by Diane Rapp
“Trenton could ride Tempest in the lead so you needn’t fight with him.”
“I’d rather not.”
Lauryn smiled. “Please don’t take offense.”
“I’m not offended, it’s just that I won’t ride Tempest for much longer. I’d rather spend as much time as I can with him.”
“Why won’t you be able to ride Tempest?” Lauryn asked.
“He’s Donovan’s mount. I’m just a groom, left in charge while Donovan’s gone.”
“I’m sure he’d let you ride him.”
“It’s not the same.” Talking about Tempest, Andrew forgot he spoke with Lauryn and babbled on. “Now I’m his master, but when Donovan returns, Tempest will have a new master. Your father is wonderful.”
“Tell me about Donovan. My memories of my father seem vague.”
“Donovan’s strong and brave—you should see how fast he can move. Actually, when he’s moving in speed time nobody can see him. He’s a brilliant military strategist and the best king who ever ruled Drako. Donovan tried to convince the lords to give commoners a share of their own labors.”
“Why?”
“When a man profits from his own labor, he’s eager to make life better for his family. When all his work belongs to the overlord, it’s like being a slave.”
Lauryn asked, “If an overlord provides food and housing to his people, doesn’t that make a peasant feel secure?”
“When you’re provided for, you give up the chance to succeed on your own. You never develop self respect and pride in your accomplishments.” Andrew spoke passionately. “Attitudes were beginning to change under Donovan’s rule. Since his capture Krystal took his ideas and started a market for goods produced secretly at home. Peasants work hard for themselves because it’s their choice.”
“God gave us all the freedom of choice.” Lauryn clasped his hand and squeezed. “Thanks. I understand my father and look forward to meeting him again.”
Andrew’s pulse quickened and his mouth felt dry. He silently watched Lauryn ride ahead and stroked the hand she’d touched. At her touch he lost the ability to speak. How could he ever manage to tell her how much he loved her?
9 ~ FELESIA ~ THE SHAPE-SHIFTER
Gnarled trees extended crooked black branches through the eerie fog like a witch’s fingers stretched over the trail. Everyone felt nervous; Tempest swished his tail like a whip, the girls hunched into their cloaks, and Amber frequently growled at shadows. As the party clomped through the silent forest, Bear Rock loomed over the valley floor shrouded in mist like a predator waiting to pounce. A hawk keened and circled overhead.
Trenton halted and signaled for silence.
A dulcet trill echoed through the trees, coming from everywhere and nowhere. Women with bows rushed forward and surrounded the entire group. A warbling laugh rang from above, and the hawk swooped through the branches with its talons outstretched.
“Shoot the bird, quick!” a woman screamed.
“My hair, it grabbed my hair,” another woman cried.
“Run!” Trenton shouted. He whooped a bloodcurdling war cry, and their horses charged past the confused circle of women. Andrew followed Lauryn as their horses stampeded wildly through the trees. She clung to her saddle, desperate to hang on.
Hazel eyes watched from behind the thick needles of a tall pine as horses scattered through the woods. A muffled squeak and a pink nose emerged from a leather bag.
“Quiet, Killer!” Felesia said stroking the furry head. “It’s fun to watch the tribe chase their prey.”
A shrill keen diverted her attention as the hawk swooped through tree branches to land on the limb above her head. A tendril of Felesia’s mind calmed the excited bird. You did well, Arrow, she thought and linked with Arrow’s mind to watch the scene through the hawk’s sharp eyes. Horses bolted through the trees with the tribe of women in hot pursuit. A golden-haired girl fell off her horse but her companion stopped to help. The angry women of the tribe surrounded the pair with weapons ready.
Felesia felt the girl’s panic as a spiky jolt of pain in her head. “Lauryn,” she gasped and scrambled to the ground. She darted through the forest, trying to reach safety, trying to ignore the mental cry that ripped through her brain. She felt like two people—one dodged branches, running, but the other felt strong fingers grip her arms. She felt dizzy and nauseous as someone lifted her from her feet.
Felesia closed her eyes and climbed the knotty branches of a giant tree by touch, ignoring the swirling vision of being carried through the forest. When she reached the tree top, she crawled into the safety of a hollow, pulled soft sleeping furs over her shivering body, and hunkered down.
