We were sitting as close to each other as possible, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, our legs intertwined. Despite Tormod watching out for danger and passers-by, I still felt on edge.
The closer it got to Lachlann leaving, the sicker I felt and the harder it was for me to relax.
Despite my worries, we were content in each other’s company, as we watched the sky begin to darken. Half of the sky was covered with dark grey clouds, but as the time passed they slowly changed.
Before long it looked as if half the sky was aflame with vibrant hues of orange and red, the likes of which I had never seen anywhere but the fires which burned during our festivals.
“I often wonder if a red sky means that the sky fairies are burning. The stories tell us that when they are fighting the sky is alive with blues and greens,” I explained to Lachlann.
“The stories don’t explain why the sky burns red?” he asked curiously, to which I shook my head.
As we spent more and more time together, I realised just how sheltered Lachlann’s life had been. He never had anyone to tell him the fairy and human stories as a child.
It made me sad to think that no one had taken the time to tell him about the sky fairies, or the wulver or the selkies in the west. No one in Culhuinn knew anything, other than that they were alive to serve the King. It was heart-breaking, and I had no way of stopping it.
Culhuinn was a much larger kingdom than Norbroch meaning their army was also much larger than ours. Despite not having had a war since our fathers battled, the King still spoke of his army as often, and as loudly, as he could. There was no doubt that he was exaggerating his strength, but still our army was too small. We could protect the border and stop invasion, but we could not travel south and liberate hundreds of humans without being slaughtered.
“What are you thinking about?” Lachlann asked, pulling me from the log to sit on his lap.
“I wish I could free you all,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.
“One day, I hope we can free ourselves,” Lachlann replied in between placing soft kisses on my cheeks.
“Norbroch would help you,” I promised taking his face in my hands. “We will help the humans should they ever gain their freedom.”
As we sat there, the sky burning bright above us and the trees rustling in the wind, I knew that I meant it.
Before Lachlann could reply, Tormod came back through the trees. He looked sombre and I wondered if perhaps he was as nervous about tomorrow as we were. He inclined his head towards me, letting me know that the forest was empty, before mounting his horse and riding away.
“He’s leaving you?” Lachlann asked, his confusion making me smile.
“Follow me,” I slipped from his lap and held out my hand for him to take.
He smiled fondly and did as I bid. I tried not to squeeze his hand too tightly as we walked through the frost, but I wanted to savour every moment we had together. He radiated warmth. It was as if a bonfire burned bright within him.
We pushed our way past frost coated bushes, our feet crunching on fallen needles, deeper and deeper into the forest. Eventually we emerged into a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees which seemed to glisten against the burning sky. I froze, waiting to see how Lachlann would react to what I had planned.
His smile grew as he took in the secluded clearing, the furs and blankets strewn across the ground, the small bonfire burning and the basket of food Aelwen had insisted I bring.
The idea began as a dream. A dream I could not get out of my mind, no matter how long I was awake. Aelwen noticed of course, and I ended up admitting what I had dreamt, much to my embarrassment. Aelwen was in love with the idea, and took it upon herself to scout out a location where we could be alone together.
Tormod had lit the bonfire for us before he left, but I could not bring myself to be embarrassed that he knew what we would do here. Not as I watched Lachlann, the bonfire illuminating his face in its amber glow, smiling like I had never seen him smile before.
“You did this, for us?” he breathed, and I nodded.
Slowly, I undid the latch on my thick furred coat, letting it fall to the frosty ground. Then, without breaking eye contact, I began unlacing the front of my dress. I forced myself not to laugh as I watched him fidget.
Soon his impatience won and, before I knew it, we were together on the furs, my dress abandoned somewhere in the frost. I had to laugh as he almost knocked himself over in his haste to unlace his boots and throw them carelessly behind us.
“We have all night,” I reminded him.
This night was all we had.
“Hey, don’t worry,” he whispered, gently cupping my chin. “Once I am free we can spend the rest of our lives tangled together here in this forest.”
“Aelwen would probably allow it,” I smirked.
With that, I relaxed and let myself enjoy our night together.
Despite the bonfire being small, it burned bright throughout the night. I was sure that at times I saw it flicker and dance as we did.
I just hoped that the Others could see us. That they witnessed our love and would protect us.
W e spent the night in a room almost as large as our cottage back home. Servants brought us warm water to wash in and plates of food, in case we were hungry throughout the night. Not that I could manage another bite after the feast with the King and the strangely silent Princess. The more I thought about her, the more I wondered why she didn’t speak.
The straw bed was the most comfortable thing I had ever slept on. It made our beds at home seem as if they were made of rock. The blankets were made of wool, so soft I considered stealing one, just so I could let everyone back home feel it.
Glen and I were used to falling asleep to the sound of other people moving in rooms nearby and the wind, whistling through gaps in walls and doors. There was none of that last night, not in a castle built by fairies and fit for royalty. The walls were solid and the only sound in the room came from our steady breathing and the crackling of the dwindling fire in the corner.
