Page 19 of A Fractured Song (Heartsong #2)
Chapter
Nineteen
“ T hat was a good one,” Zev said encouragingly. “Try again.” He held up his hand, palm toward her.
“You didn’t even flinch,” Marieke said skeptically, although she balled up her fist as instructed. “How good a punch could it be?”
Zev laughed. “You’re hitting my hand, Marieke. Did you expect to really hurt me? It’s not like you’re punching me in the face.”
“I’m just saying,” Marieke muttered. “If you punched my hand, I’d flinch.”
Zev’s lips twitched. “Would it help your pride if I did?”
“No.” Marieke let out a sigh. “I have no pride in this area. My acknowledged lack of physical strength is the whole reason we’re doing this, right? We need to make my punches stronger so that it’s more convincing for me to look like I’m physically attacking as misdirection for actually attacking with songcraft.”
She would much prefer to keep working on the art of using her songcraft to increase the strength of Zev’s attacks, but she was mastering that much more quickly than her own punches, so was less in need of the practice.
“That’s the idea,” Zev agreed. “No offense, but if you punched like you were doing earlier, no one would be distracted by it.”
“What makes you such an expert on fighting, anyway?” Marieke asked suspiciously. “Get many bandits attacking your farm?”
“No,” Zev said simply. “I have a brother.”
“Fair enough.” Marieke adopted the stance Zev had taught her, bringing her fists up in front of her. “I’m going to make you wince this time, though.”
“All right.”
Zev spoke mildly, but she could see the hint of smugness beneath his smile. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to remember what Kaine had taught her at the same time as holding all Zev’s tips in her mind. She pulled in a deep breath as she drew her arm back, then released a rapid song as she brought her fist forward.
Her fist connected with Zev’s hand as expected, with about as much force as her previous punch. But in addition, power shot through the ground, seizing on the root of a nearby tree and yanking it upward. It emerged from the ground under Zev’s feet just far enough to make him wobble. He didn’t fall, but he did give a sharp gasp of surprise, his face twisting in a—
“Aha!” Marieke pointed a triumphant finger at him. “You winced!”
Zev blinked rapidly as he stared from the now-docile root poking out of the earth to her grinning face. His surprise changed slowly to amusement, taking his defeat in good humor.
“All right, I did,” he acknowledged. “But you cheated. ”
“Using magic isn’t cheating,” Marieke said. “It’s my primary weapon. My primary tool, really.”
“Well, it felt like cheating to me,” Zev said. He grabbed his pack from the ground, hoisting it over one shoulder. “Look, there’s the coach. Right on schedule.”
Marieke made a noise in her throat in acknowledgment of the joke. They’d been waiting by the side of the road for two hours, well past the time the public vehicle was supposed to come by. But at least it had arrived. She’d been starting to think they’d have to continue on foot. And after a week of travel, with the southern jungle finally within reach, she didn’t want their journey to slow now.
“If this one is full,” she said, as the coach rumbled toward them, “it’s my turn to go on the roof seats.” She shot him a look. “Don’t try to be chivalrous, either. Last time I had a portly woman sleep with her head on my shoulder and her chicken on my lap. I’d rather be up top and risk being thrown off at any sudden stop.”
Zev grinned. “Did you expect the journey to be glamorous, lady singer?”
“No, actually.” Marieke’s eyes were thoughtful as she watched the coach slow in response to Zev’s signal. “It’s actually been much easier than I expected. Smoother and quicker. Everything sort of falls into place for you, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know if I’d say that.” Zev sounded startled.
“I would.” There was no time for more than the simple reply, because the carriage had come to a stop.
Happily, this far south, the routes were less popular. It was why it had been difficult to find a public vehicle, but it also meant that the lumbering coach wasn’t full. They were able to sit across from each other, with only two other passengers for company. Marieke leaned back and closed her eyes. Uncomfortable as the seat might be, she was tired enough that sleep tried to tempt her. It was a relief to be moving while sitting still, at any rate. And with Zev on hand, she didn’t feel a moment’s fear for her safety with the strangers.
