The Brightest Star in the North

by Meredith Rusu

  She and James continued to wander through the thick crowds of villagers. It was easy to become lost in the excitement. For the first time in her life, Carina felt like she was more than just an orphan—like she was part of something larger.

  Then she saw a brightly colored tent standing off to one side, separated from the rest of the festival. Strange plants adorned the opening. Carina had once seen a drawing of something similar on display in the village market. What were they called? Palm branches?

  An abnormally short man with a monkey on his shoulder stood outside the tent, playing a strange instrument. It whistled and whined as he squeezed it back and forth.

  Through the opening, Carina could see a woman sitting in the center of the tent. Before her was a table, draped in dark cloth and lit by a glowing candelabra. She wore a long, loose-fitting garment layered with different-colored materials. A twisted kerchief snaked around her head, and her dark curly hair spilled out beneath it. Her feet were bare.

  Carina had never before seen people who dressed like that, had not known people who kept foreign animals and played strange music.

  The woman at the center of the tent scanned the crowd. Her dark eyes rested on Carina.

  James gulped. “Who do you think they are?” he asked.

  “No idea.” Carina shook her head.

  Without thinking, Carina walked toward the tent.

  “Carina!” James whispered loudly.

  But she wasn’t listening. She felt completely absorbed by the colors and the music and the swaying palm branches. As she reached the tent, the monkey danced around her feet.

  “Come, child.” The woman with the dark eyes smiled. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  “THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE,” Carina said in her normal self-assured voice. But it sounded strange to her, as though she were listening to herself say the words from a distance. “I do not know you.”

  “But I know you.” The woman held out her hand. “I know everything.”

  “Carina!” James hurried up next to her and tugged her arm. “I don’t like this.”

  But Carina held fast. “You cannot know everything,” she stated. “Even scientists do not know everything.”

  “I do not speak of science,” the woman replied. “I speak of fortune. The mysteries of the islands. I can see all with my third eye. And you will see what I see…for a small offering.”

  “See?” insisted James. “She just wants your money. This is not what I want to spend our coins on. Let’s go.”

  Carina still didn’t budge. “There is no such thing as a third eye. You say you are offering knowledge. But science—the study of truth—is the only way to obtain knowledge.”

  The woman’s smile widened. “Then, please, allow me to ‘study’ you. I can tell you all you need to know.”

  Carina couldn’t explain why, but everything about the tent—the woman, the man, and the music, even the monkey—made her feel hot. Angry. Like she had a burning sensation in her chest she wanted to rip out. This woman was wrong. And Carina would prove it.

  Carina opened her satchel and pulled out her coins.

  “Don’t!” said James.

  But Carina slapped them on the table and sat down.

  Silently, the woman passed her hand over the coins. Just like that, they were gone.

  “Now, child,” she said, “give me your hand.”

  Carina did as she was told. The woman studied Carina’s palm. Carefully, she traced the lines with her long, tinted nails. Carina didn’t like the feel of the woman’s nails on her skin; they were gnarled and brittle.

  “I see storms in your past,” the woman spoke, her eyes unfocused. “Dark clouds. A ship. The sea. You have traveled far for one so young.”

  Carina was about to ask from where, but she caught herself. The woman was making things up. She had to be.

  The woman continued, tracing the longest line on Carina’s palm. “Your quest for the truth will consume you,” she said. “You will travel again, with the stars as your guide. The islands are calling you home.”

  “This is nonsense.” Carina yanked her hand away. “I am not from the islands.”

  The woman’s dark eyes focused again and met Carina’s. “Are you sure?” she asked.

  Carina started to speak, then closed her mouth. The truth was she wasn’t sure.

  “There is a fire burning in your heart,” the woman said. “It will not cease until you have vanquished it, or it has consumed you. I can see it with my third eye. It burns bright red—like a ruby.”

  The woman’s gaze drifted to Carina’s satchel. Carina hadn’t noticed that when she’d withdrawn the coins from her bag, the top had remained open. Galileo’s diary stuck out, visible to all in the tent. The ruby glinted in the light of the candelabra.

  “Treasure has a way of making itself known,” the woman finished quietly.

  Carina buckled her satchel shut and stood. “You have spoken but I have learned nothing of the truth from your words. Only guesses as to what may be. The monkey could have told me as much.”

  The woman’s eyes flashed, but she didn’t respond.

  “Carina, can we please go now?” James begged.

  “Yes,” Carina said shortly. “We are finished here.”

  Carina turned and followed James out of the tent. Then the young boy anxiously pulled her along into the crowds.

  The short man stepped up to the woman with the dark hair. The monkey scrambled up his leg and onto his shoulder.

  “Was that the treasure?” he asked quietly.

  The woman nodded. “Yes,” she said, smiling. “The map.”

  * * *

  The sun dipped lower in the sky as Carina and James made their way home from the festival. James munched happily on a cone of sweet bread.

  “Best three coins I ever spent,” he said, mouth full.

  Carina rolled her eyes. “The only three coins you ever spent.”

  “Still the best.” James swallowed. “Do you want a bite?”

