The Gable Forest

Claire had never traveled as a queen. Had never realized what it entailed, how much coordination was involved, how much fuss. Everyone had an opinion, like when exactly they should depart the city, what sorts of provisions ought to be brought, how many gowns would be needed to keep her looking queenly. It was a wonder they'd made it out of Esterpine, traversing the western path that would take them towards Fort Squall.

A week had passed since the Solstice Ball—a night she wasn't soon to forget. There'd been dancing—so much dancing—into the early hours of dawn. Tables groaning with sweet treats and savory bites. Ethereal music that felt like pure magic. She'd laughed, smiled until her face hurt, and danced until her feet ached.

While it didn't compare to the ball held in Kastali Dun, simply because of the larger-than-life presence she missed, the arms she missed holding her, it had been splendid in its own right. Her body ached for Talon, for his nearness, his touch. She missed their banter, their secret looks, that feeling of sharing something between just them, something no one else could fathom. The feeling of being a team. Gods, she even missed her ability to speak mind to mind.

But, she was closer than ever to having him back. Each step through the forest was one step nearer to him. She was giddy with anticipation, eager to the point of bursting. There was an undercurrent of fear too. She'd changed in the past few months. What would he think of her new marks? She'd shed humanity like a cloak and taken up an otherworldly appearance. As a Drengr, would he find it off-putting? Would he miss the girl she was?

"So...what's with the bow? Was it a solstice gift?" Reyr's shoulder bumped into hers.

"Oh, hello." She hadn't noticed him falling into step beside her. "It was a gift."

"From?"

"My tutor. He thought it might serve me better than sitting stagnate in his cottage."

Her mind swept back to their parting, to Pelwyn hunched over his flowerbeds. She'd been heartbroken to say goodbye. Heartbroken by the thought that he might not be there when—if—she ever returned. But the moment he'd seen the look on her face, he'd scolded her and told her to quit acting like he was already gone. That was when he'd led her into his cottage, offered her the most priceless thing in his possession.

"I see," said Reyr. "You will receive a bow during your bonding ceremony too, you know."

"I...right." She'd considered that. The bonding ceremony bow—the bow every Drengr gifted his mate. Talon's gift would be special for obvious reasons. But Pelwyn's bow held sentimental value too. It had been the missing piece that allowed her magic to blossom. "I suppose I can frame my tutor's bow on the wall and keep just the arrows to use with the one Talon will give me."

"What's so special about the arrows?" Reyr eyed the quiver she'd slung over her back. Instead of answering, she offered him a sly smile, gripping Isabella's quarterstaff—

"Hey you two, Taylynn suggests we pause for respite in the glade up ahead." Koldis had fallen back into line with them. "That is...if it is all right with Her Majesty."

"Enough, Koldis. And yes, fine with me. I could use a rest."

They'd been walking for hours—a procession of nearly fifty-five bodies making their way through the forest. Not only were their twenty Drengr-Rider pairs with them, she'd brought her two handmaidens, her eight Queen's Guard, Taylynn, and King Talon's two Shields. But that wasn't all. Trailing behind them were a delegation of unicorns, complements of Taylynn. "You're a queen now. You'll need to arrive at the war camp in style," was all Taylynn had said when she asked. As for maintaining her title of queen, Taylynn still hadn't allowed her the time to broach the subject. But she intended to before they departed from the trees.

And once they did, everyone in the delegation would split. Her pairs would take to the skies by night and travel on foot by day, just in case a stray wild dragon happened to drift this far south. She, however, would travel by unicorn with her Queen's Guard and handmaidens. Much to Koldis and Reyr's dismay, the unicorns would travel faster than the Drengr could fly, and they would soon outpace them. When Taylynn had first broken the news, both Koldis and Reyr had insisted they would also travel by unicorn to remain at Claire's side. But Taylynn nixed that idea too, making clear that no unicorn would bear their weight. No unicorn would agree to carry a Drengr when the Drengr were creatures perfectly capable of transporting themselves. They still protested every chance they got. Claire assured them that she'd be fine, that she'd rather make haste and reach Talon's camp sooner, than hang back and wait for the nights when the Drengr could travel by sky and catch up. Besides, she argued, what was the point of a Queen's Guard if she couldn't rely on her protectors to keep her safe.

