The Great Hunt

by Higgins,Wendy

  “You don’t think we can do it?”

  His smile turned to a teasing grin. “Well, if you say you can, then I’ve no choice but to believe you. It’s just that all I can picture is a bit of this.” He flapped his hands wildly, like an amateur swimmer flailing to stay afloat.

  Wyneth and Aerity had to laugh at his ridiculous antics. The others came over to see what was going on.

  “I assure you we can swim as well as any men,” Aerity said.

  “Or better.” Vixie grinned.

  The older guard stepped up. “We should get you back soon, your highnesses.”

  “Soon?” Wyneth asked. “But we’ve got a couple hours before dusk. Plenty of time for a swim.” She shot a rather challenging glance toward Lord Alvi and his chest seemed to puff in pride that she’d acknowledged him.

  Aerity looked at Paxton, whose eyes were trained on the trees behind her, as if lost in thought. “How about this?” she began. “Us three girls versus you three lads. We race to the Isle of Loch and you race to Red Crab Island—that’s what Wyn and I used to do.”

  “Absolutely!” Tiern rubbed his hands together.

  “We can’t let you go alone,” said the younger guard to Aerity. The older one frowned at him.

  “Then come along,” Aerity responded.

  The two guards exchanged a glance and the younger one spoke up. “I’ll swim with them and you keep watch from here.”

  “I’m not sure the king would approve—”

  “Father won’t mind!” Vixie said, already peeling off her riding boots. “He knows we’ve done this loads of times.”

  “Aye, your highness, but that was . . . before.”

  “The beast has never attacked in daylight, has it?” Vixie challenged. “And besides, it’s probably still in the mountains.”

  The older one let out a huff as if all this silliness were an unnecessary waste of time. Aerity disagreed. Her spirits were already lifting as she bent to untie her boots. At Lord Alvi’s side, Tiern took off his shirt. He was lean but strong.

  “Are you sure you want to swim in your riding clothes, Your Highnesses and lady?” asked the older guard. “Perhaps we should return another day when we’ve had time to prepare and speak with the king.”

  “Rest your mind,” Aerity told him, pulling back her hair with a leather strip from her pocket and tying it tightly. “We’ll be to the islands and back in less than an hour and return to the castle straight away. We’ll dry a bit on the walk back, and all will be well.” She gave him a reassuring smile, but his face remained creased with worry.

  Aerity knew if they asked her father to swim to the barrier islands he would refuse. His overbearing rules of late were suffocating her, and she longed for one moment of freedom and peace. Rebellion, even. Plus, she wanted Lord Alvi to eat his words.

  She turned to see if the lads were ready, and had to swallow hard. Paxton’s back was to them as he pulled his brown tunic over his head and tossed it onto a rock. He turned and immediately locked eyes with Aerity. Under his shirt had been a diagonal strap from his shoulder to waist holding sheathed daggers. She didn’t bother looking away. She’d seen his chest before in the healing room, but seeing him standing there at a distance, his trousers hung low and his hair escaping the messy knot . . . all of it made Aerity’s body tighten.

  She definitely required a cool down. “Right.” Aerity cleared her throat and walked to the edge of the water. The others followed. Behind her, the younger guard had taken off his shirt, and was tightening his bow and quiver across his back.

  “You’re taking your weapon?” Aerity asked. It hardly seemed necessary, and it would surely slow him down. She hoped he didn’t expect them to wait if he lagged behind. The hunters had all set their bows on the shore.

  “Course, your highness. It’ll be a challenge, but how else will I protect you from sea vermin?” His tone was joking.

  Aerity felt guilty for making him do this. “You honestly don’t have to accompany us.”

  “Aye, but it’ll put my mind at ease. Plus, I’ve got to stay fit so I can race my little lad. He’s only three years and already threatening to overtake me.” He winked, and Aerity smiled.

  Vixie bent and rolled her trousers up until they were snug above her knees. She did a series of squats and arm stretches that made Aerity smile.

  “All right, then.” Aerity looked down the row at all the swimmers, who watched her in return—the men with serious, competitive faces, Vixie grinning wickedly, and Wyneth appearing flushed with readiness. “Ready? And . . . go!”

