Chapter Eleven #2
I look up in front of us. Trees stretch across a vast expanse as far as I can see. They are tall and skinny with numerous vines hanging off their branches full of leaves. The trunks of the trees are white and grey.
I glance to the right, seeing a pair of yellow eyes looking at us from the tree line. Goosebumps break out across my skin as I shiver.
I look over to Draven, seeing that he has already dismounted from his horse.
He walks over to me, holding out his hands.
I grab them both and go to jump down, but he catches me by the waist and gently eases me to the ground.
Our chests brush as my feet hit the ground.
I am unsure as to whether the friction created the heat I feel, or if it is just me.
After my feet hit, his hands stay on my waist for a moment longer.
I do not dare look up at him.
Finally, he lets go.
“What do we do now?” I ask.
“We go into the woods and walk around until we find an incantor’s cabin. Then we move to questioning from there,” he says confidently as he starts to walk forward.
“Wait! You are leaving me behind,” I say nervously.
“What is wrong, little sun? Are you scared?”
“Yes, I am actually.”
“Come up here and stay next to me. You will be fine,” he says, laughing.
I walk up next to him, glueing myself to his side as we walk into the entrance of the trees.
Once we get past the first couple of trees, I realize that it is actually not that bad in here.
The moonlight certainly helps as it reflects off the white tree trunks.
There are also a lot of glowing creatures flying about and sitting in the trees, giving it almost a magical feel.
“This is not that bad,” I say.
“No, it is not,” he agrees.
We keep walking until I see Draven come to a stop. He closes his eyes and holds his hands out by his sides.
“What are you doing?”
He does not answer me for a moment, but then he finally turns toward me.
“I was sending my shadows out to look for us.”
“That’s creepy,” I say.
“Call it creepy all you want, but they just saved us a lot of time searching. There is a cabin up ahead on the right.”
We move forward, branches snapping under our feet. I jump at the first few snaps, but stop when I realize it is just us making the noise.
After a few minutes, we approach the cabin in the woods.
It is more of a run-down shack. The roof looks like it could topple inward under any form of weight.
The door is barely on the hinges and one of the windows is busted out.
Paint is peeling off the sides, showing the withered boards underneath.
Draven steps onto the porch, the boards creaking beneath his feet. He walks toward the front door, pulling it open. It falls right off the hinges. He looks at it with a frown, then sets it up against the house.
“Draven, wait,” I hiss.
He ignores me and steps inside. A warm glow comes from inside of the cabin, almost like a light turned on.
I go to step up onto the porch and walk through the front door, but he comes out before I can.
“It is abandoned,” he says.
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Draven steps down from the porch, grabbing my hand to help me down. He pauses, his shadows exploring the woods once more. I look up at him. His eyes are shut and his face is set in concentration with his brows creasing inward.
“How do you know when you found someone?”
He opens one eye. “They tell me.”
Right, okay.
“There is another cabin through the woods, but it is a longer walk. Make sure you stay next to me and do not look behind you.”
I nod and scooch in beside him. I am so close to him that while we walk, I keep tripping over his feet. He quietly laughs at me every time.
I shake my head in frustration. I am not sure why I even agreed to this, I quite literally hate the woods.
Bugs sing in the air and moon sprites continue to pass. I look up every now and again and see glowing sets of eyes, staring at us from up in the trees. I do not bother to ask what they are.
In order to calm my nerves, I decide to start a conversation.
“Ivorie told me that you guys get a lot of fruit from in here?”
“Yes, we have fruit harvesters that come out and gather whatever we need for the town and the castle.”
“I tried lock seeds the other day,” I say.
“And did you like them?”
“Yes, they were very good.”
“Mhmm,” he replies. “Okay, there it is.”
He points through the trees. I can see a small cabin with light glowing from within.
We approach the cabin quietly and come to a stop as we hide behind a tree. I look closer and see someone moving inside the cabin.
“So what is our plan here, Draven?”
“Well, we are going to walk up, knock on the door, and I am going to ask them some questions.”
“Oh, easy peasy, huh? Glad you have this all under control.” I shake my head. “What do you suppose I do then?”
“You just have to stand there and look pretty,” he says with a boyish grin.
