21. Timas
Chapter 21
Timas
W e were able to set off early this morning, which was good because I hadn’t been able to sleep well last night. A faint discomfort pulled at me, and all I could think about was Emilia. Was she ok? Was she injured? The questions didn’t seem to stop, but by the end of this day, I will have her in my arms. I wave to Garrick, who is riding a bit behind me; he manages to come up beside me with his own horse.
“I received a message last night from Sigrid. I need your help to send a message to Ruk.” Garrick looks at me with questions in his eyes. I should have told him earlier this morning, but I wanted to get on the road.
“What did the message say?”
“There is a rumour that Gormash has kidnapped the High King’s daughter and is using her to force the alliance.” Garrick grunts, obviously not pleased.
“If I ever see Gormash again, he will not survive the encounter. Poor girl. I’ll call my hawk and send her out to Ruk. This could change the war brewing between the Clans if she is found. She deserves to be with her father.” A knot twists in my stomach because I don’t think she will be better off with the High King.
“There are rumours that she is not treated well by her father.” Garrick looks shocked at first and then angry.
“Then maybe we can rescue her and help her build a new life.” I admire Garrick. His unwavering commitment to moral justice is something I greatly respect. Despite his rough edges and brusque demeanour, he holds a clear-cut vision of right and wrong. We travel a few more hours before the atmosphere of the area changes as the Shrouded Forest comes into view.
A row of foreboding trees stretches out before us. I’ve only ever heard of the Shrouded Forest. It’s not often that I have reason to be this far inland. I am far more comfortable on the islands. Taking a deep breath, a faint smell hangs in the air. I can’t put my finger on why it smells off, but it does. A haze covers the tree line in a faint bluish tint, and something inside of me is saying to turn around and go back. Squashing that idea, I push towards the forest because I know Emilia is in there somewhere.
We stop just in front of the forest. The horses are becoming restless and huffing in discomfort. I look over at Milori, but he just shrugs. It’s Neeve who climbs off her horse first and addresses me.
“We will need to walk from here.” She walks her horse over to one of the posts that lines the field. We all dismount our own horses and do the same. Neeve leads us up to the edge of the forest. Some of the men are talking in hushed tones, but I can hear them sharing their concerns. What little we know of the forest has been relayed to us through the people who managed to get back from the forest.
“Why is it that we can’t bring the horses?” I don’t need to ride a horse, I am capable of walking, but something seems odd about leaving them outside the forest.
“They will go mad. The forest is not some inanimate collection of trees, it’s alive and very, very angry. Since the Night Court was exiled to the forest, it has been working hard to get us to leave. We disrupt the balance of magic within it. We had nowhere else to go, so we worked with the forest as best we could, though it was still unhappy. It can sense your intentions. It knows what you want, and if I am correct, it is even more unhappy since Oberon became King. The weight of the magic is heavier than it was before, and if we are not careful, we will lose our minds to the terrors that live in our souls.” Just then, a soldier starts to scream. A few of his comrades try to calm him down, but he continues to yell. If we lose more soldiers, I am concerned about our chances of winning against Oberon. Finally, the soldier seems to quiet down, and I look over to Neeve.
“Is there any way to prevent this?” She looks back at the soldier whose eyes seem lost in another world.
“They either have the mental fortitude or they don’t. Don’t believe everything your mind sees, and focus on one step at a time.” Milori has been standing beside me, listening to our conversation. He leaves to inform the rest of our group .
“How are we going to navigate the forest? I can barely see into it.” Neeve nods her head along with my question.
“It will not be easy, and we will need to stay close to one another. There are paths marked in the forest, but on occasion, they can be removed. I will lead us and pray to the moons the path I marked out has not been disturbed or changed. We will not go unnoticed for long. I can avoid most of the lookout locations, but there is a possibility there will be ones I don’t know about. There is no guarantee this will be a surprise attack.” I nod my understanding and look over my shoulder, watching Milori return to us.
“I have informed the other squad leaders to be on the lookout and to deal with those who might lose their faculties. I have strong soldiers serving in these groups. We will be able to handle this.” A ripple of concern runs through me, thinking of the one soldier who has already been affected, but I trust Milori, and if he says they will be able to handle it, they will.
Neeve leads us to a barely perceptible path. The moment we enter, the heavier the weight on my chest becomes. The forest is eerily quiet. Occasionally, you can hear the crack of a tree branch or the groaning of a tree. The air is thick with fog and I can barely see the person in front of me. Along the ground, I see faintly glowing green rocks. There is one every foot or so. I wonder if these were put here as markers, maybe that’s why Neeve said they could be moved. I wonder if they’re moved by someone, or something .
It feels like we have been walking for hours when Neeve stops in an area not as dense with trees.
“We will wait here until nightfall. Get some rest. Do not light a fire. It will draw attention to our location.”
“How can you tell what time of day it is?” Milori asks. Neeve doesn’t respond. She just stares at him so he huffs and walks away. Neeve sits down and I find myself sitting on the ground near her.
“It is best to find the King’s circle and deal with them first. They will be the ones dressed in finer clothes. Many of my people will be wearing threadbare clothing, based on the reports I have received. I just ask King Timas… please be mindful of the citizens. They are innocent in all of this, so many of them are just trying to survive. My fear is that Oberon will be forcing them to fight.” Emotions war in Neeve’s eyes. One of fear and anger. I feel for her and her people.
“I will instruct my soldiers to limit the amount of casualties.” She nods, because as much as I want to guarantee they will be safe, I can’t, but I will do all I can to try to protect as many as possible. I instruct Milori to go and make that known to the soldiers, and he does.
“When we get close to the Night Court city, be sure to look up.” Neeve must see the confusion on my face. “The Night Court is not on the ground, it is in the trees.”
Well, that’s going to make things a bit more complicated.