by Day Leitao
Before she had time to illuminate the person’s face, she heard the voice.
“It’s me.”
Knife and crystal fell on the floor. The light from the moon and stars allowed her to see the brown-eyed young man in front of her. She would have gasped for air anyways, because he was so good looking, but her surprise was double, because this was Darian, not as she remembered him, but older, different.
“What’s happening?” he sounded worried.
“How did you find me?”
“Find you? I’ve been trying to find you for over an hour. Do you realize where you are?”
His angry tone surprised her, but there was something even more puzzling. “I never told you where I was.”
He took a deep breath. “It’s the necklace. I think… I didn’t know it did that, but I can feel where you are.” He then sounded angry. “What are you doing here?”
He was snapping. She could snap as well. “I’m confused. Could you or couldn’t you find me?”
“Well it’s not a tracker on a map. What are you doing here?”
He sounded as if she owed him an explanation, and she didn’t. She shrugged. “I’m camping.”
He frowned.
Cayla pointed. “Here’s the tent.”
“And you decided to camp on your own. In the hidden path.”
“I’m with a friend.”
He crossed his arms. “Friend?”
As much as his shoulders and arms were not as she remembered, what bothered her most was his bad attitude. He’d never been like that before.
At this point, Karina got out of the tent and waved. “Hey.”
Darian frowned and stared at Karina, as if looking for something wrong.
Karina was probably super uncomfortable, because she added, “Cayla was showing me the forest. I… I study plants.”
He raised an eyebrow and turned to Cayla. “Is that right? How come they let you out?”
As if Cayla were a prisoner or something. “Why wouldn’t they?”
Darian snorted. “Well…” He changed his tone, and again sounded concerned. “Are you sure everything is all right?”
Cayla rolled her eyes. “Yes. We’re fine.”
“I see.” He turned to Karina. “Hello, I’m Darian. Sorry, I should have introduced myself. It’s just, such a strange place and all.” He shook his head. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” Karina shrugged.
He turned back to Cayla. “I was worried about you.”
“Really? Why didn’t you talk then?”
“It’s, it’s complicated. I can’t even start to… But you shouldn’t be out by yourselves, this is dangerous.”
Dangerous bla bla bla. As if Cayla were some helpless child. “We’re fine. We’ve come all this way, and nobody’s seen us.”
“Well, look where you are!” he said. “I couldn’t even find you.”
“You just did, didn’t you?”
He sounded nervous. “We should go. This place is not safe.”
Karina asked, “Why?”
“This path isn’t for anything alive,” he said.
“Well, why did you come then?” Cayla asked.
He looked down for a while before saying, “My lift is near. Come.”
Come? Yeah, it was Darian and all, but he wasn’t going to order her around. “Who said I wanted to go anywhere?”
Darian looked down again and bit his lip. “I’ll take you back, or wherever you want to go. Please don’t stay here, not by yourselves.”
“At least now you’re saying please.”
He stepped back. “What? I have to beg now?”
Perhaps it wasn’t only his arms that had gotten thick. “Not beg. Ask.”
“Well, I’m asking.”
“And it makes a difference.” Cayla smiled and turned to Karina. “Let’s pack.”
She shoved the covers in her bag in a matter of seconds, and even helped Karina with her stuff. Cayla then pulled a few strings to fold the tent, the structure spiraling and twisting the fabric in a cylinder the size of a thick bottle. Darian only looked, waiting.
Cayla looked up. “Where’s your lift?”
“I told you, nothing comes here.”
“Even in the air?”
He nodded. Cayla picked up her light and followed him as they went to the edge of the path. Karina was right behind her. As they descended a slope, he turned around and extended his hand. That was sweet, but Cayla was perfectly capable of descending without any help, and he wouldn’t be able to walk backwards anyways.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He puffed, as if annoyed or offended, and then turned around. What had she done?
Karina followed as they went to the edge of the path and this time they really descended a slope in the dark. She wished she had a light, but then, that would mean one less hand to hold onto bushes and trunks. Thankfully there were lots of trees. Or perhaps not, because that also meant there were lots of roots one could trip over and fall. Cayla walked close to Darian. He looked back to check on her, and offered his hand a couple times, but she refused. Oh, she could at least turn around and offer her hand, if she was so sure of herself. But Karina didn’t say anything. Slowly the forest came alive again with sounds. How glad she felt. It was as if her ears had been blocked and now they started working again.
She wondered where his lift would be parked, considering there were no clearings. Or would they walk outside the forest? Soon the moonlight illuminated what looked like a thin white pole. Actually, it seemed to be moving. As it turned, it revealed another pole, and beams between them. It was a ladder, a rope ladder, but made from what looked like silver or white ribbon. Karina looked up and saw the oval bottom of lift above them. Had she not known better, she would have thought that was a flying saucer, but of course it wasn’t, it was a floating flying machine in a different dimension, something a lot more logical.
“You two can go first, I’ll go last,” Darian said.
