Heart of Farellah: Book 1

by Brindi Quinn

  They ignored me.

  “But cousin, we still are not certain she killed her sister. She has yet to admit to the atrocity.” Nyte’s voice was calm.

  “Our instructions are quite clear. You dare to think the elders have led us astray?”

  “I do not know. Something was odd about Elder Pietri before we left the-”

  But Rend cut him off before he could finish.

  “This is exactly why they sent me along, to make sure your sweet compassion did not interfere with our task.” The fire’s light reflected in her green eyes, resembling tiny forests ablaze. She suddenly looked wicked.

  Nyte shook his head. “I cannot take this right now.” He stood and went to speak to the barmaid. Rend glared at me as though it was my fault he’d left. I tried to make my blinks look as vigilant as possible, but I only ended up looking like I had something caught in both eyes.

  Nyte returned several minutes later with a loaf of bread and a glass of water. “Do you not think it time you unbound her?” he said.

  That seemed like a great idea. I was fully on-board with any proposals that included ‘unbinding’.

  Rend stared into the fire and said nothing.

  “She must be hungry,” Nyte urged.

  Rend remained silent a moment longer and then, “Fine.” She turned to me. “Try anything, anything at all, and you shall be sorry.” She waited until the barmaid had turned her back before muttering some kind of magic under her breath. After that, I slowly started to regain control of my limbs, but I felt extremely weak.

  “What in Farellah’s going on here?” My voice was murky and drunken. “Explain yourselves, NOW.”

  “What part did you not understand?” said Rend with a mocking laugh. “Not only is she the Heart of Havoc; she is also a simpleton.”

  I narrowed my eyes, about to retort, but Nyte stepped in. “Here, eat this.” He offered up the bread.

  I hadn’t gotten a straight answer, but it would have to wait. I was completely famished, having eaten nothing since the citronge, Creator knows how many days earlier. The bread was dry, but it was enough to calm my angry stomach, and I ate it all, letting the last too-big bite slide awkwardly down my throat.

  Nyte was watching me expectantly, waiting for me to finish. “Better?” he asked. He seemed concerned, but it only made me cautious. Weren’t captors supposed to be rougher or something?

  There’s definitely something off about him. And then another thought occurred to me. Might his kindness be to hide some ulterior motive that was even more unthinkable than the woman’s?! My eyes widened, and I sank back into my chair.

  “Do you feel better?” he asked again.

  “Uh. Yeah, thanks.” I didn’t try to hide my wariness, which only served to amuse him. He grinned just a little.

  Rend pulled two large, purple fruit from her bag and handed one to Nyte. They smelled gross and bitter, but the Elves seemed not to care and each took a bite.

  “We are fruitarians. Would you like to try one?” Nyte reached out the stinking fruit.

  “Absolutely not!” Rend pushed his hand down. “This is no time for idle speech, cousin. What do you think you are doing?”

  But he only reached it back out to me, completely ignoring her protest.

  “No, thank you.” I didn’t want to chance Rend’s wrath. Besides, I couldn’t allow things to go on like this. I had to get some answers.

  “What is this?!” I blurted, slamming my hands on the table. “Are you thugs?! Kidnappers? Are you taking me across the ocean? I can assure you I’m not a very good songstress; you’d be wasting your time!”

  “Thugs?” Nyte started to grin again, but then his face fell. “More importantly, how did your sister die? Did you . . . kill her?”

  “Of course I didn’t kill her!”

  “That is quite enough.” Rend jumped from her chair. “I will not allow you to deceive my cousin any longer. He has a certain weakness.”

  “It is not a weakness to feel compassion, Rend,” said Nyte, voice soft.

  “Regardless, I am in charge, and this conversation is over. Do I have to bind you again, or will you cooperate?”

  Glaring, I sighed and nodded. I didn’t have much choice at the moment.

  “Then I shall get us a room. Not a word out of you.” With that, she stormed away, fists tight and scowl unbridled.

  When she was safely out of earshot, Nyte leaned over and muttered, “Just listen to her for your own sake. Things will be better when we get to the elders.”

