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Calain worried for Zelda but tried to keep her mind on the task at hand. As she and Cassandra rode out of Priine together, their horses were tied, and Selene had been right: Cassandra could barely stay her saddle. She rocked and swayed dangerously, looking as exhausted as if she would simply tumble over from Sunny’s back.
Calain kept a steady hand on Cassandra’s arm as they rode into the trees, and when they had found a suitable place to make camp, she helped Cassandra down from the saddle, made a pallet of leaves for her, and bid her to rest. Cassandra dropped off immediately, and Calain set about building up a fire.
By the time Calain’s work was done, it was nearly dawn. She sat at the fire, tired from the long ride, took off her gauntlets, and warmed her hands. The first streams of sunlight were reaching through the trees and birds were singing. It was a quiet enough forest, full of flowers growing in veils from the trees. There were few dangers here, and the Rose Guard knights were not familiar with the land, which was their greatest advantage.
Calain had spied giant crystals growing between the trees, the source of the Bane Stones which robbed sorceresses of their power. She worried for Zelda even more, knowing her lady must cross through the crystals, but she comforted herself that Zelda was safe with Gweneth . . . if the two had not killed each other yet.
An hour after dawn, Cassandra stirred when she smelled Calain heating rabbit stew. She sat up, and they broke their fast together.
After eating in silence for some time, Cassandra said, “Tell me truly, Calain. Are the three of you fucking the sorceress?”
Calain nearly choked on her stew. Cassandra had asked the question quite casually, as if she had merely asked about the weather.
“Saw that in your crystal ball, did you?” Calain managed after washing the stew down with wine.
“You sound like Gwen,” said Cassandra, amused. “But take heed, Calain. You must control your feelings of jealousy and anger.”
“Why?” Calain asked sharply. Cassandra only gave unsolicited advice when there was danger.
Cassandra didn’t answer. And Calain, knowing she would get nothing more from Cassandra, did not press her for an answer.
Calain and Cassandra had never spoken much while growing up together on Falcon Isle. The core of their friendship was based around the many times they had sat in content silence together, after a sparring lesson or after a riding lesson in the training yard. Cassandra didn’t speak much to anyone aside from Selene, and even then, she was quiet, mysterious, often gazing off thoughtfully, in a world she shared with no one. But Calain knew one thing: Cassandra was loyal. If one of her sisters needed her, she would come running, and Cassandra had sacrificed herself more than once to protect the others.
Cassandra’s insistence that she stay behind in Arinol was not the first time she had ever pulled such a feat. The others had learned not to bother arguing with her, for when Cassandra was determined to protect someone, there was no stopping her. She was also somewhat skilled with magick, which made her one of the deadliest, if not the most difficult to defeat in their year.
And so, it wasn’t odd at all that Calain and Cassandra spent most of their journey traveling in silence through the forest. As the days went by, Cassandra’s strength returned to her, and before long, she no longer needed to keep her horse tied to Calain’s, nor did she need Calain’s strong hand to hold her up.
On the fifth day, as morning light streamed down, the knights rode out of the trees and across of a field toward Wolf Fortress, the gray stone stronghold that stood abandoned in the heart of the Dark Bloom Forest. It was not abandoned now, however. Calain was relieved to see smoke rising from one of the chimneys and knew some of the others had arrived ahead of them. Perhaps everyone was there. Her heart leapt when she thought of seeing Zelda again, whose eyes and lips and hair she had ached for during her trek through the forest with Cassandra.
“Remember,” said Cassandra as they rode side by side, “stay your temper, Calain. We cannot afford to fight each other just now.”
Calain glanced irritably at Cassandra. If something was wrong, why couldn’t Cassandra just tell her?! “You did the same thing when Queen Ellanara was going to have me slain,” said Calain, annoyed. “You gave vague warnings that did nothing to prevent what eventually happened!”
Cassandra answered, calm and serene, “Because my visions are often vague. I told you what I could. You did not heed.”
Calain glanced away guiltily. That was true. Cassandra had warned her not to drink too much, and she had anyway, which had led to Zelda sending her outside for air . . . which had led to the Rose Guard knights cornering her.
“I’m sorry,” said Calain heavily. “You gave up your life to aid me, and all I can do is yell at you.”
