Page 6 of Shadows in Bloom

It was the best I was going to get her to agree to for now. Trusting outsiders wasn’t in her nature. Our upbringing hadn’t taught us to be that way. If the attack provided one boon, it would hopefully be Kallistra’s recognition of the need to equip me with the means to defend myself. Even if it meant compromising her list of who she could trust. The list which currently comprised… me.

“They got our horses,” Kallistra said, changing the subject. “We need to get moving immediately if we are going to make it to Fernfallow before the next sundown. I’ll drag the bodies into the wood, but it is best we put some distance between us and the scene. A guard may roam through the area.”

“Is that worth worrying over?”

Kallistra cocked a brow. “So, you’ve learned a bit about the ways of our glorious continent, Lustria, have you?”

I frowned. “A bit.”

I’d dreamed about what life would be like outside of our village. I’d dreamed of a paradise full of people and life, love and joy. In some ways, Lustria had lived up to my idea of paradise, but in other ways, it had fallen disappointingly short. For all the goodness I’d witnessed, there were equal parts cruelty and corruption. Specifically, in the upper echelon of the kingdoms and their military. A few dead bandits would not matter to aguard. Investigating would not be worth the resources. It would benefit us now, but I found it sad.

“It had to be done, Nairu. It doesn’t matter what happens to them now. That’s the way of this world. Kill or be killed, and unless you are of noble birth, no one cares how you died.” She exhaled a long breath. “The sooner we complete our task, the sooner we can return to our village. Things will be better, then.”

But that was not a comfort, either. “I don’t hate it here. It’s just different from what I was expecting. Is it not the same for you?”

“No. I did not come into this with lofty expectations. There is a reason our people keep to themselves in the far north. This is a Godless place. Worshiping false idols, it is no wonder their society is so vulturous.” She lowered her gaze. “We have achieved a life of peace that is only possible within the confines of our village. This is what we are working to protect, Nairu.”

I nodded. “Of course. I understand that, but I—If things are perfect the way they are, then what is the point of this pilgrimage?”

Kallistra’s eyes grew wary. “Are you doubting your faith?”

“I’m not. I only… I wish you could provide an explanation of what is required of me,” I sighed. “Or why.”

Her face softened as she spoke. “I know the weight of our entire people’s survival is difficult to shoulder on your own, but we need you to be strong. The north is not an easy place to live, and each year it grows more difficult. We need our God’s power.We need you to master your own and bring him to us.” She turned away. “I cannot say more.”

“I need to become a proper Saintess,” I mumbled under my breath.

What was I doing wrong that God would not grace me with the full weight of his power? That he would not even speak to me? Why was I not worthy?

They had chosen me as Saintess, so why?

Chapter 3

Fernfallow was a small settlement nestled against one of many Elven forests. Despite its proximity to Elven territory, Fernfallow housed every manner of being. Elves, Dwarves, Humans. I’d even spotted the much rarer Faelings, a result of Fae mixing their bloodlines with mortal folk. For the first time during our pilgrimage, it appeared as if the eyes of the crowd weren’t solely fixed on me. Faced with wings and hooves, the strangeness of my stark white hair and bright red eyes was hardly something to gawk at.

Nonetheless, Kallistra insisted I keep my hood up and my mouth closed. I could pass for a Faeling, and I had pretended to be one before in a particularly rough situation with some drunk patrons at a tavern we’d stayed in for a night. Better for them to put a name to ‘what’ I was and why I looked the way I looked. It didn’t stop their antagonizing me, but it calmed the worst of it.As a human, I was too odd. Humans had a hard time accepting those of their kind that didn’t exactly fit. Being ‘Faeling’ was better than ‘freak’.

The Minstrel’s Menagerie, the town’s local inn, was one of the largest buildings in Fernfallow, and it was clear why. It was so bustling with people that I thought for sure Kallistra would insist we keep moving and forgo staying in town for a few nights. Maybe the cold and the hunger were getting to her, because she didn’t even mention it. I was grateful for it, too.

We used the last of our gold to pay for a shared room for three nights, setting aside only enough for our meals. I hoped the discouraged look that Kallistra gave the near empty coin purse meant it wouldn’t take much more prodding to convince her we needed to take on a job. If not the weight, or lack thereof, of our coin purse, then the relief of a warm place to sleep at night and a full stomach. Comforts only coin could buy.

The first bite of bread was ecstasy. I was sure I looked like a starved animal, picking at it and dipping it into a stew that I didn’t have the care to question the contents of. Kallistra, too, was rushing through her meal, when typically, she’d be the one to scold me for not pacing myself. It had been that long since we’d had a legitimate dinner, we no longer cared for manners. It was rich and salty, thick and filling, and utterly perfect.

“I’m sorry it took so long to get us here.” Kallistra set down her spoon, her eyes downcast. “The further south we get, the better the weather should be.”

“It’s not your fault,” I assured her. “You’ve been trying.” I couldn’t fault her for it when she knew close to as little as I did. She’d been trying to find a priestess of our God to teach me how to manage my magic, but that was like finding a needle in a haystack outside of our territory. None of the leads our people had sent her produced any results, and they didn’t allow me the knowledge of more than that.

She nodded her head, though she didn’t seem convinced. “I only want to keep you safe.”

“I know.”

We ate the rest of our meal in silence, with only the noise of the other patrons filling the space between us. Drinking and fighting and gambling. We had nestled ourselves away into the far corner, where the light only dimly lit our table, but we could hardly ignore the chaos that exploded around us. As the night was growing later, the inn was growing more busy with travelers and townsfolk. Each time the door swung open, Kallistra grew increasingly more tense. It wouldn’t be long before she’d say we needed to go upstairs to the room.

“Why don’t you see if the innkeeper has any job listings?” I asked, hoping to distract her from her unease.

“Fine.”

Kallistra returned to her seat with papers in hand, sifting through them with a grimace on her face. “Nope,” she mumbled, tossing one to the side. “No.” Another. “Definitely not.”

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