Fire and Feathers_Novelette Prequel to Moss Forest Orchid

by Shari L. Tapscott

  Frankly put, we’re lost.

  “I think we go left,” Sebastian finally says.

  When I lean close to peer at the parchment-thin leather, he grunts and nudges me away. “I can read a map, thank you. We—”

  A loud screech rings through the air from above the canopy, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Tensing, we both duck slightly and search the sky. It’s nearly impossible to see through the trees.

  “Do you think it was a marsh eagle?” I whisper.

  “Too loud.”

  I crane my neck, trying to see through the thick leaves overhead. “Which way did it go?”

  Sebastian points right, toward the mountains. Trying to be as quiet as possible, we traipse through the forest, in the direction we hope the creature went.

  Though it would be nice, I very much doubt we’ve already found our phoenix. Luck doesn’t follow me around like that.

  Sebastian’s footsteps are quieter than I expect, which makes me wonder if he’s not quite the homebody I’ve accused him of being all these years.

  Several more cries—these ones fainter and higher—lead us to the base of a gray granite cliff. The side is almost sheer. It’s certainly not something I’m going to be climbing.

  “Now what?” I ask, peering up.

  Once again, Sebastian takes his map out. “It looks like the rise is more gradual to the west. If we follow the cliff face, we should eventually find an animal path to follow. There’s a lake at the top, so there’s bound to be one.”

  He rolls the map up and slides it into his pack. Sensing my eyes on him, he glances at me.

  “Just who are you exactly?” I ask.

  A hint of a smile graces his lips, but he only shakes his head and begins walking.

  ***

  Nearby, a wolf howls. It’s a lone cry, eerie in its solitariness. Though I never thought I’d say it, I’m glad for Sebastian’s company.

  “This is a good spot to stop,” he says when we reach a large, flat clearing near the top of the cliff.

  We still have a little way to go, but night has settled in, and I’m not fond of the idea of traversing the path in the dark. As Sebastian predicted, we found a deer trail that, so far, leads to the top. However, the creatures who made it were more surefooted than I am, and the path is narrow. In several places, it’s a little too close to the edge for my comfort, and the thought of walking farther tonight makes me nervous.

  But I’ll fall off the ledge before I admit to Sebastian that I’m scared of heights.

  I sit on a boulder, grateful to be away from the edge. Now that we’ve stopped, my leg begins to tremble. “I suppose we can rest if you’re tired.”

  Sebastian makes a low sound in the back of his throat, a combination of a scoffing noise and a laugh. Apparently, I don’t have him fooled.

  “Do we dare start a fire?” I gaze out at the valley. The clouds have settled in, and the land is dark. Not too far away, at the base of the next mountain, lies a village. Firefly-sized lights shine in dozens of windows, cozy and warm.

  After setting his pack on the ground, Sebastian scans the cliff around us. “We’ve likely been chasing an eagle, but if we are on the trail of a phoenix, I’d hate to announce ourselves just yet.”

  Knowing he’s right, I wrap my cloak more securely around my shoulders and settle in for a cold night.

  “Hungry?” Sebastian tosses me the parchment-wrapped package of dried venison and apples we bought in the last village we passed through.

  I take a few strips of meat and offer the bundle back to him. He sits next to me, entirely too close since my boulder is so small, and we share our bland dinner in near silence.

  “Lucia?” Sebastian asks a little while later.

  I’ve been watching the moon as it attempts to peek through filmy layers of cloud before it’s swallowed up again. So far, it’s been unsuccessful. I turn toward Sebastian, startled to find him so close even though there is nowhere else for him to be. “Hmmm?”

  For several moments, he sits there, idly rubbing a spot on the side of his neck.

  “Well?” I prod.

  “I…nothing.” He looks down, avoiding my eyes, and fidgets with the package of meat and apples.

  He’s acting strange, even for Sebastian. I lean closer, tilting my head into his line of sight, making him look at me. “What?”

