JADE arrived in Arrian in the evening. Her stomach churned as the ship docked at one of Arrian's ports, the dim sun casting eerie red shadows in the sky.
"My Lady," Edric said, stepping up next to her. Jade had been up on deck for the last few hours of the journey and was still frozen there. Her feet didn't want to move.
Edric's voice made her start, and she sighed, "Well, this is goodbye then."
Edric gave a short, shallow bow, "Goodbye." He gave her a small, sad smile, apologies swimming in his eyes, though he couldn't do anything.
She offered him one in return, "Thank you for everything. And if you ever see my- Hosun. If you ever see Hosun, please give him this," she gave Edric a small parchment, which was her reply to Hosun's letter. Edric took it with a nod, his eyes falling to the shore.
She took in a deep breath, letting the fresh air flow through her and give her some strength. Her shoulders straightened, and she held her head high. Her fear wasn't going to show if she could help it.
With one last glance at Edric, she crossed the deck, her weak knees hidden by her long gown.
This was it.
The moment she stepped off this boat, she really would no longer have any communication with her family.
She really would be alone.
The sailors' heads were bowed as she walked past them, their hands clasped together behind their bodies. Almost like a funeral.
She walked down, hesitated before her foot touched Arrian sand. She turned and looked back at the looming structure, her eyes swimming over the mass of sailors and the ship.
Then her foot hit the ground.
She walked off the ship, looking around. The first thing she saw, even in the dim light, was the Arrian people milling around her. Their features—tanned skin, bright eyes—were so different from hers that Jade knew instinctively, she would stick out like the yellow sun on a stormy day.
There was only a bit of sand that receded into the dark mass of trees in front of her. Which city was she in? She wouldn't be able to tell, anyways.
Soft footsteps approached her, and she turned to see a man. He blended in well with the others- hazel skin, dark, brown hair. He had a slightly crooked nose, as though it had been broken once. Jade's attention was drawn to his bright, green eyes. They weren't exactly like hers, but the shades almost matched.
He was dressed, too, different from Tsuchengko men. He wore dark trousers and a lighter tunic on top, a simple brown cloak around his shoulders and reaching the ground. Something gold glinted in his left ear, nothing in his right.
His eyes crinkled as he gave Jade a polite smile, "Arlo Mascow, Head of Copsan." His accent was more casual, slower and strange.
He held out a hand, and Jade shook it carefully, feeling his rough, calloused palms.
"If I may, I'm very sorry about what happened," he said, his eyes turning soft. Jade swallowed and nodded. There was a short silence.
"You are Jade-Lily, correct?" He asked.
Jade cleared her throat. It would be best if her voice made an appearance, "Yes."
His head tilted to the side, "Lily is a beautiful name. Do you mind if I call you that instead?"
Jade blinked. She didn't know what to make of his request, but the word was out of her mouth before she even realized, "No."
He smiled—a real smile, this time, "Well, Lily, welcome to Arrian."
"Thank you," Jade said, clasping her hands together. She felt uncomfortable here, even the very air feeling foreign. The smell of the forest was unfamiliar and jarring, and she knew it would take her time to get used to it.
"Can you ride?" He asked. Jade followed his eyes to two horses, tethered to a tree on the edge of the forest. She nodded.
"Good. Come, then," he said. Jade followed him up the short beach, and they reached the horses soon. One was dark, lean and tall, and Arlo put a hand on its neck. The other was a lighter mare, standing proudly despite being smaller.
Jade walked up to the mare carefully, putting a hand on her neck as well. She made sure to take soft, careful steps. She needn't have worried, though. The mare whinnied, and Jade couldn't detect a hint of malice in the sound. Her eyes looked kind.
"Step here," Arlo pointed at a high rock. Jade did so, and it gave her enough boost to hoist herself onto the mare's back. Arlo didn't need any support, and was soon on the other horse.
"What's her name?" Jade asked, stroking her mane.
"Cinnamon," Arlo answered, patting the mare fondly.
"And him?" Jade asked, looking at the stallion.
