I noticed that her skin was heavily tattooed with strange symbols that ran down her arm and the side of her neck, even though she had tried her best to cover them. I wondered what they were as I inspected all the things she was selling.
I shook my head. I knew I had no money, but still I was very intrigued. They looked quite fascinating.
She picked up the bracelet and showed it to me more closely. “Come, come, my dear, you will never find something like this in this part of Avalonia. I can give you a wonderful five-charm bracelet for only one gold damarin and two silver trilts.”
I studied the intricate piece of work. The bracelet was finely crafted, and the tiny charms that hung from it were made in different colors and shaped in curious-looking designs.
I was fascinated; maybe Kalen could lend me the money to buy it and explain how to use it. I looked around for him and waved him over. When he saw me he came over quickly and pulled me away from the stall.
“Stay away from her,” he said seriously.
The lady made a face as she turned to her next customer, her multiple bracelets jingling as she moved.
“You never know what these witches put in those charm bracelets. Many things can go wrong. They are not really safe,” said Kalen quietly to me.
“She was a witch?” I asked, looking back at her.
“Can’t you tell?” Kalen admonished, pulling me toward another tent with a red-and-white awning. “Come in here, I want to show you something.”
Outside the tent was a sign: “Magical Creatures, Familiars, and Companions.” I wondered what he wanted me to see. I couldn’t handle a pet right now; I was having a hard enough time looking after myself as it was.
The inside of the tent was built like a stable, and, like the plant tent, it was larger inside than it looked on the outside. Kalen had tried to explain to me about fae glamour, but it was very different actually seeing it work.
This was not a place for puppies and kittens; the tent was filled with strange-looking creatures. Most of them were in cages, and some of the others were tied up. There were birds, mice, snakes, and other beasts that I could not identify. A lizard with the head of a frog peered at me from a small cage, and a birdlike creature with the face of a cat hissed as I walked past. I tried to keep as far away from the cages as I could—the animals didn’t look very friendly.
At the back of the tent in the last stall was a white horse, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. As we got closer, I could see what it was that had gotten Kalen so excited. The strange white horse had beautiful, iridescent wings. It stood in its stall watching me, holding its head high and stamping one massive hoof. Its coat was the color of fresh snow, and its magnificent mane fell in thick cascades down its powerful neck.
I stared at the mythical winged horse in wonder. Avalonia was truly an amazing place.
“That’s a pegasus.” Kalen whispered. “They are very rare outside of Elfi. I wonder how it even got here?”
We went over to look at the pegasus more closely. Before I could ask Kalen any more about it, a tall man with slick, black hair ran up to us.
“Interested in this pegasus, eh?” He stood at a distance from the horse. “Got this one at a real steal, I did. She was bruised, hurt, and caught hard by a band of goblins in the Cascade Mountains, she was.” The slimy-looking man peered around suspiciously, as if someone were going to pounce on him any moment. “I can give you a good price for her, I can.”
All of a sudden, there were disturbing noises from outside the tent. People screamed, and the pegasus seller ran out to have a look. I glanced at Kalen, but he seemed as confused as I was.
“The Shadow Guard,” shouted the pegasus seller, running back into the tent.
“What?” Kalen’s head whipped toward the entrance to the tent. “In the forest? We must get out of here, and fast.” He took my hand, and we ran.
My heart raced, and a ball of fear pooled in the pit of my stomach. How did the Shadow Guard know about the midnight market? Kalen had said I would be safe here.
As we came out of the tent, the happy, peaceful clearing was a mess, with upturned stalls and tents that had been ripped and destroyed. Lanterns lay burning on the mossy floor, and everyone ran helter-skelter into the forest. Kalen went to help two dryad children who had fallen down.
The Shadow Guard moved about the clearing like dark, menacing shadows. There were two of them, and their very presence sent shivers down my spine. They had pale, white skin, and their hands were skeletal with sharp, clawlike fingernails. I couldn’t see their faces, which were hidden under hooded black cloaks.
