by Jenny McKane
She opened her mouth. She needed to speak to Skyresh. But again, no sound emerged. He grabbed her hand, pulling her with him through the vines. She had no idea what direction they were heading in, and she still couldn’t see the others.
The canopy was descending upon them. Were they going to suffocate? She felt vines gripping her arms and legs, twisting onto her. Imprisoning her. She could see that it was happening to Skyresh, too. He was forced to let go of her hand, desperately trying to free himself. She tore at the vines on her arms, but it seemed to make little difference. The harder she pulled, the tighter they gripped her.
She was falling, falling onto the ground. The vines were overtaking her. A fog settled on her mind, lulling her. She needed to close her eyes. It was for the best. She fought it for a minute more, before collapsing…
She opened her eyes slowly. All that she could see was the blue sky, all around her. She sat up, blinking. Where was she? She stared down at the red sand. She had been going somewhere, she was sure of it. But where?
Skyresh was beside her, lying down. She crawled over to him, shaking him.
“Skyresh,” she whispered urgently. “Wake up.”
He opened his eyes, staring at her. “I must have fallen asleep,” he said, yawning. “Have we made camp for the night?”
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I can’t remember.”
He sat up. “Neither do I,” he said. “Do you think that we just decided to sleep?”
She shook her head, gazing around. Something was missing. But what?
She heard a noise behind her. Aysus walked towards them from behind a bush. Avalon watched his long grey hair lifting in the wind.
“I have found some more berries,” he said, opening his hands to show them. “They should be good. Shall we walk a bit more and find a spot to camp?”
Avalon nodded her head slowly, thinking that, yes, that would be a good idea. She got up, staring around. She had a strong sense that someone was missing, but she could not remember who. It had only ever been the three of them travelling together, hadn’t it? Was she going mad?
Skyresh stood up, too. “Yes, we should continue,” he said. “I have a sudden headache. Must be from falling asleep in the sun.”
“I will make you a draught to relieve it,” said Aysus, “once we are settled for the night.” He started walking away.
Avalon watched him for a moment. She stared around her again. She gazed at the bushes. Had she walked up to them only recently? But even as her mind reached to the memory, it shut down.
She sighed and picked up her bag. She could not delay. They were getting ahead of her.
Chapter Eleven
The sun beat down. Heat seemed to overwhelm Avalon. She paused, for a moment, to catch her breath. She could feel sweat trickling down her back; it was running in rivulets down her face.
They had been walking for hours, over endless sand dunes. Ahead, she could see Skyresh and Aysus talking as they walked. How could they walk so quickly in this heat? It was relentless. Her mind felt foggy. She told herself that it must be the heat. She had been feeling this way ever since the day before, when she had awoken from that strange sleep next to Skyresh, and Aysus had appeared from the bushes.
They had set up camp for the evening, but Avalon still had that nagging sensation that something was missing.
She had tried to talk about it with the others, but they had both stared at her blankly.
“Something is missing?” Skyresh had said, a puzzled expression on his face. “Like what, Avalon?”
She had bitten her lip and had been unable to express herself. Aysus had watched her, as she struggled for words.
“I just don’t know,” she had whispered eventually, frowning. “It has something to do with falling asleep on the sand.” She had turned to Aysus. “Why were you in those bushes? Had you left us asleep?”
Aysus had smiled. “Yes. You both were very tired and desired rest. I thought that I would forage for some food while you both napped. Do not concern yourself too much, Avalon. The heat of the desert can sometimes sap energy suddenly and completely. I have seen it before.”
Avalon had continued staring at him. “My mind has felt foggy ever since, and I have an overwhelming feeling that we have left something behind or have lost something.”
“Have you checked your belongings?” Aysus said in a soft voice. “I find that often, if you feel that way, it is good to re-orient yourself.”
Avalon had nodded slowly. “Yes, I have checked my bag. Everything appears to be in order.”
Skyresh had smiled. “Well, that is all good then. It is probably the heat, as Aysus said. I have felt a little groggy all day as well. I think that I will sleep very well tonight.”
The two men had started talking about Aysus’s previous trips through the Outlying Zone, and Avalon had tuned out. She was so very tired. Without talking any further to either of them, she had crawled into her sleeping roll and fell asleep for the night. It had been a heavy sleep without dreams. When she had awoken in the morning, she still didn’t feel refreshed, and the fog over her brain remained…along with that strange, urgent feeling that something was gone.
They were still walking ahead now, but she found that she couldn’t take another step further. Tiredness overwhelmed her again. Skyresh turned back and saw her standing there.
“Avalon?” He walked slowly back towards her. “Are you alright?”
Avalon shook her head. “No, Skyresh, I’m not. Despite having slept so long last night, I am so tired that I can barely stand. The fog over my mind is relentless.”
“Do you want to stop and rest?” he said, gently taking her hand.
She stared into his vivid blue eyes, feeling that jolt of connection between them. Her eyes travelled over his face, noticing how his face had become darker in the sun. It made the blue of his eyes stand out more. His darker color also accentuated the blue circular tattoos on his neck.