  A cool gust of wind kicks up just as I say the words, and I shiver under my flimsy excuse of a cloak. The enchanted ring Gorin gave me sits in the pocket, a tiny seed of ice. Too bad it wasn’t enchanted with fire.

  “You’re cold,” Sebastian says, changing the subject.

  Even though I don’t confirm that I am close to freezing, he opens his cloak and wraps it around me, pulling me close so the material covers the two of us completely.

  Several strange realizations hit me all at once. The first is that Sebastian is rather solid under his fussy clothing. The second is that he smells just faintly of the expensive cologne some of the rich men in Reshire wear. The third, and the most startling of all, is that I like both of those things.

  Very much.

  “Better?” he asks. Because we’re huddled together, his mouth is next to my ear, and the words tickle.

  I jerk away, rising to my feet. “We should keep moving.”

  It’s hard to tell in the night, but his silhouette has a shocked look about it. “You whimpered every time we ventured too close to the edge—there’s no way you can go any farther tonight.”

  Setting my hands on my hips, glad to feel that familiar irritation, I say, “I did not whimper.”

  He walks to me, stopping a little too close for my comfort. “You did.”

  Now that I know what it feels like to curl up next to him, it’s all I can think about.

  Sebastian stands near enough I can see the curious tilt of his lips in the dark. He studies me, his eyes intent. What would he do if he knew what I was thinking?

  It’s the fear of the cliff, that’s all. That’s what has my emotions so high. And the night is too cold and the wind forlorn. It’s not Sebastian I’m reacting to, not really. Surely, not.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  I gulp. “Nothing.”

  He gives me the strangest look, as if he’s wondering if I’ve temporarily gone daft.

  “You—” He turns his gaze over my shoulder, his eyes narrowed.

  “What is it?” I ask, craning my neck around, glad for the distraction.

  There, just in the distance, flickers a fire. It weaves in the sky, beautiful and mesmerizing, before it spreads its wings wide, catching the air, and slowly lowers itself to the edge of the cliff.

  “I thought we were tracking a phoenix,” Sebastian says, his voice filled with awe and disbelief.

  My little dagger feels pathetic at my side as I stare at the beast.

  “How much do you think an elemental fire hippogriff feather is worth?” I ask Sebastian.

  He looks down and meets my eyes in the dark. “A lot.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Plan

  “We could capture it,” I say.

  Sebastian rolls his eyes. “That’s a terrible idea.”

  “Is it?” I lean forward. “Sure, we’d make some money off a few feathers—but imagine if we came strolling into Reshire with the beast itself. You’re good with horses, aren’t you?”

  The sun has just crested the horizon, and I haven’t slept at all. In our last few weeks of travel, Sebastian and I switched off—one of us on watch duty while the other slept. But there was no resting last night, not with the hippogriff so near.

  Being a diurnal creature, she bedded down for the night just after we spotted her. Her fire dulled, making her difficult to see. I’m terrified we’re going to lose her.

  She woke a few minutes ago, but she hasn’t risen yet. In the sunlight, it’s impossible to see her natural luminescence. She looks like any other hippogriff—or so I imagine. I’ve never seen one of the regular variety, m
uch less a fire one.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, that’s not a horse,” Sebastian says.

  The hippogriff stretches her wings, extending them out in a lazy manner. Due to her element, I would have expected her to be rusty red or deep purple, but she’s gray and white. The dappled hair of her equine back legs merges with the feathers of her bird-of-prey front half. She has a tuft of feathers on her head, and she wears them like a crown.

  “Say we somehow catch her,” Sebastian continues, “what would we do with her after that?”

  Thoughts of taming her float into my mind, but I’ve never heard of such a thing being done.

  “We’ll parade her around a bit—charge for people to look at her. Then, after a month or so, we’ll let her go.”

  Sebastian raises a skeptical eyebrow. “After making that much money, you’d be willing to release her?”

  I rummage through his pack for the rest of the dried apples. “Of course. I’m not cruel.”

  He looks like he’s going to argue, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut.

  “How are we going to capture her?” I ask.

  “You’re the mastermind behind this folly.”

