Ian talked about how much he enjoyed being at my parents’ wedding.

  “Your mother is really pretty. And I got to see your house and your garden, and I even met your friend Amy who made that beautiful cake. I had a really good time. My father is still talking about those little sandwiches. He ate a lot of them.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “I’m so glad you and your parents were there. I think everybody ate a lot of those little sandwiches.”

  Then, of course, he asked the one question I couldn’t answer.

  “I haven’t seen Adam since the wedding. Where is he?”

  Sean looked at me, obviously wondering the same thing.

  My heart was pounding, but I had to remain calm, at least on the outside.

  “Ian, you know I don’t need bodyguards anymore, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, my father told me the bad man is in jail.”

  “Adam decided that since I didn’t need a bodyguard any longer, it was time for him to move on. I think he’s lived in a lot of places since he left home when he was young. My father hated to see him go, but it was Adam’s decision to leave.” I was doing my best to ignore the big lump in my throat.


  Ian looked surprised. “Why would anyone want to leave Elvenwood? I wish Adam had stayed. I liked him.”

  What could I say? “Yes, I liked him too.” I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach.

  We had our tea, and then I walked to the door to say goodbye to Ian. When I looked at the sky, it was no longer merely overcast. There were dark clouds moving quickly across the sky.

  “Sean, we’d better leave now. There’s a storm coming.”

  We jogged to the stable and led Pigeon and Cloud outside. As we mounted the greys, Will said, “You’d better hurry if you want to get back before this storm hits. Cloud will be fine, but Pigeon hasn’t had much experience being ridden in bad weather. Be careful.”

  We asked the greys to run and we were at the gateway quickly. I said the magic words and the pathway into the forest appeared. We hadn’t gone far before we heard the first ear-piercing clap of thunder.

  Sean turned to me with a worried look. “Since Cloud has more bad weather experience, why don’t you follow us?”

  I nodded and let Sean pass me on the path. When we were about halfway to my father’s camp, the clouds opened up and rain began pounding on us. We were both soaked in seconds. I could feel my muscles tense up. I was breathing too fast and was having a hard time concentrating on the path ahead of us. I felt the familiar panic rising in my chest and my stomach was tied in tight knots. The continual thunder didn’t help.

  Suddenly I saw Cloud leap over a downed branch on the trail, but Pigeon stopped short, almost unseating me. She turned around and began running back the way we’d come. She was obviously in a panic and wasn’t listening to me. There were more claps of thunder. I pulled on her reins and she reared up, tossing me off her back.

  I hit the sodden ground hard and saw Pigeon running away from me, back to Elvenwood. When I tried to stand, I slipped on the muddy ground and went down again. Memories of running away in the same kind of storm, slipping in the mud, and being chased by strange men overwhelmed me. I was in a panic. I’d even forgotten that Sean was with me. I believed I was in pain, alone in a raging storm.

  In my mind, I was reliving that whole miserable experience. I didn’t hear Sean calling my name. I was still on the ground, lost in memories, tears running down my face, trying not to vomit from the remembered pain in my head.

  He must have tried to lift me off the ground, but I hit out at him, punching whatever I could reach.

  I heard hoof beats but they didn’t make any sense to me. It was just more noise added to the pounding of the rain and the frequent claps of thunder.

  I no longer knew where I was.

  Suddenly, familiar arms lifted me off the ground and pulled me against a chest that smelled of the forest. I stopped struggling and was lifted up on the back of an enormous grey horse, who stood very still as the owner of the arms leaped up behind me and clasped one arm around my waist.

  It felt familiar. It felt safe. A blanket was tucked around me. I began to hear familiar voices. My breathing slowed. My tense muscles began to relax. I heard Sean’s voice, and gradually I remembered where I was.

  I was on Smoke and it was my father’s strong arm that was wrapped around me, holding me against his broad chest. We rode through his camp without stopping. We kept going until we reached my mother’s back porch, and I knew I was safe.

  My father lifted me off Smoke’s back, and with one arm firmly around my waist, he led me into the house. I think Sean was right behind us. My mother immediately led me upstairs into my bathroom. She turned on my shower and then stripped my wet clothes off me. I was shivering so hard, I couldn’t speak.

  She led me into the shower and said, “Stay in the shower until you stop shivering and feel warm. I’ll wait in your room.” She left and closed the bathroom door.

  I sat on the floor of the shower under the hot water, my arms wrapped around my knees, until I felt warm and my tight muscles relaxed.

  My insane reaction to the storm was beginning to come back to me. For the first time, I had completely lost it. If my parents were looking for a reason to have me committed, I had just given them a good one.

  My mother had left one of our new Brian-sized towels outside the shower and I wrapped myself up completely. The new towel covered me from neck to toes.

  I didn’t bother drying my hair. I just combed it and let it hang down my back. When that was done, I sat down on the toilet seat and wondered how soon it would be before they’d be fitting me for a straight jacket.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide in my bathroom forever. Finally, I opened the door. My mother was sitting on the bed waiting for me.

