Chapter Four

Linaria stood up.

"Altair is gone," she said.

Indeed he was, disappeared somewhere into the trees, there wasn't a trace that he'd ever been there.

Istelle groaned.

"Well, I recognized the poison. It comes from a Blohg, a bright, multicolored, and deadly cavern-frog. It won't kill her right away though. Lina and Jude, stay here and protect Liz. I'm going to the caves to find the cure."

"Right!" Jude agreed, finding a large stick to use as self-defense against possible attackers.

Istelle took off through the woods, leaving her friends alone in an unfamiliar forest.

Linaria sighed, her brow creasing with worry, watching Istelle vanish into the woods. She looked down at poor Liz, curled up on the ground, squeezing her knees to her chest and resting her head on them. Liz lifted her chin and tilted her face to the sky, her eyes were closed.

"I wish for rain," she mumbled.

Jude looked at her, concerned. "I don't think she's okay," he said to Linaria. "Do you think Istelle will be able to bring the cure in time…?"

"I don't know," said Lina, frustrated. She sat down against a tree next to Liz and put her hand on her shoulder. "You'll be okay."

She exchanged looks with Jude, willing it to be true.

"Aaaaaugh it hurts! I can...almost...feel it...inside me!" cried Liz. The pain was visible on her face.

"Shhh, rest." Linaria patted her awkwardly, more scared than ever. She looked up at Jude. He was frozen, staring at the bushes to the left, behind the tree Altair had sat against, as if he'd seen a ghost. Lina stiffened.

"What is it Jude?" she whispered.

"I thought I heard—"

There was a rustling sound in the bushes. It sounded big, whatever was making that sound.

"Oh no" dread surfaced on Linaria's face and she saw Jude turn a shade paler.

A massive gray wolf came out of the bushes towards them. It was at least twice if not three times bigger than average wolves Lina had heard of.

She let out a little scream and Liz flinched next to her. "What is it, Lina?" Liz asked in a trembling voice. Her eyes were still closed.

Instead of answering, Linaria put her arm around Liz and pulled her close.

The wolf, now fully emerged from the bushes, was only five or six feet away from where Jude stood with his big stick. Neither of them moved. Instead, they stared into each others' eyes. A low growling noise came from the back of the wolf's throat. Jude nervously backed away.

Another rustling noise came from the bushes. Linaria wondered if it was the wolf's pup.

But when the creature emerged, Lina couldn't have been more surprised that it was a little girl, no older than eight years old with long, light brown hair and big, frightful eyes.

"Don't hurt Alistair," she said, eyeing Jude's stick warily and hugging the wolf around the neck.

Jude and Linaria stared at the girl in complete bewilderment. She wore a light, peach colored summer dress. The light material blew in the direction the wind was blowing, including the sleeves which were also light and open, and ended right above her elbow.

" 'Scuse me," Jude said, cautiously approaching her, "who are ye'?"

The girl released the wolf and looked up at Jude. "Arin. I'm Arin, and this is Alistair," she patted to the wolf. Then she looked past Jude and peered at Liz and Linaria, sitting together on the ground. "Is your friend alright?"

"No," answered Lina, "she's been poisoned."

Arin's eyes widened.

"Our friend went to go find a cure in some cave and left us here to watch Liz," said Jude, gesturing at Liz, who moaned piteously.

"I'm sorry," Arin peeped. Then suddenly her eyes lit up and she said: "but I think I know someone who can help!"

Linaria nudged Liz and smiled hopefully. "Who?" she asked.

"My friend Evan! He takes care of me and Al and he's a wizard. He can cure her for sure!" Arin pointed to Linaria's left, "we live just up that hill!"

Jude and Lina exchanged glances.

"Well—"

Jude started but was interrupted by Arin. She said, "Alistair could carry your friend, he carries me all the time and he's really strong and gentle."

She and Alistair made their way past Jude and to where Liz and Linaria sat.

Liz opened one eye for a second, then shuddered. "If the wolf eats me, at least it will end this pain," she said weakly. Lina stood up. She and Jude helped Liz get to her feet and Alistair crouched down so while Arin helped the two lower Liz onto the wolf's back.

The group set out together, Arin and Alistair leading the way to their home, and maybe Liz's only hope.

