The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (6 page)

In a panic, she grabbed each of her brothers by an arm. The woods expanded and contracted, rippling like the surface of the sea. Everything grew darker and a great rush of snow seemed to surround them. Her stomach dropped as if she was in a high-speed elevator, and then everything was black. The only sound was the deafening rush of air.

Thud
. She crumpled in a heap. Grass crushed against her left cheek. She still gripped the map in her left hand. One of her brothers was sprawled across her legs, pinning her down. An unidentifiable bony joint belonging to the other brother jabbed into her neck from below. Brightness compressed her pupils to pinpoints as she blinked her eyes open, trying to focus. Tugging her legs free, she pushed herself up to her knees, sitting back on her heels and trying to orient herself. She rubbed the back of her neck—it felt like she’d fallen off a roof! Her brothers sat up too, groaning.

Lucy squinted, allowing her eyes to adjust to the direct sunlight. They were in a field of grass atop a small hill. It was a cloudless, sunny day, and the twittering of birds permeated the air. Taking a deep breath, she took in her surroundings. Nausea clenched her stomach, but she was awestruck at the same time. She stood, turning in a slow circle to take it all in.

“Whoa…” Luke murmured, whipping his brown hair out of his eyes as he stood.

At the base of the grassy hill about a half mile away, Lucy could see a town. Beyond the town, a large castle loomed atop a crowning hill. Beyond that, a wide lake stretched across a broad green valley. To the northeast, Lucy could make out a dark, thick forest. In the backdrop, sharp, snow-capped mountains loomed, shrouded in a fine mist. It was all just as the map depicted!

A jolt of nerves shot through Lucy’s veins. “This is unreal,” she muttered, scratching her head and glancing down at the map in her hand. Mack was picking a tuft of grass out of the zipper of his jacket. Luke had already shed his. It was far too warm for their winter layers.

“Look!” Luke pointed toward the town.

At the edge of town, a group of people on horseback were riding toward them. The lead rider held a tall pole topped with a billowing red forked pennant. Three riders followed behind him.

Mack and Luke glanced at their sister with a shadow of fear. Lucy swallowed her own alarm, battling back the jitters that rose in her throat and faced the riders in a show of bravery.

The Barnes siblings shed their winter jackets and tossed them into a heap. Lucy stepped toward the riders, hoping to appear peaceful. She clasped her hands in front of her body and planted her feet. Mack and Luke took place on either side of her. The riders galloped closer. Now Lucy could see them with clarity. The leader was a handsome man with light brown hair that blew in the breeze as he rode. He held the red pennant in one hand and held the reins with the other. He squinted at the siblings with guarded curiosity. He had a strong jaw, broad shoulders, and an athletic build. He wore simple clothing—black pants and a loose white linen work shirt.

The others, two men and a woman, flanked him and were all dressed in similar attire—tall leather riding boots and comfortable clothing. They rode healthy-looking horses with fine leather saddles. The woman’s hair was tied in a long tail down her back with thin leather rope. All four of them rode with easy confidence. Three saddled horses without riders were being guided behind the riders by leather ropes.

“Good day to you, strangers. My name is Cadmus,” the leader addressed them. “We come in the name of King Muttongale, rightful ruler of Praxis. Please state your names and your purpose.” The riders slowed and reined in their mounts, coming to a collective halt several paces away from the siblings.

“My name is Lucy Barnes and these are my brothers, Mack and Luke. We—um, we come in peace… from a place called Algid.” Lucy tried to project her voice. The riders loomed over her astride their steeds. The horses side-stepped, energetic and eager to trot.

“Lucy Barnes of Algid, what is your purpose in Praxis?” Cadmus challenged.

“I, uh, inherited a map which brought me from my world to this one.” She held the map up in one hand. Though her explanation felt feeble, the map pulsed a gentle, pleasant warmth through her body.

The eyes of the riders softened and they exchanged a round of brisk nods with one another as if some shared secret had been verified. Amid a chorus of snorts and huffs, the riders dismounted and the leader walked toward Lucy, leading his horse by its reins.

“Lucy Barnes of Algid, we have been expecting you. Welcome to Praxis.” He bowed before her, taking her free hand and kissing it, never breaking eye contact. Long beautiful lashes framed his striking blue eyes. Lucy’s stomach leapt into her throat at his unexpected touch. Flustered, she couldn’t hold his eye contact.

She gazed at the ground and mumbled, “Um…”

Cadmus averted his eyes and stepped back. “We invite you to join us. There is much to discuss. In fact, there will be a great celebration in your honor this evening. We have been waiting for the return of the Mapkeeper for quite some time.” She blinked, struggling to process everything he was saying. “Dark forces are stirring in Praxis, Lucy,” he went on, looking her in the eye. “Those who wish us harm are growing stronger. The signs foretold by our grandfathers’ grandfathers are being realized and your service is very much needed at this time.” Her stomach twisted into a knot at the comment about dark forces stirring.
Am I expected to do something about it?
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and stared at her feet as she toed the ground.