  The seven of them bolted forward with a resounding, running splash into the cold water.

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  ..................................................................

  Chapter

  36

  Aerity sliced through the water as quickly as her arms and legs would take her, marveling at the sensation of leaving everything behind. She pushed beyond herself, past the burn of her shoulders and thighs, past her stifling fears of the future, past the ache that constantly pressed on her chest.

  Wyneth was at her side, tired yet keeping pace. Vixie swam ahead of them, the guard behind. Now and then Aerity would turn to stare at the three bodies getting smaller as they swam toward the other barrier island. So far, the lads and lasses seemed neck and neck, but it was hard to tell for certain.

  “Come on!” Vixie called to the girls over her shoulder.

  Wyneth let out a groan and the two of them pushed harder, their torsos angling side to side with the movement. Three quarters of the way, as Wyneth began to slow, Aerity wondered if this had been a bad idea. Her cousin hadn’t had much physical activity over the past few months.

  “Do you need to slow and rest?” Aerity called out to her.

  This question seemed to awaken Wyneth and she responded with a loud, “No,” picking up a burst of speed. Aerity smiled. Then she had a fleeting, unwelcome thought about the great beast, how well it swam. Panic coursed into the pit of her belly. She scanned the waters, which were as smooth as glass. The fear left as quickly as it had come, and Aerity nearly laughed at herself.

  She watched the Isle of Loch as it neared. Almost there. She could see the sand through the water again. Soon it was too shallow to swim, so they stood, struggling to move their numb legs through the surf. Vixie kept shooting looks over her shoulder at the nearby island.

  “They’re standing too! Hurry!”

  The girls trudged as quickly as they could, lifting their knees high and making a racket with all the splashing. Wyneth collapsed onto the sand, waves lapping at her feet. Aerity and Vixie saw the hunters standing on the other shore, having turned at the same time as them. They appeared so small.

  “A tie?” Vixie shouted. “A bloody tie?”

  From afar, Tiern raised his arms and appeared to be pointing down at the men, as if they’d won. Vixie slashed her arms through the air. “Not quite, sir! It was a tie!”

  It looked as if their small figures were laughing. Paxton, with his hands on his waist, walked away from the other lads, while Lord Alvi and Tiern talked animatedly. She couldn’t hear their voices at all.

  “What do you suppose they’re saying?” Vixie asked. “Better not be saying they won.”

  Wyneth sat up, smoothing the wet hair back from her face. “I’m going to need a rest before I can make it back.”

  Aerity patted her cousin’s wet head as the guard made it up onto the sand.

  He checked his arrows, seeming pleased that they survived the trip. “Bit colder than I anticipated.”

  “Aye,” Aerity agreed. She closed her eyes and raised her face to the warm sun, grateful for it. “Let’s rest and get warm again before we head back.”

  A warm breeze blew, bringing with it a powerful scent of animal decay. Aerity covered her nose and Wyneth gagged.

  “Something’s dead.” The guard laughed.

  He wiped water fro
m the wood of each bow, and then gazed up toward the old, abandoned structure. One corner of the building was partly crumpled, a pile of rubble on the ground and exposed deteriorating wood.

  “I take it your highnesses will be safe here if I go check out the building? I’ve never been here.”

  “Go ahead,” Aerity told him. “We’re not going anywhere.”

  “I’ll only be a minute. We need to head back straight away.”

  The girls nodded as he left them. Aerity sat in the sand beside Wyneth and stared with her across the stretch of sea. Tiern and Lord Alvi were lounging back on rocks, while Paxton walked among the wild bushes.

  Vixie had walked a good ways down the shore, calling out, “Look at the size of this clam! Do you think it has a pearl?”

  “Pry it open and see!” Aerity yelled. Vixie plopped down on the sand with the gray clam in her lap. That should keep her little sister busy. She glanced at Wyneth, who wore a sad expression. They sat quietly a moment. Aerity was tired of all the unspoken things between them. She chose her next words with care.

  “Is there anything you’d like to talk about, Wyn?”