  I raised a suspicious brow at him. For partners, they certainly didn’t share a team mentality. Was that supposed to make me feel reassured or even more endangered? I didn’t know.

  I wanted answers, but talking was still difficult for me. Not to mention, Rend seemed like she’d follow through on her threat if I spoke anyway. Thus, I was still confused and unsteady when we retired to an upstairs room. Rend assigned me a bed in the corner. She and Nyte were to take turns standing guard; from what, I couldn’t fathom.

  The mattress was too soft, and the room smelled like ale and hay, but I was still tired from the binding spell, and I soon drifted off to sleep.

  Little did I know, there was indeed someone lying in wait outside the window.

  ~

  I couldn’t have slept more than an hour or two when I felt someone shaking me.

  “Pssst.”

  “Ung?” I opened my eyes to the wide-eyed expression of a girl with furry ears. It took me a moment to understand what was happening, and when I did, I was still too shocked to fully digest. “Kantú?” I said too loudly. “Is that you!?”

  “Shh! Quiet, silly.” She looked behind her furtively and continued, “I’m so glad you’re okay! Are they thugs? Where are they taking you? We’ve got to get you out of here!”

  I stared at her blankly. Was this encounter real or dream? I reached out and grabbed one of her ears just to be sure. It felt real enough.

  Kantú giggled and swatted my hand away.

  “It’s really you?!” I asked, my voice raspy and hushed. “B-but how did you find me?”

  “The feather lady told me about you!”

  “Feather lady?” Though I was grateful that the Squirrelean had found me, I was thoroughly confused. “What’s a feather lady?”

  “She told me this was going to happen, and I didn’t believe her, but as soon as you went into that cave, I just had to be sure! So I waited at the backside of it, and I saw them take you. And I wanted to go get help, but I knew if I left you, I wouldn’t be able to catch up to you because they were so fast! So I followed you. I’ve been waiting for them to leave you alone so I could come rescue you, but this is the first time they’ve stopped in days! I’m so sleepy!” She yawned.

  I looked around the room. Sure enough, there wasn’t an Elf in sight. She stifled another yawn and pulled the covers off me.

  “Get out of bed, Aura! We have to hurry!”

  “Right . . .”

  But when she reached for my hand, the door burst open. There was a flash of red light, and Kantú fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

  “Kantú!” I jumped out of bed.

  “Well, that worked unbelievably well.” Rend stepped through the doorway, an arrogant purse to her lips. “I knew the creature was much too loud and obvious to be a serious threat.”

  It had been a trap, a simple set-up that we’d fallen right into.

  “What did you do to her?” I demanded, frantically examining my fallen comrade.

  Rend smirked slyly. “Relax, I simply rendered her numb. She will be fine . . . for now.”

  “That’s it! I demand to know what’s going on, you heinous kidnapping-”

  “Silence!” She circled her hands again.

  But just then, Nyte walked into the room and put up a halting hand. “Calm yourself, cousin,” he said. “If we are to hope for optimal cooperation, would it not be best to explain the situation to her? We still have quite a ways to go, after all.”

&nb
sp; Quite a ways to go?! Unbelievable.

  Rend wheeled around, face disgusted. “Why should we tell this creature anything? Be wise, cousin. Her words are poison, and she will only spit lies if given the chance. I seek only to protect your ears from her deception.” She glanced out the window at the pink-hued sky and continued, “The sun will fully awaken soon. I must take leave to scout the area. Be on your guard until I return.”

  With that, she gave me a warning-filled look before nimbly springing through the window. Her feet made only the softest thump as she landed on the outside ground.

  On his guard? What does she expect me to do, exactly?

  “Rend.” Nyte accompanied her name with a disapproving headshake.

  The captor walked over, picked up Kantú, and gently placed her into the bed. Then, with suspicious eyes, he cautiously approached me. It was odd, but he was acting like I might harm him in some way. Like I was dangerous. Those earlier imaginings of ill ulterior motive melted away at the sight of this careful demeanor.