But sleep wasn’t actually within reach. Thoughts of their journey kept her awake as much as the jolting of the carriage did. She’d had ample time as they traveled south to observe the prosperity of Aeltas. On more than one journey through Oleand, it had felt as though disasters followed in her wake—the first time she’d returned from Aeltas, it had been so marked that she’d even wondered whether she’d brought a curse back with her.
Traveling through Aeltas with Zev was the opposite. The countryside they’d seen wasn’t quite as rich as Zev’s region, but there were no storms, no fires, no faltering harvests. On the contrary, it seemed like every second town they passed through was experiencing notable good fortune. In one village where they spent the night at a tiny inn, the residents were attempting to dig a new well, with no success in finding water. When they rose in the morning to continue their journey, everyone was celebrating as a previously discarded site had been found to abut an underwater spring.
In another area, they were stopped for lunch at a tavern when news spread that fishermen at a nearby lake had pulled in a catch that broke all previous records. The owner of the boat was so happy that he bought a round of ale for everyone present, as the town celebrated the weeks of benefit that would follow. It was only the following day that they shared a leg of the journey with a miller’s assistant who was full of delight over the unusually high wind that was sweeping through the area, and which he was sure would enable his employer to recover from the backlog that had been caused by his windmill requiring extensive repair a short time before.
Or there was the time they were caught in a heavy downpour, but couldn’t bring themselves to complain about getting wet when the locals were so pleased to have a dry spell broken, just in time to remove anxiety about the area’s most lucrative crops.
Each time, Zev shrugged off Marieke’s comments about the run of good luck following them, but his nonchalance only made her own suspicions grow. It felt like too clear a pattern to be ignored.
The coach moved steadily south as the afternoon wore on. By the time they disembarked at the furthest point south on its route, the thick jungle that dominated the southern part of Aeltas loomed before them. A tiny town was perched only a stone’s throw from the first thick-trunked trees, and it was in the town’s dusty square that they found themselves.
The other passengers didn’t alight, evidently intending to stay on the coach as it turned westward and skirted the forest’s edge. But the driver did hop down for a moment to pull out a crate from the storage area at the back of the vehicle. Without a word to them, he deposited it on the grass next to a stone bench, then climbed back onto his seat. Before their bemused eyes, the carriage disappeared around a bend.
“What’s that?” Marieke asked, staring at the crate.
Zev looked around. “No idea. But it looks like someone’s coming to get it.”
Marieke followed his gaze to see a boy ambling around the edge of a nearby building. He whistled as he walked, a pleasant tune that made her want to sing along. But she wouldn’t rush to identify herself as a singer before finding out more about their environment.
The boy stopped when he caught sight of them, his initial surprise replaced by curiosity.
“Hello. Did you just get off the coach? ”
“We did,” Zev answered. “Can you direct us to the inn, please?”
The boy chuckled. “No inn here. We’re a tiny town.” He strode forward the rest of the way, bending down to test the crate. “Heavy one this time.” He cast a speculative eye over Zev. “Care to give me a hand?”
“Sure.” Zev lifted the crate absently, showing no great strain over bearing its whole weight himself. “Where am I taking it?”
“To the store,” the boy said, leading the way. “Well, store’s a bit generous. It’s just the front room of me grampa’s house. But it’s been the only shop in town long’s I’ve been alive. The coach usually drops us off some kind of supplies.”
“So there’s nowhere we can stay in town?” Zev asked.
Marieke shot him a look. “Do we want to stay in town?”
Zev shrugged. “Not if you’re ready to brave the jungle, I suppose. But it’ll be dark in a few hours. Do you definitely want to camp tonight?”
Marieke didn’t answer, wiping a trickle of sweat from her forehead as she pulled her rucksack more tightly over her shoulder. The climate had warmed considerably as they’d headed south. The air was becoming quite thick, and she wasn’t used to it. Given the whole thing was her idea, she didn’t want to admit to Zev how nervous she felt about braving the unfamiliar terrain of the humid southern jungle.
