South.
Everything in my gut told me to head farther into Sion, and as soon as I made that decision, the stomach pain lessened.
I had traveled to Sion before, but always along the borders. I’d never been that far south, where magic ran far more rampant and out of control because it was closest to the southern elves and their sacred and tainted hollow. Here, the beasts were far more dangerous and unpredictable. It was rumored that the evil sorcerer Allemar himself came from Sion. That was enough of a reason to stay far away from this kingdom.
“I’ll go there.” I reached up and pulled the comb out of my hair and felt the last curl come free. I placed it into the driver’s hands, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“This is real gold,” the driver said.
“Yes.” I was too tired to argue. I really didn’t have anywhere to go, so it didn’t matter. I was putting my future into the hands of a friendly transport driver.
“Very well. I don’t know if I can make change exactly, but I will do what I can for you.”
I nodded as he opened up the door and I stepped up into the empty transport. I folded my body up on one of the long, cushioned benches, and promptly closed my eyes before falling into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes a few candle marks later, I realized I was no longer the only passenger in the coach. A very short person sat across from me. Their brown, knotty hair was tucked under a red felt stocking that covered small impish eyes. They wore a brown woolen tunic with a leather belt, and striped wool socks with pointed shoes. The transport went over a bump, and they reached up a hand to steady themselves on the sideboard. That’s when I noticed they only had four fingers on each hand, so definitely a fae, possibly from the goblin family.
They didn’t quite look like Clove the brownie, or either of the goblins who tended our gardens and animals. She or he? It was hard to tell, but from the twinkle in their eye, I think they wanted it that way.
Sitting up, I apologized for not being awake for their arrival.
“Niff,” they replied, crossed their arms, and stared out the opened flap of the transport. They must have rolled it up when they boarded, and I saw the scenery hadn’t changed much.
I wasn’t sure what to make of their reply and decided to sit and wait patiently until I was addressed in person.
They wiggled their feet back and forth on the bench seat the way a child would. I started to second guess their age. Maybe they were younger than I originally thought? Every once in a while, I caught them watching me before turning to stare back out the window.
The transport stopped around midday, and I wasn’t sure why, until the driver hopped off his bench and opened the door.
The fae across the bench squinted and pulled the hat over their eyes, and I thought I saw a hint of light reflected in the pupil.
The driver reached in and handed me a wrapped item. “Sorry, it’s not much, but since we are still a ways out from the city, I hope it will tide you over. My wife made it.” He didn’t even make eye contact with the other passenger.
I took the wrapped cloth slowly and even cocked my head toward the bench seat, and the driver didn’t notice.
“Thank you for the food. We appreciate it,” I said, emphasizing and acknowledging the other guest.
The driver’s brows furrowed, and he added slowly, “Okay . . .” He closed the door and a few moments later and we were moving again.
“He can’t see you,” I surmised, pointing to where the driver was sitting above its head.
The fae nodded and grinned, revealing short, even teeth.
“But I can?”
Another nod, and I could tell I was playing a game, and they were waiting eagerly until I put the pieces together.
“Hmm, then that would make you a Nisse or Tomte?”
The fae nodded again, and I felt relief in identifying the elusive fae that was part of the four-fingered gnome family that could go invisible at whim.
I unwrapped the cloth and revealed a pastry filled with jam. It was a day or so old, but still smelled good. My stomach growled, but I knew it was always better to share. I leaned over and handed the gnome the treat.
They bobbed in their seat happily and took a bite of the pastry again, gazing out the window.
“Must be nice to be able to go about without being seen. Have you been traveling long?”
Juices dripped along the gnome’s palm, and they licked up the side of their hand while nodding.
“I’m sure you pick up on a lot of gossip.”
The gnome bobbed their head again. Gnomes weren’t ones to travel or leave their homes.
“Have you heard tales of strange creatures, or any word of villages being attacked?” I described the thing that attacked and broke through the veil in the Northern Woods.
The gnome froze and faded out, and then I was sitting in an empty compartment. But I knew I wasn’t really alone. I listened and could hear the soft breathing. If I could sense an elf hiding in the woods, the gnome in a small transport was as loud as a fox in a chicken coop.
I turned away, keeping my distance, and waited for the gnome to reappear. I could still see a faint flicker, as their magic didn’t really hide their aura. But they weren’t in the mood to reveal to me again.
I retreated and leaned back against the sideboard as we continued on.
By nightfall, we had reached the bustling city of Marinall. The horses' hooves were no longer padded by the earth, but clopped along the brick-paved street. Spiral-shaped lanterns sprang up out of the ground, alighting along the roads like glowing beehives. Though it was night, the air was definitely humid. Without a cloak, I still wasn’t cold. What a complete change in weather compared to the north. I pulled up the window cover and stared at the city in awe.
In the northern kingdoms, most of the buildings were either made of brick or wood. In the south, they were clay, stone, and homes were white or cream in various domes or spiral shapes. I had never traveled this far into Sion and was amazed at how some of the buildings looked like seashells sprouting up out of the ground.
Even the locals' clothes were exotic, with wrapped pants and vests in bright golds, blues, reds and yellows.
The driver slowed outside of a three-story sandstone building decorated with blue and gold pennants. I recognized the stitching on the pennant as an inn.
The gnome chose that moment to reappear and pushed back their hat revealing more of their face. I saw the hint of a beard tucked beneath a scarf.
He pointed out the window, and I followed the stubby fingers to multiple white spiral turrets that surrounded a central building with a golden dome. Even at night the light of the city reflected against the gold.
He trembled in fear as he pointed.
When the driver opened the door, I made a motion and asked him what it was.
“Oh, that’s the summer palace of the King of Sion. They’re preparing for the council of kings.”
“That’s not for weeks.”
“No, Miss, it’s in a few days,” he corrected.
Long ago, King Leonel had been engaged to my adoptive mother, Lorelai. It was said that it was his breaking of their engagement that sent my mother into her spiral of hate toward the seven kingdoms.
But over the last few years, I’d learned that her anger may have been justly due, for indeed there was much corruption sitting on the thrones of each kingdom. Her revenge brought justice and enlightenment and also exposed many of the lies. Lady Eville, labeled a villain because she was a powerful and feared woman, also worked for the good of the seven kingdoms—although her motives may have been a bit selfish as well, considering her adoptive children were all settled into royal marriages.