Pretty. I feel heat spreading through my cheeks once again. Thank goodness it is dark out. I mentally curse myself for blushing at everything that comes out of his mouth.
“I will be back up, taking mental notes to add to the casework later. Just nod if you need me to jump in at any point,” I say.
“I think I will be okay taking care of the interrogating, Sol. I am very persuasive.”
I am sure he is. One look at him and I think I would tell him everything he needed to know.
We come from behind the tree and walk toward the porch. This one is much sturdier than the last one. This cabin is almost charming, painted white with wooden shutters. There are chairs out on the porch with various plants and pots lying around. A soft humming of music comes from within.
Draven knocks on the door twice, hard. The knocks ring throughout the house. Seconds pass by and the humming stops before we hear footsteps approaching the door from the other side.
I look down at the handle turning, my breath quickening.
The door opens and out steps an older woman. She has grey hair that falls to her waist. Her skin is smooth except for the wrinkles around her seafoam-colored eyes. She is wearing a floral dress with an apron around the front of it. What looks like flour is splayed across it.
“Oh Prince Draven, good evening.” She drops into a low bow. “What can I do for you.”
Draven bows back. “Good evening, Solene and I are just coming from the castle for some questioning of incantors who live in the woods.”
She fidgets with her apron nervously. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, nothing for you to worry about at all,” he says with a smile.
“Well, come in. Would you like some tea?” she asks.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” he says.
We step into the cabin as I glance around.
It is small, yet the perfect size. There is a bed in the corner and a small sitting room.
What I assume to be a door to a bathroom sits in the opposite corner, then a large kitchen with a wooden table in the middle and four chairs circling it.
On the table are books, dried up flowers, and a pestle and mortar.
There are various plants growing in the windowsills and hanging from shelves.
She has bookshelves full of ground up flowers, herbs, and various powders.
Quite like the apothecary in town. This woman has her own medicine shop within her own home.
We sit down at the table and I notice a small book of spells sitting next to the dried-up flowers. She notices my gaze and walks over to grab it.
“My apologies, I do not mean to leave my things out everywhere.”
“It is okay, I am sure you were not expecting any guest at this hour,” Draven says.
She shakes her head. “No, I was not, but that is okay. I get lonely out here so I do not mind the company.”
I glance over at Draven, and we give each other a knowing look. There is nothing for us to question this woman for.
She sets down two cups of tea with golden leaves floating in it. “It is golden petal tea, for your travels.”
I glance at Draven to make sure it is okay to drink, but he is already drinking it. I sigh. I guess you do not have to carry the paranoia of someone drugging or poisoning you here.
I take a sip of the tea. It is bitter but sweet, with a floral undertone.
Draven clears his throat. “Do you make any trips to town or maybe to the castle at all, ma’am?”
“I do not usually. My husband used to go, but he passed into the Afterealm. I try not to go into town if I can help it,” she replies.
Draven nods in understanding. “I am sorry to hear about your husband.”
She smiles, silver lining her eyes. “Thank you.”
“How about we arrange for supplies to be brought to you, that way you can continue to avoid any future trips,” he says.
Her eyes brighten. “Oh, that would be wonderful. I get so nervous traveling sometimes. It takes so long for a single trip.”
“Yes, it does take a long time. I will get the fruit harvesters of the castle to drop off whatever you need when they make their trips out here. I will send one here on their next trip, so it’s best you have a list ready for them,” he says with a smile.
I glance over at him as he speaks. He says he does not want to be a king, but it seems to me that he already is one.
She bows her head. “Thank you dearly.”
“Of course. While we are here, if it is not too much trouble, do you mind showing us your magical signature?” he asks.
The woman does not miss a beat. “Yes, of course.”
She stands up and walks over to a potted plant on the shelf, whispering something into the air.
I watch as it starts to grow on its own, its vine traveling further down the bookshelf.
On the side of the pot, lines begin to carve into it, shaping into a golden bird.
I smile as the bird slowly starts to disappear.
Draven stands from the table and collects our cups, putting them in the sink. “We need to get going before it gets too late. Thank you for your hospitality.”
The woman walks over to us, giving us each a hug.
“Please come back anytime, both of you. Thank you again.”