Chapter 7

They fell into an intense cold. They seemed to fall a long time during which Shay never stopped screaming. The sense of falling terrified her. She was sure they were falling to their death as the wind rushed past them.

Then, suddenly, they landed heavily on the ground. Shay’s scream ceased abruptly as her breath was knocked from her. She sucked in the air again as soon as the pain of her collision with the ground passed. Andy was quiet and her first thought was of him as soon as she could breathe again.

“Dad!” Shay sat up and looked down at her father. He was unconscious. She placed her hand on his chest and felt for his heartbeat while she listened for his breath. He was breathing. Alive. She sighed with relief. Then she searched for his wound. Her hand found the sticky wetness by his side. He was losing blood.

She tried to think. She had nothing to stitch the wound with and she did not know how bad the wound was. All she could do was put pressure on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. She swore. She had no medical experience and could only remember the first aid she had learned at school. She had to put pressure on a wound. She hastily pulled off her cardigan, rolled it up, and pressed it onto the wound tightly.

As she calmed down she began to take in her surroundings. They were in a forest. It was not the place she had seen in the image when she had been in her father’s study. That image had been filled with night and snow.

Shay heaved a sigh of relief. If they had been in the place her father’s attacker had fled to, they would have been in real trouble. The attacker would surely have returned. And it would have been cold. Very cold.

But somehow, when they had fallen into the image Andy had opened, they had not landed in the same place. Nevertheless, it was cool and Shay, having used her cardigan for her father, was starting to feel the cold creep into her bones. It was chilly. Not quite a winter cold but close.

Shay had no idea where they were or what creatures frequented this place after dark. To add to her predicament, she was clearly visible. She wore a white dress which stood out in stark contrast to the dark surroundings. Shay was wary of their surroundings and sat still, listening. The moon shone brightly and the moonlight reached the forest floor easily since the trees were quite far apart at this point. She listened intently for a while but heard no sounds that were cause for concern. She relaxed slightly.

She tried to formulate a plan in her mind. As reluctant as she was to seek help, she knew she had no choice. But she was worried. Even though her father’s attacker was nowhere near them, they were strangers in this place and others might think of them as targets or intruders.

Andy remained unconscious. Shay had to find somewhere safer for them but to do so she would have to brave the surroundings. She took off her belt and tied it around her father over her cardigan to keep it in place.

Then she stood and looked around. The trees were quite far apart so she could see quite far. The ground sloped downhill and Shay chose to follow the slope downward hoping to find a river or a clearing. She chewed through the thread of the hem of her dress and then tore a strip off the bottom of her dress. She tied it around the tree closest to where her father lay so she could find it again. Then she set off downhill.

She had gone little more than a few steps before she heard movement in the trees accompanied by the shout of men. She looked around trying to ascertain the direction from which the sound came. If she could see the men first she could decide if they were friendly or not. She became panicked as she looked around. She heard horses approaching. Horses most likely meant people were nearby. Her first thought was that it was her father’s attacker searching for them.

In the next instant, Shay saw the riders. They saw her at the same time. The leader held up his hand as he reined in his horse and stopped as his companions drew up behind him. He eyed her suspiciously as did his companions.

Moonlight danced between the branches and leaves above casting speckled light on the forest below. The moonlight reached the riders and Shay was able to discern some features of the riders.

The leader was young. Shay thought he was in his early twenties. She struggled to ascertain more details in the poor light other than that his hair was light in color. It was shoulder-length with curls. Shay realized the leader was studying her too. Despite the poor light, his gaze was calculating as much as it was entrancing.

Neither spoke as they looked at each other. Shay was the first to break eye contact as she looked over to where her father lay. She wondered if they could see her father from where they were.

The young man noticed Shay’s glance and followed it in the direction she had looked. Shay doubted he was able to see her father but he sensed that there was someone else in the area. His hand moved to the hilt of his sword and rested on it.

