Chapter 2 ~ Letters and Lost Loves
Vayt and I flew over the forest for a while, covering a much more ground than we would have had we walked, before diving into the trees. My heart was still pounding from our close call as I sat with my back against an old chestnut oak. Vayt was washing his face in a small stream that was barely two feet across. My body was shaking and I was exhausted both mentally and physically. Though, why physically I wasn’t sure. I have ran over five miles before without a problem. But then again, I wasn’t lugging a huge dress with me, either (or running for my life). Speaking of this dress, there was no way I was going to drag it through this forest.
“Hey, Vayt, do you just happen to have a knife on you?” I asked.
“Sure do,” he said, taking out a small switchblade, “Why?”
“Would you like to have to wear this stupid dress?”
“I was wondering when you were doing to something about that. I mean, it can’t exactly be light or anything.”
He handed me the knife, already open, I and started cutting off the first layer of fabric. It was a shame; it was a beautiful dress, but it had to be done. Once I was finished removing the top two layers, I began altering the bottom.
“That’s much better,” I smiled, standing up, satisfied with my work. It wasn’t nearly as radiant as I had been, but it was much lighter, and that’s exactly what I needed. As I said before, I’d cut off the top two layers and the now frayed ends came up to my knees instead of falling down past my feet, where it was dragging on the ground.
“So what do we do with the rest of it?” Vayt asked, gesturing to the leftover cloth.
“I don’t know, maybe we can make you something out of it. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t have a pretty dress too,” I joked.
“What do you think?” he grinned, wrapping one of the pieces around his waist like a skirt and strutting around.
“You look fabulous, darling,” I laughed, taking on a snooty sounding voice, “Where ever did you get that dress?”
“Hey, look! It spins!” Vayt chuckled, twirling, making the ‘skirt’ fly.
I rolled my eyes. What a goof, I thought, shaking my head.
“So, Vayt, you never answered me.”
“About what?” he questioned.
“About why you rescued me.”
“Sure I did,” the boy squeaked, suddenly nervous, “Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, sorry,” I smirked, “You never answered me truthfully.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said defensively.
“Come on,” I urged him on, “I promise not to laugh.”
He paused. “I was already planning to stop the wedding,” he blurted.
“What? Why?”
“Because,” Vayt paused, gathering himself, “the princess didn’t want to marry Prince Kaipo… She wanted to marry me.”
“And you?” I queried.
“Me what?”
“Did you want to marry her?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Vayt smiled, but then he remembered she’d killed herself and the smile quickly faded. “You know, I knew she was going to do it.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” I wondered aloud, completely bewildered by this new knowledge.
“I tried, but… I was too late. I couldn’t get to her in time,” the blonde explained, “The only chance I’d managed to get was when I came up for the five minute.
“When I saw you, I knew. I just knew.” Tears began to form in Vayt’s red eyes and trickle down his dirt stained face.
“How did you know she was going to kill herself?” I prodded causing Vayt to flinch.
“She wrote me a letter,” he responded, pulling it out of his pocket, and handing it to me. I opened it, finding the same neat cursive from Aklema’s suicide note to her father.
Dearest Vayt,
Do not worry, I got your last letter. Granted, I had to pry it out of Keeli’s hands before she read it, but I did get it minus the bottom left corner. I was about to snap at her something awful for ripping it, but stopped short. I do not want to mess up anything between us right now. I just cannot believe Kaipo is coming today. It is just too bad that they will have to cancel the wedding. You see, I am not going to be here. Vayt, I am truly sorry, but I cannot marry him. Do not get me wrong; he sounds like a lovely man, but I want to marry you. Of course, Father would never approve and there is no way I can get out of the castle without someone following me. Father knows I am against this, so will have every eye he can spare on me. So, now I regret to say: I cannot do this. There is no other way out and do not try to stop me either. By the time you get this, I will be gone from this world and already be in the next one. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and do not want you to follow me. You will find someone else, that I am sure. Someone without my restrictions and/or status hopefully. I am proud to say that you were my first and only love. Again, I love you. This is goodbye.