Istelle ran through the forest, leaping over logs and ducking under large branches that stuck out at her.

She had spent her whole life roaming the territory of the Akeefa but had only been on Lette territory for battles. Still, she knew the direction of the caves.

If she had been correct, that the poison had been that of a Blohg cave frog, then it was a slow killing poison, one that would give her to find the cure, and Altair to get away...Istelle made two fists with her hands. Someday, she would get her hands on that wizard.

The cure was simple, Liz needed only to consume a little of the wet paste dripping from in between the crystals in any cave that had crystals. She ran faster. Please Liz, don't die, don't die don't. Die. She prayed with all her might.

She had been running for a little while now, and she knew she must be nearly there. The caves she was headed for weren't all that far away. The sound of her feet pounding the earth seemed to match a beat. Don't. Die. Don't. Die. Don't. Die. She heard over and over and over again. Save her. Save her. Save her.

Yes! Istelle could see the caves ahead. She jumped over one final log, then skidded to a halt. There was a wall of stone stretched out in front of her. She walked around it to another side and saw an entrance into the cave, only big enough for her to enter in a crouching position.

Once she got inside, the ceiling was higher and she was able to at least stand up if she bent her knees. The ceiling was high, but it was covered in long, sharp crystals that hung down on her. She needed to get some of the paste on the cave ceiling in between them. How was she going to do this? She needed to cut down some crystals in a way that they wouldn't fall down onto her. She groaned. Wait. Maybe there would be paste flowing down and dripping off some of the crystals? Istelle put her hand up to one and felt around it. It was wet, but there wasn't any paste dripping off it. She looked around, desperate.

That's when she heard the noises.

Somebody, or perhaps several somebodies, were outside the cave. She heard the sound of a sword being sheathed, a sound she would recognize anywhere, as a warrior.

Istelle moved quietly to the back of the cave and crouched behind a boulder in a position she could quickly stand up out of. Not a moment too soon; a minute later someone entered the cave.

Arin led Jude and Linaria through the forest and up a hill, Liz riding Alistair, sprawled on his back.

They reached the top of the hill to find a cozy looking log cabin sitting there, waiting for them.

Arin came up to the door. She was still too small to reach the large brass knocker so she rapped her fists against the hardwood door.

"Here," Jude went up to where Arin stood and reached up to use the knocker.

They heard the faint sound of footsteps on the other side of the door and then it opened.

A young woman stood there in the doorway, perhaps nineteen years old with long, straight, dark hair. She was dressed in a pretty, modest, dark green dress with little, pale yellow flower patterns sewn into it.

There was fur growing on her elbows and the backs of her arms and legs. Her ears were furry gray and pointy, they stuck out from her hair. She had a gray tail.

Jude and Linaria stared at her. They didn't know what to think.

Arin ran in and hugged the wolf-lady.

She looked up into her face, and the woman stared right back down at her, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. Then they disentangled themselves and Arin disappeared into the house after whispering something to the lady.

She turned to Jude and Linaria. Alistair was making strange sounds of impatience.

"I am Gwanwyn," said the woman, gesturing to herself. "And you are?"

"Linaria."

"Jude."

"And this is Liz. She's been poisoned."

Gwanwyn nodded and ushered them into the cabin, wolf and all.

They entered a large room. There was a fireplace to their left and a table to the right. There were several doors and many windows throughout the room. In front of the fireplace, there was a beautifully woven red and silver rug. Alistair laid down on it and Jude and Linaria quickly helped Liz off.

Liz needed to put all her weight on her friends, the second she tried to stand on her own, she collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain. With the help of Gwanwyn, they carried her limp body to the other side of the room where they laid her on a blanket.

Arin entered the room through one of the doors on the side. She was leading an old man into the room by the hand. He had a long grey beard and young, deep green eyes.

He turned to Jude and Linaria who were both looking very anxious.

"You are…?" he asked.

"Linaria."

"Hey I'm Jude...this's Liz."

The old man smiled warmly. "I am Evan Lloyd Greene, please call me Evan."

Then he crossed the room to where Liz lay. Gwanwyn was kneeling beside her.

"What's going on here?" Lina heard Evan murmur.

"Poison…" she answered him.