“ ’Tis a strange sight to see such a beautiful lady in the forest alone.” His statement was a test of trust.

Shay knew she had no choice but to answer truthfully.

“Please, sir. I am not alone. My father is with me but he is wounded. We were attacked and I need help for him urgently.”

“Where is your father?”

“Up there by the tree with a white cloth tied around it.”

The man motioned for one of his companions to proceed up the hill while he stayed put, his hand still on his sword. His companion moved up the hill cautiously seeking the marker Shay had described.

A few moments later a shout went up. The leader’s companion had found her father. Ignoring the consequences of her actions, Shay turned and ran up the hill to her father. She heard the leader and his other companion start to follow slowly on horseback.

“He is injured,” came the shout as Shay climbed the hill to her father.

Shay reached her father. She was breathing heavily from the exertion of climbing the hill. She knelt beside Andy as the leader of the group halted his horse behind her and dismounted. He knelt on the opposite side of Andy. He undid Shay’s belt which held her cardigan in place and checked Andy’s wound.

“We need to get him to the keep. Quickly.” He spoke with urgency.

His companions lifted Andy slowly onto one of their horses. One rider mounted behind him and held him in place. The young man walked a little distance away with his second companion. They spoke in hushed tones and Shay could not hear what they said.

Then the young man returned. “It seems that all is clear, lady.”

“Thank you, kind sir.” Shay had no idea what to say.

“ ’Tis nothing,” the young man replied. “If your father is to live, we must get him to the keep where he can be treated.”

Shay nodded her agreement.

“Will you ride with me, lady?” the young man asked.

Shay nodded. “Thank you. If I may…”

He held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her mount his horse before he mounted behind her.

They moved off slowly followed by the companion who held Andy on his horse. The other companion remained behind and was soon lost in the darkness.

The young man’s first concern seemed to be for her father. “Your father is injured badly. It’s a good thing we found you. When we get to the keep we will call for the priest to attend to him. I hope we can help him.”

Shay could think of nothing else to say other than “Thank You”. She had several questions but did not ask them.

The young man broke the silence eventually, “I am Prince Fiere, heir to the throne of Ethlerry. What is your name, my lady?”

Shay was stunned and hesitated to answer. Ethlerry…. The land her father wrote about in his fantasy books? How could they possibly be in the world that existed in a book? She pushed her confusion aside quickly.

“Forgive my manners, your Highness. My name is Shay. I truly had no idea….”

“ ’Tis no matter. I could not have expected you to know,” Prince Fiere waved her apology aside. “Sh…ay, Shay.” He repeated her name testing it on his tongue. “A beautiful name. I have never heard it before.”

“Thank you, your Highness.” Shay paid just enough attention to respond while her thoughts spun in astonished silence. Was she dreaming? She was grateful that Prince Fiere could not see her face for he would surely wonder at the surprise on it.

“Where do you come from?”

Shay was not prepared for his question and pretended she had not heard what Prince Fiere asked. “Excuse me, your highness?”

He repeated the question while her mind raced to find the name of a place from her father’s books. “Emeryl,” she replied then. Shay recalled Emeryl was a small border town that she hoped was far from where they were. If it were so, Prince Fiere would hopefully pay it little heed.

“I have heard of it,” he said. “I must visit it soon. If all the women are as beautiful as you and their dress sense is as good as yours, I will be sure to find a wife who may make me happy.”

Shay realized he was joking but replied, “Perhaps you will your highness. I thank you for the compliment.”

She was not prepared for his next question either and had to think quickly.

“And what brings you here?”

“We are looking for my mother. She disappeared some time ago. My father hired someone to look for her and he told my father she had been spotted in this area. ”

It was partially true and she was sure she managed to reply calmly enough that the Prince’s suspicions were not aroused.

“I am sorry to hear that,” Prince Fiere said sounding genuinely sympathetic. “What happened to your father?”

