"Never," she snapped.
"Think on it, then," Burn said, his voice deep and smooth. She didn't want to be persuaded, yet his show of kindness was incredibly alluring, especially after so much tension. "Why be alone, when you can have friends like us?"
Sora snorted, unable to help herself. She was choked by bitterness.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
"That's a laugh."
"This isn't the end of the world, you know. Though it might seem like it," Burn continued, unperturbed by her reaction. "Tomorrow is a new day. Surely there is something more you want? Something worth traveling for?"
Sora looked away and stared at a tall birch tree, smooth and white in the pale morning. The horses snorted softly in the gray dawn, roaming across the grass, their noses to the ground. The stream's trickle was almost peaceful.
What do I have worth traveling for?
Her thoughts went back to her birthday, to the evening sunset and the musicbox. The mystery of the Cat's Eye.
My mother.
It was her original quest...and perhaps now her only direction.
But she couldn't tell them that. She couldn't let them take it away. Even if Burn was trustworthy—a small chance of that—her other captors were not. She could see Crash out of the corner of her eye, lingering in the shadows beneath the trees, tending his horse. He looked like he wasn't listening, but she knew he was.
"No," she said softly. "I have nothing."
Burn frowned, his yellow-hued eyes searching her face. His brow furrowed. Was it sympathy?
"All the more reason to come with us!" Dorian cut in. His small, soft hand landed on her other shoulder, in vast contrast to Burn's rough palm. "What have you left to lose? And it's mighty inconvenient, always having to keep an eye on you. It won't do in the swamp. We need to be able to trust each other. Look, we even bought you weapons." Dorian nodded to his saddlebags, where her staff and daggers rested, tied to the side of the horse. "If that's not a show of good faith, I don't know what is."
Sora glared at him, his almost offensive words ringing in her head.
What have I left to lose?
As though, just because she had no other option, she should willingly and thankfully join their party? She thought of her manor, her ruined family name.
How can I join them? They're despicable.
She had more honor than that, and she raised her chin stiffly, her jaw so tight she couldn't speak. She saw Burn cast a mean glance over her head at Dorian.
Dorian raised an eyebrow, one ear flicking upward like a confused dog.
"Enough," Crash said, breaking into their conversation. He crossed the small clearing quickly, pausing above them, his black cloak swirling to a stop. "Volcrian is behind us and Fennbog ahead. Soldiers scour the woods while we speak. We must learn to use the necklace while there is still time."
Sora looked up at the hard angles of his face, the sharpness of his jaw, the way his black hair swept across his forehead. He seemed tireless, full of strength, despite another sleepless night.Her anger was renewed. "And what if I don't? What if I refuse?"
Crash raised an eyebrow. He didn't need to reach for the knives at his belt; the blades glinted dangerously in the thin morning light. She thought she already knew his answer, but when he spoke, it was unexpected. "The King's guard is after you. Not us. You." He nodded to the necklace concealed beneath her shirt. "I think you need to consider who your true allies are."
Sora snorted in surprise. "Now that's rich! You kidnap me, threaten me, drag me around the countryside against my will—and you are supposed to be my allies?" She looked around at the Wolfies incredulously. "You're all insane!"
"Think what you want," Dorian said. "But we have a squad of soldiers and a blood-mage on our trail. Whatever you decide, sweetness—do so quickly."
Sora blinked and looked at the three men. She hated them—but they had a point. So far, they were the only ones who hadn't tried to kill her or throw her in jail. She let out a sigh of annoyance. "And how am I supposed to use the necklace?" she snapped. "I didn't even believe in magic until yesterday! I don't know anything about it. I'm useless."
Crash gave her a cold stare. "Then make yourself
not
useless," he said bluntly.
Sora stared at him, her mouth dry. She waited, half-hoping that one of the Wolfies would stand up in her defense, but they just watched the silent confrontation. She couldn't believe it. They were using logic against her—and it was working.
