the Magic of Secrets

Chapter 5

"Are we there yet?" Aron whined as he and Kalista trudged through the deep snow. She'd woken him up at the crack of dawn to go somewhere. She wouldn't tell him where they were going, but she'd warmed Aron's sweater with some crazy magic so that the cold wasn't that much of a problem anymore. "No. Now will you stop whining?" Kalista responded. Aron winced as the wind blew, ice crystals stinging his face. "Maybe I'll stop when you actually tell me where we're going." He snapped. She ignored him. Great. Now I'm supposedly in another world with a witch. This is going to be fun. He ran to catch up to her. Without looking at him, Kalista said "We're going to go back to your world." Aron shook his head. "And how are we going to do that?" He asked. "We're going to the Talrai. It is one of the only places in Laeitha that can bring you home. Unfortunately, it is many days to the south."

"One of the only? Why can't we do something closer and faster?"

"The cave of Talrai is the safest. You could also create a portal, but it takes many years of practice and failed attempts. The third is not an option." Kalista quickened her pace. Aron nearly had to jog to keep up. Jeez, how is she so fast? "What's the third option?" He asked, hoping to slow her down "Dangerous. If I was alone I might attempt it, but with you in tow I'm not risking my life." 

They'd been walking for what seemed like hours. The sun was setting. Aron was too tired to complain. He was far behind Kalista, and she did not seem to notice how far he was behind. It was probably a lot earlier than it felt like, but still he felt like he was carrying an anvil on his shoulders. The trees seemed to be watching them, gossiping how this girl was being followed by a clueless boy who was obviously smitten with her. Except he actually felt like the trees were speaking to one another. That is, until he saw a tiny winged creature fly out of a knot in the tree. It came up to him, and Aron saw that it was a tiny winged person. A tiny winged green person. Huh. It, no, she, flew around his head, making him dizzy. He heard a tinkling giggle as he felt a sharp sting on his neck. He yelped, and he heard Kalista give a muffled curse as she turned and ran back towards him. "Hurry up, will you?" He yelled as more of the tiny people starting stinging him. His mind was getting fuzzy. Their laughs were drowning out all other sound. The stinging turned to burning, but on the inside. Like fire coursing through his veins. Aron screamed and collapsed. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness as Kalista reached him. All he could see past the swarm of yellow and green was the wave of black that was her hair. Then a flash of blue and a dozed high-pitched screeches. The pain stopped. Aron's vision slowly began to return to normal. He blinked, clearing his eyes. Kalista's hand was in front of him, waiting to help him up. He took it gratefully. Her skin was as smooth as silk. His legs still unsteady, he gave a wobbly laugh. "I didn't think fairies did that!"

"They don't. Those were the Kerri. If they hadn't been scared off, they'd have stripped you until all that was your bones." Kalista responded. "You okay? We need to get out of the forest before nightfall. And stay close to me. They attacked because you fell behind. They know you can't fight back." And she started off again, as if nothing had ever happened.

Aron kept close to Kalista now, but thankfully she had slowed down so he wouldn't fall behind. Why did she save me? She doesn't even like me! Aron thought she was beautiful, and wanted her to like him, but was that just another one of her charms? It seemed that she was too perfect. Aron watched Kalista as he walked, trying to figure her out. He was still staring at her, trying to read her mind, when he tripped on a tree root. He cried out in surprise as he fell forward, rolling down a small hill in the snow. The worst was that he could hear Kalista laughing at him. Great. Now I look like a klutz. He smashed into a tree and groaned. Opening his eyes, he stared at the tree above him. It seemed taller than the others, and wider. There was a small hole underneath it. Something gleamed silver inside. Just as he was about to reach inside to bring the silvery twinkle out, Kalista came sliding down as well. "Aron, you're amazing! Not only do you make my day by crashing into a tree, you crash into the exact tree I was looking for!" She laughed. "What?" Aron mumbled, sitting up. Kalista reached her hand inside the hollow and extracted a quiver of silver arrows, with feathers of some sort sewn onto them. Where there are arrows, there's a bow. Aron gaped as Kalista reached back in and drew out a gleaming silver bow, carved with ancient words that he was sure only Kalista could understand. "My bow. I hid it here so my mo... so nobody would find it." She put the quiver on her back and drew an arrow. Aiming seemingly at nothing, she fired. To Aron's surprise, an acorn dropped into the snow. "Good. It still works." She smiled. Aron did too, but for a different reason. It was the first time she'd addressed him by his name.