Lovers in the Woods

by Ann Raina

  After she’d threatened to shoot him, the question seemed misplaced, but he kept his voice blank as he screwed his flagon closed and put it away.

  “If you don’t count the bruises from the branches around here, yes, I think so.”

  “Good. Guess that leaves us both stranded in the wild. We can’t go back,” she cut him off, sharply. “Looks like they sent a whole bunch of those killers. You must be really important.” She cocked her head. “Whose toes did you step on? Wang, personally? Were you…related to her?”

  “You still think they came for me?”

  “Do you want to contradict?”

  He put his fingers on his chest, lowered his chin and raised his brows to ask, “Do I really look like a hardcore criminal to you?”

  Rayenne flashed a short-lived smile that was not meant to entertain him.

  “I’ll be in your company for a while, so I won’t call you anything until we’re out of the woods. No pun intended.” She looked around, up and down, then lowered her voice. “I can’t say that I like to be here.”

  He followed her scrutiny. The trees stood close to each other, the branches touched ground here and there and all of the orange, brown and golden leaves seemed to turn like eyes toward the two strangers who dared to venture into one of the wildest areas of Belthraine. Despite the great beauty, there was no denying the danger. Everyone had heard of Emerald Green and the many animals—predators as well as fearsome squirrels—it harbored. There were few men who had ventured further than a day’s walk into the woods. Some of them had come back, claiming they did not understand why their three partners were gone without a trace. Some came back and were changed for life. Some never found their way back to reality and wandered in and out of the woods like dreamers, never talking to anyone in sentences their friends understood.

  Rayenne pushed off leaves and loose moss from her jacket and pants with short, harsh movements.

  “It was Felberi’s idea to cross the wood. He said it would be a shortcut. I wasn’t so certain it was doable.” She looked up. “Are you?”

  “I wouldn’t dare ride straight east,” Sajitar declared when they got their B-horses into a slow trot again. He looked back over his shoulder once more. Even the faintest sounds from the streets were gone. In a few hours there would be no telling where they had gone and no Sanjongy member would find them. “We’ll stay at the edge and hope to avoid people. If that’s okay with you, Officer Whiteclaw.”

  She frowned. “My idea exactly.”

  He caught his tongue before a brassy reply came out.

  “Do you still have your fabulous equipment?”

  “Parts of them, yes.” She patted the saddlebags. “My B-horse couldn’t carry all of the things Felberi had.” Again she turned to scrutinize the way they had come, but they were alone as they could be with a living wood around them. “It will be only for a short while. I need to reach the transmission station.” She looked at him curiously. “What?”

  “Does your B-horse have a name?”

  “Bunty.”

  Sajitar leant forward over the withers.

  “Well, Bunty, may I introduce Tessla to you? Tessla, this is Bunty at your side.”

  The mare shook her mane, uninterested in her master’s speech.

  “Okay, play indifferent. But you’ll be with him for some time. So be nice. You hear me?”

  This time, the mare did not even twitch her ears.

  Rayenne patted the gelding’s neck, smiling. He liked her smile, but looked away when she lifted her gaze.

  “He took me lots of miles since I got here. He’s really in good shape.”

  Obviously. He even outran my mare.

  “For how long have you been on Belthraine? Oh, don’t gimme that look. You were out of breath from the short run.”

  Rayenne flinched, but conceded.

  “I got here a while ago.”

  “A moon phase.”

  “Two, in fact. They invited policemen from other settlements, especially from Helan-Sek II, and some other forces, too.”

  “Like your family, hmm?” When she did not reply, he knew he was right. “Some say Belthraine’s such a bad place it begged for a police force like yours, right? To catch the bad guys even if they dare leave populated places. Which is, of course, a crime in itself.”

  “The police division was necessary so the town wouldn’t be impaired every time a crook left it.”

  “As you please, Ms Officer.” He made a mock bow, earning a hard look. “But I tell you, some people enjoy making this area around Belson Park a bad place. I remember different times. My father and grandfather remember different times, that is. I was too little to know.”

  “You accuse the large corporations of bringing in crime.” She nodded, familiar with the subject. “I heard that before and from other planets and regions, too. But there's a difference between what the corporations offer and what people are willing to do. They don’t have to turn into burglars, thieves, or even murderers.” She looked him in the eye. “How come you ride such a pretty mare? She’s quite expensive.”

  Sajitar pushed away her implied accusation with a smile.

  “It’s a pity you can’t use one of your pretty gliders around here, hmm? It would be easier to fly from one place to the other and search crooks from above, yet in all these years, no scientist has found a way to get the drives work in this oxygen-laden atmosphere. Quite strange, if you ask me. The only thing they managed building was that vertical tube at the spaceport and that, I remember, caused trouble enough to keep it working.”

  “As far as I know there are other gases included that cause explosions. And the tube works excellently. But that’s not the point. Where did you get this B-horse?”

  “My ancestors bought several B-horses once the cross-breeding had been successful.” He patted the mare’s neck. “I’m glad they did.”