  “No, thank you,” Carina said. She clutched the satchel at her side.

  “You’ve been acting strange ever since that woman told your fortune.” James licked his fingers. “I thought you said it wasn’t real.”

  “It wasn’t,” Carina said. “I just didn’t like the way she looked at me. Or the monkey.”

  “You didn’t like the way the monkey looked at you?” asked James.

  “No, just…all of it.” Carina shuddered. “The woman, the music, the monkey—it was disturbing.”

  “Then why did you insist on having your fortune told?” asked James. “I warned you not to spend your money there.”

  Carina paused. “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.

  They continued along the path back to the children’s home. The sky grew overcast above them. Gray clouds gathered.

  “Rain is coming,” said Carina. “We should take the shorter way through the woods.”

  She and James looked to the right. Thick trees marked the entrance to the forest. Not far beyond the perimeter was the creek. They could follow it all the way to the orphanage.

  “I don’t like going through the woods,” James groaned. “The keepers say there are wild animals in there.”

  Carina scoffed. “They say that to scare you. To keep us from going there on our own.”

  “Then…shouldn’t we not go there on our own?” asked James.

  “We already are on our own,” said Carina. “And it will be worse for us if we get caught in the storm. We can make it back faster if we follow the creek. Come on.”

  Carina tugged James’s arm, and together they headed into the forest.

  “Do you think the keepers will have noticed we were gone?” James asked.

  “For our own sakes, let’s hope not,” said Carina.

  James grew unusually quiet as they walked. “Do you think anyone would notice if we were gone?”

  “What do you mean?” Carina ducked under a low branch.

 
“It’s just…” James paused. “At the festival today, I saw children. With mothers and fathers. Holding hands. Some even rode on their parents’ shoulders. I think they would notice if their children were gone. The parents, I mean. But if we disappeared, do you think the keepers would look for us? Or would they just…forget?”

  The late-afternoon light passing through the leaves played across Carina’s set jaw.

  “I think we should rely on ourselves,” she said. “But for what it’s worth, I would not forget you.”

  James nodded.

  The pair remained quiet until they reached the creek.

  “Here we are,” said Carina. She wiped her damp brow. “Almost home.”

  Just then, a branch snapped loudly behind them.

  Carina and James whirled around.

  “It’s an animal,” James said, frightened.

  “Or a person,” said Carina. She raised her voice. “Whoever you are—show yourself!”

  James and Carina watched the trees intently. There was a rustling sound from behind a large trunk.

  “Who are you?” Carina demanded.

  “I know we are no longer friends.” The person stepped out of hiding. “But it’s cruel to pretend you’ve forgotten me.”

  Carina breathed in sharply. “What are you doing here, Sarah?”

  “I wanted to go to the festival, too,” Sarah complained. “So I followed you.”

  “You followed us to the festival?” Carina said crossly.

  “You were there the whole time?” James asked.

  Sarah nodded. “Well, for most of it.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell us you wanted to come?” asked James.

  “Because neither of you will speak to me anymore!” exclaimed Sarah.

  “And whose fault is that?” Carina said angrily. “If you want friends so badly, then why don’t you befriend the other orphans?”

  “Because no one will talk to me,” Sarah said quietly. “Not since everyone thinks I turned you in to Mr. Conway. They’re all afraid.”

  “And rightly so,” said Carina. “That’s exactly what you did.”

  “I swear, I didn’t mean for you to get in trouble.” Sarah started crying. “He asked me about the book. Said wasn’t it strange that a father would abandon his daughter with a jewel? He asked how come I was never left with something so precious. Did I suppose my parents didn’t love me? I didn’t even mean to tell him where it was. I’m really, truly sorry.”

  Carina didn’t respond. She hadn’t ever heard that much of Sarah’s confession. But then again, she hadn’t really ever let her get that far.

  “I can only stay at the children’s home for a little while longer before they send me to be a servant somewhere.” Sarah wiped her nose. “Can’t I at least be with you again until then?”

  James looked up at Carina. “I think she’s really sorry,” he said.

  After a long moment, Carina huffed. “Ugh, come on, then. If we don’t get back before dark, we will be missed.”

  Sarah scampered up to join them, and the three children trudged on.

  It wasn’t exactly like old times. But Carina noted that it did feel nice to have a companion on her left and right again.

  The children reached a small bridge over the creek that they needed to cross. Suddenly, they stopped short.

  “Oh, no, the bridge is out,” said James. He pointed to the splintered wood. Some jagged pieces were still floating away. “Now what do we do?”

  Carina scanned the creek. “Maybe we can hop across on the rocks,” she said. “It’s not that deep.”

  Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

  “Come on,” she insisted. “Or we’ll get caught in the storm.”

  “A storm may be coming,” a voice growled behind them.

  Carina, James, and Sarah all whipped around. Behind them stood the short man and the dark-haired woman from the festival tent—along with three more men.

  The short man’s eyes glinted. “But that’s the least of your worries.”

  “RUN!” EXCLAIMED CARINA.

  The friends bolted, sprinting away from the creek and deeper into the woods. But they weren’t fast enough to outrun the men. They grabbed Carina first.

