Day 23

Viola woke up early and to her surprise Ferox Baron was already awake.

“I made eggs.” He said passing her a dish with scrambled eggs.

Viola smiled and took the food.

“Thank you.” She responded.

“We must ride hard to the next town and see if they have already passed through. If they have, we must push through the meadow to the main road. It’s the quickest way. If we travel on the roads, we will never catch them. The meadow will not be easy. We must make it through before night. The creatures of the night roam there and you do not want to meet them.”

“Creatures of the night?” Viola asked in between mouthfuls.

“They are beasts that roam the open places. So, you must hurry up, eat, and wash so we can leave. There is no time to waste.” He rushed her.

Viola ate and they went on their way. They galloped as far as the horses could. Then they walked. They took a ten-minute break at a creak to drink and water the horses. Then they rode hard again into Bethrath, a town on the road to the sea.

Viola and Ferox asked about the farming family, if they had come that way and how many days ago.

An inn keeper name Roach helped them.

“Day com by, it was tu days gon. Day be nis fumily.” He said.

Viola battled to understand him. But Ferox understood exactly what he was saying.

“Thank you, kind man. Here is some coin for your trouble. Let it be known there is a new queen, named Ginger in the castle.” Ferox told him.

He seemed more grateful for the information than the coins.

“Why did you give him silver?” Viola asked.

“Because if I ever come this way again, I will have a friend.” He replied.

“They are a day ahead of us. Fortunately, they are travelling slowly. But we cannot rest for long. We must gather supplies and ride hard again. Our horses will be tired but we can make it. We can catch up with them tonight if we cross the meadow.” Ferox was walking while talking.

Viola bought easy to cook food and flint stone to start a fire. She got a new water skin and filled it. Ferox also bought things for them and himself. After all he was using the money Viola got from Tẽra.

They rode hard through the meadow. The horses couldn’t gallop as the grass was so long and dense. It was green and looked so healthy. The snow had not affected it. It looked like no snow or frost had touch the rich green meadow.

Patches of wild flowers grew as high as the saddle on the horse. Beautiful happy flowers, each a slightly different color. It was as if the meadow went as far as the horizon. Behind was the smoke from town and ahead the open fields of color and life. Puffy clouds cast shadows over the meadow.

“It looks so nice.” Viola said.

“Keep up. Do not stop, walk as fast as your horse can. Do not get off your horse for any reason.” Ferox said.

They walked and push the walk to a canter where possible. They talked and talked as there was not much else to do.

Ferox looked at the sky.

“We must gallop!” kicking his horse.

Viola rode after him. The green just kept going. The meadow was all around them. No sign of the town nor the end of it.

The sun started to get low and Viola wondered how much longer she and her horse could keep it up. Her bum ached.

Just when she was going to insist on resting, she saw a tree line. This gave her and her horse new energy.

As the sun set, they reached the tree line. But Ferox was not happy with just being on the other side of the trees. He wanted to be on the road.

“I need to rest.” Viola objected.

“Rest and you and your horse will die. We have to make the road. It’s already dark and not safe.” He answered pushing on.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“We are out of the meadow.” Viola stated.

“The creatures are able to leave the meadow. We must get beyond that hill.” He insisted.

Viola was exhausted.

“Can’t we fight off any creatures?” she asked, “Light a fire?”

Ferox laughed.

“If fire was enough, we could camp in the meadow. No, we push on.”

“Then what stops them?” she asked.

“A magical barrier on that hill.” Ferox answered.

The last of the light set and the darkness was kissed with the stars. The moon rose and so did the creatures of the night.

“Viola I am sorry.” Ferox began “I have brought you out here and now you are going to die. I thought we could make it in time. But we took too long to get through the meadow. It was nice knowing you. Thank you for challenging me to not just accept things I know, but to always reconfirm what is really true.”

“We are not going to die. Now stop talking like that. Do you have a sword, or knife?” Viola asked him.

“I have a sword.” He answered.

“Let’s find water and rest. Once we are stronger, we will go on. I have flint stone so we will make fires around us, and even traps. But there will be no dying.”

They found a small pond. It didn’t look very drinkable but the horses were happy. Viola and Ferox made small fires around them.

A screeching howl cut through the night. The horses wanted to run and were unsettled. Viola couldn’t tell where the sound came from. Another rang out. The silence that followed was deafening.

“What are these creatures?” Viola asked.

“Flower pixies. Flesh eaters. As small as your hand but deadly. They hunt in packs.” He said.

“Pixies?” Viola exclaimed “Pointy eared, flying, cute little flower people.”

“Yes.” He answered “If you know of them why are you not afraid?”

“What I know about them is different to what you know about them. I was told they were not real and that they are friendly and kind and protectors of nature.”

“That’s the Flicker. They are small protectors of their forest and they don’t eat flesh. But they scare people as they are shape shifters. They can grow in size and shrink as small as your thumb nail. They have wings of light and they are light. Entire cities are in the trunk of a tree. They blow horns and whistle to scare people away. They live in the light forest. Pixies live in the meadow. They eat flesh and they are never full. Only magic traps them in the meadow. Any flesh that enters even bugs are eaten.” He explained.

“Guess the facts I learnt are a little wrong. So, if the fly, and are little we can make a net, or use a sheet to protect ourselves from an attack from above?” Viola ventured.

“We have stopped, we are doomed.” He said.

“Do they only like the darkness, what does the sun do to them?” Viola asked.

