CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
VASARI HUFFS IN ANNOYANCE AS I finish cleaning her teeth. “I won’t be able to help you in there unless you want me to burn the whole forest down. Actually, that might not be a bad idea… Make the Being come to us…” she plots and I shake my head, laughing.
“No, we will not be doing that. I need you here to keep an eye on things and protect the city in case of an attack. Plus Ember and Roz will be back soon, and I need you to explain to their dragons what is going on. You’re the only one I trust with this,” I tell her honestly, and to help soothe her well-earned ego.
She sighs, blowing steaming, stinking air into my face.
“I suppose you’re right. I will make sure you have a castle to come back to.
It’s not like the feathered rat could save the city from the wraiths.
Maybe it’s best if you lose him in the forest with the rest of the wild chickens.
He will find himself a good home there.”
“Hey!” Nero snaps. “I could totally save the city too… it just might take me longer. I’m also not a chicken, or rodent, or a crow! I’m a raven! Bringer of death and wisdom!”
“Death of personality, maybe,” she mutters.
“Okay, enough you two. You both aren’t going anywhere. I love you both equally. Now, be good bondmates and say goodbye before we head off.” I mentally cross my fingers and toes.
They stare at each other for a minute before Nero puffs out his chest. “She’s loved me longer!” Then flies off my shoulder to outside the Dragon’s Keep, waiting for me.
She rolls her eyes. “Be safe out there, Lost One.”
I smile at her. “I’m not lost anymore. I know exactly where I am.”
MY HORSE PAWS the ground in front of me as we stop at the nearest entrance to The Nairiden Woods.
“Remember, stay close to each other and don’t wander off the trail,” Killian reminds us.
After we realized that we would be walking into the Nairiden forest, the next line from the journal was pretty easy to understand. The rest? Not so much, but I’m sure we will figure it out as we go. My mother wouldn’t lead us to our deaths, right?
Aemon enters the forest first, followed by Talyn, then myself. Behind me is Jesper, and bringing up the rear is Killian.
Nero stays seated on my shoulder, humming with contentment. “This is so much better than riding in a cage on the overgrown lizard.”
“You’re not in a cage anymore,” I remind him.
“Semantics. It was traumatizing,” he huffs.
I try to fight the smirk but my lip twitches. “You’re right, it was very traumatizing.”
“I’m glad you understand,” he states seriously, causing a full blown smile to take over my face.
I know those two love each other, but it’s how I imagine siblings are if they’ve grown up together.
We fall into silence and I can’t help but admire the beauty of the forest, and I don’t understand how something so beautiful could have such horrible stories about it.
What I do remember is how large the trees are—even bigger than I remember.
All five of us could easily stand hand in hand around the trunk of any given tree and I’m not sure we would be able to complete the link.
I didn’t get to see much when we fled through here with me as a fledgling.
I was too scared to pay much attention, and it was pitch black.
Although the farther in that we go, the darker it becomes. The thick canopy above blocks out the sun to the point where it’s eerie. The noises of birds chirping and critters rustling about slowly fade until the only sounds are the horses hooves hitting the dirt and our breaths.
Time seems to slow, or speed up. Maybe both?
Without the sun, the distant part of the trail disappears into shadows, yet the path still seems to go on forever.
Until we come to a stop in front of a large canyon giving way to the sky—the burnt orange coloring signals that it must be close to sunset.
But at the entrance down into the gully, two rocky pillars arch until they meet high above us.
This must be from the clues in the journal.
“Hey, I think this is the next line,” Jesper chirps from behind me.
I turn my horse to face the others. “What was it again? Something about going through it or perishing?” I glance around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
“When the stones in the sky touch, go through or perish,” Killian recites from memory.
Jesper grunts uneasily in agreement. “The way is obvious. More traveling, less talking.”
Aemon’s shadows pulse and I’m instantly in tune with them as he searches for anything amidst us or around us.
I take a moment to glance around and notice a path to the right that looks a lot less daunting than being trapped unprotected between two sheer rock walls for however long—I might have even suggested it if it wasn’t for the journal, especially since we aren’t supposed to leave the trail.
Then I feel another reason to follow the forest trail further… like something calls to my soul.
“Ravina? Did you hear me?” Talyn asks.