Cayla gestured for Karina to go first. She felt nervous, because once she set foot on the ladder it became a lot more dangling than she had predicted. She then heard or imagined a voice saying, “Don’t. Don’t go!” It sounded like Cayla but when she glanced back the girl was silent, so it was only Karina’s own fear. Still, she went up a few steps, but all the shaking made her even more nervous. The lift was high above, twice the height of the tallest tree, and she couldn’t picture herself going all the way up on that dangling thing, especially with that dreadful voice echoing on her head. Well, but wasn’t adventure and great things that she’d wanted? She was about to achieve new heights. She ignored the voice in her head and her own fear, and went step by step on that shaking, dangling thing, ignoring how high she was going.
Cayla watched as Karina went up and grabbed the ladder. She felt a hand over hers and her entire body trembled. Perhaps she’d avoided holding his hand because she wasn’t sure how she’d react. It had been smart to avoid it on a dark slope. She turned and looked up at Darian. Looking up to see him was new and weird.
“What’s happening?” he whispered.
That tone again. Demanding, ordering, so unlike the boy she remembered. She pulled her hand and went up the ladder.
When Karina entered the lift, she noticed it was much bigger than she’d imagined, with green windowless smooth walls, made of some kind of metal. There was a large empty area in the middle, a large bench on each side and a little table near the back. The place was illuminated the same way as the rooms in the castle. A small wall with a door separated what would be the cockpit or the equivalent of it, since there were no controls where they sat. Cayla came up, and then Darian. Karina took a better look at him. He was a regular looking teenager, the same age or maybe a little older than Cayla and a little taller, with brown eyes and brown straight hair down to his chin. He wore dark blue long-sleeved shirt and pants in some kind of synthetic material.
Cayla sat down. “Well, we’re here now.”
> “And… were you even planning on going anywhere?” he asked as he closed the hatch from where they had come and rolled the ladder into a small compartment
“Yes,” Cayla replied. “We were going to continue on the path, down until, uh, the mouth of the Black River, and I thought you—”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Put me down if you have a problem with it,” Cayla said.
Darian rested his forehead on his hand, as if thinking. “Just… tell me what’s happening. Does your father even know you’re out?”
“Well of course,” Cayla replied. “Or else I suppose everyone would be looking for me, wouldn’t they?”
Darian nodded. “I guess. But why do you want to go so far? Why the mouth of the Black River?”
“That’s where we’re going. But I can still walk. We were going to walk there anyways.”
He laughed. “Really? You mean to tell me you were planning on walking for at least five days?”
Cayla shrugged. “Why not?”
He took a deep breath. “Maybe. But I’ll tell you what, we could go somewhere else, I could take you somewhere safe, and, if you’re running away, maybe—”
“I’m not running away!”
“What’s happening then?”
“I told you. I’m camping.”
He snorted. “You’re not going to tell me?”
Cayla just stared.
Darian crossed his arms. “Maybe I’ll take you back to the castle.”
Cayla also crossed her arms. “My father will love to see you bringing me.”
Darian looked down and sideways. Was that guy the trustworthy friend who would give them a ride? He and Cayla stood silent.
Karina thought it was her turn to say something. “It’s the plants. Rare plants. Only near the, uh, Black River, and we need them.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Which plants?”
“Falucata stonensis,” Karina said, hoping the made-up Latin sounding name would be convincing enough. Now wait, were their plants named in Latin? Did they even know Latin? Why did they even speak English? But perhaps this was not the right time for those questions. Darian and even Cayla had puzzled expressions, so Karina tried to explain some more. “That’s, uh, the scientific name. It doesn’t have a real name, because people just call it… grass, because… that’s what it looks like.”
Karina actually enjoyed pretending she was a scientist, even if not a very precise one.
Darian looked at Karina as if seeing her for the first time. “Who are you? Where are you from?”
Yikes. She hadn’t considered how to answer those questions.
Cayla replied, “She’s Odell’s newest apprentice. His niece. She came to live with us a couple months ago.”
“How come you never mentioned her?”
Cayla looked down. “We… haven’t talked much lately, have we?”
“I know.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry, it’s just, and so many things, and you disappeared.”
Cayla stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry. I… couldn’t contact you, or else I would. You should know it.”
He sighed. “I know. I just… missed you.”
Cayla looked down and away. “I missed you too.”
“This is Odell’s doing then?” Darian asked, his voice much calmer and softer than before. “Why would he send you out to study plants in the brink of an uprising?”
Cayla squinted. “Uprising?”
“I mean, it’s just, the military thing, the generals think there’s always the possibility of some kind of conflict, or uprising, and you’d be in great danger. Also, don’t forget who supposedly dwells on the upper Black River.”
“I know,” Cayla said.
Darian raised his eyebrows. “And you still want to go there?”
“I’m not asking you to take me to the upper Black River, just the mouth.”
Darian passed his hands through his hair and looked at Cayla. “I’m telling you this is dangerous and you should trust me.”
“I trust you, but I’ll walk there if I have to.”
“Fine,” said Darian. “I’ll take you there. Tomorrow, during daylight. And I’ll come down with you to pick the plants.”