  “Pardon my rudeness, but yours is a Negov-B-horse, not one of the usual simple country mares farmers would breed.”

  He hid his astonishment about her knowledge the best he could. “Yes, she’s one of the best. Did you know that in the beginning the settlers tried to breed pure horses? They had to change that fast because the horses suffered and died. Now all of these animals look like horses, but they are a mix of two to three species, give or take. I think it’s a pity that the villagers gave up contests of who could tame a true Yali. They were fun, said my pa. He had some on his ranch.”

  Rayenne remained unruffled. “How can a thief afford such an expensive Negov?”

  Sajitar frowned and tightened his hands on the reins. “I’m no thief, and to answer your question, I won it fair and square.”

  “Won it.” Rayenne snorted. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when it starts snowing on Belthraine.”

  He held her in his stare. “It might happen. And as long as my guilt’s not proven, shouldn’t you assume I’m innocent?” He urged the mare south, forcing her to follow him.

  “Where are you going? That’s not our direction.”

  “We entered the woods without permission. That’s not a good idea.”

  “But we’re already in. What are you doing now?”

  He dismounted, feeling her gaze on his back. “Put some fruits on the path.”

  “And if the animals of the woods or whoever take it, it means it’s okay we are here?”

  “More so than not.” Sajitar laid a couple of small fruits and two hard cookies close to the wide roots of a tree, then, after a critical look around, mounted again. They rode on. He felt the presence of a wild, but nevertheless intelligent being close by. An image consisting of various colors blurring in the center of trees came to his mind. He gasped from its intensity, glad to be on horseback. A heartbeat later he had to press his knees against the saddle to keep from swaying. Closing his eyes, he tried to make sense of the swirl of colors. He saw wings of orange and blue, pervaded by light pulsing through it. There were large bodies with antennae, summoned by a great happening. More beasts without
wings got closer, pressing their bodies against others, enhancing the lights around them. Their meeting was more important than any previous meetings and the weight of seriousness stretched to Sajitar as if he were a part of it. There was tweeting and chirping and some deep growling, too. Yet, to his chagrin, he did not understand an iota of its meaning.

  “Did you do that before?”

  Sajitar shook out of his unbidden trance, lifted his head and swallowed. Automatically, he reached for his flagon to drink. The beginning of a headache formed behind his brow.

  Rayenne repeated her question.

  “I prefer to be cautious,” he said, catching his breath.

  “But how do you know what you have to do to soothe them?”

  “Let’s say, I got the memo in time.”

  “You know much for a man who’s said to be the right hand of an assassin.”

  Sajitar preferred not to answer.

  * * * *

  Rayenne surveyed the surrounding woods carefully, as if the Horlyns were about to attack them by the hundreds. Conversation had stopped, since they both relied on their ears to be warned about the dangers around. The deeper they got into the woods the darker it became, though it was not even noon. And in this semi-darkness she could make out neither a route nor animals lurking beneath the large bushes and branches. She had heard of predators larger than their B-horses. There was no way to stay on alert throughout the day. She had to nourish the hope that any beast would prefer evading them over searching them out. Unless they need prey. Rayenne took a deep breath and tried to think of something else.

  Based on the information police HQ had provided, Sajitar had spent more than a moon phase in Emerald Green, though there was no exact time available. From her point of view, he appeared to be less frightened by the permanent dusk than she was. The fact made her calmer and, yet, more alert. Whenever she glanced at him, he was studying the trunks and tree-tops for reasons she did not understand and dared not ask. It felt odd and oppressing to ride through a wood that was more alien than any other she had crossed. In her younger years, when she had still worked for her father, she had ventured everywhere a space cruiser had taken her, polishing her family’s reputation and living happily in the wilderness. Yet that wide-ranging experience had not prepared her for Belthraine and the thick woods that seemed to tell visitors to stay away. She got the impression of being watched permanently. Fear constricted her throat and she wished her partner were with her.

  When at first Felberi had come up with the idea of a shortcut through the woods she had been skeptical, but he had sounded so experienced and had described the trip as easy and their equipment sufficient. She wondered how much of his talk had been bragging. Had he wanted to impress me? Had he thought that being with one of the Whiteclaw family members would make him look small if he did not dare ride through Emerald Green? She could not ask him anymore, and suddenly sadness overflowed her.

  I wish I had had a choice.

  Chapter Two

  They rode slowly to find the best path between low hanging branches that tried to claim and pull them down. Not for the first time, Sajitar thought that all parts of the woods were living beings that communicated with each other and told every next standing tree about the strangers, like Chinese whispers. He would not have been astonished if the branches had linked like hands to hamper their progress. He wondered where he got the idea. There were few men he knew who considered all parts of the woods sentient. Most of them only saw trees, branches and leaves that changed color with the season. They looked for money to be made, but never for the beauty and the vivacity of their surroundings.

  The further they moved, the harder it was to ride, and finally they had to lead the horses through dense vegetation. Here, four hours into the heart of Emerald Green, men rarely ventured, and if they did they came in search of promising trees to cut. But if men had once been here, all signs of them had vanished. He did not even see stumps or splintered wood. However, Sajitar did not feel like a pioneer, but more like an invader in a domain the beasts would have prohibited entry, if they could.

