CHAPTER 6
Elena
July 1378
T he field was too big to take in all at once. We ran happily until one of us tripped and fell. As usual, it was Petra. This time, though, she didn’t cry immediately but put on a brave front. “I’m okay,” she said, refusing my helping hand.
“You’re so much stronger now, little sister,” I said.
“I have to be… since you left. When are you coming back, El?” Her pleading eyes sent me into a spiral. The shudder woke me up instantly. A nightmare was all I needed as if I wasn’t already living one. Th ough it felt like a workout, I forced myself to open my eyes completely.
“Ah, you’re up already. It was probably one of your nightmares,” Melisandriah said as she draped her cloak around her shoulders.
Her knowing everything about me got annoying really fast. “Your heavy steps woke me up.”
“Sure, as if you haven’t said that before.”
“I can’t believe I’m so predictable.” I tried to shake off my sleepiness by rubbing my eyes.
“Don’t worry, all humans are. The best way to avoid being predictable is by making choices that might surprise even you. But I won’t judge if you don’t. Humans do like their patterns. It’s why they can’t resist sealing their fates.”
“Is my fate sealed?”
“Not yet. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to time travel.” She sat next to me.
“It sure doesn’t feel that way. It seems like the Fates, or whatever, have decided my fate for me.”
“The Fates can’t force you to do anything. You always have a choice.”
“A choice that would lead to my impending death?”
“It’s a choice, nonetheless. But enough about what might happen tomorrow. Let’s focus on today. Get dressed. We have a long day ahead.” She grinned and took a woven basket from a tiny closet.
“Your grin doesn’t inspire any excitement.” I sat up, already feeling dejected.
“Don’t knock it until you see it,” she said and went into the kitchen .
“Also, where are you sleeping? There’s only one bedroom here.”
“I’ll wait for you outside. Your outfit is laid out on the chair next to the bed.”
I pushed myself out of bed and walked to the chair. On it was a brown linen dress with a simple front lace tie. I pulled it over my body and did my best to tie it. Next were the knee-length socks and leather shoes. Strangely, the outfit made me feel better. The chemise underneath still felt scratchy, but by the looks of it, it was a well-worn outfit that fit me like a glove. Wait a minute, was this the same outfit I wore every time I time-traveled here?
I was looking for Melisandriah to ask her about it when I stumbled upon a basket, a short knife, a patched cloak, and a pair of leather gloves.
“Put on your cloak, today we’re foraging,” she yelled from the porch.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You expect me to step into bear territory when all I’ve been doing for the past few days is avoiding it?”
“I can’t hear you. Will you hurry up? We don’t have all day,” she yelled back.
“She’s definitely doing this on purpose,” I mumbled. “Fine,” I shouted.
I put on the cloak and gloves, covered my head with the hood, and hooked an arm under the basket’s handle. Already feeling Red Riding Hood-ish, I stepped through the door and followed the witch into the forest.
By the time I caught up to her, I was out of breath. “ Can you slow down? Why are you in such a rush?”
“The earlier we get there, the more we can gather.”
“Gather what?” I asked.
“Whatever we can find,” she said and continued her walk, humming.
“Why do I need to go with you?”
“Did you think you’ve been brought here for my amusement only? You’re here to learn, my daughter.”
“Learn what?” I was always a step behind her.
“Everything that will help with your quest.”
“The quest to stay alive?” I tripped on a raised tree root, but the witch still didn’t slow down.
“Exactly.”
“What does collecting berries have to do with me staying alive?”
“Everything, my daughter.” She stopped abruptly and picked two different types of berries.
“Because this one will kill you and this one will nourish you. It’s your duty to know the difference.” She shoved the good one in my mouth. “Eat.”
After the in-your-face demonstration, we walked silently through the narrow paths of the forest. Many times, Mel would stop to show me how the moss grew facing north. Then she would pick a regular-looking herb and gasp. “This is the devil’s nettle. Wonderful plant.”
“You wouldn’t think so by the name.”
“You’d better remember it. It’s great for wounds and bleeding.”
“I’m sure you’ll help me when I need it,” I said .