  Her cousin’s eyes were blurred as she continued to stare out, shaking her head slowly.

  “Not even a certain handsome man from the coldlands?”

  Wyneth peered at her, face tight. “Definitely not.”

  “All right, then.” Aerity sighed and took Wyneth’s hand. “Maybe if we don’t acknowledge any of this, the breath of the sea will blow over the lands and right all of the wrongs that’ve come about.”

  Wyneth shut her eyes. Princess Aerity’s heart constricted as a line of tears rushed down her cousin’s pink cheeks.

  Wyneth whispered, choking out, “I’m sorry, dearest Aerity. I didn’t mean to . . . I’ve tried . . .”

  “No.” The princess squeezed her cousin’s hand. “You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s as if fate is an evil sorceress playing cruel tricks on the lot of us.”

  Wyneth brushed away another drip of tears and sniffed, then leaned her head against Aerity’s shoulder. They sat like that together, their hearts heavy with burden.

  From down the way, Vixie groaned. “Ugh, no pearl. What a rotter!” Aerity heard the heavy plunk of Vixie chucking the clam into the ocean. She and Wyneth both giggled.

  Vixie jogged over and sat herself down cross-legged next to them. “What’s wrong with you two?”

  Aerity’s first instinct was to put on a smile and protect her sister from unpleasant knowledge, but perhaps it was time she stopped.

  “Vix, lots of things are going on in the kingdom.”

  “I know. Oh . . .” She looked back and forth between them, her face falling. “Were you talking about Breckon? I’m sorry.”

  Wyneth blinked at the sand.

  “No,” Aerity said. “I mean, Breckon, he’s always there in our thoughts. Since the start of it all.” She looked at Wyneth, who slowly nodded. “And I don’t want to upset you, Vix, but I need you to be careful where Tiern is concerned.”

  Vixie shrugged, looking down at the sand. “He’s my friend.”

  “I know. He’s great fun, and he’s been a nice distraction from all this mess, but just be cautious. Of your heart, I mean. Sometimes friendship can lead to deeper feelings.”

  Vixie nudged a half shell with her toe. “Well, he is handsome, I suppose.”

  Aerity closed her eyes. “See, that’s what I mean, Vix. But you must know, if he kills the beast, I will marry him. He will be mine, perhaps not his heart, but he’ll be the father of my children, the father of this land’s future rulers.”

  “I see.” Vixie dug her toes hard into the sand, her face unreadable, then she stood. “I’ll keep my distance. And from all the other hunters, as well, seeing as they’re all yours.”

  Wyneth jumped to her feet, speaking sharply. “Obviously your sister does not want all these lads for herself, and she doesn’t want to hold you back from fancying anyone, Vixie. It’s time to grow up. This is about the kingdom, not you. Don’t make this any harder on Aer than it has to be.”

  Vixie slumped. “I’m not trying to. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking of him as her future husband. He’s just the first lad I’ve ever been around who makes me feel like a normal girl.”

  Aerity stood now, too. “I understand, and I’ve enjoyed seeing you happy. I don’t want you to end up heartbroken. That’s all.” She pushed unruly, salty red curls over Vixie’s shoulder, thinking of all the festivals the younger princess would attend in the next year. If her sister could keep her heart from settling on Tiern for a bit longer, Aerity was certain she would be just fine.

  Vixie crossed her arms and her disappointed eyes went to the expanse between islands, where the lads still rested. Her jaw set in frustration and she kicked the sand, splattering the water. “I wish I could kill this stupid beast myself.”

  “And then I’d have to marry you.” The moment Aerity said it, all three girls began laughing. Aerity adored the beautiful smiles on their faces.

  From behind them, a distant scrape and bang sounded, followed by a pained grunt, cutting their laughter short. All three lasses turned their heads. They could see nothing but the building with overgrown weeds and vines.

  “What was that?” Vixie asked.

  Aerity listened hard. “The guard must have tripped on a faulty board or something.”

  “Do you think he’s okay?” Wyneth asked.

  Aerity continued to listen. “I’m sure he’s fine . . .” An uneasy feeling of dread spread through her stomach.