  “Let’s head back closer to the road,” he proposed, urged by sudden unease. “You have to contact HQ, you said.”

  She frowned. “That was before the second attack. I’m not so sure anymore that there were only four men around.” She looked down at her gloved hands. “Sanjongy will know about the stations that possess overhead transmission lines to Belson Park. If I can avoid running into them again, I will.” And when he did not answer, she added, “I’m not afraid, just cautious. My job’s to bring you safely to court to hear your testimony. There’s only one way to bring Wang down, and that's with as many witnesses as we can get. Do you understand that?”

  “The choices aren’t great, then. We could get killed here.”

  Rayenne put out her chin, bravery in her voice. “Or not. After all, it’s just woodland.”

  He grinned. “I admit you’re one tough policeman—ah, woman. But these woods are not like any other you’ve ever crossed. I didn’t exaggerate when I said it’s dangerous.”

  “Still, you’re not riding away screaming.”

  “I tried, but you caught me.”

  He watched her beautiful face and wanted to kiss her. The emotion was like an assault and he denied himself any reaction. She was afraid, she relied on him, and she pleaded with her eyes that he would not leave her. The sum of those feelings made his innards cringe. He had been alone for a long time and yearned to be with a woman again. Rayenne had only been able to seduce him at the town’s bar because he was sick of being alone. If she had not turned out to be a police officer, she would have been a fine choice. Though he now knew her profession, he wanted to hold and protect her and tell her that she would be okay with him. At the same time he wanted to get rid of her and the threat she posed.

  He turned away from her, heart pounding. What’s wrong with me? I should have left her and been on my way!

  “I’ve been in the woods sometimes.” He shrugged, pretending listlessness. “The Horlyns don’t show up in great numbers and other predators are shyer still. I believe in the theory that they won’t harm you if you don’t come with the purpose of harming them.”

  “But if people cut down trees—”

  “The lumberjacks were no threat to them in the beginning. The few trees at the wood’s edge could be put up with, but now, as they enter deeper regions from the north and west, there’ll be more losses of men and machines. It has already happened and will happen again.”

  “You sound like one of the green activists who want to call off any cutting.”

  Again, Sajitar shrugged. He’d had this conversation with many people, even if he had helped them find trees. “Wouldn’t it be better? There’s no need for any rich man to have furniture made of Belthraine’s famous trees. They look marvellous, yes, but furniture can be made of so many different kinds of wood and other material—it’s just arrogance and bragging to have such specialties in your living room.”

  “The wood really is beautiful. I heard that it’s because of some chemistry that works behind the bark.”

  “No.” He cleared his throat when she looked at him quizzically. He did not want to sound like a teacher. “There were chrysalis remnants found in the trunks, which means the Horlyns use the trunks as a kind of nursery. The chrysalises live off the trees’ minerals until they bite their way through and leave.”

  “I never thought them to be so small in the beginning.”

  Sajitar bit on his lips to avoid smiling about her naïveté. “We don’t know much about the evolution of the Horlyns. Who even knows if that’s a correct name for them?”

  “But you know some things.” She pushed away a small branch that tickled her face. “You sound as if you’ve dealt with these beasts before.” Dark orange leaves fell off and gently rested on her hair and shoulders, crowning her features.

  Sajitar wanted to paint a picture of this fine combination of beauties. He wanted to look away fr
om her face but could not. A moment later, a thicker branch hit his shoulder. He flinched and tried his best to ignore Rayenne’s smile. When the way was clear again, he went on.

  “My grandparents came to Belthraine to start anew. They had lived in a big city before and searched for a planet where rural meant you really lived alone and did not have to meet anyone.” He smiled at the memory. His parents and grandparents were simple people with simple plans for life. There had been times when he regretted he hadn’t inherited all their principles. “My grandfather used to say that even a coach with two people was too much for him. He called people a disturbance of his peace. When the settlements grew he thought about moving away, deeper into the woods. But the events—I mean the clashes with the Horlyns, and there were more than we know of—changed his mind. He was a settler after all, not an adventurer.”

  “So he learned about them first-hand?”

  “He accepted that the settlers were only guests, not owners of the woods.”

  Rayenne laughed, nodding to herself.

  “I understand. Your grandfather was the first to say that cutting the trees is a crime against nature.”

  “He would never have said that,” Sajitar replied seriously. “After all, selling the trees put food on the table, so to say.”

  “And your parents?”

  “My father took over the business and I can’t say that he got lucky with it. The large corporations had already begun to ruin the smaller ones. They were very effective.”

  “I assume he wanted to hand the business to you and you refused.”

  Sajitar shot her a grim look. “Not everybody wants to spend his life in the forest and live on selling trees.” He waved off her next question. “Now, tell me something about you, Ms Rayenne Whiteclaw. Did your father allow you to join the police, or did you run away to enlist?”