“Hmm? I’m sorry, something weird is happening, I think we need to get moving.” The feeling begins to grow and the forest seems to slowly creep in around me.
“That’s what we’ve been saying,” Jesper adds. “So let’s keep moving before whatever is happening tries to eat us. I definitely prefer not to become forest food.” Judging by his eyes, he is at least a little creeped out by the woods.
The call to continue down the forest path becomes stronger, but we urge our horses into a gallop, entering the canyon with wide open skies above us peaking from way above the towering rock walls. Once we are past the rocky pillars, the call ceases and the panic in my chest vanishes.
“That was so strange,” I murmur to the others, my voice carrying as echoes. “Do you think something was tempting us down that other path? It was like my body and mind wanted to follow it, but something was stopping me.”
Killian grumbles from behind. “There are creatures and cryptids that are long forgotten living here. Who knows what it was.”
Talyn laughs nervously. “At least we have a bit of a heads up on what to do, because I’m with Jesper. I would prefer not to die in this Fates-damn forest.”
The walls seem to close in the further we get, until my feet in my stirrups are scraping the rock face.
If it gets any more narrow then we are going to have to abandon the horses, and I would really rather not do that.
Who knows if they’ll even survive the trip back without us.
On top of that, the sun has now set, and Talyn is holding a handful of fire to help light the way for Aemon.
Suddenly we stop and I hear Aemon say, “We should rest for the night. I don’t know what’s up ahead once we get out of this canyon, and we’ve been traveling all day. There’s only three entry points. This might be the safest option.”
“Thank fuck,” Jesper mutters. “I could pass out right here.”
Killian’s voice rumbles from behind me. “We can’t set up a camp here. So eat some rations and get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.”
Sleeping in the saddle? I think not. These horses need a break just as much as we do.
My hand reaches for the canyon wall and my earth magick flares.
I coax it to expand, creating a platform above us.
When it’s stable, Nero slides onto the platform and I stand up on the saddle, praying that my horse stays still as I hoist myself up.
I peer down at my mates with a grin. “I don’t know about you all, but my ass is killing me from being in that saddle.”
Jesper pulls himself up next to me. “Dibs on sleeping with our mate!” He grabs my waist and flips me onto his chest. “I shall be your bed tonight—I can’t have my Beastie sleeping on stone.”
The earth shifts again and Talyn appears on a platform ahead of me. “Great idea, Rav.” He yawns and then summons water from one of the many jugs attached to our horses and creates a stream for them to drink from.
I make Killian and Aemon a platform as well. They both hop up, expressing their thanks as they sit against the wall.
“Get some sleep,” Killian mumbles as he gets comfortable at his post. “I’ll wake you if needed.”
“I’ll take the shift after you,” Aemon states.
I begin to doze off as they arrange who’s doing what watch. I must be more tired than I thought, because just like that, the realm fades to darkness and I’m out like a light, enjoying the warmth of my mate’s arms banding around me.
I WAKE TO the sound of soft snores but it’s Talyn under me instead of Jesper. I glance around in confusion and see Jesper playing with his knives in the early morning light.
He peers over at me and his face lights up. “Good morning, Little Beastie!”
“Morning,” I mutter, still feeling confused on how Talyn is my bed now instead of Jesper. Did I sleepwalk?
“You seem confused? Is it because you expected to wake up next to your favourite mate?” He grins mischievously and gestures down his body. “Talyn woke me up for my shift and stole you from me. You seemed content about it, so I forgave him.”
“It’s too early to hear your rambling,” Killian rumbles as he sits up, glaring at my troublemaker of a mate.
He gasps. “It’s never too early, and she loves my rambling. Don’t you?”
I chuckle softly as I wiggle out of Talyn’s embrace, stretching. “Always. Why didn’t you wake me for my shift? Did anything happen?”
Aemon’s voice grabs my attention. “No. Nothing happened, and you needed your rest. Come on, we should get moving; we can eat some rations on the way.” He sends a tendril of shadows that caress my cheek, before climbing down from his platform and getting back on his horse.
Before I know it, we are all ready to continue our travels. I removed the platforms with Talyn’s help and Nero grumbling sleepily on my shoulder.
Thankfully the canyon widens slightly again and my anxiety about needing to leave the horses behind eases.