Wicked Game

Seventeen

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall
tell no more lies of who we are."

~

Athena stood on the riverbank, squinting as she looked up to the heavens. The sun peeked at the earth coyly, obscured partly by the clouds, akin to a bashful child clutching onto the skirts of his mother. The few rays that managed to escape fell on the tranquil water as it drifted by, silent as a predator. She raised her head, moving her gaze from the water to the opposite bank.

Far across the river, on the opposite bank, stood the Myrefall forest.

Her heart sped up involuntarily as her gaze fell upon the trees, towering ominously as they rose upto the heavens, as far as her vision could see. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus her gaze, but all she could see through the gnarly, knotted branches was an inky darkness, as if all that existed beyond the line of trees was a yawning void, swallowing up anyone who dared to venture there.

Tearing her eyes away, she turned around, her gaze falling on the hastily constructed wooden raft lying a small distance away from the water, along with two shoddy paddles. Near the raft stood Daniel, his eyes hard as he stared at the forest, hands folded against his chest. Athena walked towards him, her feet leaving impressions in the damp sand, before reaching out to touch his arm.

He blinked gently, snapping out of his trance before turning to look at her.

"It's quiet," she said. "We should be able to cross uneventfully before nightfall."

He shook his head, turning to face the water again. "Don't let the quiet fool you. It is a facade to attract wayward travellers who are ignorant to the monstrosities that lurk in its depths. Tell me, have you ever seen a river this calm?"

She raised an inquisitive brow, her hand dropping by her side. "Do you think something's wrong?"

He sighed. "It's infested with Venalas."

Her mouth fell open. "Malevolent water spirits? Those creatures still exist?"

He shrugged. "Everything exists. You just need to know where to look."

She raised her head once again, casting an eye over the orange tint spreading over the blue sky, as the sun started its descent. "We are losing the light."

Daniel walked over to the raft, dropping the bag of provisions on it, before grabbing one end of the wooden structure and dragging it out to the water. Straightening up, he turned around to face her, walking towards her till they were face to face.

"Listen to me," he asserted. "Stay quiet. If you have to communicate with me, do it without speaking. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Understand this, Princess. No matter what happens, do not go into the water."

Athena stayed silent, observing his features. As her blue eyes studied his green ones, she could evidently make out the seriousness in his expression. "I understand."

He nodded at her, before gingerly placing a foot onto the wood. It wobbled slightly, and for a second Athena thought it would overturn into the water, but the raft steadied slightly, holding its own. Daniel held out a hand to her, and taking it, she stepped lightly beside him, before bending down to pick up the paddles. Handing one over to him, she sat down cross legged and he followed, sitting down to face her. Their eyes met and he nodded slightly.

They rowed out into the river, the bank moving farther away with every stroke. As Athena moved her gaze to the forest, her heart sank.

Twenty long years had she spent walking through the woods of Arlana, every clearing, every bubbling brook known to her, every hidden crevice as familiar as the back of her hand. The palace walls were suffocating, the hallways deserted, the gardens could give her but little pleasure. But the woods were an entity that she held as dear as her beating heart. She closed her eyes, her mind yearning to hear one last birdsong, to spend one more day lying on the grass, her feet dipped in the cool water of a stream as she stared into the sky. To be home.

This wasn't home.

Opening her eyes, Athena turned to face the sun, now a few inches shy of touching the horizon, the sky alight with the warmest of hues. In front of her sat Daniel, his jaw clenched tightly as his alert eyes scanned his surroundings. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes again, concentrating, fine tuning her hearing, clearing out the slightest noise as she focussed on the farthest depths of the murky water.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard it.

The silence.

For the river was mute as a man on the funeral pyre.

Dropping her paddle, she moved her hand slowly to her waist, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of her sword, trying to control the erratic pacing of her heart.

"Daniel," she whispered. "Something's wrong."

He stared at her, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

She swallowed nervously. "They're coming."

His eyes hardened. Unsheathing his blade silently, he gripped it tightly in his right hand, before raising his head to look at Athena, her heart now beating so fast that it threatened to burst out of her body. The pounding filled her ears till it was all she could hear, blood rushing to her head.

Their gazes met, and he nodded reassuringly.

His green eyes were the last thing she saw before the river erupted.