Love and Beyond,
Aklema
P.S. Please do not dwell on me too much. You must not let me bring you down. Always remember that there are many other girls and they would not require as much effort or keeping the relationship hidden.
While reading, I didn’t realize that I’d stopped breathing. My breath must have caught somewhere around Prince Kaipo’s name, but I’m not exactly sure. I was so focused on reading an earthquake could have split the ground right beneath me and I probably wouldn’t have noticed. I didn’t know what to say to him, so I just said the first thing that came to mind,
“Ouch. That sucks.”
“Yeah, it does… majorly,” Vayt sniffled.
The conversation was dropped after that, leaving us in a deep, awkward silence. Not knowing what else to do, I just stared at my feet. Vayt stood up, putting his hands behind his head, and walked off a ways. For twenty gruelling minutes, that was it. Silence. Sure there were birds chirping away, other little animals chattering to each other in the tall grass, and the wind whistling through the brush, but there was nothing but tension between the two of us. Then I finally broke the quiet,
“So what should we do now?”
“I don’t know,” the curly headed blonde answered, coming back over and laying down on the soft, green forest floor, “It’s not like we can go back. And we certainly can’t just stay here. What about your place?”
The question caught me off guard. “What about my place?” I really, really didn’t want to talk about home. I didn’t want to tell Vayt how lost I had gotten. It was rather embarrassing. But most of all, I didn’t trust myself to talk about it. I missed it. I missed Mama and Daddy. I missed Mardo and Litwia’s perpetual arguing. I missed Dartu and Jod’s noisy wrestling that could be heard all through the house when I was trying to read. I missed Kes sneaking in my room and stealing my clothes and finding them the next day dirty and sometimes torn. Heck, I even missed Mee-ma’s constant nagging for me to stop daydreaming all the time and actually do something.
“Couldn’t we go there? How far is it?”
“Not far,” I lied, closing my eyes, and trying to fight off the tears that are now threatening to leak between my lids.
“Well then, let’s go!” Vayt jumped up, obviously wanting to do something to get his mind off of his loss, “Which way is it?”
“Um,” I thought furiously, trying to remember the way I came, “I think it was… north of the city.”
“Where do you live anyway?” he asked.
“Danelod.”
Vayt considered the name for a second. “Never heard of it. What region is that?”
“Kedlien,” I responded.
“Cool. That’s not too far from here. Good thing Ferlan is on the edge of Ondio.”
Well, at least now I know where I am… sort of, I thought glumly.
“Which way to the border?” I asked, attempting to sound like I know what I’m talking about.
“If I’m not mistaken, I believe it’s,” he paused for a second, “this way.” He pointed deeper into the bush, already starting to walk, and apparently expecting me to follow.
We travelled until nightfall, seemingly getting nowhere, when we finally decided to settle down and wait for morning. Of course without anything to sleep on, we had to settle with the ground to serve as a bed. We picked a nice grassy area beneath a large Willow oak. I was starting to wonder why there were so many types of oak trees in such a small area. Of course, I didn’t ask Vayt about it for fear of looking completely stupid and ignorant.
The grass felt good against my skin. It was cool, soft, and mildly pleasant. Crickets chirped quietly in the distance and the diurnal animals darted back to their homes for the night. The sounds were quite calming and I was asleep in a matter of minutes.
Late that same night I was stirred awake by the sound of growling.
“Vayt?” I called softly.
“Sh. Listen.”
The growling persisted and it seemed to be coming from the darkness in front of us. Faintly, I thought I could see a blotch of specked white. Vayt stepped in front of me protectively, bracing as of expecting an attack. The white came forward a bit, taking on the shape of a big cat. Judging by the colouring and spots, I guessed snow leopard. It was even closer now and I could see the glowing copper eyes, the dark, crescent shaped spots dappling the fur, the bold rings around the tail, and the small wings protruding from below its shoulders. The feline’s bared teeth gleamed in the moonlight, sending shivers down my spine. Slowly, I stared to unfold my wings, preparing for flight.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice hissed angrily from behind the cat, “She can jump pretty high and would snatch you out of the air in a second. Besides, she can fly too.”
