The Ruby Fortress (Kingdoms Of Oz Book 1)

by Carrie Whitethorne

  Chapter 8

  The passage eventually widened and I slowed so Sayer could walk by my side. I hadn’t said anything to him since he kissed me, not even to ask to stop for lunch. I was starving and had no idea how long we’d been walking, but I was slightly embarrassed at my response to him earlier and didn’t know how to handle it while being stuck in the confined space. But I wasn’t uncomfortable with him. If anything, it made me more inclined to trust him.

  The passage widened farther and I noticed he’d slowed his pace. Then the little light disappeared and I realized there was daylight up ahead.

  “Is that it?” I asked, trying not to sound too relieved.

  “Yes. We should stop and eat before we go any farther. We missed lunch and I don’t want you to become unwell.”

  I couldn’t disagree with him, so I turned my back to the wall and slid down it, sitting on the floor. “How long have we been walking?”

  He sat beside me and handed me a small paper package from the bag. “Five hours. It’s midafternoon. When we leave the cave concealing this path, we’ll head west to the road. The people who live in the mountains here aren’t too trusting, so we should be careful not to get in a tangle with them.”

  I opened the parcel to find sandwiches made on what looked to be black bread. The fillings were pink, blue, and yellow, which weren’t particularly appetizing, but I was hungry, so I picked up the one with yellow filling and took a bite. It turned out to be some sort of pâté.

  “Wow… that’s good!” I couldn’t help exclaiming. “So, these people, are they likely to hurt us?”

  He was watching me again. I pretended not to notice as I took another bite of my sandwich. The filling was a kind of cheesy mayonnaise, but it had a gelatinous texture. The taste was amazing, even if the texture was a little odd. I concentrated on chewing and waited for him to reply.

  “Your great grandmother had a run in with them. While it was all put down to a misunderstanding, they haven’t forgotten, and I’m not certain they will believe you’re not her.”

  I frowned. “How could I possibly be her after all this time?”

  “They are not the brightest. They are happy people, but they have power. That, coupled with lack of understanding, is dangerous.”

  I couldn’t argue with his logic and carried on eating. When I was done, Sayer passed me another bottle of water and took my empty paper. “We can’t leave evidence of the passage being used,” he explained, while he cleaned up. “The Horners are superstitious and believe the old tales of lowland caves being unlucky to live in. The occasional youngster might venture in on a challenge, but they never make it as far as the palace. The tunnel remains secret as a result. I come through here a few times a year to visit a friend without being seen.”

  He stood up, shouldered the pack, and held out his hand. I took it, smiling, and asked, “Why wouldn’t Glinda just use magic to send you safely to your friend?”

  “Oh, she doesn’t know I go. If she did, she would bind me to the palace.”

  I was horrified, and hoped my expression conveyed it when I stopped and turned to him. “What? Why?”

  “Shh, keep your voice down. I’ll explain later.” He looked ahead, toward the cave entrance, and added, “but first, we need to get out of these hills and find a safe place to rest tonight.”

  He started walking again and tugged on my hand, urging me to follow. I wasn’t happy, but I did what he wanted, letting the questions clutter my head rather than voice them. The sun was still bright when we left the cave, and I looked around at the gently sloping hillsides that spread out before us. There were few trees and fewer flowers, and the open landscape offered us no way to pass unseen by whoever lived here.

  “We head west from here and should reach the border by nightfall,” he said, as we turned left out of the cave and began walking downhill. “We should be on target if we make the border.”

  On target for what, I didn’t bother to ask, focusing instead on walking down the slope of the hill without slipping.

  Suddenly, the sounds of whoops and shouts came from behind, and Sayer groaned. “Keep walking.”

  “Who is it?” I didn’t really want to know, but the question was asked before I thought better.

  “A young Hopper and a couple of Horners. Just keep walking and be ready to protect us if need be,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.

  I hadn’t been too concerned until that point, so I inquired, “Why will I need to defend us?”

  “I’ll explain later—” He didn’t finish, stopping dead. I wasn’t ready and took a few steps more, and he let go of my hand.

  “Hey. You there, stop!” a high-pitched voice shouted. It was male, but the tone of it was unnatural. “Stop at once.”

  “Sayer…”

  “Shh… Gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

  “You can hand that over and get out of our lands,” one of them demanded.

  They were curious creatures. Two of them were about five feet tall, incredibly rotund, and had little horns growing out of their foreheads. The other was a fat little man who looked to be about forty. He only had one foot and stood there in front of me looking incredibly angry, but perfectly balanced.

  “Why on earth would I do that?” Sayer countered blithely. “She’s the only thing keeping me safe.”

  The three men in front of us looked confused but one of them, a Horner, snapped out of it quickly. “Dorothys are not welcome in these lands. They are to be killed on sight.”

  “But she isn’t a Dorothy,” Sayer replied, looking perplexed. “She’s an Ella, aren’t you Ella?”

  I nodded my head but couldn’t for the life of me muster a sound. Then the Hopper hopped toward me, narrowing his eyes. “It’s got brown hair.”

  “So, did Evanora.”

