Denaeh gazed down at Jahrra, her lips pursed in scrutiny. She drew one hand up to her chin and her young face took on a pensive look. Jahrra didn’t notice when the Mystic’s thoughtful stance relaxed, but when she finally looked up at the young woman, she was beaming brightly at her.
“What?” Jahrra asked, confused by the Mystic’s sudden joy.
“Jahrra, how good are you at acting?”
That was an odd question, considering the circumstances. But Jahrra simply shrugged, “I guess I’m alright at it, I’ve never really acted before. Why?”
“Well,” Denaeh grinned, her golden eyes sparking with mischief, “I have an idea . . .”
- Chapter Twenty-Two-
What Goes Around Comes Around
“Eydeth! Just let us go! What if she’s hurt or needs our help?”
The only thing that consumed Scede more than his anger was his fear, but Eydeth and his sister just smirked.
“I said she had to do it alone or no deal,” he purred.
“It’s been nearly four hours!” Scede screamed, his face turning red. “Surely that’s long enough! And I don’t care anymore, the deal is off!”
Scede stalked off to where Bhun and Aimhe were tied to a sapling, but Eydeth’s voice called over the crowd of students still waiting around to learn Jahrra’s fate. “Oh, no you don’t. She got herself into this and she can get herself out. No help from her loser friends!”
Scede turned around and glared back at the other boy. Eydeth had called upon his thugs and they were now standing in a semi-circle, blocking off the trail Jahrra had taken earlier that morning.
“You think we’re bad now, wait and see what happens to you at school if you try to go after your stupid friend.”
Ellysian got up from the giant log she’d been sitting on and moved to stand next to her brother. A few more reluctant girls, who were often seen following her around, joined her. Scede looked over at Gieaun, leaning against a eucalyptus tree so she wouldn’t fall over. Ever since Jahrra had disappeared into the woods that morning, she’d grown more and more tense and nervous. Now she was just barely holding on to the little sanity she had left.
Scede secretly cursed his friend for going through with this stupid dare and hoped more than anything that she’d just twisted an ankle or gotten herself lost. He refused to believe she was in any real danger, but he wasn’t about to take any chances. Throwing one last glare of hatred in Eydeth’s general direction, Scede snatched up Bhun’s reins and hopped into the saddle.
“You’d better move unless you want to get trampled!” he shouted to the crowd blocking the path. He meant every word.
Scede looked down at his sister and she stared back, grim faced, but nodded. She hoisted herself up and staggered over to Aimhe, who was staring after Bhun in a perplexed manner. Gieaun used an old tree stump to get into the saddle and soon drew her horse up next to her brother’s.
“Now, are you going to move or not?” Scede demanded.
“What’s the use in going in after her?” Eydeth said, trying to keep the twinge of fear from his voice. “If the witch hasn’t captured her then she has most likely died of fright. In fact, that’s probably what has happened to her. She saw an old gnarled tree and thought it was the witch and died on the spot! She would be just dumb enough to do something like that!”
The crowd tossed around a light, nervous chuckle, more to pass the time than for any other reason. They’d been standing around for hours, waiting for either Jahrra to return triumphant or for someone to finally decide she wasn’t coming back at all. A few people had left and a few had come back, but little else had happened since Jahrra’s brave disappearance into the Wreing Florenn. Everyone was ready for a little action, and now that Scede and Gieaun were up on their horses, it looked like something was finally going to happen.
“Have it your way,” Scede said coldly. “Gieaun?”
Gieaun nodded once, gravely, and as the two prepared themselves to charge at the stubborn crowd a loud, grating cry split the air. Everyone froze, gasping and ducking as a great black creature came flying out of the woods.
“What the . . . ?!” Scede jerked to the side as a large raven swooped between him and Gieaun. Gieaun screamed, spooking Bhun and Aimhe even more. The horses stomped their feet and whinnied in panic.
The sound of several people shouting and scattering made Scede turn his head. Bhun was still trying to bolt, but his rider had control of him. A crashing sounded over the screaming group of students and Scede almost fell out of the saddle when he saw what it was.
“Run! Get out of here, RUN!!!!!!”