For those traveling by unicorn, Taylynn had offered up beautiful velvet beige cloaks hemmed with gold beading. These would grant them a magical disguise, allowing them to blend in with the terrain as they traveled. The unicorns had their own ways of cloaking their presence from prying eyes when they wanted. Hopefully all the precaution meant any dragons scouting Fort Squall's surrounding landscape wouldn't notice the eleven travelers making their way west.

Once they reached the southern reaches of Brezen, the unicorns would have the option to return to the forest. They were smart creatures, capable of covering vast distances over short periods. Without carrying anyone, they'd make it back to their trees in record time.

Claire glanced over her shoulder; their snowy white bodies were stark against the green backdrop of trees. So majestic. So graceful. She let the others go on ahead until she was in line with the frontmost unicorn. Placing her hand on the female's neck, they walked side by side.

The female snickered and tossed her head as the traveling party approached the glen where the others were resting. She saw a flash of black from the corner of her eye and glanced in that direction. Her heart jumped, but when she looked, there was nothing. Part of her almost thought it might be remnants of the sickness, even though Taylynn had assured them that the forest was cured.

"You saw that too?" she whispered to the female. The unicorn tossed her head again. "Is there something out there? Something following us?"

She'd grown accustomed to the forest in the past months. The trees didn't frighten her, and with the sickness gone, there wasn't much else to worry over. And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

There—

Another flash of black in the distance, with too many trees between her to make sense of it. "Will you go to the others? I'm going to have a look." It probably wasn't wise, but she was no longer afraid of the unknown. Her confrontation with Kane had strengthened something in her, something that made her bolder.

The unicorn female snickered then padded away, leading the rest in her group forward. There were fifteen in total. Not all of them would carry people. A few already carried packs. While everyone else carried their own belongings, her handmaidens had insisted on an ordinate amount of clothing and supplies, everything they would need to keep her looking queenly. Plus some of the gifts she'd received at Solstice, which had increased in number when she found many city dwellers had placed gifts for her under the large King Tree in the throne room. She hadn't been able to bring most of them, but rather, left them in her room in the palace, for when she decided to visit.

The remainder of unicorn hooves plodded off to the glen while she crept away. She followed the black glimpse she'd seen, curiosity getting the better of her. She was about to call up the protection of air, just in case she encountered something dangerous, when she saw it. A black unicorn. It waited for her, watching with dark eyes as she approached.

She knew it immediately. "You're Tourmaline, aren't you?" she whispered. She'd heard of the famous creature.

"I am."

She jumped. "You can speak in my mind?"

"If I wish."

She opened and closed her mouth, took a tentative step forward, and held out her hand. Tourmaline bowed his head, giving his permission. A nervous laugh burst from her lips when she ran her fingers over his sleek coat.

"You travel west, to the battle brewing along the coast?"

"I...how did you know?"

"It is my business to know many things. I am lord of the unicorns, after all."

"You are?" She hadn't even known there was such a thing.

Tourmaline's breath was warm on her hand as he snorted. "You will travel there with the contingent I have seen?"

"Yes, they agreed to accompany us—me."

"Good. I will go too. Long has it been since I have seen the outside world."

"You—how old are you?" she found herself asking.

"My body is young, but my mind is old enough to remember the Tree when it was lonely in this place we now call home. Will you have me, Queen?"

"I..." For a moment she was speechless. "Yes. It is not my place to deny you. I would be honored—but..." She hesitated. "I cannot promise your safety. You are sure you wish to leave?"

"As sure the seasons pass, as the sun rises and the moon sets, as the tides wax and wain."

