When the Forest rumbles

The open road

Carf, on weak legs, hobbled to the overgrown roadside and sat down in a heap of leaves and spruce branches under a spreading maple. The forest around them was thinning, and a flock of sparrows rustled in the thorny raspberry thickets.

"What, vassal, are you scared?" Mavka looked at him intently, noticing his brand new uniform and the shiny buckles of his soft boots. "So whose orders were you following?"

"Mr. Finn assigned us to patrol the Grove, to protect travelers: rebel raids have become more frequent recently..." he bit his tongue and swallowed hard: "And you, actually..."

"Mavka Tharya, your royal nephew and my people have a truce, don't be afraid. We don't care about politics, we have our own path. And if you met a rebel, you would already be lying in the thicket with your throat cut."

The blackbird landed on the worn bricks of the road and, making a sharp lunge, grabbed a large rhinoceros beetle. The crunchy sound of chitin was nearly drowned out by the lively forest sounds.

"What kind of creature was there? At the Academy, they told us about the creatures of the Grove, but I thought these were all fairy tales," Zenova jumped to his feet and began to hit his calves with his palms, driving away the ants.

"Fairy tales, all sorts of them," Tharya grinned and patted the horse's neck. "Yes, there is some truth in each of them. Let's see, vassal, how you behave, and perhaps I'll tell you. Let's go, I could use your help. And without me, little bird, you won't get out of the Forest.

Zenova humbly walked behind the large figure of Mavka, every now and then returning his gaze to her dark turquoise hair, braided into a dense, heavy braid. She just laughed it off and shrugged her shoulders to all his questions. Goleufa continued to snore, but obediently followed his owner, waving his bushy gray tail.

After half an hour, the dense forest gave way to sparse thickets of bushes, and eventually, tufts of browning grass and lumps of clay. A stream crossed the meager field, prompting the travelers to stop to freshen up and fill their flasks.

... "And that's how I ended up at the Academy. The Vicegerent himself came to the presentation of diplomas and personally put a medal on me for success!" the carf shared enthusiastically. "Mother is very proud of me. In our family, only a few managed to leave the village; as you may know, it's not customary for us to leave our homeland."

"Vassal Zenova, I know more about your homeland than you do. I've been there more than once or twice. I won't say that the memories are pleasant," Tharya squinted in the sunset's rays, shading her eyes with her hand. "Little bird, do you see the tower ahead? I'm going blind, what a shame."

Zenova frowned as he looked at the low round tower peeking out from behind the thick stone wall. Ancient masonry surrounded the building, a small woodengate was concealed by a curtain of grapevines. A flock of pigeons circled above the flat roof.

"My lady Tharya, why have we come here? The Library has been empty for ages," the carf looked at her incredulously. "It was looted about two hundred years ago. The Vicegerent once wanted to restore it, but the people rebelled, claiming that it would be a waste of money."

"People would be more willing to spend money on golden palaces, right?" Mavka chuckled and patted a new friend on the shoulder. "And what did they teach you at this Academy? Isn't knowledge the greatest wealth?"

Soon a dirt road branched off the main road towards the gate. Rosehip bushes had been planted on both sides in the past, but now they grew haphazardly. Shy sparrows perched on the bouncy branches adorned with scarlet fruits and called to each other in hushed tones.

"Remember, little bird, you have to think for yourself, or else you'll give it up to someone else..." Tharya paused and looked at him from beneath her blue eyelashes. "In general, you can't believe everything they tell you."