  Sayer’s mention of that name brought an angry hiss from the two Horners, and my stomach clenched. Sayer didn’t look too worried though. “Hair color doesn’t prove—”

  “It’s wearing red shoes.”

  “You have brown hair and you’re wearing a red waistcoat. Does that make you a Dorothy?”

  The odd little man opened his mouth and closed it again, and the other one muttered, “It doesn’t have a pet.”

  The three of them looked almost ready to accept they’d made a mistake when Sayer added, “Have you ever seen a Dorothy?”

  “Have you?” the Hopper countered, wiggling his bushy eyebrows.

  “I have,” he said proudly. “She was the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen. Now, I know you won’t mind saying, gentlemen, that the Ella I have here with me is incredibly beautiful.”

  I tried not to scowl at the back of his head, knowing the three of them were watching me as much as they were watching him, but that was my grandma he was talking about, and I knew for a fact she was stunning when she was younger. Then I tried not to blush as I worked out that he said I was incredibly beautiful.

  “What are you then?” the Hopper asked me, taking a leap closer. I remembered where I was and tried not to wet myself.

  “Like he said, I’m an Ella,” I replied, trying not to sound terrified. I remembered Sayer saying they had power, and I didn’t particularly want to get into a fight with them if we could help it. I shrugged my shoulders for effect and added, “I don’t even know what a Dorothy is.”

  “Count yourself lucky,” one of the Hoppers commented with a sniff. “Go on then, get off our land before we call the guard and have the both of you dealt with.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Sayer said with a slight bow. “I’ll be sure to tell the Lady Glinda how accommodating you’ve been. Have a wonderful evening.”

  The three of them looked a bit shocked at the mention of Glinda, and Sayer took the opportunity to turn and walk past me. I needed no encouragement, spinning on my heel and following him. We’d taken less than ten steps when one of them called, “Watch your backs.”

  I don’t know why I saw it as a threat. It wasn’t said in a threate
ning tone, and there was no menace in his face when I turned back and looked at him, but the damned shoes responded to my immediate reaction. Before I knew what I’d done, the three of them were bound together, back-to-back.

  “Oh god.”

  “Not good, Ella. Not good,” Sayer muttered, turning me to face him. He wasn’t angry, I noticed as his eyes scanned mine, only concerned. “What happened?”

  I shrugged my shoulders again, looking past him to the three captive men. “I dunno. I sort of panicked, I think. How do I stop that?” I asked with a nod in their direction.

  “Same way you did it, but if you let them go they’ll come after us, and I don’t think we can outrun them.”

  That was perfect. Either leave them tied up with magic, or let them go and be skewered on those horns. “Which ones have power?”

  “Horners,” he said with a frown, “and when they get over the shock they’re going to start firing so get ready to—” But he didn’t finish, something caught his attention and he stepped away from me, looking at the sky.

  “What?”

  “We have to move. Now.” He turned on the spot and shoved me forward. “Leave them. The enchantment should wear off when you’re far enough away. If not… well they learn a lesson. Run.”

  I’m fit enough, but I’m not a runner, and I’m certainly not a runner in Doc Martens. But Sayer sounded insistent, and I had a pretty good idea of what it was he’d seen. I didn’t know how many there were, but the speed they could fly at left us very little time to get away.

  So, I ran. I ran and ran and kept running. I could hear Sayer right behind me, and I suspected he was going far slower than he could have so he didn’t leave me behind, despite the weight of the bag he was carrying.

  “Ella, we need protection!” he yelled as we sprinted, and I looked down to see a shadow blanketing us from above. It was a griffon. It was almost on top of us, and I knew how sharp those talons were. It wouldn’t take much to do some serious damage, if not kill us both, but I didn’t know how to click the shoes and keep running.

  “Ella…”

  I don’t know how I managed not to fall, but somehow, I jumped, brought my feet together, blinked, and there it was. Just in time too, because the awful bird swooped low, only just missing me.

  I ran and ran. The griffon cried and dove, missing us every time, but I was getting tired and Sayer knew it. His arm circled around my back, and I allowed him to help me along, but my feet couldn’t keep up.

  “Ella we’re almost there. Just a little farther.”

  My thighs were hurting, my feet were aching, and the air in my lungs was burning, but I kept going, focusing on the horizon and watching it fade from green to yellow. The closer I came to the border, the clearer the difference in landscapes became. The world of summer, of rolling hillsides and majestic waterfalls, gave way to a world of fall. Of autumnal yellows and burnt oranges. It welcomed me as I drew near, and my shoes took over, they knew that was safety for me, and they gave me the final push I needed.

  “When we cross, will the border to protect us,” he said loudly. The pursuing griffon heard him and let out a horrifying shriek. It sounded more like despair than fury.

  I didn’t fully understand what Sayer meant, but I did it. I willed it with everything I had and pushed on. With a thud, we fell over the threshold and the land sprang into action, throwing up a barrier of wind against the pursuing Lioneag. I lay on my back, panting up at the clear blue sky, not daring to look at what hunted us.

  Sayer was laughing at my side, at least until I started to cough and gasp for breath. I hadn’t run like that since I was a kid. I didn’t want to have to run like that ever again.

