Coming Soon: The Winding Woods: The Siren from the Silver Sea 11/8/24
Book Three: The Circle of Owls
Chapter One
For six long months had they wandered through the icy abyss of the Izotza Mountains chasing after the Blue-Scaled Dragons. The end of the summer months was hard enough, but the wintery cold was blowing in more snow; covering every path and hiding all the creatures that were looking for their next meal. The only thing that showed any light was the small flame flickering from the entrance of the cave – reflecting Robin’s red hair against the rocks.
“I DON’T CARE! I’M SCARED, ALRIGHT?!” Robin looked out of the entrance of the cave; nothing but the void of the mountainside could be seen for miles. The fresh powder from last night’s storm made everything blinding white.
“We can’t see the path ahead….and we can’t see any of the markers….and the yetis are out there…and what about that albino dragon? It’ll try to eat us again!” Her breath was becoming short and sporadic, as she stared without blinking. “We’re going to die.” She spoke just above a whisper.
Tinker, her cat, started weaving in and out of her legs. Robin fiddled with the ends of her curly red hair which were sticking out of her hat, as she tried to control her breathing. She watched the foggy billows of her breath blow out into the nothingness.
“I think you’re overreacting just a bit, Robin.”
Robin ran her fingers through her tangled red hair, before stuffing it back into her hat and out of her face. The fire was dying down, but Robin didn’t see much else laying around that she could burn.
“You always do this! You get us into these situations that create more stress than what is needed! I don’t want to aimlessly run through the snow trying to avoid creatures that I can’t see!”
“Where’s your sense of adventure? It’s fine. Okay, I’ll go, and you can wait here…. alone.” The sarcasm of the statement was thick.
“Don’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone.” Her voice was small. The fear had consumed her. She was hugging the little grey cat in her arms, letting the vibrations of the cat’s purr sooth her anxiety.
“Well then, let’s get going.”
Robin wiped the tears from her eyes as she kicked dirt onto the fire. She didn’t want her tears freezing to her skin again. She bundled her coat around her and her cat, placing her book back into her bag, before venturing out to the void of the mountain top; hoping the next mountain that they climbed would bring them back to the Ice King’s palace.
Chapter Two
“So, what you’re basically telling me is that you have no idea how you did it? That’s rich. Nobody with magic ever reveals their secrets.” Charles rolled his eyes as he listened to Thea’s story of how she freed his soul from the purple crystal in the Kingdom of Owls.
“Seriously! I don’t know how to explain it. It didn’t feel like when I make a fireball appear, or a mud troll…..it’s just different. I’ve tried to control other objects, I just can’t! I have no idea how I did it.” Thea shrugged her shoulders as she adjusted her coat; Fig was trying to lay on her shoulders, making it difficult to stay fully covered by the fabric. “I’m cold too, cat.” She said in a cooing tone, as she scratched him under his chin.
The climb to the top of the Izotza mountain was getting colder the farther they went. Thea, Dean and Charles were accompanied by Fig, as they went to visit the Ice King. They were trying to keep the conversation light – trying to ignore the growing concern in the pit of their stomachs for their missing friend, Robin. Fig on the other hand, was more concerned with the shadowy figure that had been following them off and on during their climb. Lilly Quinn had been stalking them ever since they left Dean’s cabin the previous day. The little tabby’s fur would stand on end, and Thea would gently pet the cat, trying to not let on that she too saw Lilly through the trees.
“So, you just got really emotional and then everything in the room started to attack the crystal. That’s how you did it?” Dean’s brow was furrowed as he couldn’t wrap his head around what she was saying.
“From what Sorgin and Agatha had taught me, only a Supreme witch can control the ‘Ether’ which I guess is like the void around everything that we can’t see. Like the energy in the air, the little tiny particles of dust you can see in the sunshine, the momentum of movement….I don’t know guys, I just did it. I don’t know how to explain it.” Thea really didn’t have a clue on how she was able to control the Ether. The rage that had been growing inside of her fueled the entire episode at the Kingdom of Owls….she was curious if she would be able to do it again, if Lilly Quinn decided to attack them as the Grimalkin.
Charles playfully threw a snowball at his brother, acting as if a Yeti had done it, as the group climbed the path of Izotza to see the Ice King.
“You’ve been awake for one whole day, and you’re already acting like a brat.” Dean said, as he flipped a handful of snow back at Charles. Thea was stuck in the middle of their horseplay, getting hit in the face with bits of snow.
