Koldis the Green (DRAGONWALL SERIES 4)

CHAPTER 34: THE KING TREE

The Gable Forest

Claire found it harder than expected to bid Akkar goodbye. She rubbed his nose, fed him an apple, rubbed his nose some more, cooed at him, told him what a good boy he'd been. He snorted at the last part, humoring her need to baby him. Then he plodded over to the food trough set out from the Sprites at the outpost.

She and Taylynn returned their winter weather gear, glad to be back under the shelter of the trees, even if they were sparse this close to the edge. The magic worked all the way to the edge-most tree, where the heavy drifts of snow stopped and green grass appeared. Fright remained out of sight in the sky. Taylynn had given him instructions to fly a little farther east along the tree line where she would meet him shortly.

"Remember," Taylynn said, adjusting Claire's braid and fussing over her, "your search for the Tree will depend on your desire to find it."

Taylynn had already walked her through much of this. "What if it doesn't think I'm ready?"

"My answer is still the same. You are ready. Now, I will see you in Esterpine. Do not leave the forest until you and I have had another chance to talk."

She frowned. "Why would I—?

"Promise me, Claire."

"All...all right. I promise I will wait." She had no intention of running off just yet anyway. She didn't even have the staff. But something in the way Taylynn said it left her wondering what her visit with the Tree might bring. She was beyond ready to return to Talon.

It was with a sigh of resignation that she bid goodbye to Taylynn. They parted ways shortly after entering the denser part of the forest. She went south, following a path the forest set for her, while Taylynn went east. As instructed, she kept her desires at the forefront of her mind. "When you are ready," she whispered to the Tree, to the forest air, "I am here."

The hours in the forest stretched on. She wasn't empty-handed. She'd taken a small pack with provisions from the outpost. It wasn't as if she were on a magic quest anymore—not at this point.

As the hours wore on, she thought back over everything. It was no small feat, her Ordeal. Ordeal with a capital O, because it had been significant and she had grown a great deal through it. Changed a great deal. Not only was she hardened, there were fresh marks to show for both her fight against Kane and waking Fright. She hadn't removed her clothes, hadn't wanted to look at them just yet. But she was certain the markings she'd earned would be noticeable.

For the first time in days, she allowed herself to think—to really think—of what Queen Jade had done. Being back in the forest, being away from Taylynn brought the queen's betrayal to the forefront. To her, Sprites had always been pure beings, faultless, beautiful, ethereal...good. Jade had proven something to her. Something crucial. Even the most seemingly innocent could be evil. And yet, Jade's intentions had been awful but understandable.

A frown materialized on her face. Once she was Talon's queen, what lengths would she go to to save her kingdom? What would she do if the Drengr were threatened and she had few options left? Her fists clenched at the thought of such desperation. But the answer came just as easily. She squared her shoulders. Never—she would never knowingly betray an innocent for the sake of saving her people. It wasn't just the cost of life, it was the weight that would bear down upon her conscience. How could she live with herself? How did Jade expect to live with herself after hading Claire over to someone like Kane?

In a way, it was an act of war. Even if Jade didn't know Claire was Dragonwall's future queen, she was under Talon's protection. Kane was Enemy Number One. Jade had handed her over knowing full well what Kane was and how he would use her, hurt her, possibly even kill her. She'd known.