“I have never asked one. They do only come out at night. Like many other animals and insects and even some types of birds.” He answered.

Viola ripped the sleeping blankets up and wrapped the horses so only their eyes were not covered. Then she started wrapping her own body.

“What are you doing?” Ferox asked.

“Staying warm.” She answered sarcastically.

“They will pull the covering off.” He said.

“We can try move and kill a few, or we can stay here all night, hoping not to be their dinner.” Viola said.

“Do you have booze?” she asked.

“What?”

“Alcohol?”

“Yes.” He gave it to her.

She wrapped Ferox up and then soaked a strip of blanket in alcohol.

The sound of wings could be heard on the wind.

“Any intelligent life out there?” Viola called.

“You will let them know where we are?” Ferox said.

“The fire has already done that.” Viola stated.

The shadows cast by the flames danced. Figures stretched out in the shadows moved around them. Viola poured cooking oil on Ferox’s sword.

“Get ready to ride.” She said climbing onto her horse.

She passed him one end of the wet blanket strip.

“Do not let it go.” Viola instructed.

“I wish you would explain your plan to me.” He said.

“Can you speak?” Viola called into the darkness.

The wings sounded like hundreds of humming birds.

There was no answer.

‘Ok then, let’s kill some bugs.’ Viola thought.

“We are going to gallop around the camp fires five times, catching as many as we can in this blanket. Then we will set it on fire and charge for the hill.” Viola said.

“This is a bad idea.” Ferox said.

“I have seen you race a horse standing up. This is nothing for a guy like you.” Viola said.

“That can’t get me killed by being eaten.” He objected.

Viola gave an agreeing nod.

“I like our chances.” She said.

Ferox took a deep breath.

“Alright, we can do this.”

“Now!”

Viola and Ferox rode out of the fire cycle they had made and galloped around it five times. Pulling the blanket was difficult. They could feel they had caught Pixies in them and they were fighting to get out. Then Viola set the blanket on fire and they let it go.

Screams filled the night. It was as if the stars even closed their eyes. The smell of burnt meat rose up. It was a nice smell if you ignored, why, you could smell it.

Then they heard it. A voice that rang out followed by a howl.

What was said was unclear but it had spoken. It was able to speak.

They didn’t slow down nor ask if the other had heard it. They just kept riding. The horses ran as if their lives depended on it and their lives did depend on it.

Once they were over the hill they slowed down. It was as if there were now in the clear. Then when least expected one flew into Viola’s face and bit her nose.

Viola grabbed it and held the tiny person in her hand.

“You are not so scary.” Viola said.

The pixie struggled against her hand. It pushed and pulled and even tried to bit her again. Viola flicked it on the head.

“Bit me and I will keep flicking you.” She told it.

“How is it here?” Ferox asked.

“I don’t know.” Viola said “But it is.”

Once they were sure no more were around Viola trapped it in a pouch and tired the pouch closed.

They walked until they found the road. It was busy with many travelers parked for the night. Viola counted ten wagons. She asked if any knew where the farming family was.

One man did, he said they had pushed on further down the road. They had wanted to make the town.

Viola, thanked him and knew they just wanted somewhere private to rest.

They went down the road and kept going. They walked for another two hours before Viola spotted a fire off the road.

“Hi, It’s Viola” she called.

Jacob came running over.

“Viola!”

Viola got off her horse and hugged him.

“Have your grown?” she asked him.

“No silly it’s only been days.” He laughed.

“You feel stronger.” She said.

He laughed.

Ferox watch Viola with the boy.

“This is my friend Ferox.” Viola introduced.

Jacob called his family. They welcomed them into their tent.

Viv and Xoma made food and herbal tea.

Viola asked to speak with Rider alone. He agreed. They went outside and she took a deep breath.

“I am so sorry! My behavior was unacceptable. I feel so out of place here. Because you constantly where at me it made me crazy and everything got too much so I took it out on you. Not that my behavior was your fault. Please forgive me. I want to leave here with a friend. I don’t want to go home and leave things as they are.” She rambled.

“You get to go home, but you are here making right with me?” he asked.

“Yes, I have a guide, Ferox who helped me get to you quicker. I can’t go leaving things as they are.” Viola said.

“I forgive you. After all I almost killed you so I think I should also apologize. I was tired of my mom and sister staying, ‘she’s a nice girl, you should consider your options?’ You are nice and everything but I didn’t want to bond with you, and then, when we pretend we were bonded… It made me feel pressurized. I am sorry I was unfair to you.”

Viola hugged him and kissed him on the check.

“Thank you for telling me. I can now go home and have no regrets.”

“Would you consider staying with us?” Rider asked.

“No. I am not made for this world.” Viola answered.

“Viola then spoke to Xoma and then to Viv. She wanted things to be good between them. She wanted to have friends in Chayim.

They forgave her and they all stayed up late into the night talking and laughing. They liked Ferox and he liked them.

“I have a parting gift for you, a pixie I caught.” Viola gave them the pixie in the pouch.

They looked at the little winged creature. It had an ugly little face with long braided hair and a little flower petal dress.

“Is it bleeding?” Viv asked.

“It bit me so I flicked it’s head.” Viola informed.

“Can it speak?” Xoma asked.

“I don’t know. It’s yours now. Do as you want with it. Keep it as a pet, set it free. Eat it.”

“Eat it!” Viv interrupted.

Viola grinned.

“That’s nasty!” Rider said.

She shrugged.

The pixie glared at her. As if it understood her.