“Enjoy,” he said, giving her a small reassuring grin.
Nessa allowed herself to be led away, tree trunks quickly concealing Hunter and the bell tents. Intrigued as to what the surprise might be, she looked all around, searching for any clues. The trees towered around them, growing closer together than the ones by the campsite, a few leaves still clinging to the lower branches in enchanting shades of orange and red. Here and there were light patches of undergrowth.
The ground sloped downwards gently, becoming rocky underfoot, and the sound of running water soon reached Nessa’s ears. Orm headed towards it, pulling Nessa along behind him, his hand wrapped around hers, holding it like she was a small child who might wander off and get lost. He pushed past a bush with flame-esque leaves and Nessa’s surprise was suddenly revealed to her.
Oh! What a surprise it was.
Chapter 5
It was something from a fairy tale, a dream, one built from a river of crystal-clear water and sparkling waterfalls.
The river ran calmly downhill, edged on either side by natural bedrock capped with young trees. Branches reached over the river, raining down dappled shade. A collection of small pools made up a section of it nearby, ringed with boulders and dark earth covered in a carpet of lush moss.
Nessa’s eyes were drawn to the pool closest to her.
Larger than most of the others, it was deep and round. A long, wandering waterfall cascaded down from the pool above it. Dotted around, peppering the rocky banks, lining the sides, were hundreds of tiny flames. At first, Nessa mistook them for small candles, but she was quick to realise that the flames hovered an inch or so above the ground, appearing out of thin air. Their light danced across the water’s surface, golden and magical, and caught on pockets of rocks and moss, highlighting them with an ethereal quality even in the daylight.
Nessa looked up at Orm. “What’s this?”
“It’s your surprise.”
“A chance to look at a pretty river and some floating flames?”
Orm laughed.
“No, silly.” He nodded to where her pile of loaned clothes sat alongside a couple of other items by the pool. “It’s a relaxing bathing session that’s guaranteed to make you feel like a completely new person.”
“Oh.”
“It was thought up on short notice. It’s the best we could do to right now to, ya know, make you feel better and stuff.” He helped Nessa navigate over the mossy rocks, stopping her from slipping as they neared the water’s edge. “We’ve got you clean clothes, soap, a comb and,” he let go of her hand and kneeled beside the pool, dipping a finger into the water, “a nice, hot bath.” His fingertip glowed red and the water rippled, steam rising in a rapidly growing circle until the whole pool was steaming.
Nessa gasped. “How did you do that?”
Orm stood and grinned. “It’s just a little thing I can do.” He snapped his thumb and index finger, and a flame sprang up between them, red but flickering with hints of green. “A gift graced to me by my father’s lineage.”
“It’s amazing.”
“It comes in useful every now and again. But I can’t hold it for long, so I suggest you hop into the pool whilst it’s hot. The campsite’s not too far away, so if anything happens, just holler. Not that anything should happen. Everything is perfectly safe.”
“Okay,” Nessa murmured, her eyes wide with wonder even as Orm waved the little flame away.
“You know which way to go when you’ve finished?”
Nessa nodded.
Orm started to walk away. “Then I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thank you.”
He gave her a small smile from over his shoulder as he disappeared into the trees. “Think of it as a welcome back present,” were his parting words.
Nessa stood on the riverbank for a second, drinking in the sight of the natural pools; the carpet of moss; the warm, welcoming water; Orm’s little magical lights. It was a dream, surely, a beautiful one, granted, but a dream regardless. She was imagining it all. Be that as it may, it didn’t stop the blanket from slipping from her shoulders, nor did it prevent her from freeing herself from her dirtied clothes, throwing them to the ground with distaste. Nessa could tell that they had once been something lovely to wear, but now they were barely more than rags, riddled with holes and ominous red-brown stains.
Tiptoeing over the ring of dancing flames, Nessa stood at the lip of the pool, watching the steam curl over the water’s surface in rolling waves. She dipped a toe into the water, testing the temperature, testing to see if it was part of her reality.