She gave a nod. "Very well, then. Would you like to come and meet the rest of my companions? Or will you keep your distance until we are out of the trees?"

There was a long hesitation and then, "I will keep my distance, for now."

She nodded, giving Tourmaline a final pet before retreating back to their group. Taylynn's eyes met hers when she slipped into the glen. She hoped no one noticed her absence. When the corners of Taylynn's lips quirked, she couldn't help but wonder if the Sprite princess knew exactly what she'd been doing.

***

Traversing the length of the forest took much longer than traveling north had. It took several days to reach the borders of the Spriten kingdom, especially because the Sprites appeared in no hurry, taking frequent rests. It was near the borders that Taylynn took Claire's arm and slowed their pace to the back of the group, letting even the unicorns pass. "I cannot go with you to the war camp," said Taylynn. "Fright and I have more pressing matters."

"What matters—?"

Taylynn held a finger to Claire's lips. "Do not ask."

Claire swallowed. "I do not want to be queen, Taylynn. Are you sure there is no way I can abdicate before I leave here? I cannot return to Talon a Sprite queen."

The princess sighed. "You must—"

"No."

"Claire, you must. We talked about this. To unite our two peoples, you must be queen when the two of you complete the bonding ceremony. A Spriten queen united with a Drengr king. It must be so. I am certain."

"And then what? How can I be a good leader for the Spriten people when I am away in Squall's End? In Kastali Dun?"

"Our people have endured for an age—longer still. We will continue to do so. For us, you will be gone a mere blink. But eventually you will return with your mate, and you will deliver the throne to me." Claire's shoulders fell, defeated. "I know it is not the answer you wanted, but the support of my people—our people, your people—in this war, in Dragonwall's war, will count for more if you—our Spriten queen—are fighting beside Dragonwall's king. One united front. Our people will follow you if needs be."

"They aren't here now. They aren't here for the battle for Squall's End."

"But they are. You will be there, and your Queen's Guard. You are all that is needed."

"And you are confident that I will change the tide?"

"It is not my confidence that matters," Taylynn said.

"It is mine." The King Tree's words whispered through the trees. Claire suppressed a shiver. Taylynn appeared to have heard too.

They had fallen farther behind, so they picked up the pace until they were even with the last of the unicorns. "I suppose Tourmaline was your idea too," she hedged, glancing at Taylynn.

"Hah! No. Believe it or not."

"Will he survive outside of the forest? Will the others? They don't have living water to carry around their necks like the other Sprites."

"Unicorns do not need it. They are beyond this forest. Their magic is of a different kind. They have not grown reliant upon the forces here to survive. But if they wish to return at any time, they are free to come back."

Claire nodded in agreement. "They will be treated with the utmost honor while they are with me. I would never keep them against their will. Would never keep any of my delegation without their consent."

"Good. I suppose this is goodbye then."

"Wait, you're leaving right this minute? You're not going to say goodbye to Koldis?"

A wicked smile spread across Taylynn's lips. "I already have."

"Oh. And...when will I see you again?"

Taylynn took her hand, kissed her knuckles, then winked. "Perhaps sooner than you expect. Never forget what you are, Claire—who you are. You are the balance long sought, the weapon long needed, and the force that will bring a sorcerer to his knees. Farewell, cousin." Taylynn dropped her hand, backed away, then disappeared into the forest. Claire watched, open-mouthed, before turning away. A force to bring a sorcerer to his knees. Right. No pressure—none at all.

When she caught up with the rest of their party, Koldis gave her a searching look. "She's gone then?" he asked, mind to mind.

"She's gone."

He offered a brief nod before returning to his conversation with Feowen. If the prince knew his sister had departed, he offered no protests. Likely, he was beyond used to seeing Taylynn come and go.

Hours later, the trees thinned, all but disappearing. Claire gasped when she recognized the outside world. Her previous steps out of the forest had been far north, in the dead of winter. But here, the snow lay in patches and grass was growing. No, not just grass, fields of wildflowers!

