Chapter 6

The others kept walking ahead of me, and I soon began to lag behind. Even though I didn’t carry any luggage, the heat of the day, even in the forest, and the path we’d already walked began to take their toll. I should have prepared better. If I really wanted to be a Wandering Priestess, I would have to get used to it. I didn’t want to say anything, though. The others didn’t seem bothered by either the heat or the pace, and I didn’t want to complain or slow them down. It was a relief when Blade finally halted.

“We can rest here.”

She gestured to a small clearing on the side of the road, where a small stream made its way to a wooden bridge farther down the trail. The undergrowth was cut to make space next to the water, and I assumed it was a common resting place for travellers. I glanced at Tuimar. She ignored us, staring into the woods, but at least she’d halted as well, rather than continuing to walk on her own. I still didn’t know if she considered us a group or if she only let us tag along on her own journey, but to my relief, she walked over to the stream and knelt on the water's edge. I followed her example, washing my face with the cold water before slumping down on the grass.

“Hey, what happened to your arm?"

Blade walked over to me. I glanced at Tuimar, but she looked away, her ears drooping.

“It’s… it’s okay,” I said.

The Valkyrie crouched next to me, her bright cyan eyes meeting mine for a moment before she turned to my arm. She must have understood what could cause such a wound, but she didn’t comment on it and instead asked,

“Why didn’t you heal it?”

I shrugged. I didn’t know what to answer, but luckily, she didn’t press it and only took hold of my arm, and I felt the Grace weave itself through it until the wound closed.

“Thank you…” I murmured.

She got up and walked over to Tuimar.

“I can do you too,” she offered.

The wolf girl frowned, but to my surprise, she let Blade put her hands on her bruised body, sitting still until I could see her skin clear up. Blade got up and walked over to sit next to me.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Mistfen. There have been sightings of monsters there, but the reports weren’t clear. We will follow the road to Frosthold after that. There are usually a lot of monsters who make their way through the mountains when the snow covers the high passes.”

She took some dry meat and flatbread from her bag and handed it to me.

“I got us supplies for a week. Even with extra company, it should be enough to cross the forest.”

I sighed. Another thing I hadn’t prepared for. I hadn’t even thought about getting supplies, and with no hunting skills and no money, I would have gone hungry until the next village. Although maybe Tuimar would have tried to steal something. I shivered, glancing at her. She was staring out over the stream, ignoring us.

“There’s food,” I tried.

She didn’t react, and I hesitantly got up and walked over to her.

“You need to eat,” I tried again.

I hesitated and then sat by her side, putting the food between us.

“I don’t need your pity, priestess,” she murmured, still not looking at me.

“It’s Blade who brought the food…”

I regretted my words the moment they left my mouth. I shouldn’t hide behind her kindness. A Wandering Priestess would have stood up for herself and said she wanted to help. But she didn’t seem to notice and only nodded at the Valkyrie.

“You travel with her?”

“We met the day before yesterday…”

“And before that...?”

I hesitated. What should I tell her? I shouldn't lie if I was a Wandering Priestess…

“My aunt…,” I started. “No, someone who was looking after me…”

I hesitated, trying to push back the tears that suddenly filled my eyes.

"She lied… She lied about who I was… She lied about who she was… All… all my life was a lie…"

I sniffled and pulled my knee under my chin.

"I…I ran away…”

Tuimar glanced at me, her ears drooping.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

I almost said 'Zoe' until I remembered and instead answered,

“White Star..."

“That’s a good name,” Blade said.

She sat down next to us, and I looked at her, surprised.

“Why?" Tuimar asked.

“Star, Blade and Flame. It fits together.”

Flame… I shivered. So that’s what the girl’s name meant and why the Vargs had reacted when they heard it. Van'thur… Of course, the Vargs would have a name for it as well, since it was she… I… who had forced them into this world… I pushed away the memories that the Grace had shown me. Why would anyone want to be called like that…?

“You should eat. We have a long way ahead of us if we want to reach the rest before nightfall,” Blade said.

Tuimar finally took a piece of flatbread and started eating, and I followed her lead, even though I wasn’t hungry.

“I got you this, by the way,” Blade said, handing me a water bottle and a small knife from her bag.

It was a simple tool carried by many farmers. It had a short blade with a plain wooden handle and an undecorated leather scabbard I could attach to my belt. I frowned.

“Why?”

She shrugged.

“You’ll need it.”

She turned to the girl.

“Tuimar, here, take this.”

She handed her a grey tunic. The girl frowned, but the Valkyrie tossed it to her and got up before she could object, and Tuimar’s angry eyes fell on me instead.

“She got it for you!”

She frowned, her tail flicking from side to side, but she didn’t throw it at me as I’d expected she would.

“You need it more,” I murmured.

I fiddled with the pendant around my neck, and she frowned.

“Fine!”