“JAHRRA!?” Gieaun screamed.
“Gieaun, Scede, everybody, RUN, NOW!!!!!”
She looked like a wild animal on top of Phrym, her hair flying free of its braid, her shirt and pants covered in mud. There was plant debris stuck under the saddle and Phrym’s flanks were damp with sweat. Jahrra’s eyes were dark, her face was pale and her jaw was tense with fear.
Everyone stopped their scurrying long enough to ogle at the bedraggled girl who'd flown out of the trees, but then something else happened. A fierce, wicked cackle split the stressed atmosphere. Everyone shivered and darted their panicked eyes back towards the wood where the horrible sound had come from.
“RUN!” Jahrra shrieked again, kicking her heels into Phrym’s sides, causing him to whinny in protest before bolting forward.
And then, before anyone else could move, a dark, hunched figure dressed in a ragged cloak darted between the two largest trees only fifty yards away. If Jahrra’s panicked voice and face hadn’t made her classmates move, the sight of the Witch of the Wreing did.
Ellysian was the first to scream, followed by her brother. If Gieaun and Scede hadn’t been so frightened, they would have laughed at them. The twins hurtled past everyone else, running at full speed to where they had tied their panicking horses. After that, it was utter chaos. People were screeching and crying and clawing to get to their horses. Gieaun and Scede just sat on top of their own nervous horses, staring numbly in shock. Jahrra’s voice finally broke them from their strange trance.
“C’mon!” she rasped. “It’s the Witch of the Wreing! Let’s go now!”
Jahrra forced Phrym into a full trot, with Gieaun and Scede right on her heels. Scede’s heart was beating out of his chest and Gieaun looked as pale as death, but they kept up with Jahrra as she and Phrym tore across the fields in the direction of the stables above the Castle Guard Ruin. By the time they got there, Gieaun was close to fainting and Scede was shaking violently. Jahrra, however, looked as calm as Lake Ossar on a windless day.
Once he caught his breath and found his voice, Scede gasped, “What happened back there?! Jahrra, how are you even still alive?”
Gieaun had to cover her mouth to keep from getting sick.
Jahrra took a deep breath, the fear that had dominated her eyes long gone. She glanced down the slope at the Ruin to make sure Hroombra hadn’t seen them. She had a lot to explain and she wasn’t ready to let her guardian in on what she’d been doing today. “You have to promise not to be angry,” she finally said.
“Angry?” Gieaun whispered. “How could we be angry, you’re alive! The witch almost had you, but you escaped!”
Jahrra dropped her eyes and fiddled with Phrym’s reins guiltily. She took a deep breath and released it. “There is no witch.”
“What!” Scede barked. “Did you not see that, thing, chasing you!?”
“She’s not a witch.”
“Alright, hag then. Jahrra, that wasn’t your imagination this time, it was real. We all saw it, right Gieaun?”
Gieaun gave a short nod, looking sick again.
“No, she’s real,” Jahrra continued carefully, “only she’s not a hag, or a witch. She’s a Mystic and her name is Archedenaeh.”
Both Gieaun and Scede stared at her looking completely aghast. It was a while before either of them spoke and Jahrra had to fight hard not to squirm as she waited.
“What?” Scede managed.
Jahrra gritted her teeth and looked both of them in the eye. “I’m going to tell you what happened, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, alright?”
They both nodded, looking more confused than frightened now. They all slid from their horses, their legs still wobbly from their ordeal. As the three horses lowered their heads to eat field dandelions, Jahrra closed her eyes and began her tale. She told them how she had found Denaeh’s garden and how the woman had surprised her. She told them about how she was a Mystic and knew who Jahrra was before she introduced herself. She told them about Milihn and the acorn and even about how Denaeh could transform from an old woman into a young woman in a matter of moments. Then she told them about their plan.
“You see, I told Denaeh all about the dare and how I had to bring back proof to Eydeth. Then she got this idea. Why not pretend like she really was the witch? Why not act like I had gone into the Belloughs and angered her, and then have her chase me all the way back here? Wouldn’t that be proof enough?”