Cadmus mounted his steed and motioned to one of the other men, who nodded and led the three unmanned stallions toward the siblings.

“Hello, my name is Quinn.” The man introduced himself with a kind smile, offering them each a set of reins. Exchanging a look of concern, the Barnes siblings communicated without speaking: none of them knew how to ride.

Lucy’s apprehension mounted as she watched her horse stamp at the ground with impatience. She’d seen plenty of horses on TV of course, but only now came to the realization that she had never seen a horse up close. It was so… big! Quinn held the reins toward her, waiting for her to accept them.

Mack had taken hold of his with confidence and was stroking his horse on the nose. Lucy already knew he would be a natural. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and took the reins, though the huge animal unnerved her. Its sudden, jerky movements caught her off guard. She stepped away from the beast, clenching the reins as far away from her body as possible.

“Are you unfamiliar with riding?” Cadmus asked.

Heat flushed Lucy’s face—everyone was staring at her! In one swift motion, Cadmus slid out of his saddle and lodged the red pennant in the grass. In three swift strides, he was at her side. He slipped the leather reins out of her hand, taking control.

“Easy, girl.” He calmed the horse, stroking its nose and whispering in its ear. The muscular chestnut stallion relaxed. Cadmus turned to Lucy and held out a hand. Grateful that Luke’s horse was now rearing and absorbing the attention of the other bystanders, Lucy accepted Cadmus’ offer, sliding her hand into his. He led her to the stallion and put her hand on its nose.

“Shh… easy, Nel,” he cooed. His presence seemed to calm the beast. “Try to be still,” he directed Lucy. “The horse will relax when you relax.”

She stared into the horse’s large black eye. She had no idea what it was feeling.
How did he know?
She continued to pet its nose gingerly. “Okay. Are you ready to mount?” Cadmus took her hand once more and she nodded, though she was fighting back nerves—both about riding for the first time, and being in this strange, unfamiliar place.

He stepped up next to the saddle. “Nel is comfortable with you now. She’ll let you on with no problems. Here, put your left foot in the stirrup.” He held his other hand at shoulder height, and she found herself taking it without thinking twice. “One, two, three!” She stepped up and he lifted her with ease. Her right leg swung around and she plopped into the saddle. “Now, take the reins. Pull toward you to slow him down, and give a gentle dig with your heels to get him going. Remember—gentle.” Cadmus flashed a grin, then turned, unearthed his pennant, and mounted his horse.

“Whoa! Whoa, Brig!” Quinn and the woman were attempting to get Luke’s horse under control. It was a wild-looking black and white spotted mare. Safely astride her horse, Lucy giggled. Luke was in the saddle, clinging to the saddle horn for dear life. The horse reared with a sharp whinny. Lucy glanced back at Mack, who was already trotting in circles astride his gray mount as though he’d been riding horses all his life. Her gaze shifted to Cadmus, who was watching her younger brother with a vigilant eye.

At last Luke’s assistants managed to get Brig under control, and the group started off together toward the town. Lucy gave Nel the gentlest nudge, but she didn’t move. She nudged her again, a little bit harder this time.

Nel took off, almost throwing Lucy off her rear end! Tugging on the reins with all her strength, Lucy managed to recover from the shock and whiplash in time to stay on the horse. Her heart thundered and she bounced wildly as Nel caught up with the group.

Despite her uneasiness, Lucy forced a smile.
Just try to go with the flow and figure this out as you go
, she told herself as they crossed the soft, grassy field at a rapid gallop. To Lucy’s surprise, the muted collective thundering of hooves was soothing. To her right, Luke clung to his reins in a mild panic. She laughed out loud at the sight of his long, boyish hair blowing straight back in the wind while he struggled to stay upright in the saddle, clinging to the horse with his thin legs.

Mack rode well, keeping pace in the midst of the group behind Cadmus. Lucy was proud of him. He looked so muscular and grown-up. The unknowns of what lay ahead troubled her, but she had to admit that she felt safer with her older brother by her side.

They reached the town and slowed to a trot. Lucy was grateful to be at the back of the group—that way Nel followed the cues of the rest of the horses and she didn’t have to work the reins much. They were on a wide dirt path now, which led to a cobbled avenue lined with quaint A-frame houses. The houses were colorful, with intricate wood-worked faces. Most had dark shingled roofs and shuttered windows with overflowing flower boxes beneath them. Charming pink, white, and purple buds nestled in the boxes, flourishing in the warm weather. Little round doors with center-mounted knobs popped open as the riders trotted past, the heads of curious villagers poking out in hopes of catching a glimpse of the strangers.