  “I got out your warmest sweats, Cara. Please put them on and then maybe you can tell me what happened.”

  “Is Sean still here?”

  “Yes, he’s been telling your father about the storm hitting on your way back from Elvenwood. From what I’ve overheard, it sounds as though the problem was more with your grey than with the storm itself.”

  I nodded. “It was a combination of both. The storm made me nervous, but I think I would have made it back here if Pigeon hadn’t thrown me. The storm terrified her more than me. When I hit the wet ground, the rain was pounding on everything around me, I was in pain—I’m not sure why—and suddenly I was back in that tent where the kidnappers were keeping me. It was my nightmare, all over again.”

  “Cara, your wrist looks swollen. May I see it?”

  I held out my right wrist and was surprised to see it was red and very swollen. “Oh, no, I hope it’s not broken. I need that hand for drawing.”

  I moved it around a little and it was a relief to learn that I could move it, even though it was painful.

  “It’s probably sprained, Cara, but to be on the safe side, we’ll get it x-rayed tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll wrap it up with an elastic bandage to keep the swelling down. How painful is it?”

  “It throbs. That must be what I felt when I fell. I wasn’t aware of what I was doing. Sean must have thought I’d lost my mind.” I could hear my voice shaking slightly.

  After she’d wrapped up my wrist, she said, “We should go downstairs if you’re up to it. I’m sure your father and Sean both need to know you’re all right.”

  “Okay. Poor Sean,” I muttered.

  We went downstairs and when I walked into the kitchen, Sean sprang out of his chair and rushed over to me. “Are you okay?”

  “Sean, I’m so sorry. I totally lost it. I must have scared you to death.”

  “It’s okay, Cara. I knew what was happening. You were having a flashback, right?”

  I nodded. “I didn’t completely lose it until I hit the ground. If Pigeon hadn’t panicked, I think we would have made it home okay.”

  I turned to my father. “How did you get to me so fast?”

  He frowned. “When the storm began before you got home, I felt your panic, then it felt like terror. By that time, I was out the door and on my way to camp. We weren’t expecting that kind of storm today, and I knew you had to be out in it.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry Pigeon behaved so poorly. She hasn’t had much experience being ridden in bad weather.” He sighed. “I think I’m going to have to find you another grey.”

  “Dad, they’re all too big. I can’t mount or dismount without help. Pigeon is the perfect size.”

  He smiled sympathetically. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll find another horse for you.”

  Taking my hand, he asked, “Why is your wrist taped up? Did you fall on it?”

  “Yeah, I think I used my right hand to break my fall. Mom thinks it’s just sprained, but it’s swollen.”

  “We’ll get it x-rayed tomorrow just to be sure,” Mom added.

  I finally noticed that Sean was no longer in his soaked clothes either. He was wearing jeans and a shirt that was at least two sizes too big, obviously my father’s.

  “Is there any coffee?” I asked.

  Mom nodded. “Sean, would you like some too?”

 
He smiled. “Yes, please. I should also call my dad and ask him to pick me up.” Turning to me, “Cara, are you sure you’re all right now?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just need a good night’s sleep so I can function in school tomorrow.” I forced a smile. “Good thing you take such great notes.” I looked down at my wrist. “I don’t think I’ll be taking any for a while.”

  Dad asked, “Did you at least have a good time in Elvenwood today?”

  Sean grinned. “It’s such an awesome place. I love going there.” Turning to me he winked. “And I think Cara has some news to share with you.”

  For a moment, I was at a loss. Then I remembered.

  I told them about Francis Sullivan’s offer. My parents were both impressed.

  “Of course, now it may take a while before I have some watercolors to show him.” I waved my taped wrist at them. “I won’t be doing any painting for a while. Great timing, huh.”

  “Cara, I think your wrist will be fine in a few weeks. And I’m sure Mr. Sullivan won’t withdraw his offer because you’ve sprained your wrist. Brian, please let Mr. Sullivan know about Cara’s wrist injury.”

  “I will. I know Francis has several shows every year, in different cities. If you don’t make the next one, there will be others.”

  After he’d finished his coffee, Sean phoned his dad. “He’ll be over in about ten minutes. Mr. Blackthorne, thanks for the loan of the clothes. I’ll get them back to you this week. Mrs. Blackthorne, thanks for the coffee and sandwich.”

  I looked at the clock and realized we’d missed dinner. “No leftovers, Mom?”

  Looking slightly red in the face, my father said, “We had meatloaf, Cara. I’m afraid there are no leftovers.”

  I had to laugh. “You pigged out again on Mom’s meatloaf, didn’t you?”

  Looking guilty, he nodded. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

  The doorbell rang and Mom got up to answer the door. She led Sean’s dad into the kitchen. He looked surprised to see Sean dressed in clothes that were obviously not his own.

  “What happened? Did you two get caught in that storm this afternoon?”

  Sean nodded. “Yeah, we were both soaked when we got here. Cara’s parents got us dried off and into dry clothes.”