She thought of the King's prisons, of her own beheading. Then she thought of Volcrian and the monster in the forest. She cleared her throat. "Right," she finally said. "I'll try."
Dorian approached her, reaching out with a gentle hand, but she stepped back, not wanting to be touched just then. The Wolfy gave her a slow smile instead. "Hurry, love. We don't have much time."
She nodded and put a shaky hand on her necklace. And then, slowly, realization dawned. It was strange to think about, almost out-of-body, but what if...what if this was just another day to them? Another day trying to survive? She looked around the group, reading that message in their eyes.
"We need you, Sora," Burn said, breaking the silence.
Sora nodded again. She knew what Burn meant. Her captors were in a far worse predicament, and now she was in it with them.
With a breath of resignation, she gripped the necklace and closed her eyes, thinking back to what the mapmaker had said.
A bearer need keep firm control of their thoughts and desires. He must be completely loyal to the cause. Any thoughts of doubt or deceit, or a desire to run from battle, can lead the entire army in aimless circles. Above all, the bearer must be disciplined.
Disciplined.
She let out a deeper breath and tried to forget the three men around her, the soldiers on their trail, the looming threat of Volcrian. There were plenty of reasons to panic...but she couldn't let panic disrupt her concentration. She had to communicate with the necklace. She wasn't sure how, but as she thought back on the encounter with the fox-corpse, she started to form a few ideas. The necklace seemed to exist entirely within her mind; it would nudge her thoughts, however fleetingly.
When she sat down next to the stream, it was unexpectedly easy to slip into a meditative state. Sora had only meditated a few times before, when a tutor suggested that meditation would help her studies. But she was blessedly close to falling asleep, so her mind quickly relaxed. She let the tension flow from her shoulders, down her neck and spine and into the ground.
She spent several minutes like that, breathing calmly, allowing herself to be still. Then she ran her smooth finger over the surface of the stone.
Help me
, she thought, quelling the sense of foolishness that arose with her words.
We need to pass through Fennbog to the other side.
She tried to envision the other side of the swamp, the warmer climate of the lowlands, the fields of grass and the merciless winds. She focused on her message as clearly as possible, trying to make it pointed and precise.
Take me to the other side of the swamp.
But it was difficult to control her thoughts, and worries and concerns slipped through the message. She thought of her mother, wondering where she might live, or if she was even still alive. She thought of her own death, of the terrible creatures that lived in Fennbog, of the coming nights in the wilderness. She thought of Lord Seabourne and her arrest. And...she thought of Crash.Abruptly, there was a murmur from the necklace. A slight movement of thought. But when she focused, it whisked away like a passing cloud.
"Hey!" a voice disrupted her meditation. "Did you see that?"
Sora blinked, coming out of her relaxed state. She glanced up, noticing that her companions were now all standing around her, looking at her with strange, surprised expressions. Except for Crash. He had his arms crossed, watching her closely, observant.
When she looked down at her hand, she saw the Cat's-Eye stone glowing through the cracks of her fingers. As she watched, the green light slowly dimmed and disappeared. But it left something in its wake—a warm feeling, like honey drizzled on her chest.
When she looked back to the three men, she wasn't afraid anymore, but rather filled with a sense of strength and confidence. She met each of their gazes head-on.
"Well?" Dorian asked. "Did it work?"
Sora nodded. Honestly, she didn't know what had changed. There had been no words, no instructions, no bells. But the glowing green light seemed an indicator. "Yes," she said simply. And then she looked up, her head turning toward the forest, a sense of urgency passing through her. "Wait, I think...I think they're coming."
At that moment, a long, wailing howl split the morning silence. A hound. It was still at a distance, but as they listened, several other hounds picked up the call. An entire pack...had found their trail.
"Move," Burn said. "Hurry!" They quickly packed away the food and climbed back up on the horses. For a moment the four hesitated, pacing about the small clearing, uncertain of which direction to travel. But suddenly Sora felt a nudge inside her—like a finger prodding her back.
