by Liara Woo
"Orphan," Reidur would hiss whenever he happened to see Halthren. "Malformed you are, with your hideous silver-ringed pupils…blind as a bat…no one loves you. No one cares for you. Least of all me."
Halthren was always wounded by Reidur's words, even though he knew they weren't true. Something about the stag's words and the tone of his voice made him doubt everything he'd felt from his adopted family. It would prove true throughout his life—insults and derogatory comments directed towards him always made him feel small, insignificant, and worthless. He tried telling himself that it was just hot air and it wasn't really true, but that didn't help.
As for Reidur, the stag soon grew bored with making young elves cry. Eventually he matured and became a respectable adult, the leader of a herd, and asked Halthren for forgiveness amidst heartfelt apologies. Halthren was so touched by Reidur's apology that he was quick to forgive, and he thought of the stag with warmth and affection.
But despite all of the beings he cared about, Joran was his only true companion and his best friend.
The two elves did everything together. Halthren taught Joran how to wield a sword; he told him legends and stories that he thought the prince would enjoy the most. He shared everything he did with Joran; his shortcomings, his most embarrassing moments, and his dreams.
"One day there will be no demons," he said animatedly one winter afternoon, sitting next to Joran with a book open on his lap beside the hearth in the castle's library. "There will be no evil. Nothing bad or violent will ever happen again—you'll see." And I will be free of my curse, he added silently to himself with a pang of longing.
At night he would stare up at his ceiling, thinking of the horrifying black shadow. The cruel, hissing voice that sent daggers of pain through his heart and mind, echoing within his ears, taunting him with the curse. Sometimes he was too frightened to sleep with the knowledge that if the shadow had entered once, it could enter again. And maybe it would put another curse on him.
When he couldn't sleep he would kneel at his window and look up at the stars, dreaming of being free. No more random illnesses; no more freak accidents (like a time he'd been in the forest and a storm had appeared out of nowhere, thoroughly drenching him, with winds that pushed him right onto a thorn bush), no more random burning cramps that plagued his muscles without warning… He would be whole, able to walk tall and proud without being afraid of some future accident that would incapacitate him for weeks on end. Because of the curse, people thought he was a weak child, sickly and defenseless, when in reality the opposite was true and he merely had the misfortune to be enchanted in such a horrible way. His thirst for freedom was another force driving his obsession over the legends. Maybe there was something that had occurred in the past or a prophecy of some sort that could help him.
At the age of seventy (at which point he had the appearance of a fourteen-year-old human) he knew more about the tales of old than anyone else in Kylaras—even the elves who had dedicated their lives to history, legends, and prophecies. He knew that other elves found this bizarre and unnatural and extremely peculiar, but for him it was worth it. Through memorizing and understanding what had transpired before his time he felt as if he knew the world better…and again, if there was any hope for his freedom hidden in the legends, he would take it. He would be whole again…someday.
Cami and Darktail
Cami and Darktail
On Monday, Mr. Smalls drove Katie out to the White Mountains for her summer camp. They arrived in a thick pine forest going around a lake vaguely shaped like a crescent moon. Mr. Smalls turned onto a dirt road and drove towards a small clearing with eight cabins forming a horseshoe. Several other vehicles were already assembled in the middle of the clearing, and girls with backpacks and duffel bags were heading over to the smallest cabin at the top of the horseshoe formation.
Katie hopped out of her seat, slinging her backpack over one shoulder and grabbing her duffel bag in one hand. She stuffed her sleeping bag under her arm and waved to her father. "Bye, Dad! I love you!"
"Love you too! Have fun!" he called. They exchanged excited grins as she closed the door and headed through the tall grass towards the mass of girls walking to the small cabin. When she looked back, the red pick-up truck was already driving away. Katie waved, just in case her dad was still looking back at her. Then she faced forward and waited with the other girls for her turn in the small cabin. She wasn't even sure why everyone was going towards it, but she guessed from the girls leaving it and entering other cabins that when she got inside she'd be told where she would be sleeping.
The drive with her father had given her something to focus on as they chatted about random things such as watermelon, Katie's teachers from the previous year, her friends, her favorite television show…stuff like that. Now, with nothing to do but wait, her attention was drawn to something within her…a feeling unlike the constant buzzing in her fingertips. This was different. It was almost like the feeling of energy that came from eating too much chocolate, but not as powerful—and yet she couldn't ignore it. Earlier in the morning, she'd assumed it was excitement about going to camp, but now she remembered Drorin's warning about a certain presence. Was this feeling a result of the presence? She desperately wanted to speak with the hawk, but in searching the skies and the trees nearby, she found no sign of him. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the sharp scent of pines and the crisp, clean forest air and sighed. I guess he doesn't know where I am for once.
"You alright?" someone asked.
Katie turned towards the voice. A short, thin young girl with long, pale yellow hair stood before her, looking up anxiously through a pair of thick glasses. Her large eyes were brown. "Yeah, I'm fine…" Katie said. "I'm just missing a friend of mine."
The girl nodded. "Me too. I'm Abigail, by the way, but everyone calls me Cami."