  I purse my lips and stare at him, waiting for him to give in.

  Sebastian finally sighs. “Lucia, I’m not sure it’s possible.”

  Right now, the hippogriff’s flame burns as light—harmless to the dry twigs and grass she chose for her bed last night. But, like any fire creature, her element will spark to hot, fiery heat the moment she feels threatened. If I wear Gorin’s ring, I’ll be immune to her fire…but Sebastian won’t be.

  And I don’t want to be responsible for a blazing forest fire in Eromoore. Officials tend to get huffy about that sort of thing.

  If only there were a way to stifle her flame.

  I’ve been keeping an eye on the creature as we speak, making sure she doesn’t take off without us knowing. But she’s been sluggish this morning, in no hurry to take to the skies, so I turn my attention to Sebastian. “You don’t by chance have a length of elven chain in your pack, do you?”

  He always has random things with him, is always prepared for every possible situation. It’s a bit annoying when I’m doing well if I remember a flint.

  Sebastian raises his brows, giving me the wry, superior look he’s so good at. “Of course, Lucia. I carry some with me at all times. It’s right here in my pocket.”

  Apparently, Sebastian is sarcastic when he’s deprived of sleep. I turn from him, irritated. One of the shoppes in the nearby village is bound to have the chain for sale, but it will take us at least a few days to get there and back. And if we leave, we risk losing the hippogriff.

  The sun rises, lighting the valley. The dense forest stretches out below us. The ground is hidden from view, even from the height of the cliff, but there are a few breaks in the trees. Sunlight glistens off several lakes. Sporadic meadows and small rises of gray rock dot the landscape.

  Sebastian clears his throat behind me in an obvious way. I turn, already preparing myself for whatever smart thing he’s about to say. I open my mouth to beat him to it but stop short when I find a simple, copper-colored chain hanging from his hand.

  He laughs at my expression, but it’s a quiet sound, soft and friendly. “I actually had it in my pocket.”

  I snatch the chain from him. “Why, exactly, are you carrying elven chain?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  Quickly, I lunge forward, snatching his cloak from his shoulders. “What else do you have in here?”

  He tries to grab the cloak back, but I’m already digging through the pocket, pulling things out. “Flint…salve…stomach tonic…” I draw out a small silver token, and then my smile breaks into a full grin. “Sebastian! Is this a charisma charm?”

  The tips of his ears turn red, and he won’t look at the cheap, worthless trinket I’m holding up. “I don’t use it very often.”

  “Obviously. You’d be a lot more pleasant if you did.” I laugh and continue to dig through the pocket. Then I go still. I look up, making him meet my eyes. “Did you use that on me last night?”

  His embarrassment is quickly forgotten, and a curious smile spreads across his face. He narrows his eyes and takes a step forward. “No…why?”

  “Never mind,” I mutter as I shove the trinkets back in the pocket and push the cloak into his arms.

  Finding amusement in the fact that I’ve managed to ruffle my own feathers this time, Sebastian laughs under his breath and shakes his head.

  Purposely avoiding his eyes, I search in my pocket for the enchanted ring Gorin gave me. For a moment, I can’t place it. Just before I panic, my hand closes around the cold metal.

  Even with the sun shining on us, it’s not exactly warm on this high cliff, and my fingers grow numb as I string the ring onto Sebastian’s chain. As soon as the two metals come into contact, the chain goes cold, radiating the same dull, icy pulse as the ring. No metal but elven-crafted readily accepts enchantments; that’s what makes it so valuable.

  Sebastian, who’s quietly watched me all this time, crosses his arms. “What are you planning on doing with it?”

  “We will simply slip it over the hippogriff’s neck.”

  “Simply?”

  “Yes, simply.” I try not to grin. “And once we have her, you can use your token to keep her calm and happy.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It's Just a Little Forest Fire

  Despite Sebastian’s many protests, I know my plan is brilliant…providing I can actually get the chain on the creature. Once in place, the ice charm should inhibit her fire abilities, making it possible for us to harness her—in theory, anyway.