“We were attacked by a band of thieves,” Shay lied. She had anticipated this question was coming and tried to prepare to answer it as best as she could. “Father tried to fight them off but they were too much. I hope he will recover. I do not want to lose him too.”

She quickly played on Prince Fiere’s sympathy in an attempt to cut off further questions.

“I am sure he will be fine. May the gods not be so terrible as to take both your parents,” Prince Fiere said over his shoulder. Then he added, “Thieves are not commonplace in these woods though. I shall have to order the palace guard to clear them out of here.”

They lapsed into silence then as they rode towards the keep. Occasionally Prince Fiere gave orders to his companion and it became clear to Shay that his companions were guards for his protection. Judging by their casual demeanor they often rode together and the formalities between royal and commoner were mostly dispensed with here away from the keep.

They entered the keep a short while later. Few people were around at this early hour but those that were stopped as they recognized the prince and watched him pass by with his guard and two strangers. Rumors would spread quickly. Prince Fiere shook his head. He was not particularly keen on rumors at this point. His father’s wedding was planned for the near future and he did not wish to do anything to draw attention away from the event.

They entered another gate to the inner keep and stopped at the main door to the palace. Prince Fiere dismounted and helped Shay down from his horse. His guards carefully took Andy down from the horse and more guards ran over to help. Prince Fiere gave orders and soon Andy was being carried into the palace with Shay and the prince in tow.

Shay paid little attention to the turns they made but only watched her father’s unconscious face as the guards carried him to a chamber where they laid him on a bed. Shay sat beside her father and felt for his pulse. It was there but Shay was sure it had weakened.

Shay stole glances at Prince Fiere as she sat next to her father. His eyes were a pale blue and seemed to smile continuously. Shay was captivated by his gaze when their eyes met. The prince’s lips were split in an impish grin that skewed to one side of his mouth revealing bright white teeth and making him appear like a young child who had just done something naughty and gotten away with it.

Prince Fiere stood a short distance away waiting for the priest who arrived after word was sent that he was needed.

The priest entered and bowed before crossing to speak with Fiere who briefly explained what had happened. The priest, Meerde, crossed over to the bed and sat beside Andy. Shay moved aside to give him room to work.

Meerde was a scrawny man and aged but knowledgeable about medicine. Shay would much rather have her father on his way to a hospital but that was not a choice she had to make anymore. Meerde seemed to be quite knowledgeable regarding Andy’s wound though and being a doctor to royalty, Shay did not doubt that he would be one of the best doctors under the circumstances.

He removed Shay’s cardigan and studied the strange garment briefly before turning his attention to Andy. He reached into the bag he had brought with him and extracted some ointment. He applied some ointment and waited a few moments. Then he extracted another bottle from his bag. He opened it and dabbed some of its contents on his fingers. Then he rubbed his fingers on the wound and waited a short while longer.

After a while, he rose and walked over to the prince. “Please leave now and take the lady with you. I will call you when I am done.”

Prince Fiere did not question Meerde but stepped over to Shay who was watching them, confused.

“Meerde has asked that we leave the room.”

“What is it?” Shay asked concerned.

“I will explain outside,” Prince Fiere replied taking Shay’s arm and guiding her from the room. He closed the door behind them and moved a short distance away out of the earshot of the guards that stood on either side of the door.

“Meerde is afraid that there may be sorcery attached to the sword of your father’s assailant. If he needs to defend against a spell present in the wound, he would prefer it is only him who is in the room and at risk. Even here we may not be safe.”

Shay nodded her understanding. Feigning naiveté she asked, “But why would someone with magic attack us? Why would robbers use magic? They are but petty thieves.”

She really wanted to be honest but did not know what would happen if she was. She had started a lie and now needed to continue it. If she feigned ignorance the Prince might not think to investigate their supposed attack further.

Fiere studied Shay for a long moment. Shay felt herself beginning to wither under his lengthy gaze but held his stare as long as she could.

