“Last night…” I began, as we followed what was left of the paved road, the part that wasn’t so overgrown with grass and weeds that the only way to know it was there was the difference in how the ground felt beneath your feet.
“Last night?” he queried, looking at me curiously. “I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
I flushed, which I seemed to be doing a lot of since I arrived here, but I didn’t look away. “Me too, really, I did, but before that I was asking you about Glinda and you clammed up. Why?”
His hand gripped mine. “Ella, we didn’t cover as much as I’d intended to last night for obvious reasons. I’m sorry, I know you’re still very much in the dark, but I need you to try to understand. As a steward, I serve my mistress and am loyal to her before all others. As a citizen of Oz, I have certain other… responsibilities. If there is conflict between them, I am forced to set them aside and focus on the vow of loyalty I gave to my mistress. To break that vow is to end my life.”
“But… wasn’t last night disloyal?” I asked, concerned.
“No. I have never… No.”
There was a hardness to his tone that was so out of character for the guy I was coming to know, that I immediately decided to drop it. That was enough. Whatever had happened between the two of them wasn’t my business, would never be my business, and I had to focus on what she wanted from me. That seemed simple enough. Claim the power locked in the fortress, take over the land to the west, then move east.
I stayed quiet, thinking it through. He walked at my side, still holding my hand, apparently deep in thoughts of his own, until we came to an obvious change in landscape. The rolling hillsides had appeared ahead again, and the mountains behind them formed a breathtaking backdrop.
“We have to head northwest now. We can’t risk crossing the border, not with the Lioneag tracking you, and to follow the road would take us into the outskirts of the city. We don’t need to go there. Will you manage on the softer ground?” he questioned, drawing to a halt.
I looked down at my silver encrusted sneakers then up at him with a tight-lipped smile. “Yeah, should be fine. Anything I need to know about? Dorothy hating Oom-pah Loompas? Fire breathing toads?”
He looked so confused I almost laughed, but I contained it as he explained, “The people here are peaceful, but I wouldn’t rule anything out. Be ready to protect yourself, but I don’t anticipate any conflict until we reach the fortress, and then Fallon, the Watcher, will be on hand to assist.”
I nodded and allowed him to lead me northwest, turning my back on Glinda’s lands again and feeling relieved the griffon wasn’t patrolling the border looking for me.
“Why is that bird hell-bent on getting to me? Did Tati send it to kill me?”
“I wouldn’t want to speculate,” was all he said.
“Well it obviously has a mean streak if it did that to you.”
He shook his head. “She did that to me because she considered me a threat. I was playing my part, as the other person involved was well aware. She can’t possibly understand that though.”
“Well, no. She’s a griffon.”
“No,” he replied pointedly. “Because I haven’t spoken to her since. Did you speak to her when she landed on the veranda?”
I shook my head, pulling my eyebrows in. “No. She scared me to death, I hid right away but she seemed interested in me and…” I felt really stupid saying the next part. “Then she ignored me entirely. It was like she tried to prevent the other one from seeing me.”
His lips quirked up in a smirk. “Did she really? Well, let’s hope you get a chance to thank her. She’ll like that.”
I was just becoming more confused. “We ran from her yesterday…”
“We couldn’t risk being seen with her. It’s complicated. I’m acquainted with her, but she belongs in the north, and as such is considered an enemy.”
“Of Glinda.”
He didn’t say anything. That just confirmed what I was thinking.
The flat grassland of the west stretched on ahead for miles, the occasional copse of trees breaking up the expanse of yellowing grass with the vivid oranges and browns of the turning leaves. I relaxed. Glinda was behind us for the time being. The Lioneag that was so interested in me was nowhere in sight, and the lands of the west weren’t too dangerous. It was just Sayer and me for a while. He still held my hand.
We walked in silence and I continued to think through everything that had happened so far. Or at least I tried to, I couldn’t really think of much beyond Sayer. It was weird how quickly I’d gotten used to him being around, how comfortable I was with him. Especially when he’d been the one to turn up out of nowhere and bring me to Oz without saying so much as hello. But I was in Oz, and weird stuff was normal here. It was easier to just roll with it.
By the time we were ready to eat, we’d left the border far behind. Lunch was eaten on the move, and soon the landscape changed again.
Passing the trees, I saw what looked like rooftops off in the distance and I slowed. “What’s that?”
He looked at me and smiled. “A town. We’ll stay there for the night and should reach the fortress by sundown tomorrow.” He saw the concern in my eyes and added, “Don’t worry, the people here are kind. Gentle. They’re farmers.”
“I don’t remember them from my grandma’s stories,” I muttered, feeling a bit defensive.
“They came later,” he replied, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Things changed quite dramatically over the years. The people of the West and East adapted to life without their witches, and the Pumpkinheads were born. They’re gentle folk, hospitable and kind. The little village ahead houses their entire community, about twenty-five at the last count, and they welcome passersby in the hopes of learning more about the world outside.”
“They don’t leave the village then?”
“No. The inhabitants of the fortress like to steal their heads if they see them on the road, so they stay here in their village and take cover if any venture this far out,” he explained with a bitter edge to his voice.
