by B. T. Narro
Effie knew not to doubt her friend. “I’m sure you’re right.”
Vithos came through the door then with nothing but a towel around his waist. Effie didn’t recognize him at first, and when she did, she felt her eyes bulging. It wasn’t that he was extraordinarily handsome, though he certainly was attractive. It was the contrast between now and the night before. He was clean—and for the first time since she’d met him.
“Well, don’t you look pretty,” Effie said. He really was a pretty male, if such a thing existed.
Reela laughed and playfully smacked Effie’s arm. “Get your clothes on, Vithos. We need to leave soon.”
The Elf stood in their doorway with his head cocked, carefully listening to understand. He nodded. “Leave soon, yes. I hurry.”
Effie wondered what it would’ve been like for the other students to see a nearly naked Vithos walking out of the bathhouse. Then she realized that after the Slugari arrived later in the day, there would be far more to talk about than an Elf wearing nothing but a towel.
Alex arrived soon after. He was out of breath, and his hair was a mess.
“She’s not even here yet?” he complained. “I rushed to make it here on time for nothing.”
Effie waved him over to her and pulled his cheek down to kiss it.
Right then, Quessa opened the door to their house and stuck her head in. “I was told Effie, Reela, and others would be in here?” she loudly inquired.
Effie, Reela, and Alex came out to greet her, though the woman didn’t seem interested in anything but their names, not even offering a handshake.
Quessa had black hair that stayed so still it seemed to cling to the edges of her face. It was short, not even long enough to reach her shoulders. At first, it seemed as if she was furrowing her brow. But Effie realized there were no lines on her face, making a scowl her natural expression.
Her eyes were gray and dull, looking as if they’d seen far more than her body had to show for it. Quessa was lean and short, only slightly taller than Effie, though her arms were about twice as thick, as were her thighs. Her skin had a subtle brown tint to it that made it just darker than tan. She had on a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants to match.
When Zoke and Vithos showed themselves, Quessa glanced at them no differently than she did Effie. She learned their names, and that was it.
“Everyone ready?” Quessa asked. “We have quite a few miles to walk and a lot to discuss.”
“Ready,” Vithos replied in his rough Kreppen accent.
With that, they left the house and already were walking east toward the Fjallejon Pathway. No one said anything until they’d reached the northern gate and needed to wait for the guards to open it.
“My mother is Airy Worender,” Reela told Quessa. “She spent a lot of time looking for you after what happened.”
“Yes, I know,” Quessa replied indifferently, keeping her eyes on the opening gate ahead. “I didn’t want to be found until I’d done what she’d paid me to do.” She took in a breath and then turned to Vithos. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of there earlier. And I’m truly sorry about your father.” Stiffly, Quessa shifted to look at Reela. “I'm sorry to you as well, and your mother.”
“I’m sure you did everything you could,” Reela said.
Quessa had begun walking forward now that the gate was open enough for them to get through. She showed no sign of wanting to reply to Reela.
“That was the only time I’ve failed,” Quessa finally admitted.
When enough time had passed without anyone speaking, Effie asked her burning question.
“Why are you the one leading this mission?” She didn’t think the question would sound rude, but she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Quessa glanced down at Effie with lowered eyebrows, as if to say, “And why do you think you deserve to be here with me?” But instead, she took a slow breath and answered, “Because I’m the best at what we need to do, and the King knows it. So does Terren.”
Now within the Fjallejon Pathway, Quessa turned her glance up each mountainside before continuing. “I wanted to wait until we were within these walls to tell you about the mission.” Her voice had lowered to nearly a whisper. “Keep your voice soft,” she told Zoke, who’d been translating for Vithos. “Although there probably aren’t any spies—either Human or Fjallejon—within this mountain, I’m going to be careful nonetheless.”
Effie soon came to the conclusion that careful was the best way to describe Quessa if Effie only had one word to do so. It wasn’t so much that she was the most careful woman Effie had ever met. It was more that she wasn’t much of anything else.
Maybe it runs in the family, Effie thought, thinking of Cleve. But then she realized that she’d thought of him in the same way when they’d first met—overly cautious with not much of a personality. It took some time to realize it, but Effie had been wrong about Cleve. I could be wrong about Quessa Polken as well.
But the woman was even more reticent than Cleve, sometimes letting questions pass as if she hadn’t heard them. As she explained the mission, she paused to listen when someone voiced concerns. But more often than not she didn’t answer and simply picked up where she left off.
“We have thousands of men on these mountains now to protect the pathway,” Quessa explained. “They have a good view of Tenred, so they keep the King informed of any suspicious activity. Recently they’ve been hearing hammering and voices from Corin Forest, but they can’t tell what’s going on in the forest itself. The trees are too dense. Tenred must be moving people into the forest during the night, and we have no idea how many there are or what they’re doing.”
“So we’re being sent in to find that out?” Effie asked.