"I'm Katie," she replied, and they shook hands. "Nice to meet you."
Cami smiled. "You too. So what're you most excited for? At camp, I mean."
Katie hadn't thought about that before. "The horses, I guess. I love animals."
Cami grinned. "Me too! And horses have been my favorite animals for most of my life. I've always dreamed of meeting a wild stallion in the woods… but I know that's impossible."
Katie blinked as a sudden realization struck her. It isn't impossible for me. Maybe, after all this time, I can finally share my gift… "I can make your dream real," she whispered before she could stop herself. A tremor raced down her spine and she felt almost giddy. Did she dare? She'd kept everything hidden for so long…
Cami's eyes widened in awe. "How?"
Okay, so maybe this girl is a little bit gullible. Katie thought about saying, "I can speak to animals," but that would sound insane, and she definitely wanted to avoid that. Instead, she answered, "You'll find out tonight."
Cami's eyes lit up. "Wow, way to be mysterious! I hope we're in the same cabin."
"Yeah, that'll make sneaking out much easier," Katie said in a hushed voice. She felt exhilarated; there was something almost magical about planning to sneak out at night when the moon was almost full. In all of the fantasy stories she'd read, strange things could happen on the night of a full moon.
"Look; we're almost in," Cami said a few moments later. Katie looked up from the random design she'd been scraping in the soft dirt with her shoe and peered into the wooden building. She could see several landscape paintings on the inside, along with a few wooden cabinets and stacks of paper and clipboards. Only four girls remained ahead of them in the line.
"Cross your fingers," Cami grinned. Katie smiled back as she went into the cabin.
Inside it was slightly warmer than it was outdoors, and it was kind of stuffy. The paintings depicted mostly trees, but a few had lakes and waterfalls. There was a low desk made from pale wood in the center with three paper-filled clipboards resting upon its surface. Sunscreen, a hat, and a pair of binoculars sat off to the side of the papers. Behind the desk were three women, all probably in
their thirties, each behind one of the clipboards. Two of them were speaking to girls who'd been ahead of Katie in the line, and the woman in the middle was looking up at her, twirling a dark blue ballpoint pen between two fingers.
"Name, please?" she asked in a voice that sounded older than she looked.
"Katie Smalls, ma'am."
"Cabin eight, on the end," the woman replied. "I'm Mrs. Sorenson, the camp director. Here is a booklet of the camp songs we'll be singing—" she reached beneath the desk and pulled out a small packet of paper folded and stapled together to make a booklet "—and there is a list of rules in the back, so please read over those carefully. Breaking the rules means you have to help clean the bathrooms at the end of the day."
Katie cringed at the thought. I hope Cami and I don't get caught. "Thank you," she said, turning to leave. Blinking in the sudden brightness as she walked outside and turned left, she looked at the log cabins around her. "Cabin five, cabin six," she muttered, looking at the brass numbers on the doors of each small house. "Seven and eight." Her cabin was the farthest from Mrs. Sorenson's, and it was surrounded by large bushes on all sides except for the front. Perfect for sneaking out, she thought traitorously, feeling a slight thrill run through her veins.
She heard swift footsteps behind her and turned to see Cami racing towards her. "Cabin eight," the shorter girl said breathlessly.
"Me too," Katie grinned. They walked together through the knee-high grass past the other cabins to cabin eight, stumbling over the uneven ground. They entered the cabin, and when they saw that the two bunks closest to the door were free, they exchanged excited grins.
"Top or bottom?" Katie asked.
"Bottom," Cami decided, sitting down and unrolling her sleeping bag. She put her duffel bag on the ground beside her.
Katie climbed up a ladder to the top bunk, wincing at the loud creaks of the bedsprings in the mattress. She unbundled her own sleeping bag and rolled it out. Then she unzipped her duffel and pulled out her pillow, setting it at the opening of the sleeping bag. She climbed down the ladder and leaned against it, looking at Cami. "So what do you think we do now?"
Cami shrugged. "I guess we just wait for everyone to get assigned to a cabin."
"Sounds boring," Katie sighed. Cami nodded, stretching out on her sleeping bag and clasping her hands behind her head. Katie was seized by a sudden desire to tell her new friend about her talent now, instead of waiting for nightfall. Then her sensible side kicked in. I haven't even told Nora yet! And she's my best friend! I need to learn more about what kind of a person this girl is before I go off revealing my deepest secret. With that in mind, she asked, "So, Cami…what do you like to do in your free time?"
"Read, mostly," she answered. "Fantasy and fiction stuff. I love adventures that have magic in them, and that's why I wanted to go to this camp—to have my own adventure. Even if there aren't any dragons involved. What about you? What do you like?"
"I spend most of my time outdoors, in the forest," Katie responded. "I love nature and animals, and I know a lot about them, but although my parents encourage me, I don't want to be a scientist. I want to have adventures, like you." She paused and added without thinking, "But I guess I already do have adventures. They follow me everywhere I go because of my gift." The words came tumbling out, and she couldn't stop them. She bit her tongue, shocked by her own foolishness.
Cami looked intrigued. "What kind of gift?" she asked curiously.