Evan frowned, crouching beside Gwanwyn who stood up to give him room. He put his left hand on Liz's forehead, then withdrew. His right hand he placed on Liz's hands, resting one on top of the other on her stomach. They were shaking but seemed to calm down at his touch. He stood up, his brow creasing. "She doesn't have much time left. Gwanwyn, help me carry her to the Sky Room."

Arin and Linaria watched in silence as Gwanwyn grabbed two corners of the makeshift bed and Evan grabbed the other two. They gently lifted her up and carried her through one of the doors.

Liz hadn't moved or made a sound since they had moved her to the bed of blankets in the cabin. Watching her lay there, limp, her eyes closed, Linaria felt sick.

Arin sighed loudly, watching Evan, Liz, and Gwanwyn disappear into another room. Jude and Lina both looked at her curiously. "I have never been permitted to enter the Sky Room," she said in response to the confused looks on their faces.

"Why not?" asked Jude.

"It is dangerous. You could fall out…"

The other two stared at her and she sighed again.

"You'll soon see I think. Evan will probably let you guys in."

Arin stood up and walked over to where Alistair lay on the rug by the fire and sat down, leaning against him and cozying in.

For a few minutes, there was silence, as everyone seemed to be buried in their own thoughts until Gwanwyn came out of the Sky Room.

She settled them at the huge, oval table and then disappeared through another door, soon returning with a tea tray holding many bagels and biscuits and such aside from the teacups and tea kettle.

She gave them all a little dish with a teacup and a bagel and silence fell once again, as no one seemed in a mood to talk.

Finally, Jude asked, "So how come you all live here?"

"I have lived here as looong as I can remember!" said Arin happily, "Evan was my momma's tutor from her childhood so she entrusted me to him before she died…" she continued with less enthusiasm, "she knew she was dying."

Another long silence followed this statement.

Then Gwanwyn said "When I was born, my father hid me from my village for 16 years. He knew if they saw me they would chase me away to the forest. I was always obedient, I hid like he wanted me to, living in fear of what my village would think of me…" she gestured to her strange ears and stroked her tail thoughtfully. "Then one day they found out. And all was as he had predicted. People fear what they don't understand, you see. They went insane seeing me, knowing that I'd been hiding in their village...suddenly, they thought all the little unsolved crimes were solved. It was the little creep sneaking around the village, stealing things for herself...they mobbed us, chased me from the town. I had never been out of my home for more than a few minutes on silent nights. I ran as fast I could, I called back to my father but the mob had caught up with him. I do not know what became of him but...I am too afraid to go back. Arin and Evan were taking a walk when they found me. They took me into their home, and I have been living here for three years."

"Woah. So where was your mom the whole time?"

"Ah, but you see, I am not exactly human. I am an Ashy, half-human creature who lives in the woods. I am half-wolf but there are many other Ashies living in this forest, all different animals."

"Oooooh really?" Jude sounded intrigued. "That is so cool!"

Linaria saw Gwanwyn suppressing a smile.

"D'ya' know why Evan lives here?" Jude asked.

"I do not know…" said Gwanwyn. "He is a wizard of white magic, and quite a powerful one," she glanced towards the door of the Sky Room, "I am sure your friend will be alright, now that she is in his care."

Linaria smiled gratefully "thank goodness."

"Evan built this place by hand though," said Arin, "He didn't use any magic. And he made the table too! Even these little carved designs, see? He doesn't like to use magic unless he needs to. He believes in hard work and figuring things out. I think he's probably using magic on Liz though since it's a life or death situation."

Just then the door to the Sky Room opened and Evan came out. He was smiling.

Jude and Linaria rose to their feet but Evan answered their questions before they could ask them. "Liz is going to be alright. She is already recovering."

The table broke out into cheers, then they saw Evan's expression change to seriousness.

"I do believe you have another friend, don't you? You said she went to the caves to find a cure."

"Yeah…" said Lina.

"Shouldn't she be back by now? Long ago even." Said Evan.

Jude's eyes widened. "Oh no."

"Arin and Alistair know the way to the caves. You must all go quickly."

Alistair looked up. Arin was already getting on his back. "We've gotta get to the caves, Al," she told him, "their friend is in trouble."