“I don’t suppose you would go away if I asked?” she said aloud.
The lion simply looked at her, as though asking if that’s truly what Una wanted from it. But the more Una considered, the more she realized that having a lion around might not be such a bad idea. Assuming it remained gentle, as it had so far, few predators or even bandits would consider messing with her.
“Will you stay with me?”
The lion took one step forward, the closest gesture to a confirmation that she could expect.
“Okay,” she drew in a breath. Was she really going to do this? “I want you to protect me. If anyone tries to attack or threaten me, you have my permission to attack them instead.”
The lion did not react, but once again Una experienced a sensation like wind passing through her, a feeling of power leaving her. Was that what her...magic felt like?
Part of her detested her own admission that she might possess some kind of inherent magical abilities. But what else could it be? Here she had a tame lion, who had once tried to eat her. And it wasn’t the first time fate had inexplicably turned in her favor. Perhaps it wasn’t blind luck. Perhaps she made her own luck. But if that were true, why had she stayed locked up all these years. If this magic was coming to her aid now, why hadn’t it done so before?
But then again, many of the guards had petitioned for her release without a good reason. That was why the jailor didn’t like her talking, and why he had warned George of such when he had first visited her there. Perhaps there was something within her that had reached out back then, and the actions of the guards were evidence of that.
“Well then,” she said aloud, feeling slightly awkward. What did one say to a lion companion? “Let’s be off.”
They set out for another long day of traveling. Thankfully, the hills were not as dull this time as they had been before. They were growing close to the Forest of Arden, Una could feel it. If she was right, they would be hitting the southern tail of the forest around the same time as they hit another river. Hopefully this one would have more water, and they could take the evening to refresh and recuperate from a long journey.
The real adventure, however, would begin once they were inside the forest. If memory served, the road was wide and well-marked in the Forest of Arden, but she imagined that few came by that way anymore, ever since the dragon had first appeared. But surely there were some who used the road, those who needed to pass through the region in haste. After all, the only other option was to travel around the forest for miles before reaching the other side.
“What am I going to call you, lion?” she asked as they walked, and taking a bite out of some leftover venison. The lion, of course, did not answer so she went on. “Maybe you’ll be the new George, since he seems to have forgotten about me. What do you think of that?”
A low growl filtered out through its mouth.
“Ha,” she laughed. “Okay, not George then.”
She tried a few names, but the lion did not seem to respond well to any of them, so finally she said, “Well if we can’t agree on a name, then I shall just have to call you Lion.”
For once, the lion had no reaction.
“Wait, really?” she asked. “You just want to be called Lion?”
The lion turned to face her and she thought she saw something like the hint of a smile on its muzzle.
She threw up her hands. “Fine, Lion it is, then. So, Lion, where exactly…”
But she cut off as they rounded the top of the hill. Her face brightened as she saw it.
The Forest of Arden lay before them, covering the rolling hills for miles, as far as her eyes could see. The trees were dense, almost like a single, green cloud on the horizon. Even from here, she could see the wildness of it. This was land untamed by man or beast. It remained pure from the Britons, the Romans, and the Saxons alike.
“We made it, Lion,” she said in a hush. Now all she had to do was pass through the forest, and she would be back at her old home, with plenty of time before the midsummer solstice.
To her shock and pleasant surprise, Lion opened his mouth and let out a triumphant roar.
13
The forest was somewhat farther away than she thought. Despite that first glimpse, it took several hours before they were anywhere near the tree line. As she remembered from her first trek through this area, they came across another river just outside of the forest. This one was far wider and deeper, though not so bad that both she and the lion weren’t able to wade across.
On the other side, Una swung her head in every direction, looking for any signs of the mule they had lost earlier. If he had gone anywhere, he would have been attracted to a water source like this one. But there was no sign of the animal.
She kept following the river for some time, until she came to a muddy bank that had…
“Footprints!” she exclaimed. “Someone has been here.”
The lion didn’t react but stooped down to sniff at the prints in the mud.
The prints weren’t large or deep, probably a woman’s. And there was no sign of George’s prints, or those of his horse. Perhaps this was the woman who had accompanied him though.
Una led Lion forward, following the tracks, which led them east. That was good, since the main road was also east, based on what Una could tell of her current position.
But the footprints were fresh, and Una sped up as she realized how close she must be.
As they rounded a group of ash trees, she finally spotted a woman, or at least she thought she was a woman, standing in the distance with her back to Una and the lion.
“Hey!” she called, trotting forward at an increased pace. “Hello there.”
The woman did not turn around. She appeared to be doing something with the plants in front of her. Only then did Una realize they must be near a house. The land here was cleared of trees, and covered in a lovely garden, where the woman stood now.
“I just have some questions,” she said, closing the distance. “I’ve been traveling for some time and was hoping you could tell me if you’ve seen a knight come through here.”
The woman still did not acknowledge she had heard anything. She just continued to water the plants with a large pail that must have been recently filled from the river water.
