11. Constellations #2
“What if we can’t?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What if I don’t know what to do? How will I know at all…?” Tiny blue sparks swirled around her, glinting against the brilliance of the stars. “What if I’m travelling all this way to the Nexus, only to die there like all those others?”
The realisation of it hit him like a slap. Her wide-eyed wonder at the world – how she stopped to smell every flower and examine every pretty rock – wasn’t just curiosity. Part of her thought this journey would end with her death. And he’d agreed to play a role in that, if it came to it.
“I won’t let that happen,” he heard himself say, and he knew he meant it. He wouldn’t, not for all the gold in the world.
She gave him a watery smile. “You would say that.” The way her eyes sparkled, with the stars and her magic forming a glittering backdrop, made his heart ache.
He couldn’t form the words to reply, to say he would protect her, that she didn’t have to do it alone.
But even so, in that moment, a thread between them pulled taut.
Felix watched, frozen, as her pupils slowly widened, deep and dark and endless.
Isolde’s breath hitched a little, and her lips parted.
They looked soft and inviting. Her markings glowed, and tendrils of magic danced on her skin.
She shifted ever so slightly closer to him.
Barely any distance at all, but enough. Close enough. Her gaze flitted to his mouth.
Oh. Oh, no. Don’t.
His hand still lingered near her face. It would only take the smallest, most reckless movement to trace her jaw with his thumb, to tilt her head towards him just so. The air was suddenly too thick, and his next breath was shallow and shaking.
For a heartbeat, the world balanced on a knife’s edge.
A rush of wind and the flutter of wings startled them both. It sliced through the tension, cutting the thread, breaking the spell. The owl swooped low overhead, disappearing into the night sky as quickly as it had come.
Felix jumped to his feet. “Here,” he said too brusquely, thrusting a hand out to her to help her up .
He cleared his throat. “You should get some sleep.” His voice was a lot steadier than he felt, his heart hammering. “We have a long day tomorrow.”
“Yes, you’re probably right,” she replied, slightly breathless. “Thank you, Felix… for listening.”
She walked to her tent with careful steps, her back straight, then turned before slipping inside. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but disappeared behind the canvas flaps instead.
Felix returned to his watch, his mind in complete shambles.
***
As they continued their journey, the scenery shifted yet again.
The rocky terrain gradually softened underfoot, transitioning to earth cushioned by a thick blanket of moss.
More and more trees dotted the landscape – not the dense forest of before, but a kind of patchy woodland.
Birch trunks shimmered in pale clusters, and occasional firs covered the gentle, rising hills.
The first day after their late-night stargazing, Felix deliberately kept his distance from Isolde.
He’d been unsure of what to make of it all – the look in her eyes, the questions she had asked, her magic flickering like starlight between them.
It had stirred something in him, something that felt suspiciously like feelings , and Felix hated feelings.
So he chose the only course of action that made sense to him – he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on mundane tasks.
But even as he resolved to stay away, his eyes found Isolde again and again.
When she turned in her saddle to whatever Luella pointed out, her smile wide and brilliant, or when she leaned over to brush her fingers against a wildflower as they passed.
She kept looking at him, too, glancing his way when she thought he didn’t notice, curious and uncertain.
When they made camp, Felix kept to himself, and when Isolde excused herself from the fire, he watched her go without following.
He did not get to contemplate his feelings for long, though.
One morning, as they were crossing a shallow stream, Luella abruptly halted.
Her hand shot up as a signal for the rest of the group to stop.
Felix was instantly alert, scanning their surroundings, but nothing jumped out at him.
He urged his horse forward, bringing Ranger up next to Shadow, while Garren took up an equally protective position on Isolde’s other side.
“What is it?” Felix hissed, his voice low, his hand resting on the haft of his axe.
“Ambush,” Luella replied, her tone grim, her eyes never leaving the line of trees ahead. “Crovan.”
Felix’s pulse quickened. The Crovan were secluded people, known for their skill in blending with the land. This was their home, and any intruder was a threat.
“So much for them not noticing us,” he grumbled. “How many?”
“Too many,” Luella replied. “A dozen, at least.”
“Can we avoid them?” Isolde’s voice was shaky. “Go around somehow?”
Luella considered it, her brow furrowed. “We’ll try.” She turned her horse westward. The others followed, the only sounds the cawing of a flock of birds above them.
Felix kept his hand on the handle of his axe, eyes flitting back and forth. The birds flew north, leaving silence behind. Beside him, Isolde’s knuckles were white as she gripped her reins, her face pale but set with determination.
For a while, it seemed they might avoid confrontation. Luella led them carefully, sticking close to the shelter of trees, her eyes sweeping across the landscape. Felix’s hopes rose. Maybe they would make it out without incident.
A sharp whistle pierced the air from their right.
Luella ducked instinctively, and an arrow thudded into the ground behind her, startling Ranger.
As Felix struggled to get the horse under control again, figures crept out of the trees.
There were ten or more, both men and women.
They looked like warriors, dressed in furs and leather armour, armed with bows, axes, and spears.
Felix’s hand tightened on the handle of his weapon as he counted at least three nocked arrows aimed directly at them.
“You nearly evaded us, Skysinger,” a tall woman wearing her hair in a distinctive braided style said, her tone almost mocking.
Her voice was melodious, with a sharp edge to it.
“Now give me one reason I should not kill you for trespassing on our lands. Your kind is not welcome here. We will not have our beasts corrupted.”
“We are only passing through,” Luella responded, to Felix’s surprise. “And these are not my people – I am only their guide. We have no desire for trouble, nor to corrupt anything. Please let us pass.”
“Pah!” A stocky man in a wolf-skin pelt sneered, his bow trained on them. “These others may not be beastmongers, but they’re far from harmless, armed as they are. Let’s rid the earth of them.” And without waiting for a response, he released his arrow – aimed directly at Luella.
“No!” Isolde cried, her hands flying up. The force of magic whipped past him, knocking the arrow off course and sending it clattering harmlessly to the ground. The man’s bow flew from his grasp, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock.
“Nice reflexes, Isa,” Felix said as his axe found its way to his hand, ready for a fight.
“Mage!” the man yelled, scrambling backwards, fear written across his features. But the tall woman seemed frozen, her gaze calculating.
Isolde addressed her directly. “Leave us alone, or I will show you what I am capable of!”
Felix noticed the slight tremor in her voice and the way she twisted her fingers together nervously, but he doubted anyone else would. The air shimmered with her power, swirling thickly around her.
The tall woman’s eyes widened, her expression changing from hostility to something like awe. She took a step forward, her spear lowering. “Stop!” she called out, her voice carrying authority. “This woman… she is Aelithar!”
At her words, her warriors stilled. The archers lowered their bows, and the spearmen stepped back, their eyes flickering between Isolde and the woman.
Glowering, the man in the wolf-skin put his bow away like the others.
The tall woman approached slowly, her spear now held horizontally in a gesture of peace.
“Aelithar,” she repeated, her voice softer.
“My apologies. Please come with us. Our elder will wish to speak with you.”
Felix blinked, utterly bewildered. He exchanged a confused glance with Garren and Luella .
Isolde looked at the woman silently, her face very pale. Finally, she gave a small nod. “If you mean us no harm, I will speak to your elder.” Her voice only shook a little.
“Are you sure about this?” Felix murmured to her, eyeing the Crovan with suspicion.
Isolde glanced at him, her eyes still carrying the faint shimmer of magic. “I have so many questions. Maybe they have some answers.”