Luana’s dress billowed behind her as the stead galloped down the dusty road. Strands of silvery hair fell loose from her braid and whipped at her face.
Commandeering a horse had been much simpler than she hoped. With so many people being moved into the castle, the stables were overflowing. The stable boys were a little confused as to which horse belonged to whom. She managed to snatch a big beautiful mare tied to a fencepost beside the stables, without anyone noticing.
The horse’s black coat glistened with sweat in the late afternoon sunlight as they pounded toward Black Hallows. Luana swallowed hard, trying to choke back the dust floating through the air.
She took the fastest road, through Hillsford. Most days, one could plan to meet many travelers along the road, however, it was eerily quiet.
The sun had gone down enough that the towering trees cast dark, ominous shadows over Luana as she rode. When she approached Black Hallows, she slowed the horse to a trot. The only sounds on the air were of the wind and her horse’s clomping hooves. Houses were left abandoned; not a sign of life around but for a few stray cats chasing mice.
She stopped the mare in front of the blacksmith’s abandoned shop, dismounted and tied up the horse. The shop, which usually resounded with the clamor of hammers and blowing bellows, was silent as the grave. It’s abandoned. She looked at the surrounding shops. They appeared to be abandoned too. Many had boarded up their windows in an attempt to stop potential vandals. She slowly walked down the quiet road, looking for the shop Awen had described to her.
Luana located a building matching the description. However, instead of great bins of fruit and vegetables out front, there were birds scavenging rotting produce left behind and stepped on. They’ve gone. They must have gone to the castle after all.
Her curiosity sparked. I wonder what the shop looks like. There was a small window at the top of the door that she thought she could get a peek through. She stepped up onto the rickety step, cringing at the squeak the loose boards made. She looked over her shoulder at her horse down the road, it happily grazed on a small patch of grass at its feet.
She took another step and jumped when she heard the sound of movement coming from inside the shop. “Hello? Is anyone there?” Her heart seized in her chest. It could be scouts from Mirstone. What have I done?
Luana turned on her heel as the door flew open behind her. She had already broken into a run when she heard heavy boots hit the steps. I can make it. She urged her muscles to keep moving, even as they screamed at her to stop. Even if I make it to the horse, I won’t have time to untie it. Her eyes searched the area. She spotted a hammer leaned up against the side of the blacksmith’s shop. She headed straight for it.
Luana was a few quick paces from the hammer when rough hands grabbed her arm and spun her around. All she could make out was that it was a man wearing a tattered hooded cloak. Her terrified scream echoed through the air. She brought her knee up into the man’s stomach, pulling him toward her so she could use the momentum to knock him to the ground. He let out a groan as his body hit the dirt.
She turned, running toward the horse when she heard her name. “Luana!”
She skidded to a stop and turned. The man in a heap was still struggling to get up, and her mother and sister were running down the road toward her.
“Mother? Lesta?” Luana called. She looked back at the man and saw he was to his feet. He pulled back the hood. “Father?”
Fersa ran to Hal-john, but Lesta ran straight into Luana’s arms, nearly knocking her to the ground. “Oh Luana! I thought I would never see you again.”
Luana held her sister tightly as tears fought to escape her eyes. “Oh Lesta! I’ve missed you so much.” She pulled away. “But why are you here? Why did you stay?”
“Father didn’t want to lose the shop,” Lesta said. Her tear-stained face looked worn, tired and much too troubled for someone so young.
Luana looked up as her mother walked over and embraced her. “Oh my Luana. How beautiful you are.”
“I see you’re still strong as a mule,” Hal-john said, brushing dust off his cloak. “Why are you here? Did you escape?”
“Why am I here? Why are you here?” Luana snapped, pulling her little sister back into her arms. “Don’t you even care enough about the safety of Lesta to send her to the castle?”