A rough tongue licked Felesia’s hand and Lauryn’s mind faded. She gazed into the green eyes of a black panther. “I’m okay, Marra.” She stroked the cat, sucking deep breaths to control the thundering beat of her heart, and buried her face in Marra’s fur. The vibration of a rumbling purr made her feel protected.
Felesia thought, What happened to me? Who is Lauryn? The girl looked familiar but she couldn’t remember why.
Muffled chattering erupted from her pack, and Felesia released the small angry creature. Killer scrambled onto her shoulder and delivered a stream of angry protests.
“Sorry, Killer. I didn’t mean to forget you.”
She stroked his soft fur and offered him a nut to mollify his temper. Still chattering, he snatched the morsel and stuffed it into his mouth. His right cheek bulged as he finished his lecture. She gave him a second nut that he stuffed into the other cheek. Mollified, he sat on his haunches and cleaned his face and ears with tiny paws. Watching Killer’s familiar ritual, Felesia’s mood brightened. He finished cleaning and darted through the burrow, sniffing everything before settling down to eat.
Marra exhaled a gentle “buff” sound and nudged Felesia’s hand. Scratching the cat’s silken ear, Felesia waited for the hawk to demand attention. Perched on a knob above her head, Arrow trilled and Felesia held out a nut. The hawk gripped the morsel with her talons, shredded the hard shell with her beak, and extracted the nutmeat with her tongue.
Felesia said, “Why do you all get affection? I’m the one in pain. My head still throbs, but do I get any sympathy?”
Marra rolled onto her back and playfully batted Felesia’s hand with a massive paw. “You’re too big to act like a kitten.” Felesia dodged the huge paws. “Ouch! Keep your claws retracted,” she said. A loud purr rumbled through Marra’s chest and the cat’s raspy tongue gently licked Felesia’s fingers. As things returned to normal, Felesia curled against the warmth of Marra’s body and drifted into a deep sleep.
She walked through the dream garden alone. For weeks Felesia watched the garden from a safe distance, but tonight she found herself immersed in the garden’s fragrant beauty. She heard the playful chatter of children and peeked around a bush.
“There she is!” a blond girl shouted. “Felesia, come and join us. It’s more fun to run and play than hide in those bushes.” The girl grinned at her. “Ask this squirrel to come down and take our nuts.”
Bright beady eyes stared down from a high branch, his body quivering with fright. Felesia frowned.
Tessa said, “I’m sorry I frightened the squirrel. Honest, I didn’t mean to scare him. I just tried to get the squirrel to ride my shoulder like it does for you.” She rubbed a long scratch on her arm. “I’m the one who got hurt! Your squirrel’s fine, so please help us make friends.”
Felesia wanted to join the girls but fear gripped her. “It’s safer for me to stay with my animals.” Disappointment clouded the faces of the two girls.
With sad eyes Tessa beckoned, “We miss you so much.”
“Leave me alone!” Felesia shouted and ran from the garden into the forest.
She woke, her cheeks wet with tears. “I’m safer in the forest,” she muttered, but the memory of her sisters filled her mind. Huddled in her hollow tree, she felt puzzled and unhappy. Snatches of memory flitted through
her mind:
She remembered how frightened Belva looked as hooves thundered down the canyon. She handed Felesia a full pack and said, “Run away, my darling girl. Krystal will never forgive me if I let them desert riders catch you.”
“I can’t leave you.” Tears stung Felesia’s sleepy eyes.
“These bones are too old to run fast, so they’d catch us both in a flash. I’ll stay in my home and put up a good fight to give you time. Belva bent the slender bow to loop a taut string over the end. “I’m a good shot, so those filthy heathens will feel the bite of my arrows. Hunker down inside your tree-house. It’s too high and hidden, so you’ll be safe. If you hear me whistle it’s safe to come home. If you don’t hear from me before dawn, get the hell out of here.”
“Where should I go?”
“Go to Bear Rock. Trenton will look for you at Bear Rock.”
“What if he doesn’t come?” Felesia’s fear mounted.
