by K. F. Ridley
Arcos stands, stroking his long braided beard.“We need to reassemble what is left of the brethren. We need every force, every sentry available. Alder is on his way back from Congramaid and will discuss with you plans needed to protect our future.” Arcos leaves the room his group surrounding him.
“What’s wrong now?” Taylie asks. I feel so sorry for her. She’s been thrown into this entirely new existence without a clue about what is going on. She’s never been this closed up and quiet. I hate we’ve taken her joy. We’ve taken everything from her. All I really want to do is help her find the part of her that used to make her glow, that part that made her Taylie.
The door burst open and Dad has a glass full of muck. “Here, drink up.” I do as he says and I’m glad to have my medicine again. “We have plenty now. Don’t forget to take it. Do you understand?”
I hug him.“I love you, Dad.”
He doesn’t know what to do with the affection. Awkwardly, he hugs me back. “Don’t forget,” he says adamantly and he lightly kisses my forehead.
“I won’t.”
“I’ve got to get back to work,” and he darts away.
We’re escorted to separate rooms. Rowen and Coll are down the hall from Taylie and me. She’s in an immaculate space covered in white linens right next door to me. The moon beams through the stained glass window lighting the room with gold and green hues.
“Are you going to be okay?” I ask.
“I’m feeling so empty, so lost,” she says. Her voice is vacant, without life.
“It’s going to take time.”
“I know, Ashe.”
“I’ll be next door if you need anything, anything at all.” I go to my room which is as beautiful as Taylie’s. A huge bed stands three feet off the floor with lush pink and yellow pillows.
I want Rowen with me, but I know while we’re in Acrimony we’ll have to be discreet. Arcos has apparently accepted Rowen back into the brethren and I’m not going to do anything to agitate the situation.
I think of the loneliness swallowing Taylie’s heart. I’m thankful for what I have. Thankful for all the crazy things that have become a part of my life and I’m not going to take anything for granted, not ever again.
I wake the next morning to Rowen’s soft sweet kiss. He leans over me as I wake. “Alder will be here soon. I’ll come and find you when we’re through.”
“You’d better not be all day,” I say jokingly. He gives me a look reeling me in, closing the door behind him. Things have calmed down in Durt, but I don’t know how long this period will last. Rowen and I are together, Dad is safe and he’s here, Arcos has accepted us; well, maybe not completely, but he’s more accepting than he has been. I know he only let Rowen back into the Order of the Brethren out of necessity, for the safety of Durt, but reason doesn’t matter. We’re together making me feel complete. But I feel guilty for the bit of contentment I have. Taylie’s world has been destroyed.
We have a bit of breakfast and spend most of the morning roaming the grounds. Taylie and I take in all the beauty of Acrimony. “So, what does one do here?” she asks.
“Well, my time here has been one of survival. I really haven’t had a chance to enjoy any of this.”
Rowen and Coll meet up with us later in the day. We walk through the forest encircling the castle. The trees are greener than green. Vibrant. Flowers bloom in every patch of meadow. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am at this very moment.
We find a waterfall tumbling hundreds of feet into a pool of clear aqua blue. We swim in our clothes and lay in the amber sun until we dry off. I wish everyday could be like this. Taylie is even able to break a smile here and there. It’s exactly what she needed. It’s what we all needed.
“ Are you getting used to Durt now?” Rowen asks as we lay on the warm rocks, soaking up the warmth of the sky.
“I could get used to this, but it doesn’t really matter where we are, as long as we are together.” He smiles, looking down into my eyes and brushing the wet hair from my face.
“We need to head back.” He stands reaching down for my hand then pulling me up. I’m about to let go of his tender grip when he brings me up close to his bare chest, kissing me softly. Yeah, I could get used to this.
It appears Coll has made an exception for humans now that he’s met Taylie. Bithlings on the other hand, are still not on his list of favorite things. I’ve seen them strolling through the gardens, sitting next to one another during meals and sometimes there both gone at the same time with no explanation.
I haven’t seen much of Arcos either. I wander around the castle on my own feeding my curiosity by looking into rooms and meandering through corridors. It’s a building of endless size. It goes on forever. I get lost finding my way back to my room when I stumble into a small room that’s apparently an artist’s studio, filled with canvases, sculptures, easels, and brushes. Dust covers every inch of the space, wooden bowls filled with dried paint and bristles of brushes dried up and broken. A stool sits in front of an easel holding a canvas of unfinished work. I ease onto the painter’s stool, and study the painting. The emerging subject has a very strong resemblance to my father. I trace my finger over the curved lines of dried, old paint.
“I see your mother when I look at you.” I jump out of my skin and almost fall to the floor. Arcos is standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry...I...I .... I’m taking look around.”
“No harm. All is well, my dear.” He strolls into the room gently running his hands over his braided beard. His white robe flows behind him like angels wings. He towers over me as he peers over my shoulder at the unfinished artwork.
“So, who’s the artist?”
“This was Nuin’s favorite place. Here in Durt we cherish those creative abilities. It is a gift not everyone holds. It is a gift treasured beyond the gift of living. For it is through these creative gifts life is captured for eternity.”
