Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
32
IRENA
Valen seems completely unconcerned by Thornmere, but it must be an act. I can feel the prickle of magic all around us—it’s like a thousand tiny invisible hands plucking at my skin and hair. This forest is alive—and it’s watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake.
I don’t intend to make one. I’m going to get straight through these woods to the Sorceress and find a cure for my mother.
But my certainty weakens after a few long hours of walking. My dancing slippers weren’t made for this kind of rough usage—I can feel every rock and tree root in the dusty brown path. Also, I’m getting extremely hungry. The slice of stale bread Valen and I both had for breakfast wasn’t very sustaining. He says we need to wait and save our food for nightfall, in case we’re still on the path at that point, but I’m hungry now.
Just as I’m thinking that and my stomach is growling in a most unladylike way, I see something by the side of the path—it’s a bramble vine with long, sharp thorns. But hidden among the greenish-black leaves and long brown thorns I see hints of deep purple—bramble berries! They’re as big as my thumb and bursting with juicy ripeness.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Valen remarks, as I step up to the bush. Several long vines have made their way across the path, they lay in a kind of circle on the dusty road. Without thinking, I step into the circle and begin picking the berries that surround me.
“The sign didn’t say anything about not taking berries—it just said to stay on the path. And I’m still on the path,” I point out defensively as I pop a berry into my mouth. It bursts on my tongue, filling my mouth with sweet, slightly bitter juice. Delicious.
“It might be a trap,” he says, frowning.
“I don’t think so,” I say, and eat another berry. I offer some to him, but he shakes his head.
“Eat what you want but hurry—I don’t want to be caught in here after nightfall.”
“Do you think it will take that long to get to the Sorceress?” I ask anxiously, taking a few more berries. I’m very careful not to pick any of the berries on the bush that are off the side of the path. I only take the ones from the vines that have overgrown the path.
“Don’t know.” He shrugs, his broad, bare shoulder rolling. “But I’d rather not find out. Let’s keep moving.”
I take my handful of berries and keep eating them as we walk. The dark, sweet juice gives me a much-needed burst of energy, but it makes me thirsty and my hands are sticky. I wish I had some way to clean up and quench my thirst.
I think of asking for a drink from the wine bottle—we filled it with water last night and plugged it with the cork. But I don’t like to admit to Valen that the berries might have any negative consequences—even small ones. So I keep going down the dusty trail, wishing for water.
And then, just as though someone or something had heard my wish, I see a still, silvery pool only a foot from the path. As we walk up to it, I debate with myself. On one hand, it’s off the path and I don’t want to break that rule of the forest. But on the other hand, it’s fresh, pure water—I can tell how clean it is by the way the surface is so clear—almost like a mirror.
Just seeing the cool, smooth water makes my thirst worse until it’s almost like a fire in my throat. I hang back a little, letting Valen get ahead because I know he probably wouldn’t approve of what I’m going to do.
I’m not going to step off the path—I’m not stupid. But I am going to lean over and scoop up some of that water. Just enough to wash my hands and quench my thirst. Then I’ll keep walking like nothing happened. Hopefully the constant rustling of the leaves will cover the sounds of my splashing.
I wait until Valen is several yards away from me—his big form almost lost in the shadows—before I kneel on the side of the path. I reach for the water…but somehow the pond is further away than it looked. I had thought it was only a foot away from the path—but it seems to be more like three feet.
But my throat is burning now—I’m so thirsty I can almost smell the water. I lean over, keeping my knees on the path, and reach for it.
It’s wet and cold and it quenches my thirst immediately. I spend a moment washing my hands and face—most refreshing—and I’m just getting to my feet after drying my hands and face on my shift, when I see it.