“Oh, there’s nothing to be worried about,” Hal-john said. “Grasmere troops are just up the way at Fagin Forest. They’ll keep us sa—”
“Nothing to worry about?” Luana spat. “Is that why you were all holed up in your shop with boards over your windows? Lesta, you’re coming with me.”
Fersa reached out. “Luana, no, you ca—”
The sound of several horses’ whinnies cut through the air. It was followed by the sound of metal against metal. Luana turned her gaze up the road toward the sound. “I believe those are your Grasmere soldiers! Quick, inside!”
Luana grabbed her sister’s hand and ran for the shop. The sound of a man’s painful scream tore through the air. “Hurry, they’re getting closer!”
Her sister tripped and fell in the dirt. “My ankle!”
Luana knelt next to her. “You must get up, Lesta, there is no time.” She pulled her sister to her feet and let her lean against her as they hobbled up the steps of the shop.
“Hurry!” Fersa said, ushering them inside as Hal-John pulled the door shut behind them, placing a beam across the back of the door to seal it.
With the door closed, the shop was near black. There was no fire in the hearth, no candles or lanterns to light their way. The only light was the dim paleness that seeped from the window at the top of the door.
Luana slowly led Lesta toward the back stairs of the shop and lowered her down into a worn chair. She pulled a little table up to her and placed her sister’s foot on it. “Rest now.” She petted her sister’s head before walking over to the door.
The sounds of fighting that had been so far away now sounded as though they were right outside the door. Shadows danced around the room from the torchlight moving outside with the Grasmere guards.
“Don’t you worry now,” Hal-john whispered. “They’ll move on.”
Luana glared at her father through the dark. There would be nothing to worry about had he cared enough to get his family out of here when he should have. She opened her mouth to retort the thought when a roar shook the walls of the little shop.
Everyone, including Luana, took in a gasping breath.
“Trolls,” Lesta whispered.
Luana felt around in the dark for a chair. She picked it up and quietly placed it next to the door. She climbed on top of it and peered out the little window. She was thankful the glass was dirty so she could avoid being seen.
As her eye adjusted to the darkness and the dank condition of the window, Luana could see that the road was overrun with Grasmere soldiers and trolls. There were already bodies littering the street, though it appeared they were all that of trolls. However, the troll numbers were at least double that of the soldiers.
“They’re outnumbered,” Luana whispered.
“Please come down!” pleaded Fersa. “What if they see you?”
“Shh,” Luana scolded. She watched as several more trolls came running from up the road. Oh no! They’re trying to surround them!
Outside, the horses whinnied and nervously stamped their hooves as the troll horde formed around them.
“They’ll be slaughtered,” Luana said, forgetting to whisper.
Lesta whimpered. “Momma, I’m scared!”
“Shh, child,” Fersa soothed, smoothing her daughter’s hair back from her face. “Luana, come away from the door!”
Luana brought her attention back outside.
One of the men was shouting commands, though she couldn’t make out the words over the clamor of armor movement and the horses’ whinnies. The soldiers were tightening their formation. What few horses had not already fled fought their masters urgings, biting at their bits for control.
The trolls remained nearly shoulder to shoulder around the group of soldiers. Though the ugly creatures paced in place and shifted their weight from one fat leg or the other, they remained unmoving. It’s as though they are waiting for something. But what?
It seemed, too, that the general in charge of the group of men was wondering the same thing. The inactivity of the trolls made the men all the more nervous.
Suddenly, both man and beast went still. Their attention turned west toward Fagin Forest. Luana, caught up in the moment, rubbed her hands against the dingy window pane, trying to clean a spot to see.
A figure cloaked in a black hood that dragged on the ground emerged from the darkness. The torchlight flickered, as though a cold breeze blew through the village.
Though she could not tell if any words were said, Luana felt the pull of darkness in the air. Even from inside the shop, she could tell the being outside possessed dark magic. “We must do something to help them.”
“What can we do other than get ourselves killed?” whispered Hal-john. “These are Grasmere men. If they cannot defeat the troll scum, there is little we can do to help.”