Jahrra was afraid to look up. Not once had Gieaun or Scede interrupted her. She had no idea what they could be thinking right now. Probably really angry with me for terrifying the wits out of them. She braved a peek and met Scede’s hard expression, impossible to read. She glanced over at Gieaun and found the same look on her face.
“I, I’m sorry,” she attempted. “I didn’t want to scare you two, but it was the only way to make sure our plan worked. And look at it this way, now we can have Lake Ossar back!”
“Who cares about Lake Ossar!” Scede shot venomously. Jahrra cringed, shrinking against Phrym’s shoulder. “Jahrra, we thought you were dead! In fact, we were about to come in after you!”
Jahrra had never seen Scede so angry, and Gieaun’s silent observance was just as effective. Scede marched over to a gopher mound and kicked it fiercely, sending a cloud of sand into the air, startling the horses. Jahrra just stood silently, afraid to move from Phrym’s side. Scede kept kicking at the gopher mound until it was leveled to the ground. By the time he was finished, he was panting and shaking. Jahrra wanted to go over and talk to him, but she was afraid he would lash out at her. Instead, Gieaun abandoned her place next to a grazing Aimhe and walked over to her friend, looking her up and down. Jahrra flinched, waiting for her tirade.
“Your hair looks terrible,” she said quietly. “Did it get that way on its own or was that all part of the act?”
Jahrra’s jaw dropped. Of all the things she was waiting to hear, that wasn’t one of them. Gieaun’s voice wasn’t angry or frightened, but calm.
“Aren’t you mad at me?” she asked.
Gieaun contemplated this. “Yes, but I’m more relieved that the witch, or whatever she is, didn’t kill you.”
Jahrra sighed deeply and smiled. She was so glad at least one of her friends didn’t want to pummel her.
“Come on Scede. You’re going to forgive Jahrra, right?”
Scede glared over at them, but it didn’t take long before his face softened and his anger passed. He walked over to his sister and his friend, grumbling the whole way. He looked up at Jahrra, still not completely done with being angry at her, and said, “I guess so. But you owe us big time for scaring us like that.”
Jahrra grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, I know.”
Gieaun let out a tiny yelp and threw her arms around Jahrra and Scede.
“Gieaun! What are you doing?!” Scede muffled past his sister’s hair. Jahrra simply gave in and hugged both her friends right back.
Scede squirmed. “Girls!” he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Gieaun finally released Jahrra and her brother and held them at arms’ length. Her green eyes were bright and she smiled widely. “Well, it isn’t noon yet. We have the whole day ahead of us, what should we do?”
Jahrra shot a wry glance at Scede, who returned a smug grin. “I know. Let’s go to Wood’s End Ranch and pack a picnic. I happen to know of a certain little island that won’t be visited by a certain brother and sister today.”
Gieaun squealed in glee and Scede laughed out loud. They snatched up their horses’ reins, jumped in the saddle and turned them up the dirt road leading south and eventually to Lake Ossar. As they lazed on their tattered quilt spread over the soggy earth of Reed Island, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede talked and laughed until they had stitches in their sides and tears in their eyes. Jahrra was overjoyed at the twins’ reaction to her trick and Gieaun and Scede were fascinated by Jahrra’s description of Denaeh and her garden.
“I still can’t believe it worked! It seemed impossible when Denaeh suggested it,” Jahrra admitted, trying to keep her eyelids from drooping.
“Trust me, it worked!” Scede insisted. “I’ll be surprised if the twins ever leave their house again!”
Jahrra smiled, hoping what Scede said was true. Her eyes drooped again, but she forced them to stay open. When one of her friends yawned next to her, she decided it was no use fighting her fatigue. She had been up early and had spent half the day scared to death, so she might as well give in to a short nap. She only knew she was sleeping when she sat up and found herself in a cool orchard cloaked in mist.
Jahrra sighed and smiled, knowing that she would soon see the stranger who stalked these dreams so often. The last time she’d seen him in her dreams was several years ago, right after the death of her parents. Jahrra frowned, hoping her dream wouldn’t suddenly turn into one of the nightmares she’d experienced during that awful time.
