♜
the wall was the halfway point in our journey.
it surrounded the higher kingdom, parting the two. the higher and the lower. having been build hundreds of centuries ago, it surely showed, but towering over the crowns of the woods by at least a few feet, it stood proudly.
along the weathered stone, ivy tendrils had grown, covering the bricks and rocks in dark green leaves. it looked to be part of the structure at this point, some of the oldest stems almost having turned the same shade of grey. it made the wall look like something out of a 'secret garden', considering most of the land laid behind this point, was indeed unknown to most.
the gates were only opened to lower kingdom inhabitants for the last week of summer every year, but most still didn't dare to go.
we hadn't met more than two runners in the woods; men part of the king's patrols in the woods. they hadn't even been fazed by us, but we hadn't been the only ones making our way up the mountain, meaning that checking up on our right to be here would be a waste.
today was the first day the gates would be open, and it had already become quite obvious why we had made it all this way, considering how many people had had the same exact idea. guards had been patrolling closely around the barrier, not a single glance shot our way as we made our way closer.
"birth name and registration, please." a guard, covered in light armor stood proudly at the entrance, checking a woman before us. a young child was clinging to her leg, scrunching up the long fabric of her skirt, as she showed their papers.
"harvey albelle."
harvey, or belle as we called him, had gone first. with a single nod from the guard, he was send through into the higher kingdom.
harvey was the leader of our group. he was always the one to come up with idiotic plans on how we would spend our weeks, and usually, the one to barely get us out of trouble when we agreed to his ideas. if it wasn't for him, we would all spend most days locked up in our houses, in my guess.
"lilium crezin,"
lily was next, the embarrassment of having to say her actual name out loud, clear in her tone.
i honestly couldn't remember back to a time where lily hadn't been in my life. we had grown up as neighbors, and had been inseparable before kindergarten. she had a kind of brutal honesty that tested most friendships, but i appreciated it. i always knew where i stood with her.
"graham walker,"
otherwise known as grumpy; the only person i wanted to smack every-time i saw him, mostly without having a reason to. he would usually give me those later on.
he'd always stick up for me in front of others, even when he knew i was wrong. then later on he'd let me know what he really thought, which usually ended up in another pointless argument between us. but i listened to him because he listened to me. sometimes he could loose his temper and be an actual moron, then it would be my turn with the sage advice.
"maire-grace cain,"
the name tasted sour in my mouth, as my heart seemed to shrink by the memories flooding. i had always stuck with maire, but one person had always called me both. it had been a long time since i had heard that name.
as the last end of the chain i stepped up, holding out my papers. the guard took them, running over the words written.
grey, the heartbroken one. i wouldn't know how else to describe myself. i had always had a hard time keeping my opinions to myself, or keeping my mouth shut in any situation ever, and at some point, i'm sure i was fun to be around. now, i just kinda followed along as the last person in everything, waiting for the painful past to stay there.
"seven days left," the guard spoke, one of the corners of his mouth curling before he let me through.
like i wasn't aware of that?
crossing the border, it would be at least another two hours on foot, one until sunset.
the footpath we followed meandered through the woodland, leading the way up the mountain. footprints in all sizes had stepped in the overused dirt creating a trail seeming to continue without an end; each twist and turn it took, taking us into new territory.
at some points, muddy footprints had spread out, showing multiple ways of getting around the damp ground, at others the dirt was cracked, the mud having dried in the first heat of the new season leaving casts of every shoe prior to us.
when the woods seemed to grow closer, we slowed down, the path intertwined with thick tree roots and fallen logs, forcing us to pick our way carefully, mindful of what a twisted ankle would mean for the rest of the journey.
"lily," i had called out in the last hour, suddenly noticing how she was wiggling in her gate. "are you hurt?"
the group came to a halt as graham picked up lily's fragile frame, putting her down on a log. i kneeled before her, rolling down the sock on her left foot, revealing purple flowers forming on the skin.
"why didn't you say anything?" harvey grunted, a deep frown folding the skin on his forehead.