  “Let me go!” Carina cried as two of the rogues pinned her arms.

  “Leave her alone!” yelled James. He picked up a nearby stick and swatted at one man’s face.

  “Yeow!” the man yelped. James had caught him in the eye.

  Carina took advantage of the distraction and bit the hand of the second man who held her—hard.

  The man cried out in pain and let go. In that split second, Carina darted away.

  “Devil child!” he screamed. “You will pay for that.” He reached out to grab her again, but a stone smacked him in the face.

  It had come from Sarah. She had grabbed several rocks from the creek bed, held them in her skirt, and pelted the men with them.

  “This way!” Sarah shouted. She motioned for James and Carina to follow her. Together, the children dove under a large fallen tree trunk and scampered through piles of broken brambles and branches.

  The men and the dark-haired woman followed, but they were larger than the children. The forest debris made it more difficult to follow where the friends ran.

  “We have to get back to the home,” Carina said to Sarah and James. “If we get to the creek, we can make it there.”

  “But the bridge…” James pointed out.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Carina replied. “Better wet than kidnapped.”

  Without thinking twice, Carina, James, and Sarah bounded toward the creek and leaped in. The water was shallow and the current slow, so the friends weren’t in much danger of getting swept away. But the uneven rocks at the bottom of the creek made navigating it tricky.

  Carina held the satchel with Galileo’s diary above her head. She couldn’t let it get wet or it would be ruined, and then she would never learn the secrets her father wanted her to study.

  “There they are!” one of the men shouted from behind them. “The brats are crossing the water!”

  James and Sarah reached the other bank before Carina did. She struggled to keep up, but drizzle had begun to fall, making it hard to see. And holding her satchel above her head was throwing her off-balance in the water.

  “Hurry, Carina!” yelled James.

  With a burst of effort, Carina pushed toward the other side. She never even saw the woman with the dark hair stepping up lightly behind her, balancing on the rocks like an acrobat.

  “Ahhh!” Carina cried out in pain as something snagged her hair.

  It was the woman. She yanked Carina back into the creek.

  “James!” Carina screamed, and threw him her satchel just before tumbling back.

  For a moment, everything was a blur of waves and bubbles and swirling water. Miraculously, Carina popped up above the surface, gasping for air. Only then did she realize the woman still held her by the hair.

  Blinking and coughing, Carina looked frantically for her friends. She caught a glimpse of the men crossing to the other side and picking up James as if he weighed nothing. They grabbed Sarah, too. She fought back against her captors, and one hit her on the side of the head. Sarah went limp.

  “No!” yelled Carina. Instantly, the woman pushed her below the water again. Carina panicked, her mouth filling before she’d even had a chance to catch a breath. She fought and wriggled and grasped desperately at the woman’s hands holding her hair.

  The woman pulled her up again, and Carina gasped as her head broke the surface.

  “Be a good girl, now,” the woman said calmly. “We need you alive.”

  * * *

  The thugs dragged Carina, Sarah, and James to a makeshift camp set up in the woods. The drizzle had stopped by the time they reached it, and fire burned beside a tattered tent and wagon. The men roughly shoved all three of the children to the ground. The short one ripped Carina’s satchel from James’s grip while tw
o of the others bound the children’s hands behind them.

  The monkey from the festival was there, waiting. Chattering, he circled around the children. To Carina, it sounded like laughter.

  Sarah moaned. She’d been thrown closer to the fire than the others, with smoke billowing toward her. The girl’s temple was bruised and swollen, and she was only half-conscious.

  “What do you want with us?” Carina asked the rogues, more confidently than she felt.

  None replied. The short one started rifling through Carina’s satchel.

  “Hey!” Carina yelled. “That’s mine.”

  The man ignored her and withdrew Galileo’s diary. He studied the ruby for a long moment before carefully plucking it from the cover and handing it to the monkey. Then he passed the book to the dark-haired woman.

  “Tell me, child,” the woman said. “How did you come across this?”

  Carina didn’t answer. She wasn’t about to play along.

  The short man stepped forward and slapped Carina’s face. The force knocked her back. She gasped, stung, her cheek burning.

  “You will speak when spoken to,” he directed.

  “Where did you get this?” the woman repeated.

  “It is mine,” Carina said though gritted teeth.

  “You stole it?”

  “My father gave it to me.”

  The woman knelt down in front of Carina, her face uncomfortably close. She pressed the spine of the book against Carina’s cheek, pushing the girl’s face awkwardly to one side. “There are legends about an old book with a ruby on the cover and a cluster of five stars,” the woman spoke in a low voice. “The symbol of the map. Tell me, child, do you know what you have been carrying? Can you read the book?”

  “Why do we waste time questioning them?” one of the rogues asked. He ripped the book from the dark-haired woman’s grasp and flipped through the pages. “This book means nothing. It’s scribbled in devil language. Let’s take the ruby and go.”

  “Because the ruby is not the most valuable treasure here.” The woman stared intently at Carina. “Isn’t that right, child?”

  Now Carina was extremely confused. Legends? A map? Still, she wasn’t about to let on that she didn’t know what they were referring to.