She laughed, which caught everyone's attention as they turned to see what had gotten into her. Her smile faded. This was where they would say goodbye. It was daylight still, the dusk hours away. None of the Drengr could take to the skies until that time.

Koldis was the first to wrap her up in his arms, lifting her up off the ground. "Well," he said, "when next we meet, it will be on the eave of battle. I suspect you will arrive a few days before us." He set her back on her feet.

Any day now, Talon and his armies would be arriving in small groups, setting up camp just far enough south east of Stormy Bay and Squall's End to go unnoticed. A thrill like electricity shot through her. Free of the trees, with Talon this far northwest, she could likely reach his mind. She almost did it, almost reached out to him, but decided she'd rather have their first words be in person, which meant—

"I know you'll be tempted to tell your king that you're coming to his aid, that I'm coming to his aid," she warned, giving both Koldis and Reyr a warning glare, "but don't you dare." Reyr frowned. "It was my choice to assist him. I ought to be the one to tell him we are coming."

They both glanced at each other. "As you wish, Your Majesty." Reyr bowed. Koldis merely lifted his brows, like he knew what she was up to. So what if she wanted her appearance in Talon's camp to be a bit of a surprise. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw her, when they reunited.

She hugged Reyr next, burying her face in his neck. "Thank you for visiting," she said, her voice muffled.

"Any time."

"Take care of Koldis and our pairs," she added. "Don't get caught. We can't risk the dragons seeing you."

"We'll be careful," he assured her.

She went to each of their pairs and gave her farewell. After two journeys together, she'd grown rather fond of them. And after all, this wasn't goodbye. She'd see them in a few days.

She was just hugging Madeleine when a gasp sounded behind her. Immediately on edge, she spun around to find everyone's eyes on the figure emerging from the forest.

"Tourmaline," Feowen whispered from the other side of their group.

She gave Madeleine a final nod before stepping away, walking over to the unicorn. "So, you decided to join us after all. I had begun to wonder." She lifted a hand and let him sniff her.

"I am true to my word. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she said, speaking aloud so the others knew who she addressed. "Though I'm no expert at riding without a saddle."

"I'll keep my hooves light. When you are ready, Queen." He lowered himself. She blinked. Whispers erupted behind her, from the Sprites especially. She glanced over her shoulder and caught Feowen's wide-eyed stare before climbing upon Tourmaline's back. She balanced her quarterstaff in front of her, took his mane in the other hand, and gripped his body with her thighs. He stood. It was much different, being on his back. She'd ridden plenty, growing up on a farm. But she'd grown used to the backs of dragons, even with her short trip north.

"Well?" she said to those who'd be traveling with her. "Shall we see if we can race the rest of our companions to the war camp?"

Her words spurred a flurry of activity. Both parties bid each other rushed farewells and the Sprites mounted up, along with Jeanine, all without saddles. Even Jeanine didn't appear to have much trouble. Feowen took the lead while the rest of them formed in around their queen.

She shared one final glance with Koldis and Reyr, her goodbye riding in her eyes. They offered nods in return. "Keep her safe," Reyr said to Feowen, his final parting words. The Sprite prince bowed his head, keeping a hand over his heart. Tourmaline lurched beneath her and she she tightened her grip. With a breathy huff, they were off, their surroundings a sudden blur, racing into the late afternoon light, chasing the sun towards the horizon.

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Happy Bonus Day!!! 

And also, happy Mother's Day to all you mommas out there! 

As a little gifty-gift to all the mothers out there, here's an extra chappie. Well, I have great new that is bittersweet. I finished my final chapter of Koldis the Green today. The good news is, now I can start dumping them up here as quickly as I can find the time to actually read through them, just to make sure there aren't any glaring issues. The sad news is, after this chapter, there are only five more. Which means, our journey through KtG is just about over.

You can expect more chapters outside of our regularly posted schedule!

All my best,

Mel