“Going into the jungle, are you?” The boy cast another curious glance at them. “No need to be scared about it. A lot of people have superstitions, but it’s not so scary, really.”
“No?” Marieke pressed, trying not to sound too relieved.
“Nah, if you stay on the main road, you’ll be fine. It cuts through the middle of the jungle. Well,” he paused, “not right through the middle. It’s quite a ways west of the middle. But it gets you right through to the southern coast just fine.”
“We don’t want to go to the southern coast,” said Zev. “The jungle is our destination.”
“Oh?” The boy eyed him. “Visiting one of the villages along the main road, are you?”
“Aren’t there villages away from the main road?” Marieke asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Not a one. You gotta stay on the main road in the jungle. Or at least near it. There’d be no point straying from it anyway.”
“Why?” Zev asked, frowning. “Because we’d get lost?”
“Or eaten by something?” Marieke added. The question had slipped out—hopefully they’d think she was trying to be funny.
“I suppose there are things in there that can eat you.” The boy scratched his chin. “But not so long’s you stay on the main road.”
“You really love this road,” Zev said dryly.
The boy seemed surprised. “Not me. I don’t go into the jungle much. We’re a farming town. We grow avocados, and our grove is out here, not under the big trees. But folk do come through here sometimes, on their way south. The main thoroughfare goes around the jungle to the west, but going through is more direct. Plus you get traders wanting to visit the jungle villages. The main road goes right past them all, and it’s enchanted by singers from the council to keep it protected from the jungle. It’s safe enough.”
He rounded a well, bringing a tidy little house into view. The word STORE was painted neatly on a wooden board above the door.
“So you’ll get lost if you go off the road?” Zev pressed.
“Not exactly.” The boy pushed the door open, gesturing for Zev to carry the crate inside. “You just won’t get anywhere.”
Any attempt to get a better explanation was cut off by the boy’s yell .
“Pa! Supplies are here. And some folk who want gear for the jungle.”
“We don’t need gear,” said Marieke quickly.
He grinned as he looked them over. “Yes you do.”
A gray-haired man appeared in an inner doorway, his wiry frame still upright and strong. He received the crate from Zev, placing it on a nearby table.
“Thanks, lad. I see my grandson found a way to get out of doing any work.”
He raised an eyebrow at the boy. Unabashed, their guide took to the crate with a crowbar, obviously eager to examine what the carriage had brought them.
“So you’re headed to the jungle, eh?”
“Yes, sir,” said Zev. “That’s our plan.”
“Well, you’ll want some salve for the mosquitoes,” the shopkeeper said. “Do you have bedrolls? I don’t have any for sale at the moment.”
“We can make do with what we’ve got,” Marieke said quickly. “But we’d welcome any information you can give us. Your grandson said most people stick to the main road, but—”
“Not most,” the man cut her off. “All. Everyone sticks to the main road.”
Delivered in a different tone, the words could have sounded like a dire warning. But the stranger didn’t seem especially concerned.
“What if the road doesn’t go to the town we want to reach?” Marieke asked.
He shrugged. “It does. All the towns are along the main road.”
“But there must be some who live deeper in the jungle,” Zev insisted. “Maybe at its center?” He was clearly thinking of what Trina had told them about the elves’ community .
“Nothing lives in the center of the jungle outside of myth and legend,” the shopkeeper said.
Marieke folded her hands behind her back, trying not to show her eagerness. “What kind of legends?”
“Oh, there are all sorts of stories about jungle creatures,” the shopkeeper said dismissively. “Stories of forest people who live hidden away among the trees, becoming less like humans and more like the jungle itself. Fireside tales, you know. But there’s nothing in them. The magic is too strong in there for people to live. Except for, you know, along—”
“The main road,” Zev finished for him. “We get it.”
“Well you should be getting that salve,” he said. “To spread on your skin. And maybe some nets to sleep under. The mosquitoes get real bad in there.”