I was glad they let Glen and I sleep in the same room, had I been alone, the silence would have been suffocating.
After our lack of sleep under the fairy’s enchantment, and then the stressful night spent on the sandy riverbank, we slept like the dead until servants woke us early the next morning.
I hadn’t realised quite how exhausted I was until I woke feeling better than I had in days, maybe even weeks.
“I am never leaving this bed,” Glen complained the next morning and I agreed, refusing to move until the servant ripped the blankets away from us with a laugh.
They quickly helped us dress and pack our bags ready for the next part of our journey. We were given so much food that our bags, which were already filled with trinkets from our journey, were close to bursting and I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Surely there were villagers somewhere in the kingdom that needed this food more than us.
Every servant we saw during our short stay was a fairy and it was surprisingly easy to tell. Their skin was oddly smooth and where our skin showed freckles, veins and flushed with colour, theirs remained one solid colour.
I hurried to dress as quickly as possible. Foolishly embarrassed in case the fairies, with their perfect skin, could see something wrong with mine. Glen noticed my haste, but also noticed my embarrassment, and didn’t mention it.
We wandered through the courtyard at the front of the castle, the one we had entered in the previous day. Now that we weren’t scared we would be arrested or killed at any moment, I could admire how beautiful the castle was.
It was built out of brown and grey bricks, their size so uniform that I couldn’t help but be amazed by their building skills.
I felt a pang of homesickness at the thought of our little cottage back home, with its mismatched stone walls and thatched roof.
The courtyard wasn’t as busy this early in the morning, but we got another glimpse of some humans. They were a
ll dressed in simple outfits, much different from the fairies we had encountered during our brief stay.
Even if the King did disagree with the creation of changelings, it was obvious that he did not value his human subjects as highly as the fairies, or pay them as well.
One of the servants, who had helped us get ready, directed us towards the stables near the main gate before hurrying away. I was ashamed to realise that neither of us had learned their names, despite all the help they had given us.
When we reached the stables, we met with our guide, who was striking to say the least.
He wore his dark hair in three thick plaits which reached down to his waist. His face and neck were so scarred that, if he told us he’d once fallen onto a pile of knives, I would have had no trouble believing him.
Unlike the other fairies we encountered inside the castle, his clothes looked old and worn. He looked more like the humans back in our village, with mud covered boots and dirty clothes from a life of working outside.
“They call me Swift.” he bluntly announced as we approached.
I couldn’t have stopped my snort of amusement if I tried. Luckily it was muffled by Glen’s burst of laughter.
I elbowed Glen hard when I noticed Swift’s anger at our response... he was being serious.
“Why do they call you Swift?” Glen asked, fighting down more laughter.
“Because I am. I have travelled the length and breadth of Culhuinn, and of Norbroch in the north. I have journeyed to the ends of this land and back again.”
“Well they call me Glen, and they call her Morven, because that’s the names our ma and da gave us.”
“This is our first journey, so you’ll have to excuse us novices,” I added with a smile.
“So long as you do not die, I do not care.” Swift said and with that cheerful comment, he called for the stable hand to bring out the horses which would be taking us north.
The horses were beautiful. The smallest of the three seemed to be a sprinkling of different greys, its brown mane tied up away from its face. The two other horses were so dark they looked almost black and had light brown manes and tails.
I was relieved when Swift told me I would be riding the smallest of the three, although it still intimidated me a little. Apparently, the horses were powerful, strong, sure footed and perfect for navigating through the mountain pass into Norbroch.
The stable hand helped me attach my bags before allowing me to step on his hands and struggle my way into the saddle.
Embarrassingly, it took two attempts for me to even mount the horse. I only managed it the second time because the stable hand practically threw me up onto the horse.
Unlike the horses we borrowed to get to the Fairy Hills, these horses obeyed with the slightest pull of the reins or squeeze of the thighs.
“She’ll see you safe through the mountains,” the stable hand said, giving her an affectionate pat.
“Is it that obvious that she scares me?” I nervously laughed, to which he grinned.
“Just a bit. Might I ask your name?” For a moment, I thought I noticed a hint of disbelief on his face as he looked at me.
“It’s Morven, what’s yours?” I wanted to learn the name of someone who helped me whilst I was here.
“Berwin. What sends you up to Norbroch?”
“I’m just looking for some answers,” I explained weakly, wondering why he was so interested.
I didn’t have a chance to ask as a moment later Swift spoke, and once again we had to fight down laughter.
“The journey begins.” he called dramatically, and somewhat ominously, before heading out the gates.
This journey wasn’t going to go well if we burst out laughing every time our guide spoke. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just left us behind somewhere.
Berwin laughed, “You better follow him. You have a good life Morven, find your answers.”
He gave the horse a pat on the rump and then I was away, unable to question his somewhat dramatic statement.
Have a good life?
I had a horrible feeling that he could tell I was a changeling, and knew just how short my life was going to be.
