Page 6

“Yes, I’m Rig. You are Uh-NEE.”

“Ani. But, yes. Where are we, Rig? Where have you taken me?” Still, lifeless air pressed around, without a whisper of a breeze. The air had an earthy taste to it that she didn’t recognize.

He hung onto her skirt as he clambered to his feet and leaned into her legs. “We are safe, Uh-NEE. Don’t worry. I’m taking you home.”

“Home? To your home? Rig, I can’t go home with you. You need to take me back to my campsite, to my people.”

He giggled and hugged her tighter. “Oh, Uh-NEE. You’re funny. I can’t do that. I need to take you home. We need you. I called for you, and you came. I didn’t think you would. No one has come before...” He trailed away into pained silence. But then he hugged her tighter and fervor returned to his voice. “But now you are here, and everything will be okay!”

She reached down and settled her hands on his narrow shoulders before sliding her fingers down to grip his arms. With gentle force, she tried to peel his arms free of her. “No,” she insisted. “I am not going home with you. You need to take me back to my home.”

“In the dark forest? I can’t do that. It isn’t safe. The trees aren’t safe. They have bad shadows. Bad voices.”

“Rig, you need to take me home. Now.” She tried to still the tremor in her voice but failed miserably.

He clasped her hand in his cold fingers and squeezed. “The dark forest is a silly place to call home,” he said. “I’ll take you to my home. It’s better. Nicer.” He hesitated. “Well, most of the time it’s nice. Medda takes my things, and I don’t like that. She always takes my things.”

“Who—who is Medda?” Anrid tried the strange name on her tongue.

He tugged her forward. “Come on. I’ll take you to her. You’ll like her, really you will. I’ll tell her not to take your things.”

I don’t have any of my things, she wanted to tell him, a bit petulant about that fact. Shades, she had even lost her shawl! But she kept such thoughts to herself. It wouldn’t do any good to whine like a child. No. She was the adult and, even in this unusual and unpleasant situation, she needed to behave accordingly.

Perhaps this Medda would be able to help her get back to her caravan. If she didn’t show up to meet her future husband like planned, who knew what kind of political row that might cause. What if they thought she ran away and betrayed her people?

“I need you to take me back now, Rig. Do you understand? You need to obey. Take me back.”

He didn’t answer for the longest time. Then his arms seemed to lose their strength as he pulled away. “I will take you.” He sounded heartbroken and mournful.

Her heart ached, but she steeled herself against this motherly instinct. She wasn’t here to take care of this child. That was her job back home.

As Rig clasped her hand and led her into the darkness, Anrid clung to that thought. She wasn’t here to care for strange forest children. No, she was here to marry a dark elf and have his children.

Her own children.

She gripped Rig’s hand a little tighter.

The thought thrilled her a little. She’d always wanted a family of her own...to feel the tightness of little arms around her neck, a man’s palm pressed against hers as he leaned in for a kiss, not caring about the puke and snot smeared all over her apron.

To have a little place in the world that was hers—all hers—filled with the people she loved. Her sister and her sister’s children right alongside her, growing old together in the same community longhouse.

Perhaps she might still have those things...some of them, anyway... She just thought she would be able to choose her own husband and begin that family based on love. But perhaps it didn’t always work that way, and sometimes your family was chosen for you.

“Are we almost to the door?” she asked when they seemed to have been stumbling in the darkness a long time.

“Almost there, Uh-NEE. Don’t worry. I know the way. I know all the ways.”

All the ways.

She didn’t like the sound of that. The temporary relief evaporated like a drop of water on a hot cooking stone. “All the ways to where?”

He giggled. “To everywhere, silly.”

Everywhere did not sound like the way back to her campsite. Anrid considered pulling free of him, but what would she do? She couldn’t see a thing in the darkness and didn’t know where she was, let alone where to go.

She might stumble around down here until she starved to death and withered away to nothing more than bone.

“Oh, bother.” She drew a shuddering breath and plunged onward. What other choice did she have?