“We’ll take some salve,” Zev said. “We won’t burden ourselves with nets to carry.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. Do you have big enough water bladders?” He inspected the one Zev lifted from his rucksack and shook his head. “You should get a bigger one. Long way between some of the villages, and you can’t trust the water anywhere else in the jungle. There’s magic in it, and it’s unpredictable.”
He went on to list some more recommended gear. A skeptical part of Marieke wondered whether these items were truly essential or whether the man just wanted the sales. But the prices weren’t exorbitant, and she didn’t want to be without something they really needed.
“Sure you don’t want to stay the night in town before you go?” the shopkeeper asked, once their transaction was complete. “Bessy sometimes lets out her spare room, if the price is right.”
“No thanks,” said Zev firmly. “We’ll push on. Is there somewhere we can buy food?”
“Here.” The man smiled. “Not much on the shelves right now, but that’s what this is for.” He lifted a string of cured meat from the crate on the table. “And we’ve got plenty of avocados.”
It was a good thing they still had food from their last stop, Marieke reflected. They purchased some dried meat and avocados anyway, and filled their new, larger water bladders at the well.
By the time they left town, it was only a couple of hours before dark, and Marieke was wondering whether they’d erred in dismissing the suggestion of seeking lodging with the unknown Bessy. But the shopkeeper had told them that the first town was only a few hours’ walk into the jungle, and had assured them yet again that they would be perfectly safe as long as they stayed on the main road.
The road wasn’t difficult to find, at least. A path ran out of the town and straight into the trees, a wide space carved out around it. The opening wasn’t large enough to penetrate to the canopy—branches still curved over their heads some distance above. But trees had been felled and the ground cleared to make a straight route southward.
“Wow,” Marieke said, as they walked into the relative gloom of the jungle. “I can feel what they mean.” When Zev tilted his head in inquiry, she added, “The magic. There’s some kind of boundary enchantment on this road. It feels sophisticated.”
“Is it really enough to keep everyone on the path safe?” Zev asked. “That must involve powerful magic.”
“Agreed.” Marieke spoke absently, her senses mainly focused on assessing the enchantment. “Although powerful doesn’t always mean a large volume. It’s often more about finesse. The enchantment probably acts as a subtle deterrent rather than an actual barrier. If it’s been in place for a long time, I suppose predators have learned not to include this area in their hunting territory. Maybe it hasn’t been tested front on much.”
“Reassuring,” Zev said dryly.
She laughed. “It’s still impressive magic. It must need regular replenishing.”
The entrance point of the jungle soon disappeared from view behind them. Marieke felt uncomfortably closed in, but she wasn’t sure how much that was due to the thick foliage visible on both sides of the path and how much to the heaviness of the air.
The presence of the magic was comforting, however. And not just the magic of the ground—which was plentiful and eager beneath her feet—but the magic of the boundary on the road. With the familiar sensation of a latent enchantment always nudging at her awareness, it was hard to remember she was in a dangerous and unpredictable environment.
As the light faded away, Marieke began to hum, summoning some of the magic that crowded under her feet. She saw Zev cast her a curious glance, but didn’t stop to explain. It took all her focus to draw up only the magic she needed. With less training, she wouldn’t have been able to prevent a veritable flood pouring through her in response to her questing songcraft, and it would have been too great a volume to successfully mold. Less was sometimes more with magic.
Once she’d drawn into herself a manipulatable amount of magic, she gave words to her song.
“Light, the darkness gently greet,
Show a path before my feet.”
Responding to her prompting, magic issued out from her and concentrated in a ball just in front of her, about the height of her face. She could feel the mass of magic before she could see it, but sure enough, it soon began to glow softly. Marieke hummed wordlessly as the magic continued to pull energy from the rustling leaves and dripping moisture of the surrounding jungle. Soon, she had a glowing ball of light that illuminated the road ahead.
