As the sun rose it was clear that the forest on this side of the river was far healthier and brighter than that they had just passed through. Here the trees were further apart, letting the light splatter across the floor and the air was bright and fresh. Davis came back as the sun rose and with him he bore fresh meat, and so, as the birds sang above them, he lit a fire and cooked the rodents he had killed.
Vivienne and Paddoc ate as though they had never touched food before - for they almost felt as though they had not. Vivienne didn't think she'd ever fill herself on the taste of rabbit or tree possum but after her second helping she found her dress felt tight and she had to excuse herself to lie down in the sunlight.
Vivienne felt fulfilled, not only from the food but also the company. The four of them sat and laughed and for the first time in days they all felt safe. Vivienne saw Davis truly smile for the first time since they met and she noticed the glint that flickered across his eyes every time he glanced at the Witch next to him.
The only damper on the beautiful morning was Paddoc's injury, though even she was smiling and enjoying the peace, though every time she moved she whimpered in pain. Though she tried to hide it, Davis noticed, and after some time he excused himself from the gathering to hunt down a herb he said he had heard of that he believed would still the bleeding and alleviate the pain.
Once Davis was far from earshot the witch's demeanour changed. Previously light and happy, the woman grew solemn and she told Vivienne and Paddoc of the moment she had seen after her guests had left.
Vivienne stared at her in shock, "You mean to say that you think the girls were us?" She asked
"Not were," replied the witch, "they are, or they will be."
Paddoc spoke up, her pain evident in every word, "prophecies change, it may not be."
"It was different to any other moment I had seen. In this moment I felt like I was standing on that beach with you. This is something else."
"I'm not a warrior queen," said Vivienne, "I'm barely a queen at all. I don't want to lead a war. I just want to go home and I want to be safe."
The three grew silent as they heard Davis return. Morenna knew Vivienne would not willingly become the woman she was supposed to be but perhaps, she thought, there might be a way to show her. Morenna knew of a place, a place that most thought was but a legend, beyond the great wall at the end of their world where magic still thrived. That was the place they needed to go. From there Vivienne would know her true quest.
As he approached the three women they could see that Davis was holding a handful of blue flowers, their stems red as blood. Holding them over the fire, they watched as the heat brought out the vibrancy in the colours. He the rubbed the flowers in his hands until they became a thick purple pulp and he pressed the concoction into Paddoc's wound. Almost instantly the formulation hardened and filled the cut, stopping the bleed and Paddoc once more felt whole.
Morenna spoke up once more, "I know where we must go. Far to the North you may know of the wall and beyond that wall you may be safe."
"That wall leads to the end of the world," argued Vivienne, "There is nothing there but wasteland."
Morenna went to speak but Paddoc, taking the witch by surprise, cut her off; "It is true, there is a wall and there is an end to our world but there is space in between. There was a war, the war you have learned of since your childhood, but you were lied to. The magic did not die and nor did the creatures born from it. Legend says that they ran to the North and it was man who built the wall to keep them there. It's little but a myth and I do not know it well but if this journey has taught me anything it is that the tales we were told may not have been as legitimate as we thought."
Vivienne was taken aback, while Morenna was impressed by the girls knowledge. As she admired her she recalled an old royal tradition of children and their twin protectors.
"Then, if Davis and Vivienne are in agreement, we venture in search of the wall."
Davis nodded and Vivienne, almost reluctantly agreed, and so it was decided. Though Vivienne had little hope in their mission, they left in search of the wall. At the very least, if the legends were true, Lord Darle and the Bishop would have little power in a land they didn't believe in.
YOU ARE READING
The Chronicles of the Runaway Queen: Escape to Danger
Fantasy*This version of this book has been abandoned in favor of a re-write - currently in progress*