Arlo sat up straighter as he answered, "Ebony." Jade's eyebrows furrowed. That sounded more like a female horse's name. On seeing her look, Arlo sighed, slouching, "I didn't name him."
His expression coaxed a laugh out of Jade. Arlo's eyes widened. "I really didn't!" He said defensively. He seemed less like a city Head and more like a child then.
"Who did?" Jade asked, his lightheartedness infecting her as well.
"A friend," he said nonchalantly, giving her a grin. He touched both horses' flanks and made a sound, and they both started off. Jade held the reins loosely, their rough texture running through her hands.
"Don't worry, they know the way back," Arlo said, catching her look. Jade nodded thankfully. She wouldn't have known where to go, of course.
The horses trotted through the dark forest, and Jade looked around. This was the first glimpse she was getting of her new home.
The moonlight shone through the leaves above in small slivers, lighting pieces of the soil below. The trees were tall and loomed over Jade, like giants. Jade shivered as a cold breeze blew through, rustling the leaves. Sharp cracks broke the forest as the horses stepped on the occasional twig.
"It's not that scary in the day," Jade looked at Arlo, who was giving her a knowing look. Her cheeks heated as she nodded, looking away.
Finally, they reached a group of houses, and Arlo stopped the horses. The houses were all made of logs- of course, Arrian had an abundance of wood. Golden light shone through some of the windows, falling to the ground.
Jade got off Cinnamon as Arlo did the same with Ebony and grabbed her reins. It was late, and the people must have been sleeping, so they both took quiet footsteps. Even the horses were silent.
They reached a sort of stables, a sheltered area where the other horses were. Arlo led Cinnamon and Ebony in, and Jade waited outside. He came out, eyes glinting in the light.
He made a beckoning gesture with his hand, and Jade followed him. They walked through the houses, and Jade soon realized that they were arranged around a clearing among the trees. Arlo led her to the opposite side of the clearing and knocked on the door of one of the small houses.
They heard the sound of something falling through the door, as well as a muffled, "Rotten peaches!"
Arlo sighed, leaning against the wall of the house. Jade arched an eyebrow at him, "Rotten peaches?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets, shrugging, though his eyes glinted with amusement, "Arianna doesn't curse, so she makes up her own alternatives."
Jade nodded, turning to face the door. She didn't curse either—in Tsuchengko, women just didn't. The door finally opened, and Jade's gaze fell on a young woman.
She was slightly shorter than Jade, her loose brown hair hanging freely down her back. She was as tanned as Arlo, and her dark eyes were wide, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Did you hear that?"
"I'm afraid so," Arlo drawled, pushing off from the wall. The girl, Arianna, blushed even more, her lips curling downwards.
"Oh. Well," she turned to Jade, her face lighting up in a smile, "You must be—" She stopped and looked down, fiddling with her fingers.
Jade bit her lip. Of course, Arianna didn't know what to call her. The exiled woman?
"This is Lily. Lily, meet Arianna Quilan, the one who named my horse," Arlo offered, breaking the silence. Arianna looked up again, her eyes apologetic.
"Welcome, Lily."
"Thank you," Jade said, with a slight nod.
"You'll be staying with Arianna for a while, until we find you a place of your own," Arlo said, glancing between the two.
"Are you comfortable with that?" Arianna asked. Jade nodded silently. She didn't have much choice, and even if she did, she wouldn't have refused. Arianna seemed kind. Perhaps they would be friends.
"Wonderful!" Arianna said, flashing her white teeth at Jade. Then she turned to Arlo, "Well, goodnight," she said, waving her fingers at him.
"Goodnight. Goodnight, Lily. I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're settling in," he said, giving them both a crooked smile.
"Goodnight. Thank you," Jade said. Arlo gave them a mock salute and turned, heading away, presumably to his own house.
"Well," Arianna said, causing Jade to turn to her. The girl was smiling softly. "Are you tired?"
Jade shrugged, tilting her head to the side, "Tired, yes, but I don't think I can sleep."