  “Are you okay?” he inquired, rubbing my back. “Here, have some water, catch your breath.”

  I wanted to tell him that no, I wasn’t okay, but I didn’t have the strength. So, I took the water and choked down a mouthful, before looking back at the border and the red griffon with black tipped wings. It had landed on the eastern side and sat watching me intently. “What’s his problem?”

  “She doesn’t like me very much. You’ve obviously seen her before.”

  It wasn’t a question. I nodded my head, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he smiled and said, “Okay. That’s saved us an hour, can you walk? There’s somewhere I want to take you before we make our way to the fortress, but we’ll need to get there before sunset.”

  I groaned and looked at my feet. They were killing me.

  “Change the shoes,” he suggested. “It’ll be a gentle walk and there’s nothing down here to bother us. We’ll be safe enough.”

  I didn’t really have a choice, since I had no idea where I needed to go or how I was meant to get into the fortress, so I sighed and nodded my head.

  He laughed and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. “It’s worth the detour, I promise. It’ll get you most of the answers you’re looking for in one go.”

  The way he brushed his lips against my cheek made me smile, and I allowed him to lead me away from the invisible barrier between Glinda’s lands and the west. Away from the Lioneag that was still staring at me intently, and away from the threat of the Hopper and Horners who had wanted to imprison me—and toward answers. Because they were worth more to me than rest, something I hadn’t received since arriving in this land. Answers meant I was on the same page as Sayer. Possibly even Glinda. Answers meant I could make informed choices before something killed me.

  Chapter 9

  I didn’t glance back at the border once, happy to leave that place and its inhabitants behind me. I didn’t ask questions either. I was too tired and sore to bother. Sayer said he’d answer my questions and I believed him, but I’d rather be resting when he did.

  We hadn’t walked for long when we came to a road, and the yellow and red stain of the bricks told me all I needed to know. I stopped and looked at it for a moment, wondering if I would be walking in my great grandmother’s exact footsteps, before stepping out onto it. Sayer waited patiently, as though he expected some sort of reaction from me when I reached that point.

  Relieved nothing weird happened, I carried on walking, allowing Sayer to lead me. We continued west, following the road until I noticed a few trees ahead. I was pleased to see they actually looked like trees, not lollipops, and they weren’t dense, just enough to screen the landscape beyond from the road.

  “Finally.” Sayer sounded exhausted, but he quickened his pace, heading straight for the trees.

  “Is that where we need to be?” I inquired, hoping he would say yes.

  “Just behind the trees is a pond. We’ll be safe there for tonight. If we leave early enough in the morning we should make the fortress in time.”

  In time for what, I didn’t ask, but I was intrigued about our detour. “And what’s so special about this pond?”

  He winked at me. “You’ll see when we get there.”

  I shook my head at him and shrugged without commenting. He could have his surprise, it wasn’t far.

  When we reached it, I noticed it was pretty, but it wasn’t special. It was a pond with the usual pond-like features—water lilies and rushes, and I thought I heard a toad or frog or something. There were birds in the trees that overlooked the water and I noticed they were singing a different song than the birds back in Glinda’s kingdom, but they all sang together just the same. One thing about the pond did stand out. It was peaceful. It was somewhere I could relax. I glanced at Sayer to see him smiling, and he said, “I’ve always loved it here.”

  “This another place you bring your special girls?”

  Laughing, he swung the pack from his shoulders and dropped it at his feet. “No. I came here a lot when I was younger, but when the war began, movement between the kingdoms became more difficult.”

  I nodded, but I didn’t really understand. We were moving rather freely and the war was still being fought. I would have asked, but my attention was drawn to Sayer when he began to undress. “Wh-what are you doing?
” I stuttered.

  “Going for a swim. My muscles ache and it’s the easiest way to relieve them. Plus, the water is more likely to help me answer those questions you have. Most of them, anyway.”

  I frowned. “How?”

  He discarded his tunic, displaying a well toned back and narrow waist, and looked over his shoulder at me. “This is the truth pond. The effects last a few hours, but they’re strongest when the body is still wet. So, we’ll swim, you can ask questions, and I’ll answer them truthfully.”

  That just created more questions, but I couldn’t voice them right then because he was tugging off his boots. Then he was unlacing his trousers. And then I was watching him slip them down over his hips. He turned his head as he removed them, watching me for a reaction. Whatever my face was doing amused him, he laughed quietly before walking to the water. “Join me.”

  I didn’t think about it. If I thought about it, I wouldn’t have done it. Instead, I stripped to my underwear, leaving my clothes and shoes where I stood, and followed him. By the time I was in the water, he’d dipped his head under and pushed his hair back from his face. I kept my distance, wondering why on earth I’d followed a naked man into a body of water. But it was too late to back out now—I was stuck here until I was ready to sit in wet underwear on the bank—so I lowered myself until just my shoulders were visible, trying to find something to look at other than him as I thought of my first question. There were so many.

  “Why did you bring me here?” I blurted.

  He turned toward me and I noticed a scar across his chest, I focused on it. “Straight in with the questions? Okay. I brought you here so we could be honest with one another without any external influences.”