“Really? This is why I travel with Robin, instead of boys.” She was smirking, as she rubbed the bits of melting snow from her cheek.
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Boys? We are men, thank you very much! We graduated from school years ago.” Dean wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulder, trying his best to look hurt.
“Well, you act like a couple of boys!” Thea threw snow at both of them, causing Fig to go flying off her shoulder and into a snowbank. Charles started to pack a snowball in his hands. “I’ll throw a fireball back.” Thea said with a grin, though trying to sound serious. “Come on you two, we have a long way to go.”
“Oh, I see how it is Dean. She gets to decide when we’re done playing.” Charles winked at her as he dropped the snow ball, showing her that he had no more ammo in his hands.
“It happens when you are a female….who can throw fireballs.” Dean dropped the bit of snow he had in his hands when he saw the look Thea was giving him and kept walking.
Thea stuck her tongue out at them as she placed her cat back up on her shoulder.
“Where do you think Lilly wandered off to? She’s been gone for almost twenty minutes.” Dean was shielding the sun from his eyes as he looked into the trees to see if he could catch a glimpse of their stalker.
“I’m not sure, but I bet she’ll be back. I don’t plan on putting my guard down until I know what she’s up to.” Thea too, was watching the trees, though not being as obvious as Dean. She had already caught sight of the red eyes of a yeti, watching them from the top of a pine tree.
It took the rest of the day for the group to make their way up to the top of the mountain. The men were in awe, as they looked up to see the dome of ice covering the kingdom. The curious looks on their faces reminded Thea that she needed to take a moment to really take in what was happening around her. “I wonder if Robin has made it back here…or Penelope!”
“Who’s Penelope?” Charles whispered to Dean.
“Her grandma, she told you that, pay attention.” Dean nudged Charles with his elbow.
“I’ve been stupefied for months, cut me some slack.” He scratched his head through his thick blonde hair, trying to remember everything that they had told him.
Thea just shook her head, as she set Fig down on the ground. He hopped from cobblestone to cobblestone, trying to avoid the snow in between. Thea walked up to the guard and smiled at him. “Hi, we’re here to see Irving.” The guard lifted an eyebrow at her. “I mean the Ice King, of course.” Thea could feel her face flushing as the guard turned to grab the enchanted mirror off its shelf. Thea could see the round face of the Ice King nodding in approval through the glass. The guard, without saying a word, smiled at Thea as he opened the door to the dome for her and her friends.
Thea’s pace quickened up as she started toward the castle, while Dean and Charles moved more slowly as they watched a couple of snowmen juggling snowballs, and two penguins drinking hot cocoa as they sat at a bistro table watching the show. The streetlights started to fill with fireflies as they lit the way on the path; their light dancing across the glistening snow made for a show of its own. Thea watched the boyish wonderment across her friend’s faces. She wished that she could take the time to experience everything that was happening around her. After all, her memories were less than two years old, and many of the things she was experiencing felt like it was for the first time for her as well. Her concern and guilt kept her driving forward – She couldn’t take the luxury of playtime like the others did. “Come on guys. We have things to take care of.”
The Ice King, with his long white hair and beard that almost touched the floor, stood in the entrance of the castle; his skin was practically the same shade of pale blue as the icy walls of his palace. His robe was a rich purple, which complemented his frosty skin. “Thea! I’m so glad you are here! How was your adventure?” He stood with his arms outstretched, waiting for her embrace.
Thea laid into his arms, burying her face into the puffs of his massive beard. He smelled of coffee beans and vanilla, which brought Thea comfort in being there. She felt warm and safe being with Irving, despite the cooling effect his skin had when it touched her. “I’m glad to see you too. Uh, I don’t mean to be rude, but is Robin here? She never went to our meeting place after we left here…..she’s been missing for months now.”
The Ice King pulled back and looked her in the eye. “She’s not here and my guard has yet to return. Edward hasn’t sent any word back. I assumed they were with you.”
Thea’s heart began to race and her chest became tight. She knew that she shouldn’t have split off from Robin. She had been too focused on her own mission to help her friend. “We need to find her!”
The Ice King looked past Thea, watching her friends walk up the path toward them. “We can get a search party put together in the morning, but as for now, it is nightfall and it’s too dangerous to leave the safety of the ice dome at this hour.” Thea turned with a distraught look to her friends. The men’s happy faces turned serious when they saw her; they didn’t need to ask if Robin had returned.
“What about Penelope? Have you heard from or seen her?”