I froze and Vayt tensed as a woman stepped out of the darkness and stood beside the snow cat.
“You’ve done well, Kastaline,” she smiled, scratching the cat behind the ears, “Sniffed out a couple of intruders.”
She was tall, very tall, probably only an inch shy of six feet. She was slender too, with muscles bulging and without a pound of fat on her bones. Her translucent hair fell to about her mid-thigh in soft waves with a black streak running through the front strands. The white tips of her black feathered wings practically shone behind her. Then there were her eyes: black with white pupils. They were quite odd, but startlingly beautiful.
“What business do you have in Oak Shadow Woods?” she demanded.
Initially, neither of us answered, but Vayt was the first to find his voice.
“Just travelling through, ma’am,” he explained politely in a quavering tone, “If you could point us in the direction of the border, we’ll be on our way.”
“Yeah, right, and let you go crawling back to your king and have him send soldiers after me? I don’t think so! I had mercy on the last group of fools that came through here and I’m not making that mistake again!” She turned, saying, “Enjoy your meal, Kastaline,” then started walking away.
The cat roared and began circling us.
Think fast, Giova, think fast! my mind screamed.
“We are not for King Kawmu!” I blurted moments before the winged feline decided to lunge. I’m not sure why that was what I chose to say exactly. She just looked like someone who really resented the government for whatever reason.
The woman paused, throwing a glance over her shoulder at me, and motioning for her cat.
“And why should I believe you?” she sneered.
“Why would we be roaming through the bush at night looking for the border, if we didn’t want to get away from the region?” I suggested, praying that she’d trust my word.
She considered me for a second. “What do they call you?” she asked calmly.
“Excuse me?”
“Your name, you ignorant buffoon! What is your name?” she snapped.
I glared at her, wondering whether I should trust her. “Giova,” I breathed cautiously. The cat snarled, crouching low.
No emotion showed on the woman’s face, though I sensed a bit of surprise from her.
“And your wings? What colour are they?”
The question was a peculiar one. “Golden, black tipped,” I responded, puzzled. Again, a flash of surprise.
Kastaline was trembling now, obviously eager to attack for her master.
“Easy, Kastaline,” she ordered softly, after thinking for about two tentative minutes, “Fall back and heel.”
The feline immediately settled down and went to her owner’s side, sitting obediently at her feet.
“Thank you,” I whispered, knowing that, at least for now, Vayt and I were safe.
“Follow me,” the woman instructed.
She led us through the forest along a narrow path cleverly hidden behind the thick brush. It wound amongst the trees and other vegetation. Once the scrub broke, we were confronted by a ravishing waterfall, pouring into a glittering lake. On the water’s far coast, built beside a large pasture, was a quaint, little cottage. It was made of gray stone, supported by sturdy logs, and one story. Four steps climbed up to the fenced in porch. The front door had been painted a light blue while the windows were left their natural wooden colour. A stable sat, layered over with white, in the middle of the enclosed meadow. One shadowed head peeked out of the hole above the door and let out a whinny as it noticed us. Or at least its owner, anyway.
The lady welcomed us to her home without turning to face us. “This is where the Opler River empties into Lake Io via the Distor Falls.”
“It’s so beautiful,” I responded breathlessly, completely in awe of the shimmering crystal surface.
“You can thank good ‘ol Mother Nature for that, honey,” she smiled though her eyes were blank. Come to think of it, they’ve been like that the entire time.
Then it dawned on me: “You’re blind aren’t you?”
“Smart kid,” she smirked, “How’d you figure that one out?”
“My little brother, Dartu, is blind too,” I replied, thinking of my younger sibling. He had the same black hair as our father that I inherited as well and the dark blue eyes of our mother. They were blank just like this woman’s. I remembered how unnerving it had been at first, but we all got used to it.
“How old is he?”
“Seven. He’s been like that all his life. And you?”