"i'm not dying just yet, belle." lily replied simply, taking in a sharp breath as i applied pressure on her ankle. it wasn't broken, but definitely bruised and in need of a break. "i barely twisted it before,"
"how long until sunset?" i asked, glancing upwards. between the tree crowns i saw how the sky was changing shades, getting darker by the minute. the higher up you went, the colder the weather became, the harsher the night.
"not long," gram had followed my gaze, seeing how we were losing daylight. "are we even allowed out here during the night?"
"tell me, one of us read up on the higher kingdom's laws before we left," lily joined in, looking through her bag to find an extra pair of socks to support her ankle.
"doesn't look like it. can't we just leave her here?" harvey shrugged his shoulders, a wide grin spreading on his face.
"shut it, belle." lily hissed, flinching as i helped ease her to her feet. "even if we were allowed to stay out here, i highly doubt any runners that should pass by wouldn't just kill us."
harvey was the first to yawn.
night fell quick up here. not more than an hour before our break, the sky had been painted with hues of red and orange, but all colour had faded leaving only a matt black canvas to be looked upon.
i had been pushed in the front, the responsibility of leading the group in the right direction having landed on my shoulders, being the only one who wasn't completely blind in the darkness.
i had heightened senses, such as vision and hearing. it wasn't something i usually spoke up about, knowing eventually someone would take it the wrong way, but it was in cases like this one, i was thankful to be that tiny bit different.
every once in a while i would wiggle my toes, flex my fingers and roll my neck, just to make sure my joints wouldn't stiffen up. lily had an arm over my shoulders, relying most of her body weight on me, which hadn't exactly increased speed.
but soon, we were making our way into one of the south towns. graham's aunt and uncle lived up here, and had allowed us to stay throughout the week.
the last week of summer. the only week of the entire year where outsiders where allowed up into the higher kingdom, to take part in the celebrations.
the festival of lights, they called it. as summer ended, the largest town in the higher kingdom was decorated with thousands of lights and lanterns, stands were put up, most wore costumes and music was played in every direction.
it was an experience never forgotten, but many never went. it wasn't necessarily safe for foreigners to walk around in the higher kingdom. guards, runner and watchers were everywhere, especially during this week since so many people visited, and they had a law, which made tensions run cold down my back.
they could kill anyone they deemed to have crossed a rule or law.
it had taken weeks for me to convince my parents to let me go, and despite understanding their worry, i knew i needed to go. in just seven days, i would be starting a written life, and i needed to start living the free life i still had left.
the festival of lights was perfect for just that. the last day we would spend here, would be my birthday, so it was quite literally the last thing i would do as a young.
"it's there. two houses back on the left," graham pointed towards a red-bricked house, one of the only ones left awake. two others were still giving out smoke from the chimney on top alongside the one we were heading towards, but the dark windows revealed the reason to be warmth.
the night swallowed all light from the day, brushing a freezing icy breeze across the higher kingdom. down by the seaside, where our town was located, the sea kept us fairly warm during the night, especially in the summertime. but the higher you got, the closer you were to the endless winter that had been laid over the top of the mountain. upwards, where the castle was placed, winter lasted all year, but in the actual winter time for the rest of the kingdom beneath it, it got worse, snowstorms dominating every inch of the higher kingdom, freezing whatever it could.
in short, none of us had ever experienced an actual harsh winter before, and we certainly hadn't prepared for it. lily's injury and decision to keep it to herself had slowed us down significantly, meaning we should've all been sleeping by now, shielded from the freezing weather.
"finally," lily mumbled as she limped the last way down to the front door. my feet were frozen, my fingers in worse shape, and my legs were numb due to having to carry most of her weight and all of my own, and finally having some of the pressure disappear brought nothing but relief.
eager to get off her ankle, lily sat down on the top step of the stairs before graham had even gotten close enough to open the door for her. with a deep sign and a wipe across her forehead that removed a slightly noticeable top layer of dust, she leaned back onto the stone wall that made out the front wall of the house.