“No, I haven’t! Is she alright? Did you see her?” Irving was very excited to hear any news of his beloved. He took Thea by the hand and walked the group into the parlor, where they were served hot chocolate and dandelion fizzy, accompanied by an assortment of sandwiches and sugary treats. Thea sat next to Irving as she recapped the past months’ adventure. She introduced the Ice King to her companions, and they shared their own stories of Sorgin keeping them captive, the crow witch snatching out Charles’ eye, and their many run-ins with Lilly Quinn.
“I don’t know…I guess being stupefied is like being asleep with your eyes open. You can see everything that is going on, but it all seems to happen in just a moment. I didn’t have any control over my body – it was like I was just there for the ride.”
Irving sat in a chair with rounded arms on which Fig perched next to him, getting his head scratched as the Ice King listened to their stories. “I had no idea that Penelope was in trouble,” he had a few tears that turned into icicles on his eyelashes. “I thought she stopped loving me and was hiding from me….”
“We’ll need to find her too……” Before Thea could finish her sentence, the Ice King was on his feet, and retrieving something from a desk’s drawer. He came back with one of the enchanted fairy mirrors that Thea had used when they were looking for Lilly in the forest.
The Ice King shook his moustache in the mirror before he turned the mirror over in his hand twice. It started to glow as he lifted it to his face. “Attention fairies and creatures…. or anyone who may be watching. I am looking for four individuals. The first is a witch named Robin – She was last seen in the Izotza mountains in search of Blue-Scaled Dragon Eggs. She has flaming red curly hair and green eyes. She was accompanied by an Izotzan named Edward. He has blue skin like I do, but he’s much younger. He was last seen wearing an Izotzan guard uniform. The next party I am interested in is Lilly Quinn. She is half Elf, half Witch – pointed ears, silvery blondish-white hair and is a Grimalkin. She is dangerous and should be treated as such. Keep your distance as she is able to eat your soul. The most important is Penelope….she looks like this,” He turned the mirror to Thea who awkwardly waved at the mirror before Irving turned the mirror back to his face. “but she is my age now. She is the love of my life and I will be offering rewards for any information you provide. If your help leads to finding one, two or all of these parties, I will provide more gold pieces than you can count. Thank you.” He then turned the mirror twice over in his hands and the glowing ceased. He waved a young woman over to where he stood. “Keep track of the leads and bring this to the soldiers’ room in the morning.” She nodded and left with the mirror to join a few other workers in the hallway.
“The mirrors only work if they are still hung amongst the trees. It can be dangerous to use them though, as you can never be too sure who is watching.”
“Hopefully Lilly or Sorgin are not watching!” Dean expressed, as he gave a concerned look to Thea. She had thought of that, too. Broadcasting their intentions while also hunting for the people who are looking for them, may not have been the best idea.
“That could be a bad thing. Especially if they know where Penelope or Robin could be.” She said, as she investigated the bottom of her cup.
“I wonder if Cricket ever came back to meet up with Sorgin?” Charles added
“I bet Lilly stopped following us to go find Cricket – tracking her down would most likely lead us to Lilly.” Thea’s eyes lit up. She couldn’t believe that she didn’t think of that first!
“I wouldn’t dare to broadcast that over the mirrors – members of the Circle of Owls lurk in every corner of every kingdom. If Cricket is the one who was controlling the group, I’m sure that her minions would report to her that we are looking for her.” Irving was back to scratching Fig’s ears. “I can’t believe I did nothing while Penelope was in trouble.”
“How were you to know, Irving?” Thea walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder as she offered a sympathetic look. “How were any of us to know?” her head tilted to the side as she looked down at the old man. She could see the worry in his eyes.
The group made plans to meet with the soldiers after breakfast to devise a plan to find Penelope, Robin and Edward, and Lilly. Irving personally walked the group through the castle to their bed chambers. Irving brought Charles into a room, making small talk of the swords which were hanging on the wall above the fireplace.
Thea faded in and out of the conversation as her head was starting to pound. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for months and the guilt and worry for her grandmother and best friend were becoming overwhelming. The little witch had begun to break out in little hives all over her arms that she nervously rubbed, trying to not scratch the skin. “Hey, we’ll find her Thea. All of them. Don’t you worry.” Dean wrapped Thea in his ample arms, pulling her tight in an embrace against his chest. She hugged him back, silently crying. Dean leaned down and kissed her on the top of her forehead. Thea immediately stopped crying and slightly pulled away as Irving emerged from the room.
“Shall we?” Irving said, faking a cheery smile, as he too was wearing a worried look.