Belva frowned. “Live with your animal friends near the rock until it is safe to join your sisters.”
“I have sisters?”
“I put a box inside your pack, a present your mother wanted you to have. When you start dreaming about the garden, open that box and it will help you remember. Hurry, the riders are coming. Go now, my darling girl, and keep yourself safe.”
She ran into the woods with young Marra at her heels, ran until her lungs ached, and then climbed to her tree-house and waited. Fire spread through the valley, consuming everything in its path. The acrid smoke burned her eyes and filled her lungs. Belva did not whistle, and Felesia hugged Marra as tears flowed.
“We’re alone,” she said to the cat. “We must stay away from people.” Before sunrise the child and panther cub ran into the dense forest. They lived near Bear Rock until Felesia forgot about people, forgot about her sisters, and the box remained in the bottom of her pack unopened.
After all these years the memories of that night engulfed Felesia with sorrow and fear. People were dangerous! She must get away before that girl’s mind touched her again.
She stuffed everything she owned into a leather pack and hefted it onto her shoulder. “Bear Rock isn’t safe. The valley has filled with women who attract the attention of men on horses. We’re leaving,” she told the animals as tears trickled down her tanned cheeks. “We’re safer alone.”
Marra’s tail flicked with agitation, Killer chattered, and Arrow screeched at the unseen enemy that frightened the girl. Felesia draped a hide over her shoulders to repel the evening mist, determined to leave the forest before the rising sun made her vulnerable to discovery. The little army marched silently as the blood-red rays of the second moon flickered through giant trees casting sinister shadows across a crimson carpet of crunchy leaves. Crickets chirped and night beetles droned a steady hum.
Felesia regretted leaving her valley. She learned lessons of life and death living here with her animal friends. When the tribe of women arrived, she played a game of chase with the easily spooked women, darting behind a tree and sending Marra or Arrow out to lead the chase. The women called her a shape-shifter, but their clumsy attempts to catch her broke the monotony. She spent hours watching and teasing the tribe of women, almost enjoying the distant friendship. Now she realized the tribe was dangerous.
That girl penetrated her mind and threatened her safety. Surely the desert riders wouldn’t be far behind. With a heavy heart Felesia’s footsteps took her away from the danger. Would she always need to remain alone?
*****
Lauryn sat tied to Andrew in a wooden cage. The crazed expressions of the women standing guard frightened her. She whispered, “They stare at me like I’m dangerous. How can I hurt anyone tied in this cage?”
“You should see the way they look at me,” Andrew agreed. “It’s like I’m a disgusting insect ready to be squashed. I wish we could figure out a way to escape.” The guard glowered at him, fingering the hilt of her sword. “Trenton will come for us, so be ready for any rescue attempt,” he whispered.
“I hope it’s soon,” Lauryn said.
*****
Trenton chided himself for falling victim to the crude ambush waged by scraggly women. He tracked their trail, spotting footprints, bent twigs, and scraped bark through the dense undergrowth. One set of footprints intrigued him; a solitary female in smooth-soled moccasins ran with long strides. The prints of a giant cat kept pace with the girl.
Could the prints belong to Felesia? Her trail veered away from the main path, but Trenton knew he must follow the trail of the women who captured Andrew and Lauryn. Later he would double back and track the girl properly.
Are the women in the raiding party Samurai trained by Marasuta? He frowned. No. Samurai were trained to cover their trail better than this. He felt grateful for a clear track to follow.
*****
Shivering, Lauryn huddled against Andrew. A sympathetic woman dropped a frayed blanket loosely over her legs but the other women called her shape-shifter and brandished weapons at her. Animosity radiated from them and images of Felesia flickered through their minds. The images shifted from Felesia’s face into a screeching hawk and then a sleek black cat. The shape-shifter, deemed an evil spirit by these women, was actually Felesia.
During the attack she had felt Felesia’s mind, so she tried again. Please help me, Felesia. She knew she touched Felesia’s mind. The women think I’m the shape-shifter. It’s you they fear.
Felesia said, Leave me alone! I’m safer if I stay alone.