“Since I was fifteen,” she answered, “There was a potions accident in my parents’ lab when I went down there one day. I’ve been blind ever since. But even though the chemicals took my sight, they made it up to me by giving me extraordinary hearing.”
“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say. What could you say after that?
“So, what’s in the stable?” I asked, trying to change the conversation.
“My Pegasi,” she responded.
My eyes went wide and a smile stretched across my face, “How many?”
“Three. And before you ask, I will not take you to see them tonight.”
I pause, wondering how to react. I couldn’t figure it out, so just decided to change the subject again. “So, what’s your name anyway?”
“Maranori,” she answered.
“Pretty,” I smiled.
“And what’s your’s?” she asked Vayt.
“Vayt Palmes,” he said quietly.
“Why do you hate the king so much?” I prodded, trying to learn as much as I could about this strange person.
“That bozo has been trying to run me out of this forest ever since I sicked Kastaline on a couple of his soldiers,” Maranori explained.
“Why’d you do that?”
“’Cause they were trying to steal my Pegasi! Do you honestly think I’m going to let two drunken morons get the best of me?”
“No, I guess not.”
“So, why are you kids against him?” she asked.
“I was in love with his daughter,” Vayt spoke up, finally, “and let’s just say, he wasn’t exactly ‘Dad of the Year’ material.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Maranori muttered more to herself than to us, “And you?”
She motioned to me.
“Well, first off, he kind of kidnapped me to replace his dead daughter in her wedding. (Vayt flinched) Sorry, Vayt. And second, I’m not from here. I’m from Kedlien, so I follow Prince Halko.”
“He’s an idiot too. Just another pampered prince that inherited the region after he had his father killed,” she spat.
I shrugged, “I don’t know. I really don’t have anything against him. He’s always treated me well. He even visits my family every now and then.”
“I’m sure he has. He probably wants to keep a keen eye on you, I’m sure,” the woman grumbled.
“Why do you say that?” Vayt questioned, suddenly interested, and giving me a curious look.
“Because she could take him down with a simple flick of her wrist if she wanted to!”
He looked surprised, confused, and alarmed all at the same time. “Huh?”
“What? You mean you didn’t know?” Maranori questioned incredulously.
“Know what?” Vayt inquired defensively.
Maranori rolled her eyes. “That people with those wings have powerful abilities. Now what the powers are depends on the person, but that’s beside the point.”
“So, you’re saying Giova has some freaky power things?” Vayt questioned, looking utterly confused.
“Yep.”
“But how?” I butted in.
“I really have no idea,” she shrugged, “All I know is that you have them and that you can’t control them.”
“Why would you think that?” I accused, “How do you know I’m just hiding them from you right now?”
“Because if you knew how to use them, you could have gotten away without so much of a fleeting thought. Besides, you don’t look the part of a powerful being.”
I honestly didn’t know what to say to that. I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to be offended or scared. Something told me that I should be both, but I wasn’t about to act on it.
“How do I find out what my abilities are?”
She smiled knowingly. “Follow me.”
Maranori led us up to her porch, but instead of going in the front door, she turned sharply right and took us down a flight of steps that trailed down a grassy hill. The path trailed along the base of a cliff before rounding a corner. At the top of the cliff, I presumed, was Lake Io. As we followed the path, I found that it took us behind the waterfall. It was beautiful, in a mysterious sort of way. It seemed as if we entered a pocket of cold air. The slight breeze whistled through the stalactites, casting high pitched notes into the chilled space, and vibrating toward us on the wind. We travelled down a dim passage way with nothing but the wind and the sound of dripping water. I stuck close to Vayt, needing not only warmth, but comfort as well. There was something about this place that gave me the creeps. I didn’t like it and I was half tempted to turn around and hightail it out of there. I swear I could hear my heart reverberating off the walls, exposing my fright.
“You alright?” whispered Vayt, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah,” I breathed, shuddering.
“Almost there,” Maranori announced quietly.
“Where exactly is ‘there?’” I asked, my wings still quivering.
“You’ll see.” Oh, and did I ever…
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