The Black Witch

by Jenny McKane

  Skyresh nodded, standing up.

  Everard walked up to Mother Oda. Avalon could see that he was unsure of what to say to her.

  Mother Oda turned to him, smiling. “Everard,” she said. “Although I sense that is not the name you were born with. I hope that your secrets will not be your downfall.”

  Everard’s eyes widened. “I…don’t know what you mean, Mother.”

  “Don’t you?” Mother Oda gazed at him, levelly. “You think it is a weakness, but it might just be your greatest strength. Remember that. There is no shame in being vulnerable, Everard.”

  Everard paled. “Thank you for your kindness,” he said quickly. “You have given us shelter. We would have probably been captured or attacked by animals without your help.”

  Mother Oda smiled. “I know that it is a struggle for you,” she said. “You cling to the past. It is like a dark shadow over your spirit. You must learn to let it go, and you must learn to trust.”

  Everard frowned, but nodded.

  Mother Oda walked up to Avalon, standing close. “Your powers are growing, my queen,” she said, stroking Avalon’s face gently. “I feel it. Do not doubt yourself. When the time comes, you must trust it. I am honored that you came to me so late in my life. I knew that there was a reason I was still here. I may live to see Masgata return because of you.”

  Avalon’s eyes filled with tears. She kissed the old woman tenderly. “I hope to not disappoint you, Mother. You have been like a real mother to me, in place of the ones that I have lost. I see what my life would have been like if they had have lived.” The tears ran down her face.

  “Hush,” said the old woman gently. “They do not want you to cry for them. They walk alongside you, Avalon – do you not know it, yet? And they believe in you. They know that you will be a powerful queen.”

  Avalon wiped away her tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “We should go,” said Skyresh quietly. Avalon looked at him. She saw tears glimmering in his bright blue eyes.

  Avalon took a deep breath and picked up her bag. “Let us do it, then,” she said. She started walking and did not look back. The others followed.

  Mother Oda smiled. Yes, Avalon was strong, and brave. She had everything within her that she needed, and her powers were growing. It was only self-doubt that could betray her, but she was confident that the young queen would overcome that.

  Mother Oda rested her hand on Teitur’s head for a moment, and then she walked back into the house. She did not need to watch them depart. She walked alongside them.

  ***

  They landscape had started to change, just as Mother Oda had said that it would.

  As they walked out of the valleys of the Safe Zone, they were met again with dense woodland. Birds flittered through the trees, and small, furry creatures scuttled along the ground, hiding from them. Avalon could see the tiny animals that were called insects buzzing around them, and what looked like a whole army of them was marching up the bark of a tree. She knew that they all had different names.

  There were millions of them. Millions of animals, that had all been banished into this Zone. She stared at them, as they walked. Why had the tiny insects been banished, as well? She could not see how they could help the people or undermine the Jarle.

  She knew that once, in the Time Before, people spoke to them all, and they spoke back. Mother Oda had told her that it wasn’t always possible to hear all of them; a bond had to be established, and it often took time. That was why certain animals stayed by the side of chosen people. Mother had said that the bonds were especially powerful with the owls, the wolves, and the horses. They were often the companions of the people.

  She saw again, in her mind’s eye, the owl that always appeared in her dream. What had been his name?

  There was so much that she still didn’t know, so much that she needed to learn. It was overwhelming. She took a deep breath. There was no point ruminating on it; it wouldn’t change anything.

  The woods started to thin out, and suddenly the desert appeared, stretching out before them like an endless sea of red sand. They stopped on a ledge, gazing out at it.

  “The Outer Limits,” said Skyresh, taking a deep breath. “This is where it will start to get hard.” He squinted in the bright sunlight. “There is very little cover. Any patrol passing will be sure to see us.”

  Everard squatted down, peering around him. “Before we descend into it, we should gather as many berries and seeds as we can. I don’t think that there will be much we will be able to forage in the desert.”

  Skyresh nodded. “I have been collecting as we passed through the woods, but we should get more.”

  Avalon gazed out at the desert. “Our water bottles are full—for now,” she said. “But how will we replenish them in the desert?” She got out the map, staring at it. “There are a few waterholes, but they are very far apart, and it will be so hot.”

  Skyresh stared at her. “I talked to Mother Oda about that,” he said. He reached into his bag and took out a small spade. “She gave me this. Underneath certain bushes, there is water. You just have to dig for it.”

  “And you can identify these bushes?” Avalon stared up from the map.

  “I think so,” he said.

  Avalon took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose we are as prepared as we are ever going to be. Mother Oda packed us lots of food, but that won’t last long if we don’t ration it. And you have the tent?”

  Skyresh smiled. “If you can call it that,” he said. “Some cloth, really, and some pegs, but it will do the job.”

  Avalon nodded. Everard had already returned to the woods and was foraging for more food. Their water bottles were full, and they had knowledge of how to get more water. They had makeshift shelter.

  Even so, she knew it was going to be perilous. Mother Oda had told them that people rarely crossed the deserts of the Outer Limits. The Jarle had been clever in positioning The Tower in the Interior. The Outer Limits were like a natural boundary line. The Jarle knew that few would attempt to cross them—and that those that did would likely perish in the attempt. Now, there were these strange new creatures to contend with, as well.

