by Day Leitao
“Ayanna?” Odell called the girl who was still in her chair.
She got up, trembling. “I, I…”
Ayanna turned around and vomited. Colorful pieces of what had been their lunch splattered across the floor. Karina stepped away and avoided looking at it any more. Cayla seemed relieved instead of worried, but Odell, who didn’t notice Cayla, lost his calm composure and ran to the girl. “What did you eat?”
Ayanna grunted. “Just… lunch, with you.”
She closed her eyes then rested her head on the table. Odell shook his hands. “Cayla, go get a doctor. Now.” He sounded furious.
The older girl’s eyes widened, then she ran outside. The man took Ayanna’s pulse and lifted her head. “Stay awake, can you hear me? Don’t sleep.”
Ayanna’s eyes closed, her head resting on one of the man’s arms. Fear and worry were visible on his face, which probably meant the girl had something serious. He breathed heavily and looked around as if trying to find an answer or solution somewhere in the room. When he saw Karina, he narrowed his eyes. “You were with her. Did she drink anything, eat anything?”
Karina was startled. She hoped he was not accusing her. “We came straight to lunch. I didn’t see her after that.”
Odell shook his head and seemed to force himself to speak more calmly. “I’m just trying to understand what happened to her.”
Nia popped up on her head.
Odell stared at Karina. “Do you want to say something?”
“No. Uh, yes.” If Ayanna was in danger, it was best to say everything she knew. “Nia. She didn’t want Ayanna to come with us. In fact, she didn’t want any of us to destroy the shoes; she said it was dangerous.”
Odell looked astonished. “When did she speak with you?”
Karina almost regretted mentioning Nia, after all, she was only worried, but now Karina had to explain. “At night.”
“Night?” He shook his head. “Strange. But no, not Nia. I’m sure she has nothing to do with this.”
Funny how he trusted Nia when the woman had said straight out that he was a liar. Odell looked sideways, thinking. The door then opened to reveal Cayla panting, with the bearded man with the silver coat. Odell rolled back the map in less than a second and glared at Cayla, who looked down.
The man looked around. “So this is one of Odell’s secret rooms. Funny I’ve never been told about it.”
Odell clenched his fists. “I asked for a doctor.”
Karina started to think that the man was not the King.
“We have first aid training in the army,” the man said.
Odell snorted. “I have way more than that.” He lifted Ayanna, her upper body resting on his shoulder. “Let’s go. I’ll take her to the examination room.” He then turned to Karina and Cayla. “Wait here.”
Odell left in front of the man, who followed in slow steps. Karina and Cayla stood far from the table and the dirty floor surrounding it.
“Who’s that?” Karina asked.
“General Keen. He leads my father’s army.” She shrugged defensively. “He was the first person I saw.”
“I thought he was the King.”
“The king’s my father. You saw him at lunch.”
The one with the pleasant face, then. Karina nodded. The girls remained silent for some time.
Eventually, Cayla broke the silence, “It stinks here.”
Of course it did, but that was the last thing Karina imagined would be in Cayla’s mind. “Aren’t you worried?”
“About what?”
“Your sister?”
“No.”
Was Cayla that cold blooded?
The girl seemed to notice Karina’s disapproval and added, “I’m sure she’s fine.”
Karina hoped that was true, even though the sudden fainting was impressive. “Do you think it was Nia?”
Cayla squinted then nodded.
“She could have done that to us as well,” Karina said.
“No, she couldn’t.”
Her answer didn’t make any sense. “Why not? She didn’t want us to—”
“She needed help. Now, please don’t mention this anymore. Ayanna got sick and that’s all. I know she’s fine. And we’ll be much faster without her.”
What a sister. But Karina knew when to quit a subject, so she left it at that. Still, she had already told Odell half the truth and she could not untell him.
“Uh, I can’t stand this smell,” Cayla said. “Let’s go to my bedroom. We can leave our stuff here.”
“But he told us to wait.”
“He wasn’t even thinking, all worried about precious Ayanna.”
Because the girl was already stepping outside, Karina had no choice but to follow her, otherwise she would have to stay alone in that weird, bad smelling room.
The girl’s room was somewhat like the room Karina had slept in, but bigger, with bookshelves and paintings on the walls. It had a bed but also a small table and chairs, where the girls sat. A good thing Karina was past the age of considering princesses glamorous, or she would have been disappointed at the regular teenager sitting in front of her. Cayla was silent, pensive. Was she feeling guilty about Ayanna? Worried about their trip? Karina for her part felt as if she had agreed on skydiving, was standing on the door of the plane, then someone told her to wait, and keep waiting while staring into the abyss below. But there was no abyss, just a room that was not much different from her friends’ room in her own world, or dimension, or whatever. Fine, maybe this room was a little bigger, and maybe if Karina knew someone who lived in a mansion they would have a similar room. Hopefully her imaginary mansion-living friend wouldn’t dare poison their own sister, though.
The door opened, breaking their silent inertia. If Odell had hair, it would have been disheveled to match his expression. “There you are. I think she’s fine. But we might have to postpone your departure. Wait here. I’ll be back.”