I’m your sister! If you abandon me, these crazy women will hurt me, Lauryn cried.
Lauryn saw the image of a hawk launching into the sky and knew Felesia let her mind join with the bird to escape. The fierce hawk’s mind abruptly blocked Lauryn’s contact. She sobbed, feeling suddenly alone.
Andrew said, “We’ll be all right. Trenton will find a way to rescue us.”
“Felesia is the shape-shifter. I touched her mind, but she flew away to escape me. How can I make her understand that I need her help?” Lauryn felt Andrew’s strong emotions, his tenderness and love. She yearned to be protected by his warmth but the intensity of his desire frightened her. She stiffened.
Andrew frowned.
Lauryn knew he felt rejected, but she couldn’t explain that she read his mind. He feared invasion of his mind more than her rejection. She sat in silence, wishing she could erase the past few moments.
*****
Arrow’s powerful wings beat steadily until she caught an updraft and soared high into the night sky. Trees blurred as she raced overhead while the red moon bathed her wings in its bloody light. The glimmer of a distant campfire attracted her attention, and she felt curious. Had more humans invaded her domain? She dipped her wings and swooped down to investigate, wind whistling through her feathers as she gained speed.
Felesia shared Arrow’s mind. She saw bodies move around the campfire. What harm can come from looking? A tall dark figure silhouetted against the flickering firelight saw the hawk.
*****
“Jordan, do you see that hawk? I sensed her mind before I could see her. Perhaps it’s the same vixen who escaped me using the birds as cover? What luck to have another chance! Don’t move! You’ll scare her before she gets close enough to capture.”
“Jerrod, it’s just a hawk. Leave the poor thing alone.”
Jerrod’s cold glare silenced Jordan and they waited silently as the victim drew near. With a broad smile, Jerrod’s eyes captured the bird’s keen stare. Come to me, my pretty feathered friend. You must come closer and look into my eyes.
*****
Arrow/Felesia felt compelled to obey the mental voice of the dark man below. She flew closer. Felesia wanted to break free, to force Arrow’s wings to fly away from the man, but the hawk extended sharp talons. Felesia tried to make Arrow gouge the man’s laughing face, but he grabbed her legs with a looped cord and jerked her down.
Arrow was trapped.
Felesia sobbed. She heard a snarl and felt hot breat
h against her face. Marra’s rough tongue rasped her cheek, and helped Felesia break the mental contact with Arrow. Suddenly she was inside a human body, sitting on the forest floor drenched in sweat. Her head ached.
Felesia heard a mental voice. Come back to me. I have your pet and soon I’ll have you. The evil mind made her cringe. Marra growled and rubbed her body against Felesia. Marra’s touch sent raw animal anger at the man with a snarl and jolted the enemy. The cat’s strength pushed the evil voice out of her mind.
“Let’s get away from here,” Felesia whispered, afraid her voice might attract the wicked man again. She knew Arrow felt terrified, trapped in a wooden cage, but Felesia must not allow herself to extend comfort to the hawk. She used Marra to block the evil from her mind and ran through the woods with the cat.
Felesia listened to the night sounds as she settled into a makeshift bed of leaves to rest. Everything sounded strange and frightening after her encounter with the man. She and Marra managed to escape the valley, but Felesia grieved over Arrow’s capture. Killer snuggled next to the human, his fuzzy tail tickling her nose as it flicked restlessly. She stroked his soft fur and finally settled into a restless slumber.
A tendril of her mind involuntarily touched the hawk. Felesia gazed through Arrows eyes at the hateful man from behind the bars of a cage. He paced the floor and then turned to stare at her with black soul-stealing eyes.
Ah, my beauty, I’ve got you now! He opened the cage and Felesia felt a jeweled hand grip her feathered body. She tried to dig her talons into his soft flesh but she couldn’t move. His grip tightened as he stroked her feathers. I’ve got a piece of your mind now, so I’ll soon control your will. You’ll learn to enjoy my touch, hunger for it.
Felesia’s anger erupted like fire, searing the hand that gripped her feathery body with enough heat to blister his skin. He shoved Arrow back into the cage, and Felesia watched him rub his burnt hand with flashing eyes.
