Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Blair sat next to her rolled up pallet, eating apple slices and some cheese from the satchel Hannah had given her before she left. When she woke up that morning, James was already awake, his pallet rolled. She looked around for him, but the others said he was tending to the carriage and preparing for the day's ride. Immediately, her thoughts went to the old wise woman, but she forced them out, knowing it was nothing more than a want that would cause her disappointment.

Instead, she went to work, clearing her things and sat eating her apple, wondering what her new home would be like. She loved the apples from her father's lands. When Blair was just a young girl, she would go running through the fields, always stopping to pick an apple at the edge of the forest. They were always so sweet and juicy, even if they weren't fully ripe yet. She wondered if her new lands would hold the same treats, things for her future children to take solace in as they played in the open fields.

The thought of children of her own, be it with a man that was still nothing more than a shadow in her mind, should have brought some excitement for the future. However, Blair had basically become a mother to her sisters when their parents died, so she had never thought of having children of her own. In fact, until then, she had never even put any thought into a future with a husband, let alone children. It was something she knew would distract her from her duty, so she was unsure if she wanted it to happen.

There she was though, heading closer to her future lands and future husband. Yet, instead of the expected excitement, fear started creeping up on her. She feared her children would fall to the same fate that she had. She feared her husband would be a terrible father. She feared that with the coming of children, her sisters would be forgotten, left to their own tormented futures within the stone walls of the castle. The only solace for her was the possibility that they too would be traded into marriage. Though that was no promise of safety or happiness.

"Time to head out, ma Lady," Callum said kindly.

Blair nodded as he picked up her things and headed to load her horse. He didn't even think to offer the carriage. It seemed the guards understood who she was by now, and that it would be a waste of breath to attempt to persuade her.

As Blair made her way back to the edge of the woodline, she watched as James pulled himself up onto his horse. His eyes were swollen and his face was stone-like in expression. It looked as if he hadn't slept at all the night before.

Good , Blair thought to herself. I hope his conscience kept him from resting.

She immediately felt guilty for thinking the thoughts, but she knew it was her own frustration eating at her.

Once everything was loaded, they headed out, moving at a steady pace, yet keeping it comfortable for the horses. Blair watched James in front of her, hoping he would glance her way, but he looked at everything but her. She tried to ignore the irritation that brought. Her mind attempted to swing back to the old wise woman, but she constantly pushed the thoughts away. Blair filled her mind with everything else, from the pending wedding to daydreams of riding high back home, rescuing her sisters from harm. When she couldn't think of anything else, she let memories of the past fill the space. Days that were lighter and easier, days she had very limited memories of. Now, the only moments she could truly feel like herself, were when she was training with James.

Long past midday, but not yet evening, Callum put up his hand and they came to a slow stop. He hopped down from his horse and led Blairs to the side. "I thought maybe you'd like a small break. There's a stream just inside the woodline fer ye to get a drink if ye like."

Blair smiled kindly at Callum, thankful for his thoughtfulness, and took his hand, allowing him to help her down from the horse. She knew she could use all the friends she could get, especially heading for an unknown future, and sending those guards back where her sisters were. "Thank ye, kindly."

Blair followed the others down to the stream and bent down, cupping some of the cool water in her hand. She sipped it slowly, hoping the men would leave her for at least a moment, allowing her to clear her mind for the remainder of the day's trip. Thankfully, after they had filled their water bladders, they headed up the small embankment and out of sight, leaving her there to think.

She took a seat in the soft moss growing next to the stream and pulled her knees to her chest. Glancing up, she watched several birds flutter around a nest, one carrying small twigs and sticks. They sang to each other, whistling a tune as they hovered in the air, creating their own small home high above the ground. The sun shone through the canopy of the trees, warming the air for a moment. Blair closed her eyes feeling the warmth on her skin, listening to the song of the birds as the bubbling of the stream hummed in the background.

As the clouds reassumed cover, she sighed and opened her eyes, watching a leaf float down the stream and around the bend. The stream itself curved and turned like a snake, leading off into the forest. Blair stood up, curious, and stepped close to the edge, following the turning and twisting of the stream into the distance. At first glance, she didn't notice the shift in view, but as the sun tiptoed across the grasses and trees, she realized that in the distance, the trunks of the trees went from a dark brown, into a light, almost white color.

Blair stepped up further, the water splashing against her boots as she squinted into the distance, unsure if it was just a trick of the light. However, as the shadows from the trees shifted and danced across the ground, she realized it wasn't a trick at all. In fact, the bark of the trees grew lighter the further into the forest they went. It was odd, nothing she had ever seen before, but she definitely recognized it from the description in the book.

"Along the snaking streambed, far into the forest, the bark goes from dark to light, leading to a clearing. Within this clearing a small cottage sits with thick mosses and a growing farm. This is where the old woman dwells, keeping the secrets of a kingdom locked within her seemingly immortal heart."

