Chapter 3
Oh, but to marvel at the brilliance. To cast a plea into the heavens, with intrepid certainty. To cling to the echoing of wisdom. To assuredly bask in the blanket of fate. Oh, but to wish for such a time as this. To witness unshakable brilliance in the void.
Starless Night
DAWN SEEMED TO TAKE A millennia to appear as Astraia waited on the outskirts of Tenebris, the main pathway leading into the Starfell Woods to her right.
The morning fog had settled on the woods, making it even more ominous than the stories surrounding it.
It was said that after the Shattering, many of the mythical stewards of the Constellations were cursed to their beast forms and roamed the Starfell Woods.
Vicious bears and wolves lurked in the shadows, their humanity completely forgotten, ready to spring on any unsuspecting travelers.
Astraia’s horse, a black stallion, paced nervously at the forest’s edge. Even he was wary of the tightly packed trees and the shadows that drifted between the branches.
“Shhh, Orion. It’s okay, boy.” She stroked his head. He had traveled into the woods before on one of Delphi’s shipment details, but it did not make the woods any less unpleasant.
She tugged her navy cloak tighter around her with a shiver. She had barely slept last night. For once, she did not dream, but the anxiety of being found again by the amber-eyed bounty hunter tormented her thoughts.
Her ears pricked when a new noise emerged in the distance. A second set of horse hooves broke the silence around her as they trotted up the path from the city, toward Astraia. She removed her bow strapped to her back, nocked an arrow, and aimed for the trail.
The bow was her ideal weapon. She spent years honing her skill, at her father’s behest. She had been gifted the bow along with her Celestial dagger on her eighteenth birthday, both works of art.
Intricate star carvings adorned the bow.
It was made of Starwood, a rarity that had only grown in what was now the Celestial Wastes.
All the Starwood had been destroyed in the Shattering when the Stars collided with Astradeon, creating the Wastes and the Shardlands—a black desert devoid of life.
The bow was truly the only one of its kind.
Her hand absently reached for her Celestial dagger, only to remember it was missing. The blade had been forged by the best swordsmith in Astradeon, using forbidden Starshard remnants mixed with steel, giving it a black sheen.
Sounds of the horse and what sounded like the wooden wheels of a carriage grew louder as they made their approach toward the forest. Astraia kept her gaze locked and her breathing slowed, controlled. She pulled her bow taut, feeling the bowstring strain under the pressure.
A brown horse appeared first through the trees that lined the road, a man seated on the buggy being pulled behind it. Behind him, two men on horseback kept an even pace. The lead horse drew closer, and Astraia could just make out the driver’s face. She let out a sigh and lowered her bow.
“Yeer a tad skittish aren’t ye, girl?” the man said loudly as he brought the horse to a stop in front of Astraia.
“Hello to you too, Val.” Astraia scowled and replaced her bow on her back. “You realize there’s going to be even more bounty hunters in these woods with the king’s new decree?”
“Eh. Ain’t nothing we ain’t dealt with before.” He shrugged and placed his pipe in his mouth to smoke.
“Yeah, well, you won’t be the one fending them off, Val. Who are the lackeys?” Astraia turned toward the other two men on horses behind the buggy. They were both of strong build, with what appeared to be swords hidden beneath their cloaks on their backs, their faces expressionless.
“That there is Thalen, and the sour-looking feller is Vastor. They’re some hired hands of Delphi. She figured we could use some more swords this time.” Val gestured to the two men and winked at Astraia.
Her hair bristled, irritated at the unwelcome vagabonds joining their party.
Delphi had been her closest friend since arriving in Tenebris five years ago with no money to her name and barely surviving on the streets.
The old barkeep had found her hungry and homeless and provided her with a means to support herself by making deliveries.
The only requirement was to never ask about the cargo and never question Delphi’s instructions.
“Fine. Are we ready?” Astraia nodded toward the buggy, covered in a large tarp, concealing whatever in the Stars Delphi was smuggling.
Val nodded again, puffing on his pipe, and urged the horse forward with a snap of the reins. Astraia spurred Orion onward as well, falling in step with Val. The two men took up the rear.
Astraia took a deep breath as the trees loomed closer.
The morning fog remained on the ground, covering the path inside.
The twisted trees curved unnaturally, beckoning the caravan inward, luring them in with the smell of pine and eerie quiet.
Their contorted branches reached out toward the road, keen to snare any unsuspecting travelers.
Once the caravan broke through the tree line, the closeness of the trees intensified, the only breathable space being the road they traveled. One step off the path, and you were certain to get lost or swept up by one of the mythical beasts. If you believed such stories.
Astraia remained alert, scanning the forest for signs of threats. She made sure to peer over her shoulder occasionally as well to keep an eye on the two new additions to their party, unsure yet what to make of them.
Up ahead, there was a fork in the road, with the main road continuing to the right and the lesser-traveled path on the left.
Not many people used the side trails because it was not as cleared, and bandits littered that part of the woods.
It made a perfect way to smuggle goods to the river, albeit a more dangerous one.