It was perfection. The dream remained unaltered.
Nessa carefully entered the pool, finding it deeper than she had first thought. The shallowest part reached up to her knees.
Nessa waded further into the pool, curious as to how deep the centre was, and she smiled as tropical water closed over her shoulders, hot and oh-so soothing. Her muscles began to relax, and she tilted her head back, letting the water soak into her hair.
Already, Nessa felt like a completely new person.
She pulled her legs up, feet leaving the bottom of the pool, and allowed herself to just drift in the water, letting it gently pull her this way and that, the slow current tugging her around in a gentle circle as the pool was filled and emptied in equal measure. Whatever magic Orm had spun, the temperature remained the same, even with the continuous flow of fresh water. Nessa briefly wondered how long it would last for, then made her way over to the soap.
Soon clusters of bubbles shimmered iridescently in the firelight as Nessa scrubbed herself with relish, rubbing at the stubborn grime until it either came off or was revealed as bands of dark bruises. Every time soap came into contact with a cut or a graze, it would sting violently, but seeing as most of her was covered in some form of wound, she swiftly got used to the hum of pain. Nessa didn’t really have much of a choice, not if she wanted to be clean.
She wanted to be clean.
So she persevered.
In the end, with her skin free of dirt, Nessa was able to see the true extent of her ordeal.
Around each wrist and ankle was a thick band of raw flesh, a sickening collection of fresh wounds mixed with half-healed scabs and pink scar tissue. Nessa washed them carefully, trying not to open any of the lesions, wondering bleakly as she did so of what had caused such injuries. It was as if she had been chained hand and foot, struggling endlessly to get free. Was that what had happened? If so, Nessa couldn’t help but feel that maybe it was a small kindness that she couldn’t remember.
Nessa’s attention drifted to the rest of her body, fingers gently skimming over the bloody grazes on her knees. They were new, acquired during her hectic race through the forest last night. Her palms had similar abrasions, although they were smaller and not quite as deep. Her feet, legs and arms were crisscrossed with an unfathomable number of scratches. These too had been collected during the night. Nessa faintly recalled thorns and spiky undergrowth snagging on her clothing, ripping and slicing.
Between the cuts were a handful of forming bruises, a beautiful vivid blue that was in stark contrast to the bruises that covered the rest of her in large swathes. These were older, a deep purple and tender to the touch. Nessa thought that they were perhaps a couple of days old. She was mystified as to what might have caused them.
Nessa searched her mind, her memories, for how she had got them, but came upon a void of darkness. There wasn’t so much as a hint of a time before the forest.
Despite the heated water, Nessa shivered. What had happened to me? What had been done to me? Most importantly, why can’t I remember anything?
Mulling over those dark thoughts, Nessa rubbed soapy bubbles into her hair, massaging her scalp, trying to work the worst of the knots from her tresses. Foreseeing a fair bit of work ahead of her, she moved over to the side of the pool and leaned back against the rocky ledge, resting in a small fork in the waterfall, water cascading down on either side of her.
; It was shallower there, and Nessa was able to sit on the pool’s floor, the water reaching almost to her shoulders. She pulled her knees to her chest and reached for the comb that Orm had left on top of her change of clothes. It was made from metal, pewter being her guess, and had fine detailing on the front and back. Her thumb caressed the shapes of antlers and runes meditatively for a second. Then she began to run the comb through her hair, slowly loosening the knots and snags, slowly transforming herself from a wild thing back into a girl.
Steam drifted over the pool’s surface, curling tendrils that seemed to hold an ethereal quality. They defused the firelight, softening it, making the flames appear as delicate floating orbs. Everything was so dreamy…so calming… Magic had been used to heat the water, and Nessa couldn’t help but wonder if Orm had added some healing qualities to it as well. Whilst the bruises and cuts remained unchanged, the aches and pains gradually faded. With the absence of those discomforts, Nessa found herself at peace, her muscles relaxed, the inner turmoil forgotten.