There were other guards with them in black uniforms, rounding up groups of fae. A small group of gnomes sat in a little heap, tied up, and they looked absolutely terrified. Some of the older fae had engaged in a fight with a couple of the guards. Two were struck down by Shadow Guard magic and lay motionless on the floor.
My blood chilled. They were killing people, and it was my fault; they were here for me. I didn’t know what to do. Should I give myself up? What if they kept killing these poor fae folk? They had done nothing wrong except allow me to stay.
Sharp hands grabbed me from behind. I tried to struggle, but it was useless. Whoever was holding me was too strong for me to move. I kicked and screamed, but nothing helped.
“Is this the girl?” I heard the guard who held me ask someone. I craned my neck to see Oblek walking toward us. He looked at me with so much malice that I had to look away.
Oblek stopped. “Yes, that’s her.” He fixed his dark gaze on me as he came closer. “You thought you could escape me, little girl. I told you the next time you tried, you would be sorry.”
“How did you find me?”
He looked over to the trees, and I saw Finn walking toward us. I couldn’t believe Finn had given me up to Oblek. I knew he didn’t like me, but why did he hate me so much as to do something that caused such destruction to his own kind?
Oblek grabbed me by my arm. “Tie her up. We’ll take her to the queen.” He turned to Finn. “You will be well rewarded, fae.”
Suddenly, there was a flash of white light. It shot past me and hit Oblek. He staggered backward, releasing me as he fell to the ground.
I was free.
My eyes darted across the forest to the other side of the clearing. A shadow moved through the trees—the Black Wolf. With his dark, tousled hair, shining gray eyes, and ebony cloak rippling about him as he walked carefully and purposefully toward the guards, he looked like a sleek black panther ready to pounce on its prey.
Rafe held out his hands, and the air quivered before him, the human guards crumpling like toy soldiers. He now had the undivided attention of the Shadow Guard, and they slowly and confidently started closing in about him.
For a split second, he looked over at me, his gray eyes hard set and brimming with anger. “Run!” His voice was powerful, one you immediately obeyed, even if you didn’t want to. “Run, Aurora, now!”
His weapon glistened in the moonlight as he drew it from its sheath and prepared to meet the Shadow Guard. His sword flashed and swirled like it had a mind of its own. I thought I saw a light surrounding him, and it flickered lightly with a faint blue hue.
Just then I heard Kalen shout, “My lady, over here.”
I turned toward his voice. He stood among the trees on the other side of the clearing, holding the pegasus that looked like it would bolt at any minute.
I ran toward Kalen, my heart pounding in my chest. The pegasus had started putting up a fight; it obviously wanted to hurry away from the loud sounds.
The other fae and Finn had disappeared into the trees. Oblek had managed to revive himself and stood up unsteadily.
Rafe’s sword had fallen, and red and white jets of light shot back and forth between him and the Shadow Guard. How long could he keep this up? I had to do something, help him, or he could die.
“Try to get on,” said Kalen, holding the pegasus. “If you really are of the royal house of
Elfi, the pegasus will carry you.”
The pegasus still showed no signs of calming down, and it was taking all Kalen’s strength, such as it was, to hold her. She seemed to want to run free, but she was pulling in the direction of the fight instead of the other way around. I tried to calm her down and put my hand on her neck.
My palm tingled faintly. Suddenly the pegasus stopped and was completely still. And then something extraordinary happened. I heard a soft, musical voice in my head.
“Climb on, and I shall carry you, Princess.”
I looked around, and back at the pegasus. Did she just speak to me in my head? No! That was impossible! But supposedly, so was magic.
“Yes, it’s me,” the voice said, “and we don’t have much time. Do you want to help your friend or not? I’ll explain later.”
“Okay,” I said in my mind, tentatively pushing out the thought to the pegasus. I hesitated for a brief second. Kalen gave me a boost, and I jumped onto the pegasus’s back. Kalen looked at me with his mouth open wide. I guessed I was of the royal line of Elfi after all.