Astraia drew her bow from her back once again and loosely nocked an arrow. She could not afford to relax for even a few moments. As the horses and buggy came to the fork, Val guided his horse to the left. He simply kept puffing on his pipe when the path veered into the darker shadows.
The trees morphed into more mangled shapes as they trudged forward. Little light penetrated the canopy above them. The shadows of birds flickered on the forest floor.
Astraia whirled her head to the right as a branch snapped. Her bow pulled tight, an arrow ready to down the unsuspecting enemy.
Just then, a murder of crows scattered from the tree branches, narrowly missing the top of Astraia’s head. She swore and relaxed her bow once more.
Val laughed. “Don’t let the woods frighten you, girl. They’ve survived more than any of us have.”
“Let’s just keep going. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave.” She nudged Orion onward at a quicker pace.
Hours passed without incident. Astraia could feel her backside numbing from the saddle and longed for her small apartment bed. She could tell Val was feeling the effects of the long ride as well, noticing him rub the small of his back and stretching his neck.
She glanced back at Thalen and Vastor again. Their faces blank, their hands always too close to their cloaks. The bond in her chest stirred, uncertain and wary of the mysterious men. They had not given her a reason to suspect bad intentions, but something in her blood whispered that they would.
She gazed up at the Starfell canopy, the leaves of different trees knitted together with only small patches of sky peeking through.
The woods would be blanketed in nightfall soon.
They should be able to reach the river within the hour and could set up camp.
Delphi’s contact from Virellia would collect the shipment in the morning.
“Let’s pick up the pace, gentlemen. We need to reach the river before dark,” Astraia called over her shoulder and urged Orion into a trot.
If the Starfell Woods were ominous now, it was nothing compared to when a starless night sky was overhead—when the true evil of the woods woke.
It only took another few minutes before Astraia heard the melodic sound of running water. She let out an audible sigh of relief and slowed her horse as she glanced at Val next to her.
“Thank the Stars. My old arse wouldn’t make it much longer.” Val laughed and smiled at Astraia.
The Hydraneas River had never looked so beautiful as the caravan burst from the Starfell Woods into the small clearing by the water.
Not a moment too soon, as the last fragments of sunlight flitted on the river’s surface.
The river was as tumultuous as it was wide.
Rolling currents could easily drag even an experienced swimmer beneath the icy surface.
Despite its foreboding appearance, Astraia wished nothing more than to be free of those horrifying woods and drink the crystal-clear water it offered. She led Orion to the river’s edge, sliding out of the saddle. Her feet hit the ground, the impact vibrating up her vertebrae.
“I forgot how much I loathe long rides,” she groaned as she removed Orion’s saddle.
Astraia glanced over at Val to find him already setting up his bedroll for the night. The other men had set to work building a fire. They must be as tired as I am, she thought.
Within just a few minutes, Val had launched into cooking dinner, which consisted of potatoes and some veal he had brought with him. The four escorts sat around the fire, devouring the meal in silence. A palpable tension hung in the air, especially between Astraia and the new men with them.
“So…” Val began. “How do you two know our Delphi? Forgot to pay yer tab, did ya?” He chuckled. He speared a potato with his knife and gestured toward the two men before he plopped it in his mouth.
The two men glanced at each other as they ate. Thalen spoke first, clearing his throat.
“Something like that. She did us a favor a while back. Just paying our dues.” His eyes landed on Val first then Astraia, as he proceeded to eat more of his meal.
Val hummed, obviously unconvinced but smart enough to not probe further.
“I know a thing or two about owing debts to Delphi. I definitely wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” Astraia shifted as she sat on her bedroll, finishing her food. She drank heartily from her water canteen before making eye contact with Thalen first, then Vastor.
Both simply nodded in return. Astraia welcomed the lack of questioning from two strangers. The least they knew about her, the better.
“Well, not that yer stories aren’t riveting, but an old man needs rest before we finish up the job tomorrow. Traia, you be taking the first watch, eh?” Val did not wait for a rebuttal from her. He just took a swig from his own canteen and lay back on his mat, covering himself with his cloak.
“Sure, Val. I live for it,” Astraia replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster.
Thalen smirked toward her, the most emotion he had shown the entire journey, and lay down across the fire from her, Vastor following suit on her right.
Astraia let out a sigh and cast her eyes skyward.
The dark expanse glared back, void of any light save the sliver of the crescent moon.
She wondered, as she stared, what the expanse looked like before the Shattering.
When thousands of bright stars painted the celestial sphere, casting their glow on all of Astradeon.
The twelve Constellations, in their glory, provided peace, prosperity, and order to magic across the empyrean and the world below.
Now, just a whisper of a memory. The Constellations no longer offered protection.
No longer answered prayers. No longer offered their Starborne solace.
Astraia’s sight clouded, tears brimming her eyes. If only the constellations had not deserted Astradeon. If they had not deserted her, he would still be here. She wiped the single tear that managed to escape her eyes and roll down her face.
The Stars be damned.