Mel grabbed my arm and glared into my eyes. “Do you think I’ll be with you forever?”
“Um, you won’t?” I shrugged.
She released me. “No, as I said, this isn’t your final destination. I’m here to help you transition from the comet year to the one you’ll be traveling to.”
“So you plan on sending me to another year? Where? When?” I asked.
“Still here in Wallachia. In the year 1430.”
“That year doesn’t ring a bell. And Wallachia is like Romania but in the past, right?”
“Didn’t you say you’re like a history expert?”
“Um, only when it comes to Vlad the Impaler. Everything else is irrelevant.”
“Humans and their myths,” Mel grumbled. “The most important year you need to remember is 1431.”
“Why? Why is it important?”
“I’ll find that history book I stashed for you. We’re usually not allowed to have things from far outside the current timeline. But with you, many exceptions must be made. Come on, there are several mushrooms I need to show you.”
We practically knelt under a fallen tree branch to discover a field of mushrooms hidden in the shadows. She picked one with a brown, slightly angular cap. “This is a blusher, a common type of mushroom that you can eat when well-prepared. Do you see the reddish hue on its stem? That’s how you know it’s safe to eat compared to the Amanita Pantherina. And this is a king bolete.” She picked a stocky mushroom with a thick cap. “You can find these everywhere and eat them raw, just like winter chanterelles.” She pointed at an orange one with a ruffled cap.
“What about this red one with white dots? It looks straight out of a fairytale.” I brought it closer to smell it.
“That one is Fly Agaric.” She slapped the mushroom out of my hand. “It’s poisonous unless you know how to prepare it.”
“I see. But how come all these types of mushrooms are all in one place?”
“I’ve used a sprinkle of magic to make my life easier.”
“You’re using powers for your own benefit, huh? That’s not very noble of you.”
“Who said I was noble?” She shot me a look of disgust.
“Aren’t you helping me for noble causes?”
She turned and headed back to the cottage.
“Aren’t you?” I ran to catch up.
But she didn’t answer, and I didn’t push it. We walked silently to the cabin, and when we reached it, she stopped me and entered the cottage alone. “All clear,” she said and invited me in. Who was she so afraid of entering the house? The bear? The fashionista raccoon?
We started prepping lunch. Mel kindled the fire while I sliced the mushrooms. After lunch, she sat in her rocking chair and began mending a chemise. I couldn’t help but try to pry more information out of her.
“How am I supposed to get to 1431?” I placed a blanket on the floor and sat .
“Since the important events of that year start in February, you’ll be traveling in the summer of 1430. Before, you had the stone to move you through history. Now, you’ll need to learn a spell.”
“Is it the stone responsible for time traveling?”
She nodded. “But only during the comet’s appearance.”
“And if I say your time-traveling spell, I can go whenever, but only for a short amount of time?”
“Yes, and you’ll need a vial of my blood.”
“So what are we waiting for?” I stood on my knees. “I’ve learned enough about mushrooms and herbs. What else is there to know?”
“It’s not that easy.” Her lips formed a thin line. “There is something else you should know.”
Unease gathered in the pit of my stomach.
“You’re being pursued,” she said without even glancing at me, as if it’s the most normal thing to be stalked.
“Who is?”
“For some, your death is a great benefit. I dare say, a necessary one.”
“Is it because of them that I died every time?”
“Yes and no. Even when they didn’t have a direct hand in it, they made sure you would be placed in a position of danger.”
“Who are they?” Dread began pumping through my veins.
“Witches, warlocks… ”
“But you’re a witch.” I stood and began pacing the room.
“I am, but they fight for a different cause and are far more powerful.” I could sense the fear in her tone.
“Did they ever hurt you? Did you die?”
“They did, but they never killed me.” She stopped her sewing and looked at me.
“Then every time I died, you lived.”
She nodded.
“What happens if you die? Do you get to be reborn?”
“Yes, but my death will make me forget. The choices I make might differ.”
“But what does their pursuit have to do with my time travel?”
“They can track you through the time continuum. Which means they will––”
“Find me until they kill me.” I froze. “Then what can I do to stop them?”
“Before you travel to your quest, you must kill them.”