“Excuse me,” she called, a little louder this time. Was the woman deaf?
Apparently, she was, because at that moment, the woman turned around and caught sight of Una, though more importantly, caught sight of Lion.
The pail went flying into the air as the woman screamed and began running through the garden, towards one end that must have been where the house lay.
“Wait,” Una cried. “It’s not going to hurt you.” Lion confirmed this by licking its paw as though bored.
But once again, the woman showed no sign that she had heard Una, but only continued to run, glancing back furtively as she went.
Una slumped her shoulders. She knew the lion would fend off unwanted people and predators, but she hadn’t thought it through. Of course, a lion would scare off people she actually wanted to talk to as well.
Turning to Lion, she said. “Wait here. I don’t need you scaring anyone.”
In response, Lion sat on his haunches, giving her an annoyed look.
“Hey, I can’t help it that people are scared of you. Almost no one even knows what you are. Wait here, and I will explain the situation to them.”
She left the lion where he sat and hurried through the garden in the direction the woman had gone. A cottage sat just on the other side of the hill, not at all far, though she hadn’t spotted it before, thanks to the hill and the trees that surrounded it.
She quickly spotted the girl who had fled from her earlier, clutching the arms of another, older woman. Both of them stared at Una as she crested the hill.
“It’s okay,” Una held out both arms. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just have a few questions.”
“My girl tells me you have some kind of demon with you?” said
the older woman.
“It’s called a lion, and it won’t hurt you. It obeys me.” Una took several more steps forward.
“Are you from Faerie?” the woman eyed her suspiciously.
“What, no. I’ve traveled here from Londinium.”
“Heavens, girl, what brought you here of all places?”
“That’s a long story, but I was hoping you could tell me of a knight who might have come through here.”
“A knight you say?” the woman narrowed her eyes. She was growing suspicious. Una would need to change tactics if she wanted this family to take her in.
“He’s my brother,” she lied, bringing a healthy dose of emotion into her voice. “We were traveling together, but then we got lost, and I can’t find him. And I’m almost out of food and I don’t know what to do.”
The woman’s face softened, but only a little bit. She sighed. “If you leave your...lion, as you call it, outside, then you can come in and rest. I’ll give you some supper and you can stay for the night, but only one night, mind ye.”
“Oh thank you,” said Una, keeping her voice high-pitched and pleading. “I haven’t seen another human in days.” That much was true. “I thought I was going crazy.”
“Well come inside and I’ll fix you something warm.”
Una nodded and took several steps forward. At her approach, the younger woman frantically waved her hands at her mother with some kind of signs. So the woman was deaf. No wonder she hadn’t heard Una’s call.
The older woman ignored her daughter’s protests as Una approached. “My name is Abessa,” she said in a gruff tone, as if annoyed by Una’s visit. “This is my daughter Corecca. You gave her quite a start out there.”
“I’m sorry,” said Una in a timid tone meant to display true humility. “My lion can take some getting used to, but he’s harmless I promise.” She wasn’t actually sure how true that was. The lion would do what she said, but even she wasn’t sure how long that would last, or how far its loyalty extended. Would it still listen to her when provoked, or when driven by hunger?
“Well, just keep it out of the way and no one will mind.”
Una followed them inside the cottage. She was surprised to see how lavishly decorated the interior was. In fact, it was more than lavish, this place was fit for a lord, not a lowly farmer and his wife. Great cushions and blankets lay over the furniture, the floor was inlaid with quality oak wood, and there were even what looked like true silver candleholders on the table. Judging by that, the silverware was probably real silver as well.
She glanced at Abessa, one eyebrow tilted slightly, the question of how the family had come by all this hanging in the air.
“One night,” the woman said, sternly, her pinched face making it clear Una was not to ask about the niceties.
Corecca also gave Una a look that clearly communicated distrust, or perhaps even disdain. She frowned down her nose at Una, with an air of complete superiority.
Una smirked, and the expression caught Corecca off guard. She huffed and went to join her mother. Una watched her go. She’d seen people like this before, though it was the first time she’d ever seen it from a supposedly humble family. In the past, only the nobles had the sort of high-minded superiority complex that she saw in Corecca.
“The good Lord has blessed us, greatly,” said Abessa, who was already kneading some bread. She must have started before Una arrived.
“He must have,” said Una, staring around at the house. ‘Good Lord,’ the woman had said. So, these people were Christians. A lot less common this far north.
“It is a sign of our devotion,” Abessa went on. “We visit the Abbey twice, weekly. You can go with us tomorrow if you want.”
“I…” she was about to say she wasn’t a Christian, but she’d seen Christians react negatively to such statements, especially with the witches of Avalon being all the talk these days. “I didn’t know there was an Abbey this close to the forest.”
“It’s some distance away, but we make the journey all the same,” said Abessa. “And you will too if you know what’s best for you. Especially with that...lion, you called it.”