  Even without her flame, she’s still a full-grown hippogriff…a complete, though arguably lovely, beast of nightmares with the spirit of a wild mare and a sharp, curved beak designed for ripping into prey.

  We’ve watched the beast all day and are growing used to her patterns. She flies a little way off, only to return not long later with some unfortunate creature in her talons. Last time she brought back a full-grown mountain cat. At the sight of it, my stomach tightened with apprehension, and all the color leached from Sebastian’s face. He looked like he was going to be physically ill.

  “Why are you smirking?” Sebastian asks from my side.

  “I was just thinking that it’s too bad your token wasn’t charmed with courage instead of charisma.”

  Sebastian rolls his eyes and goes back to watching our target.

  We’ve decided to wait for the cover of night, hoping to catch the beast while she sleeps. The sun has just set, but its rosy glow still lights the horizon.

  Soon it will be time to move.

  We wait, patient, barely speaking. Sebastian's nervous. I know he is, but he hasn’t admitted it. I, too, am feeling twinges of unease, but I refuse to dwell on them.

  Just like last evening, once the sky is dark and the air is past cool, the hippogriff lifts herself from her perch and decorates the blank slate of night with her flame. I watch her, awed. She’s incredible…and terrifying. Perhaps my idea isn’t a sane one after all.

  No. I mustn’t think that way.

  “It’s time,” Sebastian says as soon as the beast returns and settles down for the night.

  We walk in the dark, staying as far from the cliff’s edge as possible. Tonight’s clear sky is both a blessing and a curse. It makes the trail easier to follow, and we’re less likely to take a wrong step that will send us careening down to our deaths, but we will be easier for the hippogriff to spot should she wake.

  “Careful here,” Sebastian says from ahead.

  Again, the trail has meandered toward the cliff. The spot Sebastian speaks of is too narrow for my liking, not even wide enough to stand comfortably.

  Sebastian waits on the other side. “Take my hand.”

  “No.” Like a fool, I glance down and then jerk my gaze back up. My leg begins to tremble, and my arms ache to hug the cliff face.

>   “Lucia,” Sebastian growls and extends his hand farther. “I’ll help you across.”

  I shuffle forward, determined to ignore him, and my foot kicks a small rock off the edge. It clatters twice against the shelf below, and then there is perfect silence. I gasp in a shuddering breath, and terror freezes my muscles.

  “My hand, Lucia,” Sebastian says again, his tone soft and coaxing this time.

  “I can’t.” My words come out strained and small.

  “You can. Just look at me. I won’t let you fall.”

  That’s a nice sentiment and all, but what if he were to lose his footing? What if I slip, and he can’t hold me? What if I drag us both over the edge? My palms begin to sweat, and my heart has somehow found its way into my throat.

  Sebastian steps over the narrow section and takes my shaking hand in his. There’s not even room for the two of us to linger side by side, but he doesn’t seem to mind. With my hand clasped tightly in his, he leads me across.

  My throat constricts, and my heart hammers in my chest. But I focus on the feel of his skin against mine, on the comforting warmth of it. In all the time we’ve known each other, we’ve never held hands, not even when we were little.

  Sensing I’m not ready, he doesn’t let me go when we’re across. My hand stays in his, our fingers twined. Together, we continue down the path. Thankfully, after only a few more minutes, it winds away from the cliff, toward the flat top.

  We pause to get our bearings once we’re near a tall pine we chose as a landmark before we began our trek. The hippogriff should be near the cliff to the north, not a minute’s walk from here.

  “There.” Sebastian points and presses a finger to his lips, needlessly reminding me to keep quiet.

  In the moonlight, a dark silhouette rests nearby.

  My pulse just returned to its normal pace after the cliff ordeal, but it kicks up a notch now. Are we truly doing this? This is madness.

  I roll the chain in my hand, taking comfort in the icy metal. We creep forward, but the beast sleeps with her head burrowed under her wing, peaceful and oblivious. A twig snaps under my foot, and Sebastian and I both freeze.