“Stay your temper,” Cassandra repeated calmly and spurred her horse on.
The front gates of the fortress were open, as if whoever dwelled inside was waiting for them. Calain followed Cassandra through the gates and under the stone archway, into the barren yard. They both pulled their horses to a stop and glanced around. The place seemed desolate. Wooden training equipment had been abandoned in the yard and had broken and deteriorated over time. There were still practice targets with arrows in them, as if the Knights of the Wolf had packed up and left in the middle of training.
The stable wasn’t far, and Calain was happy to see Apple, Selene’s dark horse, was standing in a stall and dozing there. So was Gweneth’s speckled stallion, Bron. Relief flooded Calain: everyone was here! She dismounted and led Arthur to the stables. Cassandra dismounted Sunny and did likewise, but she seemed grim.
“What is it?” said Calain, patting Arthur and unsaddling him. “Why do you look so dour?”
“Stay your temper,” Cassandra warned again.
Calain sighed. “Why can’t you be normal?” To her relief, Cassandra gave a little smile.
They climbed the steps and entered the front hall together. Someone had lit the torches in the brackets along the walls. They could hear voices and followed them to the old kitchen, where Selene was poking the fire in the brick oven and adding logs to it, while Gweneth sat at a small table behind her, hair messy as she nursed an old bottle of wine. Both women were out of their armor and wearing tunics and trousers instead, though their swords were still buckled to their hips.
“About time,” Selene said without looking up from the oven. She added another log and poked the fire to life with a hot poker. The flames leapt, lining her sweaty face in gold light. “We’re having venison tonight. Wash your hands in the bucket over there.”
“You knew we were soon coming?” asked Calain in surprise.
Selene nodded. “I spied you earlier when I went out to hunt. A few Rose Guard knights were following you. I took care of them.” She spoke very casually without looking at Calain and Cassandra as she turned to the skinned deer that hung nearby.
Gweneth didn’t speak. Her eyes were miserable and bleary from drinking. She was sitting with her forehead in her hand, the wine bottle in her other hand, staring at the table. Her undercut brown hair was loose of its topknot and falling in her face in pale, curly tendrils.
Calain looked between the two women. “Where is Zelda?” she blurted.
Selene stood upright, glanced reprovingly at Gweneth, and wiped her hands clean of deer blood on a nearby cloth. She took a breath and said, “Zelda was provoked into leaving by Gweneth.”
Calain felt her chest constrict, felt her heart suddenly pounding in her ears. She looked quickly at Gweneth for an explanation, but it was hard to see Gweneth’s face. She was seeing red.
“Calain . . .” Cassandra warned in a low voice.
“And you haven’t searched for her?” Calain demanded incredulously.
“We thought about it,” said Selene unhappily. “The pair of us have only been here two days, and we figured you would arrive soon. Then I saw you in the forest and thought it would be best if we all knew what had happened and planned our next move from there. So we waited for you.”
“You provoked her into leaving?” Calain said, glaring at Gweneth.
“Zelda cast a spell on her that made her stand still for a day,” said Selene, who glanced darkly at Gweneth again.
Calain also glared at Gweneth again. “Serves you right. You can never stay your buffoonery. You must provoke and tease!”
“I know,” said Gweneth with a flat laugh. “I’ve made things ill. Shocking, isn’t it, Calain? Usually it’s you who steps in it—” The last word was barely out of her mouth when Calain lunged and had tackled Gweneth out of her chair and to the floor. Calain’s hands seemed to take on a mind of their own. They flew out from her, grabbed Gweneth about the throat, and proceeded to slam her head on the hard stone floor over and over . . . and over. Panting and grunting through her teeth, she was vaguely aware of Cassandra shouting her name, of Selene trying in vain to pry her off. Gweneth gasped and sputtered in her grasp, and it was satisfying. She kept slamming her by the neck until her eyes were rolling back in her head. Cassandra knelt down to help Selene, and Calain shouted angrily as she was finally dragged from Gweneth.
“Stop this madness!” Selene yelled.
Calain snatched herself free of Selene and Cassandra, who stood staring at her, waiting for her to lunge on Gweneth again. Gweneth lay sprawled on the floor in a daze, the wine bottle shattered nearby.