Children playing with a ball in the street up ahead were shooed to the side by a teenage girl. The girl met her gaze with shocking deep violet eyes, but glanced away as soon as their eyes met. She wore the same hair style as the woman in the riding group—a pony tail secured with thin leather rope.
I wonder what it’s like to grow up here
, Lucy thought, still in disbelief that any of this was real.

“We’ll take the Royale Byway up to the palace where you will meet the royal family and be shown to your quarters.” Cadmus explained, turning in his saddle to face her.

She swallowed hard and her eyes narrowed. She met Mack’s gaze as her brother turned to look at her. Thinking through the situation, at the moment she saw no reason not to trust Cadmus and this group of strangers—they hadn’t yet done anything to cause her to believe they were a threat.

“We’re… staying in the palace?” she replied. She wasn’t sure she had the proper manners to mingle with royalty. Glancing down, she noticed several grass and dirt stains on her jeans.

“Of course!” Cadmus seemed surprised. “You are the Mapkeeper, after all. It’s not safe for you in town right now.” He faced forward and increased the pace to a light gallop. She gulped.

The road widened and began to climb up a gentle, sloping hill. Lucy could see the castle in the distance between patches of evergreens. It was tall and majestic, overlooking the town on the crest of the hill. She remembered seeing this hill on the map.

They galloped onward in silence.
What did Cadmus mean when he said, “it’s not safe for you in town right now?”
she wondered. She was now in the middle of the pack, surrounded by riders. They’d shifted position without her noticing. She scanned the surroundings, her nerves on edge. Parts of the road were entirely shadowed by dense groves of trees.
Could this all be a trick? Are we in danger?

Mack rode on her left side. He smiled at her, bringing her a small amount of comfort. Luke was to her right, at last looking a bit more relaxed in the saddle. He was too focused on riding to notice Lucy trying to catch his eye.

The dirt road wound uphill through the trees. Lucy could see Cadmus up ahead, the red pennant whipping and snapping in the wind high overhead. His white shirt billowed behind him. The road here was lined with many more red pennants identical to the one Cadmus bore, strung high on shafts of gold.

The group rounded a final curve in the road and Cadmus eased the pace to a trot. The trees thinned around them and they spilled out into a clearing. Across a large field of grass, a wide moat encircled the castle. Lucy shaded her eyes against the sun, tilting her head up to take in the view. She gasped: the castle was massive! She could just make out the arched window slits hewn in the stone near the top of the spires. It was just as the map pictured it!

She stuffed a hand into her jeans pocket and felt the comforting crinkle of parchment.

More red pennants flapped in the wind, affixed to the tops of spires. A thick wooden drawbridge rested in the raised position across the moat. Two armored sentries wielding crossbows and sheathed swords rode to meet them, their helmets concealing everything but their eyes. A neatly shaved stripe of red plumage adorned the tops of their helmets. Cadmus reined in his steed and turned sideways in a show of submission.

“Good day to you both!” he called as they approached.

“Good day, Cadmus,” one of the guards replied. “I see you’ve brought our guests.” He peered beyond the front line of the escort party and eyed the Barnes siblings. Turning toward the castle, the guard signaled a cohort on the other side of the moat, who in turn began to lower the drawbridge. It groaned in protest, straining against its rope constraints as it lowered.
Wham
! Lucy winced as the dense bridge slammed into the grass and the guards motioned for the group to dismount.

Lucy and her brothers followed suit when their escorts hopped down from their mounts. Four young stable hands scurried across the drawbridge and snatched up the reins, trotting light-footed alongside the horses to the stable across the lawn.

Cadmus held out his arm. “Lucy, may I escort you across the bridge?” Heat flushed her face. She snuck a glance at Mack, who feigned disgust. Luke stifled a laugh, but Lucy noticed with a sinking feeling that it quickly transformed into a look of concern. Snapping her head away from Luke, she accepted his arm—the others were already crossing.

“Of course.” She slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow. It felt good to walk again, as her muscles were stiff from the ride. The stares of both guards made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention as Cadmus led her between them and across the bridge. Mack and Luke followed.

As soon as they were across, a guard shouted “Up bridge!” and with a groan, the pulley system reeled in the rope and lifted the drawbridge back to its raised position. They crossed the threshold of the castle and found themselves in a large stone atrium, where a bright red carpet led from the entrance across the atrium to a set of tall, intricate, carved golden doors. Lucy gasped. The height of the ceiling was dizzying. She released Cadmus’ arm and turned in a circle, taking in the enormity of the atrium. Towering, color-drizzled tapestries adorned the circular walls, stretching from the floor to a hundred feet high. At the apex of the domed ceiling, a massive golden chandelier glittered far above, lit by the soft, gentle flickerings of a thousand candles. Lucy wondered how they lit the distant candle wicks.