A feeling of warmth covers me like lamb’s wool when I realize I’m sitting in my mother’s studio.
“This was going to be a portrait of my father,” I say staring at the canvas with tears whelping up in my eyes. “She didn’t get to finish it.”
“No, but you may want to finish it for her,” he says. “You can come here anytime you like. Use this room at your leisure. I think Nuin would love to have given this room to you herself.” Looking at me over his shoulder, he walks out.
Quietly, I cry. I feel her here. I miss her. I long for her. Now, I’m able to admit it, at least to myself.
During dinner, things are quiet. There’s no talk of Ruis, The Dark Thorn or any plans of attack. Things are calm and I’m glad. It’s time for peace, time to stop running after or away.
Taylie and I head back to our rooms after dinner. A twinkle of her old glow is coming back. But there’s still an unhappiness blocking her from fully experiencing the beauty of Durt.
“I miss them so much,” she says.
“I know it has to be hard. I’m sorry this happened to you and it’s all because of me, because of what I am.”
“This isn’t your fault, Ashe. I don’t blame you. I only blame the one who did it and he’s dead.” She walks with me down the last corridor, locking arms with mine. “At least we have each other. I believe things will get better with time. They have to.”
She hugs me tight and then goes to her room.
The stained glass windows of my room open onto a balcony. I take in a big breath of fresh air. I’m so high above the ground, I can see the tops of the trees. The stars light the sky like fireworks. He sneaks behind gently wrapping his fingers around my waist, saying nothing. I enjoy his touch, my hands on the rails as I absorb the serenity around us.
“Things are quiet,” I say listening to the solitude of the woods.
“They seem so.” His manner is doubtful.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“Ruis isn’t going to stay quiet. He has to know Straif is gone. The power is his now
if he wants it. I believe he does want it. He has to be up to something.”
“Ruis isn’t truly wicked. Deep within his soul, there is good. He did let me go you know.”
“He had no other choice.” Rowen releases his caress and stands beside me looking out. “I believe he encouraged Straif to go to Montana, because he knows what you are capable of. He knew Straif would not be able to defeat you. Ruis was not able to resist your transference and he knew Straif wouldn’t either.” He pauses. “And now he is free to rule.”
“I don’t think Ruis is like that.”
“Ashe, Ruis has the gift of deception. His entire body is programmed for evil, for destruction. It’s who he is now.”
“I don’t believe it.”
He kisses me quickly on the lips. “Go to sleep. You’re tired.”
“Good night.” I wanted to be able to say good morning instead. He makes me feel complete.
“Good night,” he whispers as he holds me for a moment under the starlight.
Taylie didn ’t make it down to breakfast and no one has seen her.
“Taylie, wake up.” I knock on her door, but she doesn’t answer. I let myself in. “Taylie, Taylie.” Her bed is empty. Where is she?
I find Rowen and Coll and we search everywhere for her, the gardens, the castle, the stable, everywhere. There’s no sign of her.
“I hope she hasn’t done something crazy.”
“She wouldn’t do that,” Coll says defensively.
“I’m not saying she would do it on purpose, Coll. You don’t even know her,” I spout back. Who does he think he is? He hardly knows her.
“We have to find her,” Rowen says. “Ashe, did you see anything in her room that would make you think she left? Maybe, she tried to go back to Montana.”
We go back to her room to see if we can find a clue, anything that will give us answers.
“Nothing,” Coll says.
I plop onto the bed and something sharp pokes me through the covers.
“Ouch!” I yell, jumping up and pulling back the sheets. An iridescent black ring of thorns is buried under the bedding. I look at Rowen for an answer.
“He’s taken her,” he says.
“Why?” I yell. “Why would he want her?”
“He’s trying get to you. Come, we’ve got to find Alder.”
We go to Ivy’s room on the ground floor. “Ashe, you stay here with Ivy. We will place a guard at your door.”
“What? I’m going with you!”
“That’s exactly what Ruis wants. If you want to help, you’ll stay here.” Rowen is ordering me to stay as he holds his hand firmly against my shoulder. He’s never spoken to me this way before. My heart sinks to the floor. Before he exits, he looks at me as if he’s in pain. I drop in the chair, vacant and confused.
“It is for the best, Ashe. They have to find Taylie. If you went along you would be a distraction. He’d be trying to protect you as well as Taylie. You understand. Don’t you?” Ivy asks.
“I don’t understand anything.”
I slouch in the chair for hours, staring out of the window until night falls and she is asleep. It’s now or never.
27
The night sky is over cast. The moon is not as bright as I would have liked, but I can’t let that stop me. Ivy doesn’t even notice as I slip out of the window. I can’t believe what I’m about to do.
The stables are abandoned of anyone except for the horses. It ’s quiet except for sound of munching on hay and a few snorts here and there.
I ease open the stall door and my grandfather ’s horse looks me straight in the eyes stomping his massive hooves impatiently into the ground.