That way.
She pointed to a deer path to their right. No need for words. Burn leapt onto the trail and Sora followed suit, her small pinto charging into the woods. Dorian and Crash brought up the rear. With hardly a backward glance, they raced through the forest, the horses leaping nimbly over ferns and rocks.
It worked,
Sora thought, amazed at herself, at the necklace, at the whole damned thing.
By Goddess, it worked!
A small, satisfied grin came to her lips. The necklace wasn't as hard to control as she had thought. Perhaps she wasn't useless after all.
* * *
As they rode, the ground became noticeably less and less firm. The morning stretched on, but the sky didn't grow lighter. Sora felt like it was late evening, as though night had never truly left. Heavy clouds the color of wet stone hung above them, close to the ground. The air was thick with moisture that saturated their clothes. Bursts of drizzle fell, but never full rain. The clouds withheld their downpour, content to sit heavily on top of the trees, watching the mad race below.
The four travelers stayed true to the deer trails and woodland paths. The land off the path was soft and muddy, and sucked heavily at the horses' hooves. Plants thrived in this part of the forest, growing thick and lush, bright emerald against dark wood. The foliage was clumped together, covered in moss and ivy. She saw more and more pools of stagnant water. Trickling streams wended through ditches, overgrown by tall ferns.
"Have we entered the swamp already?" she called out.
"No, but we are at its border. Mayville isn't far from the fringes of Fennbog," Burn explained. "These lands are a giant river basin. The rain flows into the Crown's Rush."
Sora nodded at that. The Crown's Rush was the longest river this side of the royal city. She had studied a bit of geography; if one followed the Rush, it would lead straight to the City of Crowns. She also knew that the Rush disappeared into the sludgy mire of Fennbog swamp, nigh impassible. It had never been traveled to the ocean. Boats had a way of vanishing into the bog.
Close to mid-morning, Burn finally eased up on his horse, bringing the small party to a stop. The barks and yelps of the hounds sounded occasionally, a reminder that they were still being hunted. Speed was of the essence. Only a fool would follow them into the swamp.
Only a fool would go there in the first place.
Burn brought them up short, raising his hand. Then he sat atop his horse, half-obscured by a ridge of thick blackberry bushes. Dorian trotted up to his side, nudging past Sora's horse. Crash followed him, treading carefully across the soft ground.
Sora could tell that their steeds didn't like the mud. They kept shifting their weight, lifting one hoof and then another, uncomfortable.
"Why have we stopped?" Crash called.
"An obstruction," Dorian said sarcastically. "However minor."
Sora frowned at this. Curious, she led her horse through the remaining bramble to Dorian's side. The trees fell behind them. She looked up, her view no longer obscured by leaves and branches. Her jaw dropped.
A river.
No, worse than a river. A slough. The land dipped down into a wide stretch of brackish water, interrupted by lumps of rust-brown wetland covered in cattails, weeds and Goddess-only-knew-what. Far, far away, on the very edges of her vision, she could see the smooth, towering eucalyptus trees of Fennbog swamp, partially shrouded in a veil of gray mist. Several birds flew back and forth across the open stretch of land, large creatures with long, wide beaks and dangling yellow legs.
"That's not so bad," she said, looking across the flatland to the tall trees, several miles away. "At least there's no roughage. We should be able to cross in no time." She shifted her hips and urged her horse down the hill, but Burn reached out and grabbed her reins, stopping her.
"That's not land," he said, indicating the broad basin.
"No," Dorian chimed in. "It's mud, the likes of which you have never seen. Enough to swallow our horses and everything else." The silver-haired man turned to look at her, his brows drawn low. "Nice work, sweetness. That Cat's Eye is certainly useful. We've only reached a dead end." Then he looked at Crash. "This was a brilliant idea...."