“Hurry!” Swift shouted as we pushed our horses to maintain a fast pace.
I fought the urge to ride up beside him and kick him right off his horse. Despite the horse doing the galloping, I still felt exhausted.
My forehead and upper lip were disgustingly damp with sweat but I couldn’t muster up the energy to wipe it away. I hoped I was simply imagining it, but I was so breathless I seemed to be panting louder than the horse.
There was no denying that Swift was an expert when it came to adventures. Glen and I had ambled at a slow pace towards our previous destinations, with no planned route or timescale in mind. Swift, on the other hand, charged towards Norbroch determinedly.
He paid no mind to the humans struggling to follow him. Humans who were moments away from falling off their horses and simply lying down in the long grass to die.
“I regret everything.” I shouted to Glen in between loud wheezes.
“I can’t feel my arse.” Glen sounded almost as exhausted as I did.
“You should thank the Others for that. I’ll never walk again.”
Looking back, our journey from Wallace’s village to the loch-side village, which had seemed tiring and painful at the time, was a dream compared to what we were currently experiencing.
My arse, lower back and thighs were burning as I failed miserably to find a comfortable rhythm to match the horse's. My thick woollen dress was pulled up almost indecently and my thighs were rubbing painfully against the saddle.
The further north we travelled, the more aware I was of the falling temperature. My poor legs were only covered by the long woollen socks ma had knitted me.
The valley between the mountains couldn’t have been more different from the one we travelled through in the Fairy Hills. The valley floor was wide enough for our three horses to move side by side, although Swift hurried ahead of us for the whole journey.
The horses were not as eager to run straight to Norbroch as Swift was, so we spent a few hours on the frosty rocks, resting.
Glen and I bundled ourselves up together in our blankets whilst Swift sat across the fire from us, staring into the darkness. Occasionally he glared at us, but other than that he was silent.
When we finally left the mountain valley, the land before us was a welcome change. I felt I could breathe easier, just as I had after we left the Fairy Hills. The walls of rock were suffocating, and so the sight of Norbroch made me smile.
We could see green rolling hills, covered with a thick layer of early morning frost. Further north we could even see snow, despite it being summer. I could only just make out a dark forest lying across a river to the east, and it surprised me to see that the trees still had thick green leaves.
Despite the snow and frost, Norbroch reminded me of our village down in Tirwood, with its rolling hills spotted with sheep. The main difference here was that the green was broken by jagged stumps of black rock. It looked as if the rock was bursting out through the grass, attempting to take over.
Leaving the shelter of the mountains was like being plunged into the icy waters of Loch Fai all over again. The temperature difference between Culhuinn and Norbroch was so unbelievable that Glen and I agreed it must somehow be the work of the Others.
Swift had barely spoken during our journey through the valley, though he was kind enough to warn us that we would soon be freezing. We’d layered on our extra set of clothes and it was only just enough to keep out the biting cold.
“Welcome to Norbroch.” Swift said, in the least welcoming tone I had ever heard in my life, before setting off again.
Clearly our time for admiring the scenery was over.
I almost cried with joy that evening, when Swift finally announced that we were stopping to rest the horses. Selfishly, I was just glad to be out of the saddle. We’d been following a path between the undu
lating hills of frost, grass and rock all day.
Swift seemed to be growing nervous as we travelled and I wondered if that was in case we met any of the local fairies.
Glen and I knew nothing of the relations between the two kingdoms, but from our guide’s apprehension, we were beginning to assume they weren’t friendly.
I quickly excused myself and scrambled up over some jagged black boulders. I was sweating by the time I managed to heave myself over them but it was worth it for the view, and the privacy.
Although Glen and Swift had made sure to avert their eyes whenever I had to relieve myself in the valley, it was still difficult not to feel embarrassed when there is nowhere to go alone.
Our guide made no moves to hide the fact that he thought himself superior to us, which made it even worse.
Once I had finished, and my bladder was no longer close to exploding, I started making my way back down over the rocks. I considered calling Glen over so that I could just jump down and make him catch me, but the lower I got the more I could hear of their conversation.
“Swift should not be killed just so two humans can travel north,” Swift was saying to a confused looking Glen.
“Hasn’t King Ferchar commanded that you to take us to the castle?” Glen questioned, to which our guide laughed.
“Unfortunately, we were attacked before we could make it. The ginger human killed before my eyes whilst I battled multiple fairies. The changeling girl stolen whilst I was single handily taking out a whole team of guards.”
Before either of us could grasp that that had been a threat, Swift lunged forward, kicking Glen’s feet out from underneath him.
Glen fell backwards with a grunt of surprise and Swift took advantage of his shock. He pinned Glen to the ground and began attempting to strangle the life out of him.
Instead of trying to save his breath Glen shouted and cursed at Swift, swinging his arms around and getting in a few good punches. He wasn’t going to die easily.
The Changeling's Journey Page 18