She sank deeper into the water, only keeping the top half of her head above the surface. Her hair drifted around her shoulders in a dark cloud.
Oh, Nessa thought, this is perfection.
She allowed her eyes to drift shut.
There was a splash.
Nessa’s eyes snapped open.
Everything seemed as it should.
The little flames danced happily away, undisturbed, and the forest was calm, the trees whispering quietly, sleepily.
Then, on the other side of the pool, Nessa spied something a little strange. The water rippled, a ring of small waves spreading outwards as if someone had thrown in a stone. Nessa looked around, expecting Hunter or Orm to be standing nearby, about to tell her that she was taking too long. No one was there, though. Nessa turned back and stared at the wavelets, peering at the spot they originated from.
As Nessa watched, an object moved in the water, gliding beneath the surface for a second. It drew closer. Closer. Then a little humanoid creature cautiously revealed itself.
Its head breached the water only a few feet away from Nessa, just out of reach. Small and delicate, all graceful limbs and alien features, it couldn’t have been more than ten inches in height, no bigger than a child’s doll. Its skin was a pale green and its hair was a deep emerald, drifting around its form like dark silk. The little creature was as beautiful as it was strange.
They stared at each other, neither seeming to know what to do.
“Hello,” Nessa said gently, voice barely above a whisper, fearful of scaring it away.
The creature blinked.
“Do you understand me?”
Its head cocked to the side, its overly large eyes, the colour of peridot, running over Nessa’s face. For the briefest of moments, Nessa felt a flicker of a memory, a ghost of one. She closed her eyes as if she would be able to see it against her eyelids, but it was gone before it had a chance to show itself.
A wave of disappointment, of loss, crashed over her.
Nessa fought against the prickling of tears and focused on the little creature. Who, she saw, was slowly inching closer. Nessa eyed it with a touch of suspicion.
“Have we met before?” she asked. “Do I know you?”
It shook its head.
“But…”
The creature paddled closer, tiny webbed hands working at the water, long hair flowing behind it in a cloud.
It slowly dawned on her. “I haven’t met you before,” Nessa murmured thoughtfully, “but I’ve met one of your kin, haven’t I?”
The creature gave a little nod.
Nessa couldn’t help but smile. “I almost remember, but it’s like something’s keeping the memories at bay. Every time I try to unlock them, I seem to hit a wall of solid darkness.”
A shrug of a small, green shoulder.
“Will I ever get them back?” Nessa wondered. “My memories?”
It nodded
Hope flared to life. “Really?”
It gave another nod.
“How?”
The little creature came to a stop just in front of Nessa and raised a hand. A charge filled the air, static and heavy. Magic was being drawn upon, ancient and wild. Nessa braced herself, half-expecting mystic lightning to shoot down from the clear sky and strike her.
The magic strengthened.
An angry caw sounded out, loud and jarring. Nessa jerked back, the rocky ledge digging into her spine. The little creature’s head snapped to the side, its eyes growing frantic and wide. Nessa followed its gaze and a shiver of unease crawled over her skin.
There, sitting on a nearby branch, was the blue-eyed raven.
It had appeared suddenly and silently, as if conjured from nothing, and watched Nessa keenly. It cawed again, with its wings beating at the air in a threatening manner. Nessa flinched and the little creature emitted a sound of distress. In the blink of an eye, it vanished, diving beneath the water. Nessa was left to face the raven alone. She sank lower into the water, never taking her gaze off the bird, hoping that it wouldn’t attack her again.
The raven’s blue eyes locked with hers, conveying a wordless message that Nessa was unable to decipher. Could it be a warning? A threat? A promise? Then, with one last caw, it simply flew away, shooting through the trees as a dark shadow until it disappeared from sight.
Nessa let out a shaky breath and abruptly decided that bath time was over.