"I …w-well, what I meant to say was…" she stammered haltingly. Then she sighed. It was no use. She couldn't unsay her words. "Can you keep a secret?" she whispered.
Cami's eyes widened. "Yes, I promise," she replied eagerly.
Katie swallowed nervously. "Follow me," she said, walking outside, around to the back of the cabin where no one would see her. Cami followed, trembling with excitement. Katie took in her surroundings. A grove of aspens stood tall on her right, with a few birches and several fir trees scattered amongst them. Behind them, going on and on into the distance, were more pines and aspens. Tall yellow grass grew on the ground, joined by scattered stones and small boulders, piles of pine needles, small red and purple flowers, a few grasshoppers, and hundreds of other insects she couldn't identify. A couple of birds were talking about nests and eggs. The bright yellow sunlight shone through the leaves and pine needles, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Katie closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel the woods around her. A few squirrels, several lizards, some sparrows…and a cougar, drawn to the campground out of curiosity. He could probably sense her powers just as most other animals could. Katie gently coaxed him nearer, reaching out with her powers. "There's something you need to know about animals," Katie said softly to Cami. "Most are incredibly curious about everything, but they're unbelievably shy. It's rare when you can catch one observing you, but I've practiced hard and got pretty good at it. I've called a cougar; would you like to meet him?"
Cami gasped as a cougar walked slowly out of the bushes, eyes wide.
"Don't worry," Katie said, kneeling down and reaching out to the cougar. "He won't hurt you." Turning to the cougar she continued, "This girl is a friend. She is curious, like you, and means you no harm. Please don't hurt us."
The cougar spoke for the first time, raising one foreleg and dipping his head in an unmistakable bow. "I would never harm you, my queen. I am honored to meet you."
Queen? Katie wondered, feeling kind of proud. "Oh—okay. Great." Hesitantly she raised her hand even closer to his nose. I've never done this before. The cougar lifted his nose to touch her hand, and a vibration began throughout his body. He was purring. A shiver of delight raced down Katie's spine. She stroked his face, then his neck, then his broad shoulders, and soon she was right next to him, leaning against his powerful body.
Cami's jaw dropped. "That isn't normal for a cougar, is it?"
Katie smiled. "I wouldn't recommend anyone else trying this. I don't know why animals react this way with me, but I'm not sure if it's safe for other people to do."
Cami reached out to touch the cougar, but his shoulders tensed and his upper lip curled. He turned to Katie. "Only you can touch me. You are part of the wilderness, and she is not."
"Okay," Katie said. "Stay back, Cami. Cougar, thank you for honoring us with your presence." She stood, and the cougar bowed to her again before bounding away without a sound.
"Wow," Cami breathed. "You just…. the mountain lion…were you actually speaking with it?"
"Him," Katie corrected. "Yes, I was. I don't know why, but I've been able to talk with animals ever since I was a kid."
"That's amazing!" Cami exclaimed.
"Don't tell anyone!" Katie begged. "If you do, I'll probably be locked up in a lab or a padded cell or something." She knew she was over exaggerating, but in this case she didn't think it would hurt. She didn't want to take any risks of her secret getting out. So why'd you go and tell Cami? she chided herself, biting the inside of her cheek. If anything happens, I deserve it.
"I won't breathe a word," Cami whispered. "I promise. But how are you going to find a stallion in the woods? By calling out to it?"
Katie nodded. "I guess so. We'll have to walk a long way, though, so that the horses don't have to come too close to the campsite—I don't think wild horses are normally very fond of people."
Cami shook her head in amazement. "You're magic. Like wizards and witches and dragons…just like in my books!"
Magic! There it was again. "Maybe it is," she said thoughtfully.
/|\
That night she awoke to an owl hooting loudly just outside of her open window. Opening her eyes, she saw a great horned peering in at her. "Thank you," Katie whispered. Earlier, she'd asked the owl to wake her up when the moon was high.
"Don't mention it," the owl replied in her low, melodious voice, spreading her huge brown and white wings and taking off silently. Katie didn't wait to watch the owl until she was out of sight; instead she eased herself out of her slee
ping bag, freezing in place when the bedsprings creaked. Carefully she crept down the ladder with her hiking boots tightly grasped in one hand. When she reached the bottom, she stretched her arm down and gently shook Cami's shoulder. "Time to go," she murmured, her breath stirring the hair on her new friend's moonlit cheek.
Apparently Cami was a light sleeper; she blinked her eyes open almost instantly, sat up, and slid her tennis shoes on. Katie decided to wait and put her own shoes on after they were outside, since she was quieter in her socks. Tiptoeing over the wooden floorboards, she eased the door open just wide enough for her to slip through, and then she held it ajar for Cami, who was grinning widely.
The moon was almost full, and it shed a faint silvery light over the trees, which cast long, black shadows over the clearing. The forest floor was streaked with a dramatic combination of shadow and moonlight, and a cold wind was blowing.
Turning slightly to her left, Katie saw that there was a light on in the small central cabin. She gulped as she saw a silhouette moving around in the window. Am I really doing this? Am I actually breaking the rules like this? What if we get caught?