“No, no. We need to be alone, and it takes at least a day, uh, to spot the plants.”
Darian was about to answer when the door to the other part of the lift opened, revealing a teenage girl. She wore pants and a shirt similar to Darian’s. She had a pleasant, pretty face. “Can we move now?” she asked.
“Sure,” answered Darian, “I’m coming in a moment.”
The door closed. Cayla stared at it as if she had just seen a three-headed monster. “Who is she?”
“Oh, Zayra. She’s my partner.”
Cayla looked livid.
Darian continued, “In the ship. She flies with me. We are supposed to fly two by two. I’m sure you know it.”
Cayla stepped back and crossed her arms, squinting as in an effort to make sense of a blurred image. “Is that why you wouldn’t talk to me?”
He frowned. “What? No.”
There was fury in her eyes. “Why would you come with someone else?”
“I had no choice,” he said. “We were on a patrolling assignment. But she’s my friend, I trust her. You don’t suppose I could leave the ship floating by itself, do you?”
Cayla shook her head in disbelief. “Nobody was supposed to know about us being here.” She lowered her voice. “And she’s heard everything we said”.
“She didn’t hear it; the door was closed. And she won’t tell anyone about you. Besides,” he lowered his voice, “she doesn’t even know who you are.”
“How can she not know?”
“I told her you work in the castle, and, uh, she thinks you’re my girlfriend.”
Cayla made a disgusted face. “What?”
Darian stepped back. He looked even more bothered than when he was on the path. “I had to explain why I wanted to help you.” He put his hands in front of him, as if to distance himself from Cayla. “No pretension here.”
He then turned around, entered the other part of the ship and shut the door behind him. Cayla sat quietly, looking sour and shaking her head. She covered her eyes with her hands. “We’re doomed.”
Karina thought that was an exaggeration and that her friend was jealous, but she didn’t say anything. After a while the door opened. Darian’s flying partner came in their compartment, or room. She seemed friendly, and was indeed very pretty, with large blue eyes and perfect brown curls.
The girl stepped in front of them and smiled, turning to the princess. “Hello, I’m Zayra. I’m really happy to meet you, Cayla.” She sounded as if she really meant it. She then turned to Karina. “And what’s your name again?”
“Karina.”
“Kayna?”
“No. Karina.”
“Oh, right.” She sounded as if she still had not understood, then turned to both girls. “I just wanted to tell you we’re going to spend the night in a small island in the lower Silver River. It’s empty and we can all sleep in the lift. Tomorrow we’ll take you to the crossing banks.”
“Thank you,” Karina replied.
Zayra seemed pleased and had an even bigger smile. “Oh, it’s my pleasure.” The girl then turned to Cayla. “You have the same name as the princess. How’s that?”
Cayla, who had been staring straight in front of her, barely moved her eyes and shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I never had another name.”
Zayra laughed. “You’re right. Do you know her?”
“Who?”
“The princess.”
Cayla grimaced. “I live in the castle.”
Zayra smiled. “Yes, of course. But, doesn’t it cause confusion?”
For the first time Cayla looked at the girl. She stared as if examining her before answering. “People in the castle are not like you.”
Zayra seemed confused. “What do you mean?”
Cayla had a
half smile. “They are not dumb.”
The girl stared at Cayla, as if trying to understand. After a few seconds, she laughed. “Oh. Right. Well, I have to get back.” She opened the door and disappeared in the compartment.
Cayla looked sour. “Did you see?” She mimicked the other girl. “It’s my pleasure. As if she’s the one who’s doing us a favor.”
Did she change her mind about people hearing them? Cayla had been a little rude for no reason. Still, Karina tried to calm her down. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine”. She winked. “We’ll collect all the plants we need.”
Cayla sighed. “I really hope so.”
Later that night, the lift landed on what was supposed to be an island in a river. Only Darian went outside to bring drinking water. The lift had a small bathroom, like a bus bathroom, inside the other compartment, which Karina had mentally named the cockpit, so she had to go there to use it. The most exciting part was of course being alone in the cockpit or control room, even if for a short period. Further inspection, however, revealed that it was not very impressive; it had three chairs, a window in the front (a windshield actually) and a black panel without any button, joystick or steering wheel. Karina wondered if that black panel worked like a smartphone screen, or if the pilot just conjured some magic, but then she reminded herself to stop being primitive and assume people used magic. She would need to catch them piloting or controlling the thing to learn how it worked. Or perhaps ask. She looked out the windshield. Since it was evening, she saw only a night sky and what seemed to be some water in front of her.
Karina went back to the main compartment. The table that had seemed somewhat small at first was actually bigger than she’d first thought and could easily sit eight or ten people. But only three people sat by the table. Four when Karina joined them. They didn’t have a proper dinner, but rather snacked on bars and dried fruit, which seemed to be their staple travel food. Darian and Cayla were quiet and gloom. Zayra tried to make some conversation, but didn’t insist much. One time Karina caught Zayra looking at Cayla like a scientist examining a rare specimen, but other times Darian’s flying partner looked relaxed and almost happy, oblivious to the heavy mood around her.