“Perhaps you can’t,” Luana said. “But I can.” She jumped down from the chair and knelt on the floor a few steps from the door. “When I tell you, open the door.”
“No!” squealed Lesta.
“Have you lost your wits?” Hal-john asked, trying to grab Luana by the arm.
She slapped his hand away. “Listen, we can discuss why you didn’t feel it was necessary to tell me my lineage another day, but you both know what I am. I can help them!”
“What you are?” murmured Lesta. “What do you mean?”
“Hush, child,” Fersa said. “Hal-john, open the door when she is ready.”
“But,” Hal-john protested.
“Do it!” Fersa commanded.
Luana settled herself down on one knee on the floor. She pressed her hands to her heart, then to her temples, then hovered one above the other in front of her stomach. “Máthair na hoíche dorcha, líon mé le do solas bheannaigh. Mo shúile ar oscailt do radharc, líon mé le draíocht íon agus bán. [Mother of the dark night, fill me with your blessed light. Open my eyes to your sight, fill me with magic pure and white.] She chanted the incantation again and again as she pulled on the power of the moon.
Luana felt the cool tingling of white magic flowing through her nerves; it surged over her body and came to rest in her hands. Her fingertips hummed with power; the room began to grow bright as the magic enveloped her.
She slowly rose to her feet, not daring to move her hands. She was still new to this venture and feared the slightest loss of concentration could cause her to lose control. “Open it now.”
Hal-john removed the heavy board that kept the door tightly sealed, pushing it to the side. He took a deep breath, then yanked hard on the door.
Luana slowly walked out into the darkness, drawing the attention of all who were there. The trolls began to shy away as she took steps toward them, the light causing them to recoil. However, the hooded figure turned toward Luana and hissed. It raised its hands toward the sky and murmured something indiscernible. A purple hue began to envelop it.
“Leave this place!” called out Luana. Her light grew brighter, pushing the trolls away from the men.
The mysterious figure took several steps toward her. Hands raised, Luana could feel the weight of the magic bearing down on her. Instead of the soothing cool white magic the moon provided her, she felt the burning of something foul and dark.
She called on the power of the moon again. “Máthair na hoíche dorcha, líon mé le do solas bheannaigh. Mo shúile ar oscailt do radharc, líon mé le draíocht íon agus bán!” The white power pushed back against the darkness.
The dark sorceress cackled, her voice like breaking glass. “Daughter of the moon, you think you and your goddess can defeat me? I have known the power of magic since before your mother drew her first breath!”
“My mother?” Luana began to lose her concentration. Which mother? Her light began to wane.
“You see?” the hooded sorceress provoked. “You canno—”
The sound of a horn cut through the night sky, followed by shouts and the stamping of horses’ hooves. Reinforcements from the castle were coming.
Chaos began to ensue as the trolls barreled down the dirt road toward the forest; the stampede causing the ground to shake beneath Luana’s feet.
The dark sorceress hissed. “This is only the beginning!” With a swing of her cape, she seemed to disappear into a dark purple mist.
Luana’s heart raced. She turned and saw dozens of men on horseback filing into the village.
“Make the area safe!” shouted Ferric’s firm voice.
Luana’s stomach tightened with guilt when she saw Ferric dismount his horse and walk toward her. She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m so—”
“She’s over here, Your Grace,” Ferric called.
The crowd of men parted and Luana saw Baylin dismounting his horse. His face was covered in dust and sweat; the fine lines of his face seemed more prominent than usual.
He ran straight toward her. She stretched out her hands to hug him, but instead he grabbed her by her shoulders. “You were given strict orders to stay in the castle!”
His gruff tone shocked her. “I… But my parents… they…”
His nostrils flared and he clenched his teeth. He pulled her by the arm toward the shop where her parents and sister stood in the door.
“Your Grace!” Hal-john said. “We’re ever so grateful to—”
“If you will please wait outside, I need to speak to Luana alone,” Baylin growled.