“Zelda could be out there, in danger!” Calain yelled. “And because of her!” She waved a disgusted hand at Gweneth. “And you,” she shouted at Selene, “just sitting here, roasting venison, as if it were nothing!”
Selene’s chest heaved angrily. “I just told you—!” she snarled, stepping forward, but Cassandra grabbed her arm.
“I shall find Zelda myself,” said Calain, “because I love her. I’d never let anything happen to her! You three sit here and drink your wine and roast your venison!” And with that, Calain turned on her heel and stormed from the kitchen. She could hear Cassandra and Selene exchanging words behind her but didn’t care to try and catch what was being said. Her heart was pounding too loudly in her ears.
Calain ran down the steps to the stable. She would follow the beat of Zelda’s heart and find her that way. The Binding linked them for that specific purpose. She quickly saddled Arthur, who looked at her irritably, having believed he was free to sleep for the evening.
“Sorry, old boy,” Calain said, leading Arthur out of the stable by his reins, “but Zelda needs us. She’s in danger!” Calain swung up into the saddle and had almost charged off when she saw Selene running fast down the front steps, her black hair streaming in its braid.
Selene ran to Calain, where she sat astride her horse, and grabbed the reins. “Wait, Calain! Do not do anything reckless! Come back inside! Rest, have something to eat, and then we shall all go looking for her together—!” But Selene’s words were lost to the wind when Calain smacked her hand away and spurred her horse, charging off through the gate and back into the Dark Bloom Forest.
***
CASSANDRA GENTLY GATHERED Gweneth’s limp body in her arms and carried her up the stairs to the old barracks, where she deposited her in one of the beds that stood in neat uniform rows. There, she bandaged her bleeding head and left her to rest.
Wolf Fortress had been abandoned for fifty years. The tattered remains of the bedsheets smelled of stale age and the feather-stuffed mattresses smelled of decay. When Cassandra returned to Selene in the kitchen, she remarked on the stronghold’s sad state and lamented that it had been abandoned.
“Aye,” agreed Selene, who was presiding over the venison as it roasted in the oven. “But it had to be abandoned.”
“Yes,” agreed Cassandra unhappily.
Fifty years ago, the knights of Wolf Fortress had rebelled against the queen of the land. All of them, down to the smallest page girl, spoke out against Realm Koradara’s war on Realm Eriallon. The knights refused to lend the queen their blades, and so she exiled them to the far north. The knights were forced to abandon Wolf Fortress, though many believed some had lingered in Koradara and were in hiding.
“So Calain has taken off alone into the forest,” Cassandra said heavily and took Gweneth’s vacated seat at the small table. It wasn’t really a question, more a statement.
“Yes,” answered Selene tiredly. “And you knew she would, didn’t you?”
“It doesn’t take the Sight to predict Calain’s moods,” said Cassandra, and Selene laughed in agreement.
But the laughter faded from Selene’s face and she stared thoughtfully at the flames in the oven. “What shall we do?” she said unhappily. “We both of us need to stay here. Someone must watch over Gweneth, and hunt, and watch the road for enemies. That is not a job for one.” Her lips tightened. “I could strangle Calain for injuring Gweneth and then abandoning us here alone! I can understand her fear, but she must one day realize that Zelda is no helpless weakling who needs us to come running each and every time. She is a sorceress! She has had her training, same as we.”
“And she grew up on the streets of Perth,” agreed Cassandra. “That is no small feat.”
“We will wait until Gweneth is well, and then I suppose we must go after them both. I want to be angry with Calain, but truly, Gweneth is as much to blame. She loves to torment Zelda, and this time she has taken it too far. When shall she learn respect for our lady?”
“Do not worry so for Gweneth,” said Cassandra, who looked very amused. “I examined her head wound. Calain has given her a nice souvenir to take heed from.”
***
CALAIN RODE IN SILENCE through the forest, the green canopy above casting shadows over her grim face, Arthur’s reins in hand, listening for any sign that Zelda was near. She followed Zelda’s heartbeat for three days, and the closer she came, the stronger she could feel it. She knew that very soon she would be holding Zelda in her arms or perhaps fending off her captors. She was ready. Her hand kept going to her sword hilt in tense anticipation.