She was quick to dress, hardly taking the time to dry herself off, and found that Hunter’s clothing was almost comically too big. The cream-coloured shirt reached almost to her knees, the sleeves hanging past her fingertips, and the brown trous were far too long, forcing her to hastily roll them up to avoid tripping over.
Nessa scooped up her discarded clothing and Orm’s comb, then hurried into the trees, heading back to the campsite. The raven had scared away the sense of security, and once again everything seemed sinister. The woods filled with menacing shapes and eerie whispers. The path was fairly easy for her to follow. The way appeared often traversed by Hunter and Orm, used as a route to the river for collecting water and bathing—hopefully not at the same time—and because of this, the fallen leaves had been kicked out of the way to reveal the earthen floor.
Voices from the campsite could be heard before it came into sight, and Nessa breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be back in the safety of Hunter and Orm’s company. Just as the tents came into sight, her name was uttered. Nessa paused. The voice was unknown to her. It wasn’t Hunter or Orm.
The wind moaned softly and the trees chattered quietly, and Nessa ducked behind a wide trunk before she was spotted. Their discussion was hushed, their voices faint. Once or twice Nessa heard her name floating on the breeze. They were talking about her. She strained to hear what they were saying, curious and a little bit perplexed. The tone was one of disagreement.
Were they arguing about me?
“Something isn’t right,” Hunter insisted.
“I know,” Orm said. “I’ve had three of these joints now and I’m barely feeling a thing.”
“I thought the whole point of smoking those was to not feel anything.”
Orm huffed. “Usually yes. But I mean that I’m not feeling any effects from them. They’re not working.”
“Oh no,” Hunter’s voice oozed with fake sincerity. “Whatever are we to do?”
“Well—”
“Enough, you fools,” someone hissed, cutting off Orm’s response. It was the voice that had made Nessa pause. “We need to decide what we’re going to do with the girl.”
“What do you mean?” Hunter asked, sounding uncertain.
“We need to decide what we’re going to tell her. Are we to tell her the truth or do what I suggested?”
Hunter snorted. “The truth, obviously.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Think about it, Chaos,” Orm spoke up. “What if her memories come back? What if the memory loss is just caused by trau
ma and is temporary?”
“Don’t talk down to me, boy!” Chaos snapped. “And stop looking for false hope. I taught you better than that. Someone has tampered with her mind. Her memories have been locked away. They will never return. Heed my advice and save the girl a lot of unnecessary pain.”
“You mean lie to her?” Hunter growled.
“No, I mean to simply give her a different version of the truth. She has a chance to start again. To have a fresh start. You would be cruel to throw away the opportunity of saving your friend from all the confusion and fear she’s carried for so long. Do not be stubborn and blind with this decision. For this is your decision to make, human, seeing as you have known her the longest.”
Hunter grumbled something under his breath, too low for Nessa to hear. There was the sound of retreating footsteps, then the rustle of canvas rubbing quietly against canvas. Nessa guessed that someone had just entered a tent and closed the door flap behind them.
There was a heartbeat of loaded silence.
“Hunter—” Orm began.
“No, this doesn't sit right with me. None of this is right. And what he says is most definitely not right.”
“Maybe he’s onto something—”
“You can’t be serious?” Hunter spat.
“We’d be fools to not at least consider what Chaos suggested.”
Hunter grunted.
“I can’t help but think that maybe it would be kinder for her to start anew…”
Nessa couldn’t bear to listen anymore, fearful of what she might hear next. She stepped out from behind the tree, making sure she trod on a few twigs as she did so, and continued along the path.
∞∞∞
If Hunter and Orm were troubled about what they’d just been discussing, they were swift to cover it up, donning relaxed smiles when Nessa entered the campsite. She hastened to join them by the campfire, pretending that she hadn’t been eavesdropping, trying to conceal her troubled thoughts by averting her eyes.
“Hey,” Orm said brightly. “Look at you, all cleaned up and whatnot.”
House of Blood and Bone Page 4