She pulled off her tunic, and I looked away and got up, walking over to Blade standing by the road. I could hear the girl splashing in the stream, and soon after, she joined us. She was wearing the new tunic, her hair dripping with water, and she shook her tail as she halted by us, spraying us with water. I chuckled, but she ignored me and set out down the track without a word, forcing us to follow.

We continued walking throughout the afternoon, and at some point, the trail came to a crossroads, and the girl turned right onto a larger road. They both seemed to know their way around, but I guess they must be familiar with the area after all their travels. I sighed. I’d never thought about how I would find my way around once I set out either, and if it hadn’t been for them, I would have just walked aimlessly in the hopes of finding a village or, worse, got lost. I really had to become better at planning if I wanted to be a Wandering Priestess.

I glanced at Tuimar walking ahead of us. She wasn’t as prepared as Blade, though. The tunic she’d worn before had been torn, and she still walked barefoot. It wasn’t fair. Why did people treat her badly just because she looked different? If we’d had more time, we could have shopped for what we needed in Waymeet, but I didn't know if she would have accepted it.

The sun was almost setting when she stopped, sniffing the air.

“Do you smell it?”

Blade nodded.

“Smoke. We are close to the rest. Someone must be staying there.”

I sniffed the air, but only the scent of the forest and moist air filled my nostrils. Blade gestured for us, and Tuimar hesitated for a moment before following. Soon I could smell the smoke too, and not long after, a clearing appeared by the side of the road, with a wooden palisade built in a circle and a platform rising above the walls in its centre. I had heard of such places. They had been built by local rulers after the war to encourage trade and offer protection to travellers spending the night outside. I’d never seen one before, though. Greymore didn’t have one, and I’d never been far away from the town to encounter one.

Blade walked up to it and halted by the heavy wooden gate. It had the Star of Amara carved on it, flanked by birds of prey with outstretched wings. I wondered if it was the shield of the lord who ruled these lands.

“May Amara guide you.”

She called out the greeting of old, and a man’s voice responded from inside. Moments later, the gate opened. It was an older man, but he didn’t look like a regular traveller, with a too-large tunic sewn together from pieces of colourful fabric and a straw hat decorated with dried flowers, and his long, thick beard reached almost to his chest. He beamed when he saw us.

“What an interesting company!”

He gestured for us.

“Come, come inside. I'm Lyric. You are right in time for dinner. I could do with some good company.”

Blade followed him, and Tuimar glanced around for a moment before stepping inside. The space had been well prepared for travellers, with a brook flowing at its back and a firepit encircled with stones to the side. Lyric gestured for us to sit down.

“This was a most pleasant surprise.”

He put a small kettle on the side of the fire.

“You see, I’ve been waiting for traders to give me a lift to the mountains. You can ask them for a ride in Waymeet, but they will refuse, or they will charge you for the journey. But if they find you stranded in a rest, they will pick you up without a word of complaint."

He chuckled.

“But, on the downside, I have been waiting two days already, so I'm happy that Amara brought me some company. It is a sad thing to dine alone…”

He took a few corn stalks from his bag and pierced them with a stick.

“Traders carry big pots in their waggons, but I'm too old to travel with those, so we will do what we can.”

He placed them next to the fire, and I finally managed to get a word in.

“Are you a merchant?”

He chuckled.

“Oh, how rude of me. No, I'm a travelling bard. I hope to reach the frontier before the rain makes the roads too miserable to travel.”

“The frontier? Why?” Blade asked.

He grinned.

“Those who live there still enjoy music.”

“Isn't the frontier dangerous?” I asked, knowing well that that’s where Blade was taking us.

Lyric chuckled.

“I'm too old to worry about those things, so I go where no other bard would go.”

He grinned.

“And what is your story, my friends? Where does Amara lead you?”

Tuimar frowned and got up without a word, walking over to the stream.

“Not to worry," Lyric beamed, seeing her. “I should not bore you with my tales. Go and refresh yourself. You will be tired after the journey. I will call you when the food is ready.”

I got up.

“You coming?” I asked Blade.

“I don’t need to.”

Lyric smiled.

“It doesn’t mean you cannot, or that you won't like it. Go, have fun with your friends..."

She shrugged and got up, following me to the brook. Tuimar was already sitting by the bank, dipping her feet in the cold water. She frowned when we sat down next to her but didn’t say anything, and I took off my shoes and plunged my sore feet in the water. It felt so good...

“Are you tired?” Blade asked.

I hesitated.

“I'm not used to walking this far…”

“Get into the water. It will help,” Tuimar said.

I looked at her, surprised. It was the first words she’d said voluntarily since we’d left. I looked away. It was tempting, but I was embarrassed to undress in front of the others. She didn’t seem bothered by it, though, because she pulled off her tunic and stepped into the stream. I blushed but couldn’t make myself look away as her yellow wolf eyes met mine.

“Are you coming?”

My heart skipped a beat when Blade undressed, and the memory of her pale body illuminated by the faint stars flashed in my mind. I quickly pulled off my tunic and plunged into the stream, submerging my flushed face in the cold water.