  Avalon squared her shoulders. They would make it. They would pass through the Outer Limits and penetrate the Interior. They would show the Jarle what they were made of.

  ***

  The sand was burning her feet. Its heat was so intense that it seemed to permeate the soles of her shoes.

  Avalon squinted up at the sky. It was a perfect blue, with not even a whisper of cloud hanging over it. The sun was round and hung low and full in the sky. It seemed to shimmer whenever she tried to look at it, as if it were made of waves.

  Sweat trickled down her back. They had been trudging through the sand and over dunes for hours now, and it all looked the same. Her hand automatically rested on her water bottle, ready to grab it, yet again. No. She resisted it. She had already drunk more than she should have, and the nearest waterhole was at least a day away. There was no guarantee that Skyresh would spot the bushes where they could dig for water either.

  She silently thanked the Goddess that Mother Oda had provided them with clothing suitable for this heat. She wound the thin cheesecloth veil tighter around her face. Often the wind would whip up, and sand would hit them in the face. The veil offered some relief from it. She looked at Skyresh and Everard, trudging along beside her. They had head coverings, as well. She could barely see their faces through them.

  So far, they had not encountered any animals, or the creatures that Mother Oda had spoken about. Not even one. Avalon had been thankful for this, but now, she thought it odd. There should at least be some, surely? She squinted up at the sky again. There were no birds hovering in the air, either. Not even an insect crawled along the sand.

  She shivered despite the heat. This desert was strange. She could not quite put her finger on why, but the feeling was strong.

  Sometimes, at the corner of her eye, she would discern movemen
t, but when she quickly turned her head to see, there was simply nothing there. At other times, she thought there were objects in the distance. Strange objects, that seemed to shimmer and glow, but when she blinked, they would be gone, like they had simply melted away.

  They stopped to rest, sitting in a sand dune. The red sand seemed to undulate before her eyes.

  “This is an odd place,” she whispered, shivering again. “I have thought many times that I have seen things, but when I look again, they are no longer there.”

  Everard nodded. “The same has happened to me,” he said, taking a long swig from his water bottle. “I thought I saw a statue in the distance. It seemed to move, but when I blinked again, it was gone.”

  “I have seen tall columns of stone,” said Skyresh. “Even as I was looking at them, they seemed to crumble and dissolve into dust.”

  “What does it mean?” Avalon whispered. She glanced around her quickly. It was so still. Even the wind had died down.

  Skyresh shrugged. “I have heard that you can hallucinate under the desert sun,” he said. “But that usually happens only after days of prolonged exposure, when you are dehydrated and ready to collapse. I think that this is different.”

  “How so?” asked Everard, frowning.

  “We have only just started out,” Skyresh said. “We are refreshed. No, I think that this is magic. The Outer Limits is like a wall around the Interior. The Jarle do not want anyone crossing the border, getting to it. I think that they are throwing up images to disarm us. They want to rattle us, make us turn around, and not attempt to cross.”

  Avalon nodded. “Yes, I think you are right.” She paused. “Have you noticed that there are no animals? I haven’t seen one. Not even an insect.”

  “I have thought the same,” said Skyresh. “Mother Oda told me that animals usually reside in the desert, although they keep well hidden from the sun. They are different to woodland creatures, but still…”

  “Well, I suppose that it helps us,” said Everard crisply. “If the animals stay away, we do not have to contend with them.”

  Skyresh frowned. “The normal animals would not pose a great threat,” he said. “It is these other new creatures that the Jarle have created through magic that worry me.”

  Everard shrugged. “We haven’t seen any of them, either. Perhaps it is all a story, and perhaps what we are seeing isn’t the result of magic. We are unfamiliar with the desert.”

  Skyresh stared at him but was silent.

  Suddenly, they could hear noise in the distance. A humming and the low, guttural sound of voices speaking to each other. Avalon froze, staring at the others.

  “Quick,” whispered Skyresh. “There is a bush over there.”

  They ran to it, crouching low. Avalon could barely breathe.

  And then they saw it. Not that far off into the distance, there were three figures, which appeared to be men on horses. They were dressed in black. Alongside them, a large creature hovered. It had filmy wings that fluttered quickly. The humming sound was emanating from it.

  “What is it?” Avalon whispered, fear rising in her breast. She had never seen a creature like it before. It reminded her of a small insect that she had seen burrowing its way into the center of the flowers in the Safe Zone. The sound that the creature made was like that insect also but much louder.

  “It is one of the new creatures,” Skyresh whispered. “I am sure of it. Its wings can barely support it. See how it strains to remain in the air?”

  Avalon watched. It was true. The creature seemed to be struggling under its own weight, dipping low toward the sand.

  “Is it a patrol?” Avalon whispered.

  Skyresh frowned. “I think so, but it is not large. We will stay here. Hopefully, they will keep going.”

  They fell silent, watching the movements of the group. The three men kept riding, talking to themselves. Avalon could see their swords, glinting in the bright sunlight where they rested against their sides. The creature struggled alongside them, fluttering its wings rapidly to remain aloft.