  “I’ll call him.” Vixie sucked in a breath to yell, but a strange sense of foreboding filled Aerity and she covered her sister’s mouth.

  “No, keep quiet. We’ll have a look.”

  She led the way over small dunes with dense, tall patches of beach grass sprouting upward. “Watch out for the stickers.” Aerity pointed to the thorny tangle of brush growing close to the ground.

  They neared the stone and wood building, which Aerity knew to have entrances on all sides, some open to the elements after the doors had been battered away by storm winds. Another burst of sea breeze brought an unpleasant whiff of death, and the girls covered their mouths and noses.

  “Must be a dead gull,” Aerity said.

  “More like a hundred of them.” Vixie waved the air in front of her face.

  “I’ll check the warehouse side and meet you around back,” Wyneth said. Aerity nodded and took Vixie by the arm, keeping her close when she looked as if she wanted to dart ahead, her eyes alight with adventure.

  Stepping carefully onto the stone entryway, Aerity peered up at the overhang, which seemed solid. Gazing into the dim entry sent Aerity into a tailspin of nostalgia—the desk that was once used to check-in trade goods, and the open area to the side for keeping files of data. The girls used to play here, pretending to be queens of different lands bringing their foreign goods to barter. It looked the very same, if not smaller.

  There was no sign of their guard.

  “He must be around back,” Aerity whispered. At one time, all large shipments were brought to the back entrance with its wide, warehouse door.

  “Why are we whispering?” Vixie whispered.

  “I don’t know. I’m . . . nervous or something.”

  Vixie mimicked Aerity’s quiet footing around the side of the building. When they got to a pile of cut wood, Aerity stopped.

  Why was there a neat pile of wood on this barren island?

  Aerity’s heart picked up speed. She wasn’t afraid of traveling persons, like vagabonds and gypsies—their own mother had been one for sixteen years—but what if outlawed criminals had taken up residence here? They needed to find their guard and Wyneth and get out of there. They could send a group of soldiers out to check the premises later. Aerity pressed a finger to her lips and Vixie nodded, frowning down at the woodpile, then peering around suspiciously. The island was so quiet. Whoever had been there must have ventured away.

  As they turned the co
rner to the side of the building, the scents of decay became so strong that both girls covered their mouths and noses. They approached an open doorway. Aerity pressed a hand back at Vixie to keep her sister there, while she slowly peeked into the dim room, heart hammering.

  Tables lined the room, laden with . . . animals? Or, rather, animal parts. Aerity was appalled, a sickening feeling traveling through her. What was going on here? She saw no people, but one of the animals, something that looked like a crocodile’s head attached to a bear’s body, actually looked to be breathing, though it lay very still.

  Aerity whipped her head back around and stood against the wall outside the door, fighting for breaths. A sense of danger blanketed her. When Vixie poked her arm, Aerity shook her head and hissed through her teeth. “We have to find Wyn and get out of here! Right now!”

  She took Vixie’s hand, and they crept quickly past the gruesome room toward the corner that would take them to the back of the building. Vixie slowed to a stop, peering in with wide eyes. In a panic, Aerity yanked her sister with too much force. Vixie stumbled and cried out quietly as she fell into debris of cut stones and warped metal.

  “Vixie!” Aerity bent over and pulled her sister back by the waist, helping her sit in the dirt. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you . . .” She lost her voice when she saw the gash down Vixie’s shin and the blood that seeped down to her feet. Aerity’s first flustered thought was to run for Mrs. Rathbrook. Stupid. They were on an island, alone!

  “Perhaps if we roll your trousers down.” Aerity pulled the tight material around her sister’s knee, but as she unrolled it and the fabric touched the wound, Vixie shook her head and pushed her hands away.

  “No, please!”

  “It could help hinder the blood flow.”

  “It hurts.”

  “Okay.” Aerity chewed her lip. “Do you think you can swim?”

  “I can try.” She winced sharply when she attempted to stand.

  “Maybe you should stay here while I go back for help.”

  Vixie whimpered and glanced back at the doorway behind her. “I don’t want to stay here. What’s going on in that room?”