His hair had grown back. It was no longer a soft fuzz over his head; she could see the light brown glinting with golden tones from the sun. This man had been by her side for this whole journey. She trusted him—completely.
She could see the figure of Aysus, just behind him. He had turned and walked back to them, leaning on his staff. He stared at them both, waiting. Uneasiness spread through her; she did not trust this man, but she was having trouble—now—remembering why that was so.
Had it only ever been the three of them traversing this desert? She remembered setting out from the Safe Zone. Mother Oda had packed them food, and she had stroked Teitur the wolf’s soft fur, but Aysus had not been with them at that point. When had he arrived? She was sure that there had been three of them who had set out: Skyresh, herself, and…and…
But no matter how hard she pondered the memory, she could not seem to recall anyone else.
“I think that Avalon does need rest,” Aysus said now, staring at them both. “There is some shelter over there. We can have an early lunch and regain some strength.”
Skyresh nodded, still gazing into Avalon’s eyes. “Yes, I think that she needs it. And I am feeling a little groggy still, as well.”
He took her arm gently, and they walked where Aysus indicated.
She sank wearily onto the sand, wiping the sweat off her face with her veil.
“I have an energy draught,” said Aysus, reaching into his bag. “I think that both of you should have some, but you especially, Avalon. It will help clear your mind and give you back some strength.”
He poured a little of the liquid into cups, handing them to Skyresh and Avalon.
Avalon stared down at the brownish liquid in the cup, swirling it around. Skyresh drank it in one gulp. Avalon raised it to her lips, but when Aysus turned his head away, she quickly poured it onto the sand. Skyresh saw. He looked puzzled, but she shook her head quickly.
It had been the same drought that he had given them both the night before. She had drunk it then, but something told her n
ot to now.
A small, instinctive voice in her head. She had no idea where it came from, or why.
Only that she should listen to it.
***
She stared, frowning, at the sky. Something was hovering in the distance. She could see that the wing span of the creature was vast.
“Skyresh,” she said, pointing. “Look! What is it?”
Skyresh looked up to where she was pointing. “It is a bird,” he said. “A very large one.”
“It is an eagle,” said Aysus, staring up at the sky. “It is a good omen.”
“Why?” asked Skyresh.
Aysus smiled. “There is an old story about the eagle. Would you like to hear it?”
Skyresh nodded.
“In the beginning,” said Aysus, “when the Goddess’s power was strong and vibrant, all the creatures bowed to her. They listened to her, but she desired to have one that she could ride upon. One that would stay by her side as a constant companion.”
He paused.
“So,” he continued, staring at them both, “she created a large egg from a bubbling mud pool. This egg rose up, golden and shining. The Goddess tended to it. She never left its side. Every day, she would whisper to it, telling it that it was special and would be forever connected to her. She told it that it would have wings longer and stronger than any other bird that she had created.”
Skyresh and Avalon stared at Aysus. Skyresh leaned forward, mesmerized.
“After forty days, when the new moon was high in the sky, she took the egg. She placed it on the highest point that she could find. That night, it started to hatch. The Goddess watched in wonder as the creature within emerged. It was the very first eagle. She named it Delid and fed it a special milk broth.”
“A broth?” said Skyresh.
Aysus nodded. “Yes. That very first eagle was fed a broth, which had magic mixed within it. Every day, the eagle grew larger. Its wings expanded. By the tenth day, its wingspan was so wide, the Goddess knew that it was time. She asked Delid if he felt ready to soar into the sky with her on his back. He said yes.”
Avalon looked up at the sky. The eagle was getting closer to them. She could see it casting a shadow onto the sand.
“They took to the sky,” Aysus continued, “the Goddess perched atop. All the creatures on the land gazed up in wonder. The other birds in the sky flew behind. And Delid stayed by the Goddess’s side forever.” Aysus turned to them. “This is why it is such a good omen to see an eagle. They are a reminder of Delid, the magical one, who is the Goddess’s close companion, the one who carries her through the skies.”
“It is getting closer,” Skyresh whispered, craning his neck. “How wonderful is it! I have never seen wings so vast.”
Aysus smiled. “The eagle is approaching us for a reason,” he said. “I think that we should follow it.”
Skyresh nodded, jumping to his feet. He turned to Avalon. “It is a good omen, Avalon,” he said. “And I feel such a strong connection with the mighty winged one. We need to do what Aysus says and see where it guides us.”
Avalon nodded slowly. “I suppose so,” she said. “It is truly magnificent, and the ravens led us well.”
“The eagle will lead us well, too,” said Aysus.
The bird hovered over them, as if waiting.
“We are coming, great one,” called Aysus. He got to his feet, turning back to them. “We cannot delay. It will not wait forever.”
Avalon got up. She felt better somehow. Even though she still didn’t trust Aysus, the eagle’s appearance did seem to be a good omen.
They set off, following the bird.
***
Avalon struggled for breath, staring back at the path that they had just traversed.
They had been following the eagle for what seemed like hours. The red sand had given way to a craggy rock formation, which hovered high in the air, so high that when Avalon craned her neck, she couldn’t see the top of it. A vast, white mist swirled around it. The eagle was soaring up toward it.