With a final twist, she once again turned the hum into words, in an incantation of perpetual motion that was one of the basic formulas taught at the academy.
“Wow.” Zev’s eyes reflected the light of the glowing orb as he cast her an admiring look. “That’s a neat trick.”
Marieke flushed with pleasure. “It’s a very simple one, actually. You can always tell that an enchantment is a beginner one if it’s set to nursery-rhyme style words. They don’t bother with that at a more advanced level.”
“Well, it didn’t look beginner to me,” Zev said. “How did you do it?”
Marieke bit her lip, silently delighted that he was showing such an interest in her craft. “I used the magic’s inherent connection with the forces of nature. Magic is a force of nature, after all. That enchantment simply sets the magic to collect energy from natural sources and turn it into light. I don’t have the strength or training to do it with large sources of energy. But turning a gentle breeze into a source of light is no problem.”
“Amazing.” Zev was staring at the orb, admiring how it moved in tandem with their pace. “But how is it still going if you’re not still singing?”
“Oh, the last bit of my song was a perpetuation formula. A much weaker and more generic version of what’s in place with this boundary enchantment. It instructs the magic to keep doing its set task indefinitely.” She smiled at him, reveling in the feeling of him looking to her for answers. It so often felt the other way around. “It never actually is indefinite, of course. No singer can harness an infinite amount of magic at once. The task stops when it’s exhausted the volume of magic used by the singer in placing the enchantment. A group of singers working together can harness a lot of magic and set up a substantial perpetuation. But just now I grabbed only a little. So I’ll need to renew the light enchantment regularly. Which is no problem, of course.”
With the bobbing ball of light for company, they continued at a good pace, chatting inconsequentially as they went further into the jungle. The sun had undoubtedly set above the canopy when the promised town came into view, but there was no noticeable drop in temperature.
Marieke came to a stop as Zev put out a hand, lightly touching her arm.
“What is it?”
“I’m just wondering if we should avoid the town,” Zev said quietly. “Maybe we should let the light die out and go around it.”
“I thought we were planning to camp there,” said Marieke.
“We were,” Zev acknowledged. “I don’t know about you, but I’m less intimidated by the jungle than I expected. Especially with your songcraft at our disposal. I’d be willing to strike out in search of the elves on our own sooner rather than later. And that being the case, I’m not sure we want to advertise our presence to the humans in here.”
Marieke frowned. Here again was Zev’s obsession with remaining inconspicuous. She didn’t relate to it, but it seemed to be deeply ingrained in his thinking.
“You want to strike out at night?”
“No,” he said quickly. “I’m suggesting we skirt around the town, go a little way past it, and camp somewhere near the road, near enough to be inside the boundary enchantment but not visible to passers-by. Then strike out in the morning.”
Marieke thought it over, then gave a shrug. “I’m willing to risk it. The jungle isn’t as frightening as I expected, either.”
With a quick song, she dispersed the magic that was still collecting energy and turning it into light. The glowing orb died away instantly, leaving them in the close stillness of the humid night.
“Come on.”
Zev’s voice was whisper soft as his hand found hers in the darkness. Tugging her gently behind him, he stepped just off the path, wending between tree trunks. Progress was slow off the road, the undergrowth relatively sparse so close to the cleared zone but still difficult to navigate in the dark.
“Are you all right?” Zev asked, when Marieke stumbled slightly over a root. “Do you want to turn back to the road?”
“No, I’m fine,” she assured him. “I just lost my footing. I’m not afraid.”
He squeezed her hand. “Good. You don’t need to be. Together, we can handle anything this jungle throws at us.”
Marieke smiled in the darkness. Yes, they were stronger together, and they both knew it. Walking through the jungle hand in hand with Zev brought to mind their walk from his orchard to his house, and the moment that had come before it. She’d decided to trust that his path would lead him to her if she was patient. And here, alone in the darkness, on a mission no one but them seemed to care about, it felt like every step was bringing him more inevitably to her.
It was worth whatever dangers the jungle might be hiding.