“Go,” said Kalen. “Get to Eldoren, and go straight to Silverthorne Castle. Tell your granduncle everything that has happened. The duke will know what to do.”
“We must help him,” I said out loud, looking over at Rafe.
“Do not worry, my lady,” said Kalen. “Rafe can take care of himself. You get out of Illiador as fast as you can. He will meet you there.”
I nodded as the pegasus reared once and cantered toward the clearing. I held on tight and concentrated on staying on. But the pegasus ran straight at the Shadow Guard.
“You’re going the wrong way!” Kalen shouted behind us. “You need to get away from this forest fast.”
“I hope you know how to create a shield,” said the voice in my head. “You’re going to need it now.”
“I can’t,” I gasped out loud. “I have no magic.”
“You may not know how to use your magic, but you do have it, or you would not be able to speak to me with your mind. For now, I will shield you. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
“You have magic?” I asked.
“I am a pegasus, protected by the old magic of the High Fae. The magic of the Shadow Guard cannot harm me. And my magic protects those of the royal house of Elfi.”
This mind-talking was weird, but I was quickly getting used to it.
“It’s you they want,” the pegasus said. “I will draw their fire away from the Black Wolf to give him enough time to escape. But you must hold on tight. Whatever happens, do not let go.”
We were nearing the fight as the pegasus increased her speed to a gallop fluidly. It was like riding on air, and soon we really were—we were flying. The pegasus spread her powerful wings and shot into the sky like a hawk, flying directly over the clearing.
The Shadow Guards looked up, and their shields faltered. Rafe hit both of them squarely in the chest with powerful bolts of white light. They staggered and fell to their knees, but Oblek raised his hand, a ball of red fire growing in his palm.
“Now.” The voice in my head was calm. “Hold on.”
I closed my eyes and held on tightly to the pegasus’s neck.
Just then I heard Rafe shout, “No!”
I looked down for a second, in time to see a jet of red flames shooting toward me.
“Be calm,” said the pegasus. “You are protected.”
I felt a jolt hit my back, but there was no pain. I remained on the pegasus’s back, flying out of the forest. As we soared over the treetops I vaguely made out Rafe’s dark shadow disappearing into the summer night.
Snow
I clung on tightly to the pegasus’s neck as we rose up over the trees of Goldleaf Forest and flew toward the Cascade Mountains.
“That was very well done, Princess.”
I smiled. I had only just caught my breath, and my heart was still racing. I never imagined that pegasi could talk.
“How did you know who I was?” I pushed out the thought to her.
The pegasus answered in my mind. “When you touched me, I felt your power. You are unmistakably of the royal line of Elfi. We pegasi have our own magic; I could see who you were, just the same as if you were telling me.”
“Can you talk to everyone like this?”
“Only to the High Fae.”
It was an amazing and exhilarating feeling, racing through the sky on the back of a magical winged horse. The pegasus’s powerful wings soared through the air. Soon we had cleared the forest and were flying higher and higher toward the Cascade Mountains.
“Where do you want to go, Princess? I can take you anywhere you wish after we rest.”
“I need to go back and see if my friend Kalen is okay,” I said, “and Rafe as well.”
“That I cannot do, Princess. Illiador is not safe for you now. The Shadow Guard were everywhere. Pixie Bush is where they will search first.”
“But I need to know my friends are all right.” I was worried about them. But at the moment the pegasus was the only one who knew where we were. Without her I would be lost.
“Your friend, the little fae, will be fine. Do not fret, dear one. And the Black Wolf can take care of himself as well as the others. He will see to it that the fae are safe. I know of him; he may be a mage, but he is a friend of the fae.”
I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to be taken back to Pixie Bush. My only choice was to go to Silverthorne Castle and meet my granduncle, the duke. The pegasus seemed to think I was telling the truth. But still, I was not looking forward to meeting the duke under these circumstances, even though I wanted to discover more about my real family. At least if Rafe were with me he would help me explain everything.