Cayla got up. “But you said we couldn’t waste time.”
“That was before. Wait here. She’s being examined.”
He stepped out and Cayla sat, now looking worried. She turned to Karina. “He said she’s fine. See? I knew it.” Cayla spoke with certainty, but she had a look of relief that might have meant otherwise. “Why can’t we go then?”
Karina didn’t understand the hurry if the so-called time difference meant they had a week or something. And something else bothered her. “Is he going to have time to explain everything to us?”
“I understood everything.”
Nice for her, because by that time his short explanation had become a mushy mess in Karina’s head. “But I…”
“Oh, don’t worry; I’ll be there to help you.”
Karina felt the girl was patronizing her. “Well, maybe, but I barely saw the map.”
Cayla got up and started moving towards one of her bookshelves. “If you want to take a look at a map, I think I have one here. But I know all the maps by heart.”
Karina got up and stood by the girl, who fumbled through her books. Perhaps she knew the maps by heart, but not their location in her room. How encouraging. The door opened. Odell entered, looking glum. “Come with me. Bring everything you need.”
“Our things are in the globe,” Cayla replied.
“I’ll bring them to you. Go to the study room. I’ll meet you there.”
He left in swift, large steps. Cayla led Karina downstairs and they entered the room where they had their first meeting the previous night.
A couple minutes later, Odell walked in, arms full of bags and other objects. “You’ll have to go without Ayanna; she has to rest for a few days.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Karina asked.
“Food poisoning, but not serious. She’ll be fine.” He shook his head. “It’s really unfortunate. To happen now.” He then took a map and opened on the table. “But we have to move on.”
His explanation was a top speed recap. Odell showed the supplies; some kind of dried food, w
ater skins in some kind of gray leather or rubber, some weird gloves and socks, extendable tubes, hooded cloaks, and a bag. The robes were for them to leave the castle unrecognized. The bag was a tent. Karina tried to be cheerful. Camping trip! Exciting, exciting, in the good and bad way. Odell handed Cayla a large black key. She took it as one receives a prize.
He then explained, “This key opens the underwater tunnel.”
Karina tried to remember that part. Something in the river, the Black River, to get to the island. Well, she would eventually figure it out.
Odell continued, “Once you go up, you should see her fire.” He looked at Karina. “Throw the shoes there.”
“I will,” Karina answered in a certainty that matched his tone, having muffled her little internal voice who protested against destroying her pretty shoes, first because that was not a good time for inner arguments, second because she was excited to do something important.
Odell looked at both girls seriously. “Do not deviate from the plan. Don’t tell anyone what you’re doing, and I absolutely mean anyone, even if it’s someone you trust. Don’t go to any towns or villages. You have enough supplies for your journey. Stick to the plan and you’ll be fine. Is that clear?”
The girls nodded and Odell smiled.
Karina was excited, but some of what Nia had told her echoed in her head. She had to ask, “And what if… what if we are caught and can’t throw the shoes? What if something bad happens?”
Cayla grimaced.
“You’ll be rescued,” Odell answered. His tone was certain and assuring. He paused for a moment. “Then, again, there’s no reason to assume that scenario.”
“Of course not, we’ll do everything right,” Cayla added.
Odell nodded in agreement.
Karina didn’t appreciate having her question dismissed. “Great. So everything goes well. Then what happens to Lylah? And how do we come back?”
Odell had a half smile that lasted less than a second. Or did Karina imagine it?
“Things will be different,” he replied, now serious. “You’ll be brought back.” He looked at Karina. “And you’ll be taken home.” He looked at both girls. “That’s the second part of the plan, and I’m responsible for it. All I need you to do is your part.”
As vague as his answer was, somehow Karina felt assured, as if her task was just a cog in a wheel. Not that her task was not great: it was, but at the same time it was comforting to know there were more people involved than just her and a sixteen-year-old girl.
Cayla and Karina put the supplies in their backpacks, the hooded robes over their dresses and walked to the corridor, while Odell stayed in the room. Karina wanted to laugh at how ridiculous Cayla looked in that ugly brown cloak, but then she remembered she was wearing the same thing and it was no longer funny. They would leave the castle through a small door by the kitchen. Before stepping out, Karina asked to go to the washroom, and almost asked again when she saw the door, but she knew it was just jitters. How long could she delay her departure by peeing? On the door, Cayla turned a sort of combination lock, which opened it. They stepped out. Karina was about to discover a whole new world, but in spite of all her goosebumps, it only felt like stepping outside a door. There were no drums or trumpets. Nobody wished them good luck or farewell.
6
Communication
The afternoon smelled fresh, the smell of woods and water. They were at the foot of a mountain range, on a plateau high enough to allow a vast view. There was a river not far below, and even though Karina had seen it on the map, seeing it as a real river, much wider than she had thought at first, felt different. The sun was lowering on their left side, hiding beneath mountains, reflected on the river and painting the sky orange. Karina looked back to see the place where she’d been. The castle looked rather small. A large part of it must have been embedded in the mountain, which explained the lack of windows. The walls seemed to be made of a dark brown stone, or else the late afternoon light gave that impression. In front of the building stood a platform, with some silver round things, like giant umbrellas or air bags.