Quessa paid her no mind. “Once Tenred has control of the pathway, this war is lost, for it would mean they could attack at any time and easily retreat to where we can’t pursue them. The King believes they’re preparing an attack in order to take over the pathway. But he’s also worried he could be wrong—that it could be a decoy for a larger army coming around through the east. We know now that the Krepps are to the east, which makes this idea just as plausible as the Fjallejon Mountains being attacked. Then there’s even the option that it’s a trap. There could be thousands of enemies waiting for the King to send in an army of his own just so they can be surrounded and taken out with ease.”
“So that’s why such a small group is going,” Effie tried again, hoping for a response this time.
“Yes. Our role is to find out what’s happening in the forest. If—and I really mean if—we have a chance to deal detrimental damage to our enemies while we’re there, then we will. But the command is up to me. None of you will act on your own. Does everyone understand?”
Effie, Reela, Alex, and Zoke each said they did. When Zoke was done translating for Vithos, the Elf nodded and said, “I understand.”
Effie couldn’t help but constantly think about what Terren had said about Quessa, that there was controversy within her family about which side they should be fighting for. Effie especially was reminded of this every time Quessa used the word “we.” It was the way she said it.
At one point, Effie took Alex’s arm for some comfort.
“What’s this?” Quessa stopped and pointed at them with her nose. “Are you two a couple?” From her tone, there was only one right answer.
“No,” Effie said, letting go of Alex’s arm.
“Make sure you keep it that way.” Quessa started walking again. “The last thing you kids should be doing during wartime is getting involved with each other romantically.”
Reela leaned down to whisper in Effie’s ear, “Bastial stars, someone has some misplaced anger.”
Effie snickered, letting her arm playfully bump against Alex as they followed Quessa. She looked up to find him with a sly grin.
“In case some of you are too stupid to realize it without me saying it aloud,” Quessa said, “this task of ours is extremely dangero
us. So pay attention at all times, and listen to every word I say.”
Effie was starting to dread being stuck with Quessa. She leaned against Alex, and he quietly put his arm around her shoulder. Both of them warily watched Quessa’s back, ready to step away from each other the moment she turned.
By then, they’d crossed the tunnel with the secret pathway to the top of the mountain. Effie remembered it like it was yesterday—the pitch black, her wand being the only light, Terren screaming in her ear, reaching the top and realizing it really was happening, they were about to fight. She felt her heart speed up as she relived it.
The smoke was most prominent in her memory. It was the thickest she’d ever been in. Screams of death were everywhere. She still could see the faces of those she’d killed.
At least she was a mage. At least she didn’t have to drive a sword through anyone’s flesh. She wasn’t sure she could do that.
But then again, she hadn’t been sure she could kill someone with fire either, and she’d done that. Why was she lying to herself? Of course she could drive a weapon through an enemy. She just didn’t want to…desperately didn’t want to.
Then she remembered the seed of anger within her. She remembered Marie Fyremore…and Brady. She even remembered that blond warrior Sawdar who’d killed Marie. If Effie could kill them, then she certainly could kill others. And Effie definitely could kill them, no matter what weapon she wielded.
Thoughts of them caused her anger to burn wild for a moment. But she quickly regained control, enclosing the seed so that it once again was dormant, ready to be unleashed during battle. Strangely, she found she was excited at the prospect of what the seed was going to become.
Is this wrong? she wondered. Should I be feeling excitement? But Effie decided not to question it further. Even if it was wrong, it felt right. And that’s all she cared about at that moment.
Morality is long gone, she told herself. The day twenty-two spies showed their true faces was the day I stopped worrying about right and wrong and started relying on what I felt. Everything I do from now on is on them, not me.
For a while, the only two talking were Zoke and Vithos. Effie let her mind rest as she listened to the Kreppen spoken between them. It sounded like boulders being rolled back and forth.
“Kar eena key nu. Gura roke kor, zeh ti,” Zoke said…or something close to that.
“Rie, key nu ne zeh ti. Yar renwa gray yol. Kol key nu kam,” Vithos replied.
Soon it became too much for Effie to make out the words. She let out a breath and felt her body relax with it, thankful Alex was on one side of her and Reela was on the other.
Then a worry wiggled its way into her thoughts. It was going to be dark by the time they reached Corin Forest. She parted from Alex to ask Quessa a question.
“Are we going to be sleeping somewhere along the pathway, or are we doing this whole mission tonight?” Both options sounded dreadful to Effie. The wind had picked up, gusting through the crevice between the mountains. But even worse than sleeping there would be sleeping within the forest where their enemy was known to be.
“It might be many nights before we even find anyone in Corin Forest,” Quessa said. “We’ll be sleeping there until we do.”
“You don’t know where to look for them within the forest?” Effie asked.
“Why would I?” Quessa retorted.
“Didn’t you say those stationed atop the mountain heard hammering and voices?”
“Do you think you could pinpoint the location of a sound made within a forest miles wide while standing hundreds of feet above it?”
“I suppose not,” Effie admitted.
“You ask a lot of questions without a lot of thinking,” Quessa said.
Effie grumbled.
Chapter 22:
EFFIE
It was difficult to get a sense of the time while stuck between the giant slabs of mountain. But when they finally emerged from the Fjallejon Pathway, and Effie couldn’t find the sun anywhere in the sky, she realized night was coming soon.