“I would like to go to Silverthorne Castle in Eldoren,” I said politely. “Do you know how to get there?”
“Yes, of course. But why do you need to go to Silverthorne Castle? Better yet, show me why. It’s quicker that way.”
“What do you mean? How can I show you?”
“This is fae magic. Just put your palm on my neck and think about the events as they happened, and I will see them too.”
I closed my eyes, put my left palm on the pegasus’s neck, and thought about Redstone Manor, my adoptive parents, Christopher, Cornelia, Lord Oblek, the tapestry, meeting Kalen and Rafe in the dungeons, Finn’s treachery, our escape to Pixie Bush, and Mrs. Plumpleberry’s healing salve and sound advice.
“That is quite enough.” The pegasus shook her magnificent mane. “I will take you to Silverthorne Castle. But I must rest a while; the magic I used to protect us from the Shadow Guards’ magic has weakened me.”
“Okay,” I said, relieved that at least I didn’t have to ride through the mountains for days on end. I would have been traveling with Rafe, though, and it would have been interesting to spend more time with him. I shrugged the thought away. I guess it was not to be.
I was still a little apprehensive about where we would sleep that night because of the pegasus’s need for rest. Some people may like camping under the stars with wild animals around, but I did not. It was not really my idea of a good time.
I pushed out a thought to the pegasus. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
I hesitated. “What do I call you?”
The pegasus laughed, more like a neigh, but I could feel her emotions. It was amazing. “My name is Gwyneira, which means ‘white as snow’ in the old language of the fae.”
“May I call you Snow?” It sounded like a wonderful name for a pegasus.
“Yes, that is acceptable. I like the name Snow.”
I smiled. “Perfect!”
We flew higher and higher over the Cascade Mountains. The wind whipped my face and hair, but I didn’t care. The moon was full and bathed the mountains in its silvery light. Riding on the back of a pegasus gave me the most wonderful feeling of freedom.
After about an hour, we descended through the low-lying clouds, and
Snow carefully flew through the trees and into a clearing in a forested area of the mountains.
I slid off Snow and cautiously looked around.
The moonlight lit the little clearing, and Snow led me to some bushes, which she told me to push apart. I struggled a little with the dense foliage but finally found a small opening to a dark cave. I peered inside; it was pitch-black, and I quickly backed away.
“There is no way I am going in there,” I said to Snow out loud.
“Would you prefer to sleep outdoors?” Snow sounded confused. “I’m afraid I have no idea how to light a fire, and it will get cold. If you knew how to use your magic, you could do it, but since you cannot, we will have to make do with the cave.”
I nodded, feeling upset and a little nervous that I had no magic. I had no idea what was inside that cave, and I was not going in there to find out. I would much rather sleep outside. “I’ll take my chances. I’ll sleep against a tree or something.”
I looked around for a suitable spot and located an old oak that looked quite comfortable, relatively speaking. It was a massive, ancient-looking tree, and the thick trunk had a small hollow in it, big enough for a person to fit into. I maneuvered myself inside and slid down against the inside of the mossy trunk, hugging my knees together and resting my head on them. I was cold and tired, so I wrapped my woolen cloak tightly around myself as best I could, and despite the circumstances, I immediately started nodding off.
Snow stood next to me. “I will be here to watch over you, Princess. Do not worry. I just need a little rest, and as soon as dawn approaches we shall be on our way.”
“Okay,” I said in my mind, already half asleep. The cool, fresh air of the mountains was making me really drowsy. The leaves rustled gently, lulling me into a fitful sleep.
I hardly felt like I’d had any sleep at all when I heard Snow’s voice urgently calling to me in my mind. My eyes snapped open and I looked up, but it took me a minute to get my sleep-befuddled brain together. I scanned my surroundings quickly and got up from my place on the forest floor, using the big oak for support.
The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1) Page 7
