Son of Night and Daughter of Stars

Chapter 15: The Journey to the Edge

"We've just passed into Allsbrook territory," Danica yelled, reaching back to shove Estelle awake. Estelle sat up quickly, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She had no idea how long she'd been slumbering. 

"Don't worry," Danica told her, reading her silence. "You were only out for about half an hour. I let you sleep since we'll be taking turns tonight." 

"Good thinking," Estelle called back. She twisted her neck to look at her brother, who held the map of Terrasen in his hands. "You know where we're going, Reave?"

Reave nodded, pointing northwest. "Keep heading that way, Danica. We'll reach the mountains soon. Touch down outside Allsbrook, at the edge of the Oakwald Forest."

Danica patted Zephyr's shoulder, and the wyvern angled the direction Reave pointed. Danica stroked the wyvern's neck fondly, then flipped around to face Estelle and Reave. "So. Does anyone have any idea what exactly we're looking for?" 

Estelle grabbed the map from her brother, being careful to keep a tight grip on it. She smoothed it as best she could, and pointed to the spot the Queen had marked. "Mother said we'd find a large circle of sloppy Wyrdmarks here. Fenrys said he could see it from a mountaintop, so we should be able to find it from the skies." 

Danica tilted her head. "Why did Fenrys go to the top of a mountain?" 

"He winnowed," Reave cut in, snatching the map back. "So that he could see the whole picture. I heard him tell Father it looked like it'd been written by several people, all spread out." 

Danica scowled. "That doesn't bode well. I hope the both of you are prepared to defend yourselves should we run into the writers of these marks." 

"I am," Estelle replied, patting her sword hilt where it was sheathed at her waist. According to her mother, who'd given her the sword for her sixteenth birthday, it was a modified version of the Illyrian blade she'd taken from Prythian. Estelle had dubbed it "Solatanzta," or Sun Thorn, in the Old Language. Reave teased her endlessly for the fancy name, but Estelle liked it. The sword was forged with a gold-lacquered hilt and a dark amber gem set into the pommel. The shape of the blade reminded Estelle of a thorn, with a wide edge melting into a needle-sharp point. 

"I am too," Reave said, though the sword he bore on his back hadn't been used in some time. Reave was a reader, not a fighter, which Estelle always sought to remind him of when they fought. 

Danica raised her eyebrow Reave. "You sure, little Prince?" 

Reave turned a bit red. "I really wish you'd stop calling me that. I'm not little." 

"But are you sure you can use that blade?" Danica pressed, leaning forward. Reave nodded hastily. Danica smiled and met Estelle's gaze, who shared her smile. They both knew Reave was mostly all talk and little action.

Reave cleared his throat. "We're here. Tell Zephyr to land on the edge of the forest. The marks should be somewhere around here." 

Estelle scanned the ground beaneath them. "I don't see them anywhere." 

"Let's just land and find them from the ground, then," Reave replied impatiently. 

"Zephyr can hear you just fine, you know," Danica said as she turned back around and patted Zephyr's shoulder. "She's not an animal." 

"I mean, technically, she is," Estelle muttered. Danica laughed. 

"Fine, but she's an intelligent animal," She said, leaning forward over Zephyr's neck. The wyvern angled downward, her long neck sloping towards the ground. Estelle followed Danica's lead and pressed her cheek into her friend's back. She felt her brother do the same, his hands moving to grab her waist again as Zephyr picked up speed.  

"Should she be going this fast?" Estelle yelled over the roaring wind. 

"Probably not," Danica called back. "We might hit some trees." 

"What?" Reave yelped. Estelle choked when his voice cracked on the word. Danica threw back her head, howling with laughter, and Estelle joined her. 

"Relax, Reave," Danica told him, not even trying to hold in her chuckles. "Zephyr knows what she's doing." 

Zephyr snorted, and Estelle dared to look up. They were coasting over the forest, so close Estelle thought Zephyr's feet might hit the treetops. She could see that they were heading for the treeline to the west of the walls of Allsbrook, the mountains looming over them. 

Zephyr flung out her wings, and Estelle bit back a yell as they abruptly flung backward, their speed slowing. The wyvern expertly soared over the edge of the forest, landing gently in the plains between the mountains and the Oakwald Forest. She walked a few steps, then slid into a laying position. 

"Well. Looks like we've arrived!" Danica said, slinging her leg over Zephyr's back and sliding to the ground. She walked to Zephyr's head and patted her fondly. "Good girl, Zeph." 

Zephyr huffed, closing her eyes in what Estelle assumed was contentment. Estelle rolled her eyes, smiling as she followed Danica and jumped off Zephyr's back. She turned and began unlacing her bag, then stopped when she realized Reave was still on Zephyr's back. "What's wrong?" 

Reave was squinting at something to their left. "I think I found them." 

Estelle walked around Zephyr to follow his gaze. In the distance, she could see a point where the green pines of the Oakwald changed to black, scorched trunks. Estelle could scent the acrid smell of burning pine in the air. 

"Ah. Yes, that looks about right," She muttered, pulling her bag off Zephyr's back and throwing it over her head. "Well, let's go check it out." 

Guysssss my bestie is on Empire of Storms send help I'm pretty sure she's gonna kill me for making her go through that 😅😅😅 On a related note: I STILL HAVE NO FREAKING CLUE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EYE OF ELENA. The last time we saw the actual necklace, Aelin took it out in the swamp and showed it to Manon. And then we literally never see it again. I'M SO ANNOYED I WANNA KNOW WHERE IT WENT!!!

Also, MORT. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MORT??? 

AND PHILLIPA?? DID SHE SURVIVE THE WITCH ATTACK??

AND LUCA AND EMRYS?? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM??

SO. MANY. QUESTIONSSSS that will never be answered unless we get another ToG book 😢😢