  They were almost past, when the creature suddenly changed directions. Avalon gasped. It was heading straight towards them.

  Skyresh drew his sword. “Be ready,” he hissed. “If it sees us, we will leap out and attack it as one.”

  The others drew their swords, waiting.

  The creature was almost open them. It hovered in the air, humming loudly. Up close, Avalon could see that its round body was covered in an orangey colored soft fur, and that it had thin, black legs protruding from it. She could also see a long, sharp black protuberance to the back of the creature, jutting out. The wings of the creature were tissue thin and covered in a web of light veins.

  She closed her eyes, trying to gather strength. She pictured the Goddess in her mind. Then she opened her eyes, ready to strike.

  The creature hovered for another moment. And then, it slowly turned, heading back to the men on horseback. The patrol moved on until it was out of sight.

  They all slumped into the sand, breathing heavily. Avalon could feel her heart still beating rapidly. She took three deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

  “That was close,” breathed Everard. “Too close.”

  Skyresh nodded. “That creature saw us, I am sure of it. Why did it decide not to attack?”

  “Maybe it couldn’t overcome all of us,” said Avalon, collapsing onto her back in the sand. “It struggled to remain in the air, as it was.”

  Skyresh frowned, thinking. “They have used magic to create it,” he said slowly. “But Mother Oda told us that they are intermingling animals to create these new ones. They are experimenting. Perhaps that creature is not fully formed yet.”

  “Did you see that long, black thing at the back of it?” said Everard. “I am sure that was its weapon.”

  Skyresh sat up, suddenly. “Yes,” he said. “It is a larger version of the bee. The bee has one sting that it releases when it is under threat, but when it does, it dies from it.”

  “You think that the creature didn’t want to die?” Everard said.

  “I think it worked out that it didn’t have much of a chance,” replied Skyresh. “It would have to release its sting, which would kill it anyway, and there are three of us with swords. It knew that one of us would surely stab it.” He paused. “It would be dead either way.”

  Avalon sat up. “The creature is smart,” she said. “It assessed the situation. Is it capable of communicating with those it travels with? Will it tell them about us?”

  Skyresh pondered this. “It obviously didn’t do it straight away…if it is capable of it,” he said. “They would have turned and come for us.”

  Avalon thought of the creature, struggling to remain in the air on its flimsy wings. “I feel sorry for it,” she whispered. “It seems burdened. It did not ask to be created, and it is not happy. It is like it cannot do what it wants to.”

  Skyresh stared at her. “That is what happens when you meddle in magic beyond what is allowed. The Anasta would have had the power to do that – create new creatures – but they never did. They used their magic for protection and to help.” His lips tightened. “Do you see now, Everard, how the Jarle work and how they meddle in ways that they should not?”

  Everard was silent. He got out his water bottle and took a long sip. “I think that we should get moving. We have lost time.” He got to his feet and started walking away.

  Avalon stared after him. She knew how hard it was for Everard to admit the truth to himself, but he was straining her patience. He had just seen the evidence of magic, and he had seen it alongside guardians. He had experienced the strange visions that they had all been seeing in the desert, and yet he still stubbornly refused to admit what it was.

  Skyresh walked up to her. “Your friend continues to be an unbeliever,” he said, his blue eyes gazing at her. “Do you think that he will ever truly come to our side? Because, Avalon, if he doesn’t, he will put us all in danger.”

  Avalon
stared back at him, but she didn’t answer. What could she say? Everard had come to rescue her from the camp. He had travelled with them into the Outlying Zone. He had given up everything – his career as a Grey Guard, his life of privilege in Agnoria, to be on the run with them. She could not turn him away. And besides, she didn’t want to. As much as she felt connected to Skyresh, she also felt connected to Everard.

  Yet, it was true. Everard needed to work out where his loyalties lie. And quickly.

  ***

  They camped at a secluded oasis that night. They stumbled on it purely by chance; at first, Avalon had thought that it was another vision, but this had not melted away before their eyes, and they had broken into a run to get to it. Around a small waterhole, palm trees swayed and provided much needed respite from the burning sun.

  They did not dare to make a fire so out in the open. It would be able to be seen from miles around, alerting anyone near where they were. And besides, even though the temperature cooled considerably at night, it wasn’t cold enough to justify it. They didn’t need to cook. Instead, they got out the provisions that Mother Oda had packed for them.

  The moon was full and so bright that they could see clearly in the darkness. Everard was taking first watch of the night and had wandered to the edge of the waterhole, peering around. Avalon and Skyresh relaxed beside the water, watching the moonlight make dappled patterns on the surface.

  Suddenly, there was a cacophony of howls that were piercing the night air. Avalon felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.

  “What is that?” she whispered.

  “A pack of wolves most likely,” said Skyresh. “Don’t worry, they shouldn’t bother us. They are high in the hills.” He listened to the howls for a moment. “Yes, they are far away. At least we know that there are other animals around. I was starting to get concerned when we hadn’t seen any.”

  Avalon listened to the cry of the wolves. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered. “But sad. Their cries are like an arrow piercing my heart.” Inexplicably, she felt like crying. She had never had such a reaction before to the sound of animals.