  I didn’t know where to start, so I only let out a disgruntled and frustrated, “Ugh.”

  “I know you are confused,” he said, voice hushed, “but I pray you would let me ask you a few questions. After that I promise you can ask me anything you like. I am Nyte, by the way.”

  I studied him awhile, yet said nothing. The way he spoke was formal, so much so that he sounded sort of like an old man. But despite that, I remained certain he was as young as he appeared. It was his eyes. There was a glint or something there.

  “Well?” he said, prodding my response.

  I was frustrated, tired, and confused, but he sounded sincere, and his deal was fair – plus, there was something about him that made me want to cooperate.

  The familiar feeling . . . That warmth?

  “I’m Aura.”

  “Aura?” He looked surprised. “Is your name not Illuma?” He pointed to a small tattoo around my right wrist that read ‘Illuma Rosh’.

  Feeling a little violated, I pulled my arm into myself. “Illuma was my elder sister. In Farellah it’s customary to tattoo on your wrist the names of loved ones that have passed through the Mistlands as a reminder to sing for their safe crossing.”

  “Oh.” He leaned against the wall and squinted at me. “How did she . . . ?”

  “Die? Well,” – I held my wrist and flinched – “she was taken, I think. When we were young.”

  “Taken? So her body was never found?”

  I shook my head. “After she was gone for a year or so, Mayor Berfield proclaimed her dead. They’d searched everywhere but never found anything. Everyone thinks she drowned, but I’m sure she was taken.” I looked away and winced again. Why was it still so painful? After so long it was still . . .

  “Sorry,” he said, noticing my expression, “but this is important. I would not request it of you otherwise.” He took a deep breath. “Who do you believe took her?”

  “Hm.” I took my wrist from its hiding place and stared at it. I was going to sound insane but . . . “There are tales of men coming from over the great ocean to capture songstresses. They’re just creepy stories we tell around the fire, but I can’t help but believe them.”

  His eyes lingered on me a little too long. “Do you have any proof?”

  Proof? If only I had proof. I’d been looking for ‘proof’ ever since.

  “Not really.” I contemplated how to make my theory sound the least crazy. “It’s just, Illuma told me that she sometimes felt people . . . watching her; but she was always so dramatic, I didn’t think anything of it. Now I’m not so sure. She had the strangest fear of the ocean when everyone else in Farellah loved it. Maybe she could feel them coming for her?” Despite my best attempts, it still sounded crazy. “Everyone else in town accepted that she’d walked through the Mistlands, but I’ve never really been able to. Maybe I’m a fool. I just miss her so much that it tears at me and won’t let me rest.”

  Nyte stared out the window and was silent for several minutes with an expression that was hard to read. An early morning draft blew a lock of green hair across his face.

  “Will you tell me what’s going on now?” I asked and my voice reflected the fatigue I felt.

  He sighed and continued to stare out the window. “The legend of the Heart of Havoc as it has been passed down through the ages:

  ‘A songstress shall arise with midnight eyes and starlight hair, carrying the Song of Destruction. The Evil Heart shall strike down her sibling and awaken the song to end the world. Her wrath shall be great that none would withstand her rage.’

  “Our elders sent us to your village to retrieve you,” he went on. “They believe you to be the dreaded Heart our ancients spoke of.”

  Now he was the one that sounded insane. “That’s ridiculous!” I said with a laugh. “I haven’t even finished the Rite of Discovery!”

  But his face was entirely serious – so serious, in fact, that it killed the absurdity of the statement and turned it into possibility. He really thought I was . . .

  I was glad they weren’t thugs, but it still didn’t make any sense. Heart of Havoc? Song of Destruction? I wasn’t even a real songstress yet, and I certainly had no intention of destroying the world.

  I leaned forward pleadingly. “I mean, do I look wrathful to you?”

  “No,” he said, shifting his weight and looking uneasy. “It is true; I was expecting someone far more . . . evil-ish.”

  I was a little relieved that I didn’t seem ‘evil-ish’. I’d take it as a compliment.