“The monkeys?”
He nodded.
“Why are they so…”
“Errant? No mistress in the fortress means no mistress of the monkeys. They’re free to terrorize the lands. All that keeps them from spreading far and wide is their instinct to guard the fortress.”
“What about the steward, can’t he control them?”
“Don’t call him that, he is not a steward and never will be,” he scolded in a stern voice that took me by surprise.
I looked at him and stopped, tugging my hand free of his grasp. “Just who do I have to deal with when I get there?” I didn’t bother to try and hide my concern. So far, Sayer had been a decent guy, but that was more luck than judgment, I was certain.
He turned to face me and reached his hand out to cup my cheek. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so abrupt. I trust him with my life. Only, he would be terribly offended if you addressed him as steward. Fallon is terribly guarded. I would go so far as to describe him as taciturn. He watched over the fortress as a mark of esteem for his predecessors, but declined the formal position of steward to make it clear to the two remaining witches he would serve neither. He would not be their pawn.”
I searched his eyes as he spoke. He looked a little sad but there was something else in his expression as he described this other man. I realized it was admiration. “You’re friends?”
He nodded. Only once, but he closed his eyes after realizing he’d made the small movement and exhaled through his nose. “But no one else knows that,” he admitted quietly, opening his eyes again and looking at me with an intensity I hadn’t been expecting, “and it’s very important that it stays between us.”
I nodded and whispered, “Of course,” as he brushed his thumb over my cheek, and leaned in to press his lips against mine.
The relief he felt was obvious in the way he kissed me. His lips were featherlight against mine at first, but he dropp
ed the bag and pressed his hand against my other cheek as his kiss grew more urgent.
And that was it. I’d been railroaded by Glinda into this stupid quest to take over the fortress, I’d been seduced by the guide, and now I was agreeing to keep his secrets. Right then, standing in the muted yellow landscape of the western land of Oz, it didn’t seem so bad. I could have stayed there kissing him forever. But as my toes curled inside my sneakers, I remembered just why that was all happening, and I stepped away. It looked peaceful now, but that could change at any moment. Glinda was using me, I was almost certain, and like pieces on a chessboard, I was moving into place for her. What came next depended entirely on me. “This is getting dangerous, isn’t it?”
He nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry.”
Closing my eyes, I exhaled, trying to ease my anxiety. “Don’t be. This probably wouldn’t be happening if my grandma hadn’t melted Evanora.” I held out a hand and smiled. “Come on, let’s go and meet these Pumpkinheads, and get some rest. Sounds like we’re going to need it.”
He frowned and looked me over for a moment, before picking up the bag and slinging it over one shoulder.
“What?” I questioned, starting walking toward the village.
His voice altered immediately, returning to his usual bright and cheerful tone as he walked with me. “Just marveling at you. I intend to do a lot of that.”
I glanced at him to see he was grinning, and I reached out and grasped his hand. “I look forward to it.”
Chapter 11
It was the strangest thing I’d ever seen, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing along with them when three small creatures came running from the village whooping and shouting. As they drew closer, I could see their pumpkin heads, bright orange in the early evening light. They wore clothes, but no shoes, and the speed in which they covered the distance between us was incredible.
“Sayer!” a female voice called, and he dropped my hand and knelt on the ground with his arms outstretched as they reached us and collided with him.
No more than two feet tall, I realized their limbs, and I assumed bodies, were made up of thick brown vines all twisted to form legs, feet, arms, and hands. The smaller of the three was clearly female, wearing a bright red dress, and she clung to him as he hugged them all. The two males moved away quickly, but she hung around his neck for a while longer.
“Hey. Where is everyone?” he asked, eventually prying her away and holding her at arm’s length. He looked so happy to see them as he studied the small girl, and then her two friends.
“Mom saw you coming,” one of the boys said. “She’s getting dinner ready, told us to come greet ya.”
The girl had noticed me while they spoke, and had turned to study me with her head tilted. Her face was fixed in a joyful expression, her mouth carved into a big smile, but there was an intensity hidden in those big, dark eyes. “Are you her?”
“Umm…”
Sayer laughed and patted her head gently. “This is Ella. Ella, this is Zarina, Torre, and Darrin.”
The two boys raised their hands in greeting, while the girl continued to stare at me.
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you,” I greeted, smiling.
“I thought you were her,” Zarina muttered, sounding a little disappointed.
“Ella is her great granddaughter,” Sayer explained, holding his hand out to her.
She took it and he set off walking toward the village with her skipping at his side. I followed close behind and listened as she gushed, “Wow, really? How did you find her? Is she here to—”
“She’s on her way to the fortress to get those monkeys under control,” he interjected, looking back over his shoulder and winking at me.
“Are you moving in there?” one of the boys inquired.
“Umm, I think so. For a while at least,” I answered. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, how long I was expected to be there, or whether I was expected to hang around.
That seemed to be enough for him, and he nodded his head. Sayer looked down at Zarina and suggested, “Why don’t you three run ahead and let your mom know there are two of us?”