“It seems to be going to the top,” she said, frowning. “I don’t know if we should follow it. It is a steep climb.”
Skyresh stared at her, his blue eyes gleaming with a strange energy. “We must, Avalon,” he said. “Don’t you see? It is the Goddess herself who has willed this. The eagle is her special friend.”
“It is true,” said Aysus, nodding. “We must go wherever the bird leads us.” He turned to Avalon. “It seems further than it is. We shall be safe.”
Avalon hesitated. Even though she had wanted to follow the eagle, the same small voice that had told her not to take Aysus’s draught suddenly came into her mind. Should she trust it?
“It is too steep a climb,” she said, slowly, staring upwards, but then she could feel the mist compelling her. She watched its vapors swirling, as if it were being stirred. She blinked, twice. She was finding it hard to take her eyes off it.
“That’s right, Avalon,” said Aysus in a low voice. “Keep staring at the mist. It is calling you. It is calling all of us.”
Skyresh started climbing eagerly. Aysus followed him. Her eyes still on the mist, Avalon felt her hands grip the rocks, pushing herself upwards. Towards it.
She was finding it difficult to breathe. Sweat ran from her forehead and into her eyes, but still, she kept climbing. She could see Skyresh pushing forward, almost scrambling in his eagerness. Aysus nimbly leapt up the rocks, seeming not to pause for breath.
Suddenly, she was in the mist. She couldn’t see through it. The rocks above were obscured. For one second, she saw Skyresh and Aysus, still climbing ahead of her.
And then, they disappeared.
“Skyresh!” she screamed, scrambling upwards. The rocks started crumbling through her fingers. Which way had they gone? She stopped, staring around. She couldn’t see anything!
“Skyresh!” she called again. But there was no answer. The mist seemed to fill her eyes, her mouth, and her nose. Breathing became difficult, so difficult she started to wheeze. It was filling her lungs, suffocating her.
She desperately tried to regain her grip, but it was useless. She staggered forward and fell. She could feel the roughness of the rocks hitting her face, and a slow trickle of blood oozed from her head, running down her neck.
There was no use fighting it. It was stronger than her. She took two small, gasping breaths.
Then everything went black.
***
She opened her eyes, slowly. She could feel a low, thudding pain in her head. Where was she?
She sat up, wincing. The pain intensified. She was at the bottom of some rocks. Had she fallen? With difficulty, she squinted up at the sky. An intense sensation of dizziness overtook her, and she leaned over and vomited.
She collapsed onto her back, breathing deeply. She could not remember anything. Why was she on these rocks? What had she been doing?
She turned her head, staring down. The desert unspooled like a red ribbon around her. She had been walking through it. It had been hot, so hot that she had felt like she was melting. But she simply couldn’t remember anything beyond that.
She heard a noise, and a small rock landed on her leg. Someone – or something – was coming towards her. She groped for her sword, drawing it swiftly.
“It’s only me,” said a voice.
She squinted in the direction it came from. “Who are you?” she called.
Suddenly, the figure appeared in front of her. It was an old man. He was dressed in a long, flowing white robe and carried a staff.
“Avalon,” he called. “Don’t you recognize me?”
Avalon blinked rapidly, as she stared at him. Yes, he did look familiar. She knew this man, but his name kept escaping her memory.
He stood over her, smiling. “It’s Aysus,” he said softly. “We are travelling together. I think that you might have hit your head on the rock.”
Avalon nodded, putting a hand to her head. There was a small wound. That would account for the pai
n she was feeling.
“What were we doing?” she said, staring up at him. “I must have fallen and hit my head. I can’t seem to remember anything.”
“We decided to climb over these rocks,” the old man answered. “It is a short cut. You were behind me. When I looked back, I couldn’t see you.”
Avalon nodded, again. “That makes sense,” she said slowly. “I think.”
Aysus smiled, holding out his hand toward her. “Come,” he said. “We will go the long way around. It is steeper than I thought. When we clear it, I will tend to your head wound. You are bleeding.”
“Am I?” Avalon touched her head again. Yes, she could feel blood.
She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet in one movement. She noted that he was so strong for such an old man. Dizziness overwhelmed her again. She took a deep breath.
“We are travelling together?” she asked, staring at him. “Just the two of us?”
“Just the two of us,” he repeated. “It has been a long, hard journey, Avalon. You are weary, I can see. We will find a safe spot, like I said, and we will rest further.”
He led her down the rocks. The touch of his hand in hers was cold. She stared back up at the rocks, and the mist swirling around the top of them. Why did she have the strangest feeling that something was up there? Something that was precious to her. Something that shouldn’t be left behind.
“Avalon?” Aysus was staring at her. “You shouldn’t look up. It is causing you to become dizzy. Stare straight ahead, and you will get your bearings.”
She did as he instructed.
She did not look back again.
***
Under the cover of a large rock ledge, they sat down. Aysus withdrew a poultice from his bag and laid it on Avalon’s wound. Instantly, it felt cool. The throbbing started to lessen. She shuddered as she inhaled a deep breath.
“Are you starting to feel better?” he whispered.
