Chapter 1
"Go into the woods, Anissa."
Mother shoved the basket into my hands, almost harshly. She'd been acting strangely for days, tense and looking up the path that led to our cottage whenever she thought I wasn't looking. It wasn't the first time she'd sent me foraging for something under the ruse of needing a particular herb or berry. Her nervousness always gave away whether it was truly a food-stocking task or just a ruse to get me out of the house. If it was a ruse, she was invariably flushed and agitated when I walked through the door; if it was because she actually wanted the berries for a pie, she'd be waiting impatiently with a finished crust, gently chiding me for taking so long.
I could tell today she wanted me gone. I'd tried asking her about it before, but she only dismissed my questions as nonsense. For all that there were only two of us living in the cottage, in close proximity always, she could still be quite mysterious when she chose to.
"Blackberries for pie, and lavender for sachets, and don't come back before sunset, you hear?"
"Yes, Mother."
"I mean it, not a minute before sunset." She briefly pulled me into her arms and kissed my forehead. I was startled by her sudden display of affection – she wasn't usually given over to physical demonstrations of her love.
"Is everything all right?" I asked, a seed of worry taking root.
"Yes, of course! I'm just – worried that we won't have enough sachets and poultices to sell at the market next week. That's why it's so important you do a proper job gathering them today."
We made our living selling homemade goods at a stall in town on market day – pies, poultices, sachets, little sewn things, and took in some mending on the side, as well. It was the highlight of my otherwise dull existence, living alone in the woods with only my mother. When I was younger I'd begged her to move us into town, so I could be near other girls my own age – other people in general. She'd only sighed and said it wasn't safe, so I'd had to content myself with the glimpse of a different life I caught on market days, and make the forest creatures my friends. There were many activities Mother deemed too dangerous. Though she warned me off of the activities – making friends with the village girls and boys, going into town without her, dressing in anything but the extremely conservative frocks she made us – she would never elaborate on what the danger was. "What will happen?" I used to ask her, but she'd only shake her head and say I was too young to know.
Even now, at twenty, she still she said I was too young. Other girls my age were getting married off in the village, but she gave any boy who came near me such stern looks that they were soon scared off. I was barely allowed to talk to the other girls in town. I'd been saving up some money of my own, taking in mending and selling my preserves separately from Mother's at the market stall. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow whenever she saw me slip a coin into the belt tied at my waist, but she shook her head and said nothing. I think she knew I was too old to stay under her wing much longer. I loved my mother, but I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life living with her in our one room cottage. As soon as I had a little more put aside, I was going to look for a place of my own – even just a room in the town inn, and live off my savings till I found employment. I wasn't afraid of hard work, especially if it meant a little more freedom.
For today, though, I'd do as I was bid. Perhaps Mother needed her time alone in the cottage as much as I enjoyed my time alone in the woods. I took the basket in hand and headed out the door into the woods. She'd chosen her quarries well for today – the lavender was waning and the blackberries were just barely coming on at this time of year. It would be a full-day's pursuit to find a sufficient quality amount of either. I took the worn trail I'd beaten into the grassy forest floor over years of treading and followed it to a favorite clearing of mine. A quick glance around told me I'd find neither berries nor lavender here – nothing worth the harvest, anyway. Still, it was a good spot to rest and daydream, and clearly I couldn't head back to the cottage any time soon. I set the basket aside and laid down to stare up at the sky, watching the fluffy clouds drifting lazily by. I'd have to move on before too long, but for now, it was just peaceful to relax and be alone...
**
The sun had changed positions when I woke up, though it was not yet sunset. Mid-afternoon, I'd guess. I blessed whatever particle of sense I'd had that had told me to lie in the shade and not the sun, or I'd be a burned mess right now. I paused as I was picking grass out of my hair. There was a sound -a strange sound, something not at home in the woods. The birds had gone silent. I strained hard to hear and was rewarded with the distinctive clopping of a horse's hooves. Perhaps two or three of them. Or – more? There was a jingling sound, too, that might have been bits of bridle metal or saddle straps. Who on earth would be in the woods? There was nothing this far from town except our cottage. We never had visitors, yet it sounded as if that's where they were headed. Was this why Mother had sent me away today? Was she expecting someone? If so, why was in necessary for me to be gone?
I had to see who it was. I could hide in the woods and watch. She'd never know I was there. I slipped down the path quickly, keeping my steps light so as not to give my position away. I'd grown up in these woods, and I knew them like the back of my hand. To tread swift and unseen was child's play for me. I could hear men's voices in the distance, and my curiosity grew. Who were they? As I neared the cottage, I slowed my pace and crept carefully forward. There was no mistaking the men's destination now. I didn't know what they wanted with my mother, but they wanted something. The voices grew clearer.
"Leonore. It's been a long time," said a man's voice.
"Alvidus. I might have known it would be you," replied my mother. I crawled forward till I was behind the giant boulder that stood uphill from the cottage and peeked over the edge.
"I guess you know why we've come," said a tall, pale man on a white horse.
"She knows," confirmed the first man – Alvidus. There were ten of them that I could see, four on horseback and six on foot. More horses were saddled and tied to a tree branch near the cottage. The men were all armored and wielding weapons. My heart caught in my throat. What was happening?
"I wouldn't bother putting up a fight," said a giant of a man – the hulking brute must have been seven feet tall, and built like a prize bull. "Or do – I like that too." He grinned nastily and stepped forward. My mother didn't flinch, but stood tall and proud. The pale man waved a hand at the giant, a silent order to back down.
"Leonore, I am Captain Laurent. I need you to come with us," said the pale man.
"And if I refuse?" My mother asked.
"Then we will take you with us against your will," said the captain. "Though I wish you would make it easy on yourself and come the peaceful way."
"This was always against my will, and there has never been anything peaceful about it," retorted Mother. "You'll have to drag me in, kicking and screaming."
"Screaming can be arranged," sneered the giant man.
"Easy, Tuluk," the captain said to him. "We need her in one piece."
"All I need is one piece," said Tuluk, smiling evilly. He took a step toward Mother again. She unfolded her arms and revealed the dagger she'd been hiding in her right hand. For years, she'd insisted we train and practice with them. I could feel the ankle holster of my matching dagger pressing into my leg as I crouched down. She never let me leave home without it. I'd thought she was afraid of bears or rabid animals in the woods. Who were these men, and what could they want with Mother?