  “I’m clearly not who you think I am, so if you would be so kind as to return me at once, you can speak to my people, and they’ll tell you that you’ve made a mistake.”

  He shook his head. “I cannot do that. We must take you to the elders as we have been commanded. We are under orders.”

  Orders? The way he said it carried a certain pride. I knew then that I wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it easily. Or maybe even at all.

  Nyte continued, “We may not break our orders and,” – a grin invaded his downturned mouth – “Rend would kill me if I let you go.”

  The grin suited him, and despite everything else, it was contagious; for a second I felt a grin sliding across my own face, but I stifled it in lieu of the current circumstances.

  What am I doing? I’m a captive here! I was a captive, and my captors were fast and strong, and I had no chance of escaping on my own. What else could I do? It looked like the best option would be for me to cooperate.

  “I will offer you a proposition, then. I will cooperate and come with you, but when you find me free of charge, you shall escort me back.” I was surprised at how confident I sounded.

  He studied me. I felt embarrassed there in the grayness of the room with his eyes upon me, but it was also slightly exhilarating to have his attention.

  “It is a deal,” he said finally. “Now sleep.”

  Without giving me a chance to respond, he sprang to the hallway and closed the door behind him.

  Sleep? Good luck.

  With Kantú by my side, I felt much more comfortable the second time around, though I still struggled to fall asleep, no longer under the aftereffects of the binding spell. Since I’d never traveled out of Farellah, the thought of an unknown journey made me nervous . . . but also a little excited. I suppose that was a result of my immaturity, or maybe it was that I didn’t yet fully understand how much danger I might be in.

  For a while I tossed about beneath the covers, wondering anxiously what lay ahead, but eventually the thought of the mysteriously familiar Elf just outside the door brought me an inexplicable sense of peace.

  It was his forest green eyes that I saw when I finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 3: The Ariando

  The following morning Kantú and I ate a breakfast of eggs and kingfruit while Nyte and Rend, speaking in hushed voices, leaned over a hand-drawn map in the corner of the tavern. They straightened up when the chubby barmaid approached us. “M
y, where did you come from, little one?” she asked Kantú, bewildered.

  Oh. Right. What could we say?

  Rend emitted a warning look. Clearly the truth wouldn’t work in this situation.

  “Um . . . she’s my pet. I found her?” I said with uncertainty. Kantú liked the charade, for she nestled her head into my hand and prodded me to pet her. I stifled a snort and did just that.

  The barmaid somehow read this as an acceptable answer. “How nice,” she said absentmindedly. Then she turned to me. “Glad to see you’re feeling better, dearie.”

  I gave her a weak smile.

  I was still groggy when we left Heaven’s Den, having slept only a couple of hours, but I resolved to muster whatever energy I had in me and venture out bravely. Admittedly, I might not have been able to make it more than a few strides that day had the air been thick, but quite the contrary; it was crisp and cool and felt refreshing as it filled my lungs, only driving me forward more. Rend had given me a change of clothes and a pair of Elven traveling slippers, and though the clothes were way too big, the slippers were comfortable, and I was glad to be out of the restricting purification gown.

  Even those first hours out of the clearing, I could already tell our journey was going to be intense.

  They’re so fast!

  The forest was dense, and Kantú and I struggled to keep up with the swift Elves as we made our way through the dry, brittle trees. Rend was proving to be even more unpleasant than I’d originally anticipated, calling out various insults at us whenever we stumbled, and taking unbridled joy in naming our flaws. While I tried to ignore the insults, Kantú was taking them as personally as Rend intended them to be. The Squirrelean was quickly growing a habit of returning Rend’s every statement with an under-the-breath mutter that would have been vulgar had they reached their full fruition.

  During these muttered outbursts, I focused my attention on the sounds of the wood, trying to stay positive so as not to give Rend the pleasure of knowing she’d gotten to me. Every so often a wind would blow through the trees and pull along stray leaves that would skip along the needle-covered forest floor and crash into the backs of our legs. I liked the scuttling sound they made, at least more than Kantú’s frustrated garble.