Cayla asked,. “Also wishing we’d take one of those?”
Karina was startled. “Uh?”
“We’d go much faster.”
“Do you travel in those things?”
Cayla shrugged. “Well, I haven’t traveled much, but people do.”
Karina still couldn’t make out what they were. “Are they pulled by horses?”
Cayla was puzzled. “Horses?”
“I mean, how do they move?”
“They fly.”
“Oh.”
How silly, where did she get the idea of horses? The things did look a little like zeppelins, except they were less oval and rounder, and didn’t seem to have a basket beneath them. Karina would describe them as roundish things (it was a little dark) with airbags on top.
“Do you ride horses?” Cayla asked.
“What? Me? No, I—”
“Why did you ask about horses?”
Because it was a castle, there was a witch and yada, yada, yada. But that was not a good explanation. “I thought I saw a horse.”
Cayla looked back and squinted.
“I think I’m a little confused.” The confusion was indeed true.
Cayla sighed. “I know. Walking all the way just seems so…” She put her hand over her chest, as if thinking, then shook her head. “Well, that’s what Odell told us, so he might have his reasons. Let’s go. We have to find the path before it gets dark.” She pointed up. “It’s in that plateau.”
That “plateau” looked like the base of the mountain, but perhaps that was what it was. The girls walked upwards while moving away from the castle, in a diagonal direction. The trees were close together and had broad leaves. The trunks were brown, and Karina was somewhat surprised, because with all the green wood furniture she’d thought the tree trunks would be that color. Of course, that idea was really silly. In fact, the forest looked rather normal, with tall trees with broad trunks and moss on the ground. Her scientific mind would classify it as a tropical or semi tropical forest. Nature wasn’t much different from the nature she knew, which made sense, if they were on Earth, wherever they were, whenever they were or whatever.
The sun was setting, but instead of cooler, the day was getting warmer, unless the walking made her warm. And the ugly robe. But it was true that the dress underneath seemed to cool her. The girls kept walking up while the sky turned pink then purple then dark and darker blue. A quarter moon brightened the forest. There were sounds in the distance, like some insects or birds. Karina had a strange feeling she was being followed or watched, and even though she thought the feeling was pointless, it still bothered her. For the first time, she realized she was walking at night, in the middle of nowhere, with only another girl as a companion.
Karina froze with fear and stopped. “Isn’t this dangerous?”
Cayla turned around. “What?”
“Us two, alone in the woods.”
“We’re getting near the path,” Cayla said. “It’s safe there.”
The girl was so calm, Karina felt calmer as well, but then another thought bothered her. “But how are we going to know we’re in the right place?”
“I think we’ll notice. Come.”
Karina walked, and she felt hot from walking and the temperature. But her head was not cool, she heard strange sounds, and heard their steps as being extremely loud and bound to attract something or someone, but she had no idea what or who. After some time, the girls came to an area that was flatter, and they stopped going up, which was a relief. The wind stopped, and the air felt stuffy. All Karina could hear were their own footsteps; the forest had grown quiet. There were fewer trees in this area, and Karina could see the black sky full of stars. Stars. They could tell her where she was. Or not. She didn’t know those stars. Maybe this was Earth, but in the Southern Hemisphere. Maybe it was something else. She decided to focus on where she was walking, not whe
re she was geographically. What difference would it make? The ground was bare, without grass or moss, only covered here and there with fallen trunks. So much stillness and silence, and, strangely, that silence bothered Karina more than the noises she had heard earlier. Had she not seen trees around her, she would have believed she was in a desert. That place felt gloomy even though the moonlight illuminated their path. Oh, that was what it was.
Karina asked in her softest whisper, “Is this the path?”
“I think so,” Cayla replied, also with a whisper.
The girl removed her cloak, and Karina did the same. She felt cooler, but not more comfortable. That place was weird. She told herself no animals or people would get near, so, in spite of the awful stillness, at least the path was safe. But then, if even animals avoided that place, there was a reason. She gulped and debated whether or not to ask what the reason was, but the girl probably didn’t know it, and perhaps it was better not to know.
“The princess did what?” Sian had heard it right, but he wanted to double check that the boy in front of him hadn’t gotten his words mixed up.
“She left the castle.”
“You mean like that? Puff? And nobody noticed it?”
The boy lowered his eyes. “My sister saw her coming out of the kitchen door.”
Sian looked around to the alley where they were. Nobody paid attention to them, and yet, he knew people could be listening. He gestured for the boy to follow him in silence. Sian ran his hands through his long brown hair and tried to think. Had the princess run away or been captured, the king would have raised an alarm. Word would have gone out—unless the King wanted to keep it quiet. But then he would probably trust his closest general and advisor. That was Sian’s father, and Sian would hear something about it. Perhaps they were just taking long to realize she left, or, more likely, the King knew about it. But for what purpose? Another option was that the boy was mistaken. Still, there had to be some truth in this information. They walked to one of his meeting points, a room in the basement of a market. Sian sat down.
