2. Surprise
Surprise
The adrenaline of the fight had faded now, leaving only the distant hum of unseen creatures in the trees and the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps as they left the bog behind.
As they traveled, the path changed, and they found themselves in front of a massive tree.
It was gnarled and its bark charred, with a hole in its center; it reminded Sorcha of a mouth.
The tiny vines wrapping around it like teeth and the burns on the tree looked too much like facial features.
“I hope this isn’t — Cat started to say when a voice slithered from the darkness of the hollow.
It was a low rumble, “You walk paths not meant for thee.”
Sorcha looked around in confusion.
Kyron exhaled as his grip tightened on his sword. “Wonderful, this little detour keeps getting better.”
Cat, however, just flicked his tail. “A riddle tree.” His eyes gleamed as he glanced at Sorcha. “We had better get this right. Otherwise, it eats us.”
“Eats us?” she repeated.
“Yes, like a midday snack,” Cat chirped.
The hollow widened. A deep chuckle rumbled from within.
“Answer true and you may pass. Answer false and you’ll feed the forest.”
Sorcha’s pulse began to quicken as the tree spoke its riddle.
“I can be broken without a touch, given without being held. I am both a gift and a curse. What am I?”
Sorcha’s mind raced.
Kyron shifted beside her. “A book?”
Cat looked at Kyron with disgust. “A book, Kyron! Did you even listen to the riddle?”
The ground beneath them shuddered.
“That is not correct,” the tree’s tone deepened.
Its roots curled upward, twitching, and its branches twisted, wrapping tightly around them. Vines then shot across the ground, rapidly entangling the space. These vines clawed their way up their legs, biting into their flesh.
Kyron angrily yelled at Cat, “What’s your answer then?!”
“The soul,” Cat replied smoothly.
The vines twisted higher, slithering like snakes and coiling tighter around them.
Kyron gasped, “It’s getting hard to breathe.”
They squeezed like pythons, leaving only the tops of Cat’s ears visible as he muffled shouts at Kyron. Sorcha’s pulse pounded, urging her to think amidst the chaos. “A gift and a curse,” she murmured, her mind racing.
Suddenly, Kyron yelled, “Sorcha!” just as his face was buried beneath the roots.
Cat, meanwhile, was tearing and clawing at the roots, screaming at Kyron, “Make yourself useful, will you? Use the gods-damned sword you have!”
Kyron muffled something, and Cat began tearing faster at the roots.
Sorcha conjured a flame in her hand and focused it on the limbs of the tree.
Fire burst from her hand, hungry and blue-hot; flames consumed the limbs, but the bark drank it in.
There was no ash or blackening of wood; the tree remained untouched.
The tree grumbled, and more roots shot from the ground, whipping around her wrists and now holding her in place.
She watched Kyron and Cat being buried alive by the tree, the roots dragging them closer to the tree’s hollow.
Sorcha realized she was running out of time, her heart thundering in her chest. Her heart. The answer came to her in a rush.
She exhaled, whispering, “A heart.”
In the ensuing silence, the vines halted, and the branches paused. As the tree laughed dark and cold, its roots began to retreat back into the soil. The hollow sealed, its eerie voice fading.
“A wise answer and a dangerous truth. Guard yours well, Sorcha.” The warning echoed in her mind as the tree disappeared.
Kyron, out of breath, “Gods, I hate this forest.”
Cat was laughing, despite the near-death experience. “I find it exciting.”
Sorcha didn’t respond. She was still trying to quiet the pounding in her chest; the trees’ warning lingering in her thoughts.
Cat turned to Sorcha, “Thank you for thinking before speaking” he glared at Kyron for a short while and back to her. “We aren’t far now. Just a little further. “
Kyron was constantly looking over his shoulder, and every tree was now a potential threat.
“I think you need to calm down,” Cat laughed out.
“In a few hours, Cat, Sorcha was nearly drowned by a merrow; attacked by a banshee and a tree who wanted to eat us. I think that warrants my mood.”
“It’s home, Kyron,” he said smoothly as his tails flicked dirt off his side. “After all, we have you to protect us.”
Kyron glared at Cat long and hard before replying. “In the Tuatha court, I don’t have to deal with these creatures from the abyss.”
Cat scoffed, “Must be nice.”
As Kyron was preparing to respond, Sorcha put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s not forget why we’re here.”
Kyron nodded, keeping his mouth closed tightly as they proceeded northward.
They walked for what seemed like hours; the land stretching out ahead in rolling hills of silver-green grass, the ever-present twilight sky painting everything in a surreal landscape glow.
Sorcha exhaled slowly, keeping her hands near her weapons as they stumbled into a small clearing in the trees.
Sorcha’s legs began to protest any further movement, and she collapsed onto a fallen tree limb, stretching her legs and feet.
“My legs could use a break.” She stated as she reached her hands over her head.
“Not a bad idea,” Kyron agreed as he lowered himself into the grass.
Cat slumped beside them, basking in the sun’s warmth.
“A book, Kyron? What kind of answer was that?” Cat asked sarcastically.