Arianna nodded slowly, her hand coming to her chin, "Well, come inside, anyway." Jade followed her into the small house, and Arianna shut the door behind them.
Jade's breath caught as she looked at Arianna's home. It was cozy and quaint, with none of the grandeur of her house in Tsuchengko.
Small lamps, placed around the house, illuminated it with molten, yellow light. Directly opposite them was a fireplace, surrounded by grey bricks, standing out against the brown wood of the rest of the house. In front of the fireplace were two chairs, and their red cushions looked incredibly soft and inviting. Behind the fireplace, Jade caught sight of a slightly ajar door, a strip of light shining from inside it.
But Jade's eyes were drawn to the weavings on the walls. Nets of string and tapestries hung from the wall, tastefully placed all over.
"Do you like it?" Arianna asked. Jade turned and saw a hint of anxiety in the younger girl's eyes.
She smiled, the first real smile she'd had since leaving Tsuchengko, "It's beautiful." It truly was. It was small, and rustic, and warm. The homey air wrapped around Jade like a blanket and soothed her frayed nerves.
"Thank you," Arianna said smiling shyly.
"Did you make all of these?" Jade asked, gesturing to the artwork lining the walls. Arianna's face brightened, and she nodded.
Jade slowly walked to one on her right. Brown string was wrapped all around a circle of wood, and there was a weaving of a tree in its center. Feathers hung from the bottom of the circle, waving slightly due to the wind that had just entered the house.
"We call them dream-protectors. It's a myth, but we believe that they catch sweet dreams for us and protect us from nightmares," Arianna said, stepping up beside Jade.
"And you made this," Jade breathed, touching the thread softly. It was incredible, and must've taken great skill to make. Arianna looked hardly younger than her.
"Yes. It's what I do for a living, since I can't fight." Jade looked at her inquisitively. She thought that Arrian women were allowed to fight.
Arianna caught her look and smiled ruefully, "My leg is injured." Jade's eyebrows drew closer until Arianna took a few steps back, and she sucked in a breath.
Arianna had a limp.
Jade couldn't believe she hadn't noticed this before. How could she have missed such a thing? But then again, Arianna hadn't walked around that much in front of her.
"Please, don't pity me," Arianna said quickly.
Jade cleared her expression, smiling slightly, "Of course not. It doesn't change a thing."
Arianna let out a breath and returned her smile, "Thank you. Now, let's go inside. It's best if we sleep."
Jade nodded, and Arianna led her through the door at the back. The room was lit in the same yellow light from the candles, and there was a sweet scent drifting through it. Opposite the door was a small bed, covered in white sheets, and on the floor beside it was a small pallet.
"You take the bed, Lily," Arianna said, opening a cupboard to the side.
Jade shook her head immediately, "Oh, no, I couldn't do that."
"You're the guest, you must," Arianna said, closing the cupboard and offering some white cloth to Jade, smiling slightly.
"I can't inconvenience you like that," Jade protested, looking at the cloth. It was a nightgown, long and modest, like the one Arianna was wearing.
Arianna sighed, "Well, let's compromise. One night I'll sleep down, then the next you. And so on." Jade nodded in agreement. "But today you'll be on the bed," Arianna said firmly. Jade opened her mouth to argue, but Arianna shook her head, "Not a word, Lily."
Jade sighed and nodded, smiling. "Good," Arianna said, walking over to the pallet. She laid down and pulled the sheet over herself, yawning as soon as her head touched the pillow. "You can change there," Arianna said, her eyes closed but her hand lazily pointing at a door, hidden in the wall.
Jade walked in and unlaced her gown, slipping into the nightgown. Arianna had almost the same body size that she had, so the nightgown fit her easily.
Jade walked out and slid into the bed, glad for the warmth the sheets brought her. She turned to the side, seeing Arianna's back facing her. "Goodnight, Arianna," she said softly.
"Goodnight, Lily."
Long chapter! What do you think about Arlo? And Arianna? Do you like Arrian, Kingdom of Forests? Don't forget to:
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