The Blood Forest (Tree of Ages #3)
Sara C Roethle
Chapter One
Finn peered at the distant coast from the ship’s railing, though it was difficult to see through the fog, or was that smoke? The acrid scent in the air seemed too strong to be put off by cook fires alone. She brushed a lock of her long, dirty blonde hair away from her sunburned face, cringing at the feeling of grit beneath her fingers. Her entire body felt covered in a thin layer of salt from the sea.
Iseult stood next to her, gripping the railing tight enough to make the wood creak. She turned to ask him if he thought a bath was in their near future, but kept her mouth shut at his expression.
He was all tension, standing by her side while she leaned against the railing more casually. His black hair, flecked with gray at the temples, was partially held back in its customary clasp, leaving loose tendrils around his face for the sea air to play with. His gray-green eyes were serious, his mouth set in a grim line. He’d been almost relaxed during their time out at sea, but it seemed that had ended now.
Finn turned her gaze back to the distant city. Once they reached land, they’d begin their long journey back to her beginning, where she once stood as a tree. Part of her hoped they’d find àed there, back in his small hovel, tired from traveling, but she knew it was only wishful thinking. Her aged conjurer friend would not give up on finding them so easily.
She glanced away from the distant city to the other passengers on the ship. At one time, the fast movement while out at sea would have made her lose her last meal, but she’d eventually gotten used to the ship’s gentle sway, and now almost found it comforting . . . almost. She could never quite put out of her mind the fact that Sirens dwelled in the sea, waiting to sing sailors to their watery graves.
Finn watched as Iseult’s long lost brother, Maarav, and his men manned the sails, guiding the ship steadily toward Migris, where they would dock to meet Kai and Anna. Finn couldn’t help but wonder how everyone would get along. She held no warm feelings toward Maarav, and knew he’d likely anger some of the others before long. It was simply in his nature.
She was more worried, however, about how Kai and Anna would behave. Neither of them were particularly good at making friends. Hopefully they’d at least taken good care of little Naoki, Finn’s adolescent dragon, though the small creature did present another problem. The people of Migris were terrified of the Faie, and would not take kindly to a dragon in the city. Finn comforted herself with the idea that Kai would think of a way to smuggle Naoki out unseen. He was good at that sort of thing.
Footsteps across the deck preceded Ealasaid’s appearance at Finn’s other side. Her curly blonde hair had seemed to grow in size the longer they were out to sea, foaming into a snarled mass around her delicate freckled face and pale gray eyes. She wore the same burgundy dress with black accents Finn had first seen her in, causing her to assume it was the girl’s only one.
Not that Finn could say much different. She still wore the tight breeches, loose white blouse, and corset she’d been given aboard Anna’s ship. Her deep green cloak, beginning to fray heavily at the edges, was secured around her shoulders, shifting gently in the breeze. The people of Migris would likely stare as much at her state of attire as they would a baby dragon, but she was loath to change back into a dress, especially if they’d be riding. Sitting on the saddle wasn’t the issue. Her previous skirts had consisted of enough fabric to still cover her ankles, but lifting her leg over the horse always caused a blush. Of course, they’d have to find horses to purchase first, which likely wouldn’t prove easy.
Ealasaid stepped forward and leaned her arms against the railing beside Finn. “I’ve never actually been to Migris. I’ve never been to any of the great cities, for that matter.”
Finn tilted her head, confused, squinting her eyes against a harsh blast of sea air. “I thought you traveled with Iseult to find me.”
Iseult had told her everything that happened while they were apart, including how they’d come to travel with Ealasaid. She knew he’d narrowly missed her in Migris as she sailed away, locked in a cabin on Anna’s ship, and had just assumed Ealasaid and àed were with him.
Ealasaid nodded. “We reached the gates together, but no one was allowed inside the city. Iseult found his own way in, while àed and I waited with the refugees.”
Finn’s heart gave another nervous patter at the thought of àed. Though it was doubtful he’d be waiting for them at the end of their journey in Greenswallow, he might very well be waiting in Migris. He’d parted ways with Iseult somewhere north of the large city, supposedly to search for her on his own. Her only hope was that he had not traveled all the way to the Archtree, only to find it burned to a stump with her nowhere to be found.
“Ah, yes,” Finn replied, stuffing her nerves back down, “my travel companion at the time had been able to gain us special entrance to the city. I’d almost forgotten.”
The thought of Bedelia brought her nerves right back up. Was she even still alive? Maarav had claimed he’d delivered the potion that would cure Bedelia’s illness, brought on by the bite of a Faie wolf, but Finn did not fully trust a single thing he said. He’d stood idly by while Anna kidnapped her, after all. She took a deep breath to settle her anxiety, then nearly gagged on a sudden whiff of smoke in the air, not the pleasant smell of wood burning, or even food, but a sickly sweet stench that made her gut clench.