"would you prefer to camp there for the night, or?" graham teased, as he passed her, opening the front door without as much as a single knock. with the heavy door suddenly out of the way, light flooded the dark swallowing us whole, revealing us in our current states.
lily, her ankle definitely not the size it was supposed to be, with a few splashes of the wrong colours as well. her cheeks were burning red, clearly showing the energy it had taken her to go the last way here, the rest of her face grey with dust, a few pieces of hair sticking to the sides of her face.
graham, who had pulled two sweaters out from his backpack tying one around his neck to act as a scarf and the other one he had, no doubt, struggled with putting on. it had been forced all the way over his head, down over his backpack and the second bag he had been caring in his free hand had been stuffed over his belly and under the fabric; his hands somewhere behind it all.
wes, who easily towered over any of us, now seemed to have shrunk. his shoulders had fallen, his knees were bending, his arms crossed over his chest seemingly as an attempt to keep himself standing. he clearly struggled with keeping himself awake.
wes had a warrior's build, as my father had called it, meaning he naturally build muscles faster and stronger than anyone else, one of the benefits meaning it took a lot for him to tire out. both his brothers had taken the king's plea, solely due to their build and strength, something most of our town had assumed wes would as well, as it wasn't an opportunity many had a choice in. if the king chose you, you were chosen.
the king's plea was the opportunity to escape the chosen future given to us by the letter sent out, meaning you could, instead, join the king's army and live out your life serving him up in the mountain where the palace was. mostly, the king chose men from the highest town on the mountain, but almost all the men in wes' family had been chosen despite not living as high up as preferred. not many knew, since it was seen as an honour to serve and protect our king, but the last thing wes wanted was to leave our town. he had loved growing up here, and he had always wished he would find his other half here, or as close as possible. he was closer to his family than anyone, and it had hurt his parents to part with his brothers. ever seeing them again was highest unlikely.
so, watching wes keeping his eyes open by a slight part of his eyelids, i knew we all needed the rest.
and, lastly, belle, who had bags under his eyes larger than the bags laying by my feet. he hadn't complained or slowed down once, at least i hadn't noticed anything, but he was the one to look the most worn out. that was, of course, judging by the fact that i luckily couldn't currently see myself. but i could feel how the ponytail capturing my hair this morning had left out most of it by now, and my body would soon refuse to take another step. my hands were dry from dust and dirt but underneath the sweater my mom luckily had made me bring, my back was sticky with dampen sweat.
"graham," an elderly lady, wearing more layers than any of us, suddenly emerged from a clear doorway, opening her arms that soon embraced graham.
"auntie," a smile had clearly spread on his lips, the tone of his words changed completely without any sense of warning. he was truly happy to see his aunt, the time having passed since they last saw each other, months, if that could even do it.
as mentioned, the higher kingdom wasn't exactly the place you visited. in fact, leaving your own town wasn't very common, and especially not to go higher. the wall was closed off, separating the lower and higher people. still, living at the bottom could, and would never, compare to living offshore, on the other side of the sea.
the sea was seen as a barrier between the mountain and the outer-ring. i had never actually been or seen the outer-ring, but the stories were enough to keep me far away. it sounded horrible, like no place to live.
the people of the lowest elements had two roads to take, not that it had ever been their choice; to get moved to the outer-ring or get hired as a servant some place in the higher kingdom.
"you children must be freezing," graham's aunt seemed to realise the four people behind him all the sudden, as she quickly pushed him to the side, wavering us inside. i pulled lily up with my hand in hers, helping her over to the nearest seat, before rubbing my eyes, trying to take in the sharp light my eyes hadn't yet adjusted to.
my breaths disappear into the warm air that fills the house, as i stretch out my hands, tilting my head upwards. the thick scent of something sour spreads around the living room, the first room to step into when entering. graham's aunt is still standing among us, meaning his uncle would probably be found somewhere else in the house.
"gabriel has set over a cup of coffee, if you want some to warm you up," graham's aunt spoke up, her eyes lighting up as she had turned, half of her face facing the fireplace.
"sounds lovely, thank you, delia." i replied.
a short look between me and graham made the butterflies in my stomach from this morning stretch their legs for a moment. he offered me a short smile. this was it. no turning back.