Selene and Cassandra had behaved as though Calain were overreacting and should not worry so greatly for Zelda, but had the pair of them failed to notice the giant crystals all over the forest? It was from those crystals that Bane Stones were carved! If Zelda was wandering through the Dark Bloom Forest alone, she was unable to cast magick. She was defenseless!
On the fifth day, Calain came across two knights of the Rose Guard. She had been riding loudly and confidently through the trees, while they were so careful and quiet, she hadn’t heard them sneak upon her. One grabbed her leg and dragged her sideways from the saddle, and the second struck the pommel of his blade across her lowered head. Her ears rang as the helm vibrated against her hair. She saw spots and felt a rush of fury as her body was dragged helplessly down from the saddle. Grunting in pain and anger, she fell hard on her face in the dirt. Behind her, she could hear Arthur bucking and neighing in outrage.
One of the Rose Guard knights yelled as he dodged Arthur’s kicking hooves. Calain heard fast footsteps as the other came to her. She turned over, hand on her sword hilt, prepared to draw and parry. . . and froze when she saw an arrow blossom on the knight’s eye. He had been standing over Calain with his sword raised, ready to strike her. Now his rage-filled expression smoothed to shock. He collapsed forward, and Calain scrambled out of his way just in time.
The second knight watched in horror as his friend was felled. He put a hand to his sword hilt and whirled – just in time to receive an arrow in the face.
Calain sat very still, her gauntlet still on her sword hilt, wondering if she, too, would be riddled with arrows. When no arrows came, she slowly got to her feet.
“Stay your weapon, knight,” called a woman, “and we shall stay ours!”
Calain followed the sound of the voice and saw three women standing in the shadows of the trees, hoods drawn up over their wild black hair. They were very big, as tall as Calain, at least six feet in height, though they were also slender and light on their feet, with only tight, lean muscle. They were not at all bulky, and seemed to favor leather armor, black wolfskins, and bows. They were Wilde Women.
Elven Wilde Women. Calain caught the hint of a pointed ear in their tangled hair, and their lean builds also spoke to their ancestry.
Calain knew the Wilde Women had always had an unspoken respect for women knights. Perhaps because they were so similar. She nodded to the women and took her hand away from her sword hilt. “My thanks, friends,” she said.
“And we thank you,” said the woman in the lead. “We shall melt their armor down and make arrowheads of it.” Beside her, the other archers nodded, looking very pleased. She stepped forward into the sunlight, and though her face was still half in shadow, Calain could see that it was lined with slight wrinkles and her black hair was graying. On her head she wore a helm and cloak made from the skull and hide of a great black wolf. “I am Ulga the Greater,” she said and jerked her head at one of the smaller women behind her. “She is Ulga the Lesser, my daughter.” (Ulga the Lesser nodded, a mere adolescent by the look of her.) “The other is Trova, my sister.” (Trova nodded.) “We are women of the Black Wolf Clan and this is our forest.”
“I am Calain, a knight of Falcon Isle.”
The three women lifted their brows in surprise. The two behind Ulga the Greater murmured together in their language while giving Calain curious stares.
“You are far from home, Calain, Knight of Falcon Isle,” Ulga the Greater said in sympathy and surprise. “But I know why you have come. You are tracking your woman through these lands.”
“Yes,” said Calain eagerly. “Have you seen her?” She did not like it when the women exchanged dark glances.
“We have seen her,” spoke up Ulga the Lesser. She looked very grim and even angry. “The bear queen, Yrsa of the Black Bear Clan, she came along when your woman was cornered by wolves and she took her.”
Calain tensed in outrage. “Who is this Yrsa and where can I find her – that I may rip off her head!”
“Take heed, young knight,” said Trova quietly, but in a voice that was nonetheless hard and strong. “Yrsa is no game. If you approach her, your life will be forfeit. She will not give up your woman without a blood challenge.”
Ulga the Greater nodded in agreement. “For years, my clan has sought to drive that demon out! She is a dangerous and deadly foe, even for you.” Before Calain could protest, she added, “But I will tell you, Calain Falcon Knight. I will tell you where to find her, and do you know why?”
“Why?”Calain asked.
Ulga the Greater stepped closer. This time her face was in full sunlight, and Calain could see that she was missing an ear and one eye. Her lips tightened in cold fury. “Because Yrsa is a beast that should be put down! And in all my years, you are the first woman I have ever met who could perchance slay her.”