Blair reached for the book beneath her cloak but pulled her hand back as she heard the crunching of leaves behind her. Turning, she found James sliding down the embankment toward her. "The men have decided this would be a good place to make camp fer tonight. There's not much daylight left. No use in saddlin' back up and goin' just another hour before stoppin' all over again."

Blair nodded, unsure of what to say. Of all of the places for them to stop, they had decided on the spot she had been subconsciously looking for all day. Even Blair had a hard time believing that it was just a coincidence that they were there.

James tilted his head at Blair, watching her eyes shifting down to the water and into the distance. He made his way to her side and followed her line of sight into the distance. "The Pale Forest. It's magnificent isn't it?"

"Mhmm," Blair replied, staring down at the trees.

James studied her face more, narrowing his eyes. "Why does it feel as if this isn't the first time ye've seen it then?"

Blair looked back at James and opened her mouth, but shut it quickly again. James sighed and nodded, looking back over his shoulder. He stepped even closer to Blair, so close she could smell the musk and mud on his clothes. Her heart started beating wildly in her chest, but she kept her chin up and her eyes on the distant trees. As James spoke, his voice lowered to a whisper. "I'm not sure where ye got yer information on the old wise woman, but I've heard stories about the winding stream and the changin' trees. They say if ye follow the babblin' brook, deep into the forest, you'll find the old woman."

With surprise, Blair whipped her head around, staring at James. "Where did ye hear that?"

James cleared his throat, his eyes shifting from her. "Not sure. Must have been on my travels to yer uncle's clan when I was younger. Ye know how the men be. They tell all kinds of stories when they have too many ales."

Blair shook her head, feeling like there was something James was hiding. "I read it in a book my sister gave me. One left in the library behind the shelves of my mother's books."

James nodded, looking over his shoulder again. "Look, I'm sorry fer last night. I've thought about yer request. I was scared."

Blair snorted. "I've never known you to be scared of anything."

James shook his head. "Not scared for me, but fer you. If ye were to be caught, I'm not sure what would happen to ye. Yer uncle's instructions were pretty clear."

Blair sighed, looking away. "I know. If it makes ye feel any better, I won't be mad at ye forever."

"Yes ye will," he chuckled. "Ye hold grudges like no one I've ever known, except maybe myself. But I know how much it means to ye, which is why I'll help ye."

"Really?" Blair gasped.

James looked over his shoulder and shushed her. "Not if ye tip 'em off right now."

Blair covered her mouth and nodded. "Sorry. When will we leave?"

James looked up at the yellow and orange sky. Evening was beginning to set in. "Get some rest for now. Go to bed and actually sleep. You'll need it. We'll leave when I take my watch tonight. But…ye're goin' to have to take the blame here."

Blair nodded, not even sure what that meant but she didn't care. "Of course."

James chuckled. "Ye should probably hear what that means before ye agree. We're gonna go in the middle of the night. We're gonna get a head start and find this old wise woman, if she even still exists. When we come back, we're gonna tell the men that ye ran away and that I chased after ye and brought ye back. I'm not sure how they'll react, but I do know that if ye're back and we're not too far off schedule, they might just let it go. They don't want yer Uncle's wrath any more than I do."

Blair nodded excitedly. "Of course. Yes. That's a perfect plan."

James chuckled, shaking his head. "Ye just might be the end of me, Blair."

She giggled and without thinking, threw herself at James, wrapping her arms around him. His body was stiff with surprise at first, but he quickly released the tension and wrapped his arms around her too, squeezing her tightly. Lifting her up, he dangled her as he carried her to the moss and set her back down. Even after touching the ground, they didn't release. Blair could feel the heaviness of the emotion that flooded her as she embraced James, wanting so much to stay right there in that moment. She had never had the chance to really embrace him, but his arms around her made her feel even safer than his mere presence.

Inside, Blair knew her excitement didn't just come from the prospect of finding the answers to the questions of her past. She knew it also came from the relief of knowing that James still very much cared for her. The pain she felt from his response the night before quickly released, filling her with butterflies again.

Just as Blair breathed in the scent of his skin, there was a crackle of leaves just over the embankment. They quickly parted, and James turned to face the stream, just as two of the guards came into view. They were laughing and joking, neither noticing the nervous tension between Blair and James. To avoid any chance of them actually taking notice, Blair headed up toward the fire that Callum was working on, her heart nearly bursting from her chest, knowing just hours from then, she would be heading out to seek the one person that knew what happened all those years ago.

Blair didn't fear the guards or the prospect of getting caught. She feared that the answers she would receive might not be the ones she had been hoping for. She feared that whatever they found out, it wouldn't save her sisters from lingering in danger for the foreseeable future.