The boys ran off immediately, with little Zarina chasing after them and yelling for them to wait for her. Sayer shook his head, watching them. “They’re good kids. They deserve better.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’ve lived under threat from the fortress all their lives. When Evanora was alive she controlled the monkeys, now they’re free to terrorize the countryside. The Pumpkinheads can’t defend themselves, it’s just not in their nature. Instead, they hide. The village takes a lot of damage if a large group comes, but they rebuild and carry on once the monkeys lose interest.”
“Sounds like Dorothy did more harm than good,” I noted quietly, scanning the sky. “How often do they attack?”
Sayer shrugged and reached for my hand. “Depends. Sometimes they go north. Not often, though, because the Oogaboo have little patience and will shoot them down if they come too close to their lands. Sometimes they head east and upset the Scarecrows.”
I tried not to sigh. “I dread to think what it’s like in the East.”
We were almost to the village and the children were running back toward us. “One thing at a time. When you’ve gotten to the fortress and taken your place there, you’ll be better equipped.”
I didn’t say anything more. The children had almost reached us, and I didn’t want to frighten them. They seemed to be very perceptive. So, I smiled when they reached us and walked to the village, keeping a wary eye on the horizon. I didn’t want to meet any flying monkeys out in the open like that. Not with three kids with such smashable heads to keep safe.
The village was made up of a collection of small, wooden houses. They were all raised a few feet from the ground on stilts, I assumed to allow the many hens running free somewhere to shelter, and every door we passed was open.
Eventually, the three children turned off the small dirt path we were following and ran up the steps and into a house on the right. I glanced at Sayer, who gave me a small smile of encouragement, before following.
It wasn’t very well lit as there were no windows, and the room appeared to serve as a kitchen and living space combined. I could see the large stove that took up the entire wall facing me and at the large wooden table, laden with various plates and bowls of food. At the table sat a huge version of the children. Her face was carved into a friendly expression, and she stood up as soon as she realized I’d followed the children inside.
“Orla,” Sayer said, as he entered the house. “How have you been?”
“Well, very well. We haven’t seen you for an age, where have you been? And who is this beautiful girl?”
She moved around the table toward me, holding out her vine-like hands to take mine, and I realized she was at least six feet tall. I tried to smile as Sayer introduced me.
“This is Ella, she’s Dorothy Gale’s great granddaughter. Glinda brought her to help fix the empty castle problem.”
Her face remained friendly, but she cocked her huge head to the side and looked at me for a moment. There was curiosity in her gaze and I saw the tension in the set of her shoulders. I assumed, and I think I was right, that the tension was from the mention of Glinda. Her demeanor was open and calm until Sayer mentioned her name.
“Well,” she said after a brief pause, “you must be exhausted from walking. Sit down, take the weight off your feet. The children are washing up for dinner, help yourselves, they’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Sayer dropped the bag by the door and ushered me toward the seat closest to us, then kissed Orla on the cheek before sitting opposite me. “Thank you for the welcome, Orla. Have I missed much?”
Orla sat at the head of the table between the two of us, and began loading what looked to be creamed potatoes and beans onto her plate, as the children filed out of a back room and took their places. Zarina sat beside Sayer, Torre beside her, and Darrin sat at my side. I was
aware of the two empty places with plates laid out, but I didn’t ask.
“Did you come in a storm like your great grandmother, Ella?” Orla inquired as the children piled up their plates.
I glanced over the table to Sayer as he reached for a spoon, placing a few string beans on his plate. “It was more of a light breeze.” He chuckled and reached for another spoon, then placed some carrots beside the beans. “But I didn’t know where I was going to finish up. I thought Sayer was a debt collector or something, not… well, not this.”
“This?” he prompted with a hint of amusement.
“You haven’t told her?” Orla asked.
Sayer left his seat and moved around the table, dishing out the vegetables to speed up the process. I realized there wasn’t a meat dish.
“Told me what? That he’s the steward back in the palace? Yeah, I know that.”
Zarina giggled and Torre elbowed her in the ribs.
“Surely he told you why he was chosen to escort you west?”
I looked over my shoulder at him as he served a selection of roasted gourds onto my plate, but he pretended not to notice. I pretended not to notice that I was sitting with a family of gourds who had served gourds for dinner. “I assumed it was because Glinda had demanded it of him.”
“Oh, there was that too,” he replied, serving Orla. “But I was sent because I was best able to defend you in the event of an attack. You’re far too valuable to her to risk having her sister steal you away.”
I thought of the floating light and the appearing blankets. Of how he assisted Glinda when her sister came calling with her legion of griffons. “You played your magic down.”
“Of course he did. Sayer was never one to boast, were you dear? Sayer is a real asset to Glinda in her war against her sister. His focus was always on offensive magic, while Glinda was always one for defenses. Between them, they’ve protected us so very well.”
Sayer returned to his seat and I looked from Orla to him. I wasn’t buying that. There was something in his eyes that told me I was right not to. “You give me too much credit, Orla. I only support her. It’s my job.”
The Ruby Fortress (Kingdoms Of Oz Book 1) Page 8