“It’s just a pet,” said Una. “But it listens to me.” She would have to leave it at that. If they knew she had somehow stopped it from attacking her with nothing but words, they might not be as friendly. She had a feeling magic would be frowned upon here.
“Hm.” The old woman looked like she was not convinced. Corecca had her arms folded, and her eyes narrowed. She had seen the lion, and that probably fed her suspicion. Una might have to try a different tactic with her, even if she was deaf. The timid, lost and frightened girl act did not seem to work on her as well.
“Aren’t you scared of the forest?” she asked Abessa, stepping closer to inspect the woman’s handiwork on the kitchen table.
“Bah, that forest never held no dangers for nobody,” said Abessa. “Nothing but tales to keep children from running away and getting lost.”
“But,” Una probed further. “I’ve heard of a dragon.”
“T’ain’t no dragon,” she said incredulously. “All that’s nothing but a ploy by unbelievers. The good Lord would not allow such a thing to harm his children.”
Una barely stopped herself from letting out a loose chuckle. These people were obviously naive, but that was odd considering they lived this close to the forest. Everyone knew the Forest of Arden was a legitimately dangerous place, and one where you were likely to run across fae that would steal your soul or great monsters like the one she and George had fought.
“Have you lived here long?” she asked, on a hunch.
“Not long, no,” said the woman. “There is land out here that no one wanted. Only a few people live near here, and my husband and I wanted to find a place more quiet-like. All that talk of trouble in the forest has people scared. They stay away, which just leaves more room for us. Fools, the lot of them.”
“You have a husband?”
“That lout. Yes, he’ll be back in the evening. Tending to the crops of course. He’s a foolish man but he keeps us fed.”
“Of course,” said Una thoughtfully. The man must be good if he provided them with such a lifestyle as this. This family wanted for nothing.
She spent the next few hours helping Abessa with the preparations for food. She didn’t want to seem like an ungrateful snob after all. In all that time, she learned nothing of George, or any knights for that matter. If he had passed through here, Abessa did not know about it.
Corecca continued to eye Una suspiciously, enough that once dinner was over, Una decided to get some fresh air.
“I’ll just go and check on my lion,” she said once the dishes were clean. “I won’t be long.”
“You do what you need to do,” said Abessa with a wave of her hand.
Una exited the house and rounded the hill that lay to one side, traveling through the garden. Lion was exactly where she had left him. He must have stayed there this whole time, without moving. She would have to be more careful with her instructions to the poor beast. He must be famished, and maybe bone sore from sitting in the same place all day. It regarded her with an irritated expression.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “You can move. In fact, you can go catch something to eat if you want. But don’t attack any humans,” she added as she remembered that the woman’s husband was out there somewhere. “Not unless they’re attacking me, of course.”
The lion sprang to its feet without another look and disappeared into the trees towards the river.
Una watched him go, choosing to sit for a while and let the night roll over her. What an odd couple of days. It was hard to believe so much had happened since escaping from Londinium. First the knight had joined her, they’d fought that great serpent, now he was gone and she had a lion instead. How crazy was that?
She leaned back in the grass. Perhaps she would go with the woman and her family to the abbey. If there was an abbey, there would be a town, even if it was sma
ll. She had no idea how far away it was, but even if it led her in the opposite direction of the forest and Castle Silene, someone there might know of George’s whereabouts, or seen where he’d gone. It was worth a shot.
The night stretched on, and she got back on her feet. Abessa or Corecca would wonder what was taking her so long. She should probably get back.
A rustle among the bushes stopped her in her tracks. Was Lion returning?
A dark shape emerged almost right on top of her. She sprang back, but a pair of strong hands grabbed her, preventing her from escaping.
14
“Well well, what do we have here,” said a high-pitched but gruff voice. There was liquor on the man’s breath. “You’re not Corecca.”
“My name is Una,” she said, hastily. This had to be the old woman’s husband, though he didn’t seem like much of a farmer from what she could tell. His body was too wiry and the hands that gripped her arms lacked the calluses she would expect. “Your wife let me stay for the night.”
“Did she now?” he said in a tone she did not appreciate. “You’re a beautiful one, aren’t you? Yes, perhaps it would be a good idea for you to...stay the night.”
She squirmed in his grip. With that last pronouncement, the man had suddenly become far more dangerous. Whoever this man was, he was no farmer. Perhaps he wasn’t even the woman’s husband after all, but a thief or bandit traveling through the area. Though, he had mentioned Corecca. So at least he knew these people.
The man did not relent. He pushed her down, kicking her feet from under her. She writhed underneath his grip and fought to free a hand so she could retrieve her knife. But when that didn’t work, another possibility occurred to her.
“Stop!” she commanded. A wave of something like euphoria ran through her. It sprang from her like a hungry animal.
The man stopped.
Una breathed hard. It had worked. The man, be he husband or thief, was not moving. Una pushed up against him, scrambling out from beneath his grip.
Knight Rising Page 10