He ’s majestic and intimidating. I’m scared to death and I think he knows it. I have no idea if he’ll accept me or even understand me, but I have to take the chance. He’s royalty when it comes to horses and I’m supposed to be royalty, too. So, hopefully that will account for something.
“ Easy, easy,” I say as if it’ll make a difference. How the hell am I supposed to get on this thing? I’ll need a ladder to reach his shoulders. He rears up spreading his enormous wings, hitting me in the chest and knocking me to the ground. After he knocks the breath out of me, it takes me a minute to re-inflate my lungs. I pull myself together and get back up.
“I don’t know how, but we’re going to do this,” I say. I’m about to approach him again and hear a deep familiar voice.
“ Whoa.” It’s Marvin. The great white animal is motionless at the sound of his voice.
“How did you think you were going to get on his back?” “I didn’t know and still don’t know. I’m kind of figuring this
out as I go. ” Marvin leads him from the stall.
“Sleuchd,” Marvin says firmly and the white horse kneels
down on both knees. “Dagda is all yours.”
I’m a nervous wreck. I have to get a hold of myself. Any
agitation I have will transfer into the horse, making this a rough
ride. Taking a deep breath I tell myself I can do this. I was born to
do this. I’m the protector now.
I take hold of his thick, snow-white mane and pull myself onto
his back. When he stands up on all fours, I’m so high off the ground
my stomach starts to turn. Get a grip. Remain calm. This ride is
already a risky one.
“What do I do now?” I ask Marvin as Dagda stomps his feet. “Think about where you want to go and he’ll know.” “Aren’t you are going to try and stop me?”
“Ashe, when I look at you I see your mother. There’s so much
about you that is like her. She was free-spirited and independent.
That is you. It’s always been you. You didn’t know it until you
were forced to become whom you were meant to be.”
“I’m not sure if I can do this, Marvin, but I’ve got to try.” He
hits Dagda on his scaled flank. The horse takes off in a gallop then
hits the sky as I picture the Mountains of Li Sula.
The air becomes warmer the higher we fly. I’m relaxed,
comfortable. I don’t let my mind wander into worry about my
grandfather and what he’s probably going to do after he finds out I
took his horse. I focus on what I have to do. I’ll deal with the rest
later.
It takes a while to reach the mountain range. The other horses
aren’t there and the place is isolated. I don’t know where to go from
here.
I remember Scout and we head for Skewantee. We land
outside the village.
“Sleuchd,” I command and Dagda puts his knees to the ground.
I wander around looking for someone, anyone. Many of the huts
have been destroyed, burnt to the ground. “Scout,” I shout in a
whisper. “Scout,” I say louder this time.
“Who are you?” I voice from behind me asks. I turn around. “Oh, it is you. The Secret. What are you doing here? You must leave at once. You are not wanted. You have brought much harm to my people. You must go. You must go, now.” Scout is insistent.
His nose twitches frantically.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bring harm to anyone. I’m trying to
find Ruis, The Thorn.”
“I jus want you to go. If I tell you where they hide, you will
become the sacrifice then we will all be destroyed.”
“That won’t happen. Please tell me where they are.” He rubs his furry hands together nervously, pacing back and
forth with his huge furry paws shuffling the dust around him. “I
don’t know what to do,” he mumbles.
Lilly, Scout’s wife, waddles out of the hut. “Hello, my dear.
What brings you here again?”
“I need to know where The Thorn is hiding. They’ve left the
caverns. I have to find them. Someone is in
danger.”
“If you go twenty miles south, beyond the mountain range,
there is a pathway leading to nowhere through a doorway of
darkness. It is there you will find them.”
“What have you done, woman? This will truly be the end of
us,” Scout shouts as he tramples off into one of the few huts left
standing.
“I’m sorry for all you have suffered,” I say sincerely. “I am putting my trust in you to put an end to it,” she says. I fly south with no idea what she meant about a path to
nowhere, but I’m hoping it will all make sense when I get there. As soon as we pass over the snow-capped mountains, a line in
the ground appears; a pathway marked in the soil. We descend,
landing in a valley nearby, when I see Ruamna, Mugwort and the
palomino grazing. I dismount and make my way down the path.
Discomforting sounds ring through the trees meeting me in the
darkness of the wood. I’m scared, but in control. I keep moving
hoping to see something that will make sense as I remember what
Lilly told me.
A piece of wood lies in the middle of the trail. As I get closer, I
notice a handle on it. I lift the handle as a gush of musty air brushes
over me as I open the door in the ground. A ladder leading to a dark
abyss invites me into the underworld. There are no lights and I have
no idea where I’m headed. With each step of uncertainty I moved
deeper into the underground.
As I delve deeper into the hole, I hear the echoes of voices
flowing from the darkness. The sounds grow louder and turn into
the bitter edge of screams. My foot finally meets the last rung and I
step onto the ground below me. I head toward a flicker that turns
into a brighter light. The sounds of the screamer grow louder and
more horrifying with each step. I meander through passageway
after passageway, each one giving up very little light, each one
holding the secrets of evil.
I turn the corner and see a brighter light moving about. As I get