Awkwardly the two pulled apart and followed the Ice King down the hall. A sleepy Fig was laying in Irving’s arms, enjoying the free ride down the long hallway.
“Good night.” Dean clumsily nodded at Thea as he went into his chamber.
“Night, Dean. Sleep well.” Thea said in a small voice, as she turned to keep up with Irving.
“That one is sweet on you.” Irving said, without making eye contact.
Thea could feel her face getting hot. “I don’t know about all of that.” They walked to the door of the room in which she had stayed before.
“I had my staff make this room up especially for you. I really am glad that you have returned, Thea.”
The Ice King opened the door to a magnificent sight. The room was redecorated in soft lilac colors. From the pillows to the rich fabrics of the curtains – the room was fit for a princess! There was a bench at the end of the bed that was covered in fluffy fur, pictures of her and her grandmother framed on the wall, and even a cat bed next to the fireplace for Fig (who had already found his space and was settling in next to the fire.)
“Irving, this room is amazing!” Thea stated, as she noticed the open closet was full of shoes and clothing for her as well. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me! Thank you!” She gave him a hug as tight as she could, wrapping her arms around his wide frame. He was happy to see her smile.
“I think of you as my granddaughter, and I will do everything I can to keep that smile on your face.” He tapped her on the tip of her nose with his pointer finger, just as a grandpa would do for a little kid. “You let me or anyone on my staff know if there is anything else you may need. Good night, my sweet Thea.” His voice was comforting, and Thea could feel the love in his words.
“Good night Irving. Thank you….thank you for making me feel at home.” Her sweet smile made the Ice King feel warmth. The Ice King turned, shutting the door behind him.
Thea sat in a chair near the fireplace, watching her little cat sleep for a moment, before rummaging through her bag for some arrowroot tonic to help her headache. Her last bottle was nearing the bottom. “Too bad Agatha was the only one that could make this strong enough to work on my headaches.” She said, as she gingerly sipped on the bottle. Fig lifted his head and meowed in response. “Sorry, did I wake you?” Again, the cat meowed, as he came over and climbed on his human’s lap.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, sweet boy. I’m worried about Robin and Penelope….Sorgin, Cricket, and most importantly, what Lilly is going to do.” She was rubbing her temple as Fig nuzzled his face in her other hand. She weakly smiled as she aggressively rubbed the cat’s face. “And what was that about in the hallway with Dean? Did you see that?”
“Meow.” Followed by a long purr.
“Yeah, I don’t know either.” She scratched his ears as if Fig was responding to her. “Let’s go to sleep, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a long while until we get to sleep in a bed again.”
Thea went to the closet and hung up her bag. She found a cotton night shirt that was the perfect size for her. She climbed into the softest set of blankets she ever remembered feeling and felt instantly relaxed laying on a bed that seemed to be built just for her comfort.
Sleep came easily for Thea for the first time in a long while. She slept solidly, as she dreamt of her cabin and studying spells from her books while sitting on the porch with Fig. Dean, Charles, and Robin where there for a moment, before they disappeared. She could see Robin’s fiery hair in the distance of the field and was chasing after her but could never catch her. The trees were dancing around, causing her to get lost in the forest. It was getting dark, but the red hair glowed in front of her. “Robin! Wait for me! Come back!” Thea would call out to her. She ran through the branches, ignoring the scratches – running with Fig in all his fiery glory, chasing the flowing red hair. “Robin STOP!” Thea could feel her chest getting tight as she was running out of breath. “Robin?!” She leaped toward the hair and was able to tackle Robin to the ground. Robin landed hard on her face, with Thea turning her over from behind. “Why are you running from me?” Thea questioned, as she turned her friend over to face her. Thea could see the structure of the face: a nose, sockets where the eyes should be, and a mouth, but there was nothing defining of the face; just a blank canvas of smooth porcelain skin.
Thea could feel herself being pulled out of her sleep as Fig was laying on her chest, licking her face. She jumped up, now wide awake. It was still night outside. She had only slept for a few hours. Letting out a sigh as she laid back down on her side, with her cat cuddled into her arms. “I need to sleep.” She tossed and turned for an hour before she got up and went over to her bag. She pulled out a vial labeled “valerian root” sprinkling a fair amount into a glass of water, before drinking the whole thing. She laid back down into the warm blankets with her cuddly cat; she could feel her eyelids becoming heavy as she gently petted Fig’s soft fur. This time, she slept through the night – no more dreams, just the blackness.
Copyright © 2024 Dani Swanson - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