However, Quessa made no mention of stopping.
Within the first few moments of entering Corin Forest, Effie had lost track of Quessa twice. It became clear that this was why she was wearing all black, to remain hidden from their enemies. Unfortunately, it had the same effect on her allies.
What really surprised Effie was when Quessa squatted over some broken sticks and pushed out her hand to create light with Bastial Energy.
“I didn’t know you were a mage,” Effie commented. She’d seen no wand, unless Quessa was concealing it.
“I’m not,” Quessa whispered. “And keep your voice down.”
The woman seemed to have picked up on some tracks. She stayed low to the ground as she kept to one direction.
Effie figured she probably was going to be scolded, but her curiosity was pressing too hard to ignore. “How can you cast light if you’re not a mage?”
“I trained for months with a mage to learn the spell, but it’s all I know of magic,” Quessa said. “Now keep quiet.”
They went deeper into the forest, Effie wondering the whole time what kind of woman would take the time to learn how to manipulate Bastial Energy only to learn one spell.
Once you’re able to cast light, it doesn’t take too much longer to be able to cast a fireball, Effie wanted to tell her, just a few more months. But Quessa must’ve already known that.
Could it be the woman would rather kill with a blade than a wand? Is she really that savage? At this point, it wouldn’t surprise Effie.
Alex tugged on Effie’s wrist to slow her down, moving them to the back of the group. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Eff, I didn’t think it was worth mentioning earlier, but I’ve changed my mind.” He was so close they were nearly kissing. Effie felt her heart jump when she thought about how seamless their transition had been. After his initial kiss to her cheek in the dining hall, they’d become so comfortable around each other that it was as if they’d already been together for months.
Though she knew Alex far better than she ever did Brady, she often realized she had little idea what he was thinking. Alex always looked as if he was ready to kiss her. Even now, with his tone deadpan, she figured there was half a chance he would lean down just a little farther for a kiss.
“What’s wrong?” Effie asked.
“I’ve heard rumors about Quessa Polken from my brother.”
It was easy to forget that Alex’s brother was the commander of the King’s Guard. Effie didn’t know how she expected him to act to make it more obvious, but whatever that expectation was, he didn’t seem to match it.
She supposed the brother to the commander of the King’s Guard should exude authority, and while Alex did have some authority in the way he spoke and acted, it was more of a gentle authority, like that of an old dog tolerating a rambunctious kitten.
“What rumors?” Effie asked.
“That when people leave Kyrro with Quessa, she often comes back alone. Now, I’m not personally worried about it, and I don’t think you should be, either. But I think it would be unwise to trust her with your life. She clearly cares more about this task than she does us.”
Effie felt herself nodding. “Should we tell Reela?”
“No, I wouldn’t want to worry her into believing that her father’s death was Quessa’s fault. The last thing we need right now is for our psychics to start distrusting our leader.”
Effie didn’t feel the same. “Reela can handle it. I think we should let her know.”
“You can always tell her later,” Alex advised her. “First, let’s see how Quessa behaves now that we’re in the forest.”
Although keeping things from Reela hadn’t gone well in the past, Effie agreed to do so in this case. This rumor would do nothing but create doubt. It was better to wait and see if this doubt would keep them safe or put them more at risk.
Quessa eventually found what had made the tracks she was following. When she saw the deer, she m
uttered something that sounded to be relief and then turned to face the group. “There’s no one else around us for now.” She must’ve been quite confident in her abilities, for her voice was no longer a whisper. “We’re going to sleep here and continue our search tomorrow. We’re not lighting a fire, and it’s going to get colder soon, so I hope you all don’t mind getting close.”
The thought of snuggling next to Quessa made Effie’s stomach turn. She’d rather be nestled against Zoke. Luckily, she didn’t need to decide between the two of them with Alex there. But then Quessa pointed at them.
“You two won’t be sleeping near each other. We’re lying down to rest and nothing else.”
Alex waited until Quessa wasn’t looking, then took Effie by the cheek with his palm. They shared a kiss and then Alex left her with Reela, while he settled by Vithos and Zoke.
Finding a soft spot on the dirt was easy. Effie and Reela spread out their blankets and huddled close together on the ground. It was too dark to tell where everyone else went. I hope Quessa is stuck pushed against Zoke for warmth, Effie muttered to herself, thinking of the Krepp’s musk.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she realized how tired she really was. The moment Reela’s hand came up around her stomach, she fell asleep.
As usual, Effie awoke several times during the night. But each time she rustled, Reela would wake and reach over to touch her. Then drowsiness would send her back into slumber.
Effie sat up to a gray forest covered in dew. When she started rubbing her eyes, she noticed the thick moisture on her face and felt as if the forest had slobbered on her.
They spent half the day following Quessa as she sniffed for tracks. Effie knew the woman couldn’t actually be using her nose, but it certainly looked that way. Her head seemed to separate from her body, jerking from side to side as she cautiously walked forward. When she noticed something, sometimes she’d squat over it, other times she’d touch it, but no matter what, she always made the same face. Her nose would wrinkle and her scowl would worsen, as if detecting a bad odor.