Kyron shrugged, “It was the first thing that came to mind.”
“Let me make sure I understand. You heard,” Cat cleared his throat and deepened his voice, “‘I can be broken without a touch, given without being held,’ and you thought, ‘Ahh, a book?”
Kyron’s eyebrows knitted together as his face scrunched up. “It’s not like you got it right either.”
“Without being held,” Cat exaggerated the word, “held,” in a mocking tone.
Sorcha sat listening to the two bicker, trying her best not to be pulled into it. Though they tried.
“Do the Tuatha lack books in their court? Have you ever seen one?” Cat shot back at Kyron, who began muttering a series of curses.
As the two quarreled on, Sorcha heard tree limbs snap and the leaves above rustle.
Cat’s ears flicked, and Kyron instinctively reached for his sword.
A moment later, shadows descended from the trees.
Sorcha’s hand shot toward her blade, but before she could draw it, she realized arrows and swords surrounded her.
The warriors were tall and lean, their feline grace clear even in their human-like form.
They spread out in a loose circle, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief, as if unsure whether to fight or retreat.
One of them was a broad-shouldered male with a streak of silver in his dark hair; he stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Cat.
“Maelan?” His voice was low and edged with surprise.
Another warrior, younger than the rest, furrowed his brow. “Where in the Veil have you been?”
Sorcha and Kyron exchanged glances, trying to comprehend the situation.
Cat exhaled a slow breath, his tail flicking behind him. “I needed to find answers.”
The silver-haired warrior crossed his arms, unimpressed. “It’s been too long. Did you find them?”
Cat hesitated. “I did.”
Before he could elaborate, Sorcha, who had been observing this unfolding with growing confusion, finally spoke up. “Okay, what’s going on?”
She glanced between Cat and the warriors, seeking an explanation. Predictably, Cat merely smirked. However, Kyron remained staring at him, his expression exasperated and wide-eyed.
Sorcha frowned. “Kyron?”
Kyron exhaled.
Sorcha’s gaze darted between them, utterly bewildered. “What?”
Kyron appeared surprised, his eyebrows raised as if they were attempting to touch his hairline. “Ask me what his name means.”
Sorcha, more confused and annoyed now, spoke through clenched teeth, “What does his name mean?”
Kyron glanced at Cat, then back at her. “Prince. Maelan means prince. He is the prince of the Cait Sidhe, the heir to the throne. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together sooner.” Silence enveloped them.
Sorcha blinked, now glaring at Cat, her voice a whisper. “What?”
One warrior gave a huff of laughter. “Did he not tell you?”
Sorcha’s eyes snapped to the warrior and then back to Cat, who merely shrugged, his grin filled with amusement. “It never really came up.”
“Unbelievable,” Kyron said with an exasperated sigh.
The silver-haired warrior shook his head, clearly just as exasperated. “It’s been months with no word. People were thinking the worst.”
Another warrior crossed his arms, a hint of frustration in his expression. “The people will want to know you’re alive.”
Cat sighed, the statement settling heavily on his shoulders. “I’m sure they will.”
Sorcha watched them closely, noting the absence of bowing or formalities.
One of them emitted a half-laugh, shaking his head. “Of course, we’d be the ones to find you first.”
Cat grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Here I was hoping for a quiet entrance.”
Sorcha, still reeling from the revelation, turned to Kyron. “And you didn’t know?”
Kyron nodded, his voice low. “No one has actually seen the prince outside their walls.”
She turned to Kyron, lowering her voice further. “Who exactly are the Cait Sidhe?”
Kyron kept in step beside her, his gaze flicking to the warriors ahead. “They are a neutral court. Mercenaries, assassins, bounty hunters. But they also guide the dead, ensuring safe passage across the planes… or leading them to damnation.”
Sorcha nodded slowly, absorbing the information as they followed behind Maelan and the warriors.
The path narrowed, the trees pressing closer, their dark trunks twisted into impossible shapes.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, they came upon branches intertwined, thick and sprawling upward, forming an impenetrable wall of gnarled branches.
Sorcha slowed, her brow furrowed as she scanned the expanse before them.
The trees had entwined like an intricate gate, stretching endlessly in both directions.
There was no way through, no gaps, no breaks; just the oppressive weight of the woods closing in.
Kyron looked at the warriors as he spoke. “There’s no way past this.”
The warriors didn’t answer. One of them stepped forward, pressing his palm against the bark.
His voice was a whisper as he murmured an incantation.
The ground trembled, and the trees shuddered, groaning as the ancient command took hold.
Their roots unraveled, stretching apart like massive, living tendrils.
The branches above curled back, shifting and twisting, revealing a path that hadn’t been there before; it was truly a gate.
Beyond, the Cait Sidhe kingdom revealed itself.
Cat strode forward without hesitation, his tail flicking behind him. “Welcome to MoonCrest Court, welcome to my home.”
As they stepped through the newly opened gate, the sheer grandeur of the kingdom unfolded before them. The court was unlike anything Sorcha had ever seen, a realm between the wild and the divine.