A faint glowing light began to unfurl near the eastern edge of the orchard, so Jahrra knew her friend was coming soon. Friend? She rolled this idea around in her mind, wondering why it hadn’t occurred to her before. Well, I guess he is my friend, whoever he is. She stood up, feeling strangely stiff and groggy, and moved toward the inviting light. The hooded figure hadn’t shown up yet, but Jahrra knew it was only a matter of time. She trudged through the thick, dew-drenched grass, but before she reached the place where the hooded man would inevitably arrive, something moved in the corner of her eye.
She shot her head around and gasped when she saw a golden unicorn standing only twenty feet away from her. He was beautiful, more beautiful than the one she had seen in the meadow of the Wreing Florenn. He pricked his ears forward when he saw Jahrra looking at him and released a cry; a chiming, melodic whinny. Jahrra immediately forgot about her silent friend and cautiously approached the unicorn, fascinated by his metallic coat.
The unicorn let her pet him for a while but then turned and trotted out of the orchard. Jahrra quickly followed, entranced by this amazing animal. She walked easily through the forest surrounding the copse of fruit trees, moving downhill, always downhill. She struggled a little with the underbrush and had to push aside low hanging branches, but the unicorn always stayed in sight, not yet disappearing into the thick mist.
Finally, after several heart-racing minutes, the unicorn stopped dead in his tracks and stared down over a drop in the land. Jahrra slid next to him and focused her eyes on what he was seeing. She gasped. Below them was the Belloughs, Denaeh’s garden and the cave she called home in plain view. A tendril of smoke curled from a small chimney in the hillside, but Jahrra sensed no movement from the cave or the surrounding trees.
Jahrra glanced at the unicorn, his pale eyes locking with hers. Suddenly, she felt happy and carefree, like she weighed no more than a feather. The unicorn slowly edged forward, and she gladly followed, not wanting to be torn from the blissful feeling the magical creature was emanating.
Jahrra was sure she would’ve followed this animal into a forest fire if he wished to lead her there, but suddenly something seemed to pull at her mind. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it threatened to release her from the unicorn’s trance. No, she thought, he wants me to go down there, I must go. But the force that pulled on her mind wouldn’t relent. It gently surrounded her thoughts and lightly pushed the giddy feeling away. Jahrra gasped as the last thread of joyous peace was ripped from her mind. She
clutched her head and took deep breaths as common sense returned to her.
What had she been doing, straying away from her safe orchard? Wasn’t it dangerous to go wandering around in dreams, even ones this familiar? Jahrra shook her head, wondering if she was even still asleep. When she looked up from her crouched position, she knew that she was. She was still deep in the woods, far away from her orchard, but there, just in front of her was the tall, enigmatic figure she had grown to rely on. He gazed down at her, as always, from the shadow of his hood. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she could feel them locked with her own. His arms were crossed and his back rigid, but she didn’t feel threatened by him at all.
He stood aside and held out an arm as if inviting her to walk ahead of him. Jahrra nodded and slowly got back on her feet, rocking slightly from the dizzy aftereffect of the unicorn’s influence on her. She stumbled forward, taking longer than she thought to get back to the orchard. Her hooded friend stayed right behind her, always keeping the same distance, and when they got back to the place where she had woken up in this dream, he nodded his head and she obediently lay back down upon the mattress of soft weeds.
Before she drifted off to join the world of the conscious, Jahrra asked him a question, her voice sounding strange in this otherworld, “You didn’t want me to go with the unicorn, did you?”
He nodded, keeping his arms crossed and not saying a word. Jahrra swallowed, “Why?” But all he did was drop his arm in a welcoming gesture, signaling to her that now was the time to wake up.
Jahrra nodded and hunkered down into the thick grass. She didn’t want to wake up yet; she had too much to think about and this was just the place to do some deep thinking. She held off on waking up for just long enough to consider a few things. She thought about her new friend, Denaeh, and wondered if the strange path of this dream had anything to do with her. The Mystic was strange, Jahrra had to admit, but she liked the woman and felt that she could be a source of comfort and advice.
[Oescienne 01.0] The Finding Page 35
