Within These Tangled Tales

Chapter Twenty-Eight

—Unknown Forest, Shadowlands, Valdornne—

Ahead of them was a great white oak like nothing Idelle had ever seen. Its leaves were greener than the other trees, almost unnaturally so, but their vibrant color was not what held Idelle's curiosity. As they neared it, she could see the bark peeling away as though burnt, flecks of ash continuously rising into the air though the tree itself did not burn. That curiosity got the better of her, and she reached out with her aether to determine what sort of magic held it.

Idelle cried out, a vision snapping into focus in her mind as her aether met the White Oak. Two small figures, twins they appeared, played around the base of the tree, though it looked no different than any other tree then. Two boys they appeared to be, their long blonde hair bouncing over their shoulders as they conjured magical swords and fought each other in a mock battle. The vision blurred and suddenly the boys were huddled against the tree as a dark shadow loomed over them. Another blur and the boys were a little older now, their hands clasped together as they faced the shadow again. But then, light flooded the forest, searing the boys and the tree to ashes. The dark shadow remained as the forest grew cold. Another blur and the boys began to crawl their way out of the burnt ground, bony hands reforming slowly, muscle and skin regrown with every crooked movement. They had just begun to rise to their feet, faces obscured by the clumps of hair that remained when the vision blurred, obscuring everything. Screams echoed in her ears, a terrible warbling sound making her flinch, eyes shut, and hands clamped over her ears in an effort to stop it.

A hand touched her own and Idelle started. Lulu knelt before her, concern clear on her face as she pulled her arms down slowly. Idelle scrambled away from the tree, eager to put as much distance between herself and the tree as she was able.

"What did you see?" Lulu asked, coming to stand at her side. She brushed her fingers through the few loose strands of hair, tracing the tip of her pointed ears. Idelle leaned into the touch, grateful for the warmth of her lover.

"Two boys. Something killed them there at the tree, but..." her stomach rolled at the memory of the deformities that had emerged from the dirt. "But they were reborn somehow. They crawled out of the ground and have killed any who have found their way here."

"Then, let's get a move on, yeah, little lady?" Duncan pushed her gently forward, a furtive glance spared at the tree.

Idelle nodded, trying to ignore the way the tree continued to whisper to her in children's voices as she followed the others beyond the White Oak. Lulu stayed by her side, holding her hand as she asked if she remembered the time when they stole the gilded carriage from a king in Andavaran. Of course, she had been there, but Lulu told her the story all the same. It gave her something to focus on, the whispers slowly leaving her mind as her lover's laughter rang throughout the forest. Idelle focused on the minute movements of Lulu's mouth, enraptured by the way her full lips moved to form each word. She loved the way her eyes crinkled with fondness, her nose curling at the parts about the smell that had emerged from within, and the blush that tinged her cheeks when Isaac asked, pointedly, why Lulu hadn't taken advantage of Idelle's obvious offer to spend the night with her after they had finally ditched the carriage in a swamp. Lulu muttered something about it not being obvious at all, and she had no idea if the offer had been genuine.

"It was," Idelle whispered softly as she bent to kiss her cheek.

"Oh, well, now you tell me," Lulu sighed. She tugged at her arm sharply, catching her off balance, but Lulu caught her effortlessly in her arms. The smooth movement put a smug grin on her face that made Idelle's eyes roll, but before she could say anything, Lulu had bent down kissed her freely. "Is that what you had in mind that night?"