Then he looked away as if realizing he had been staring. He had been searching her face for some indication that she knew something. He thought for an instant he saw some hint of fear that could be caused by lying but then it was gone and he struggled not to lose himself in the beauty of Shay’s eyes. He cursed himself for his weakness for beautiful women. This young woman before him was no different but was having more of an effect on him than any woman before. He broke the silence between them.

“I do not know. I hope there is no magic involved for then they would not be petty thieves and we would have much more to be concerned about. Perhaps you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They may have been waiting for me and been surprised by you. They tried to dispose of you quickly and then subsequently abandoned the plan after they had to deal with you and your father. If that is the case I am in your debt, my lady.”

“Not at all, your Highness. Consider it a debt repaid already by the help you give my father.”

Shay had no wish to be indebted to anyone in this world or to have anyone indebted to them. It would mean obligations that had to be met and she doubted she could meet any obligations in this world. On the other hand, if Prince Fiere felt obligated to repay some debt then they might not be able to leave as soon as Andy recovered. Shay had no intention of being with these people longer than needed.

Then an idea struck Prince Fiere. “Did you have horses?”

“Two black stallions. They took them,” Shay lied quickly. She thought it would look strange if they were in the forest without horses. She believed there was no way the prince could confirm what she said.

The prince nodded then pointed to seats in the hall. “You should sit my lady. There is no telling how long Meerde will be busy with your father’s wound.”

Shay thanked Fiere and sat down on one of the soft chairs in the passage. Fiere chose to stand and paced up and down slowly. Shay recognized that he was deep in thought but she caught him looking at her a few times. On these occasions, he quickly averted his gaze and looked away but not without embarrassment.

Shay was lost in her thoughts but wondered at the prince’s interest. Did he like her? She told herself that it was impossible. They had only just met and there were much more pressing issues. She wondered if he sensed she was lying. She was sure that was the case and nervousness welled up inside her. What would happen if she was caught lying? Especially when the prince was being so helpful. But then she brushed aside the thought turning her concern to her father who remained foremost in her mind.

Fiere walked over to one of the guards and sent them on an errand. Then he continued his pacing.

Shay had no idea what she would do without her father. She had millions of questions to ask him and she needed him to recover soon. Then she remembered the book.

It had to be in her father’s jacket. If she read the book she would have a much better idea of what was happening and would be able to respond to questions better as well as start to take control of the situation and direct the events as opposed to being at their mercy.

She made a mental note to search for the book as soon as she was able to enter her father’s chambers again.

She did not have to wait long before the door opened and Meerde beckoned for them to enter.

Shay entered first and ran over to the bedside. Her father’s shirt had been removed and his torso was bandaged. He was sleeping and looked peaceful.

Meerde spoke with Prince Fiere softly not wanting to disturb Andy although, Shay believed there was little possibility that Andy would wake up right then. Shay was unable to hear what was being said. As concerned as she was about her father, finding the book was also of concern to her now. Andy’s clothes lay on the bed next to him and Shay picked them up pretending she wanted to hang them somewhere.

Meerde noticed and paused to show her a wardrobe in the corner. Shay crossed to the wardrobe and opened it. She placed Andy’s jacket and shirt inside. The book was in her father’s jacket and she was able to remove it without being obvious. Then she returned to Andy and slid the book under his pillow from where she would remove it later.

Meerde left a short while later and Prince Fiere came to stand next to Shay.

“He says your father will be fine. There was no sorcery used and your father’s wound is clear. If Meerde’s medicine works, your father should be strong enough to walk in a few days.”

“Thank you Prince Fiere. Thank you so much. I cannot repay you enough your highness.”

“It is truly my pleasure.” Prince Fiere was silent for a moment studying Shay again and she looked up at him.

“I do not normally request payment from those whom I help but I would be honored if you would do me the honor of joining me for dinner soon.”

Shay hesitated. She had not expected a dinner invitation and did not know how to respond. “You are too kind,” she smiled. “It is I who should truly pay you for your kindness and perhaps even cook the dinner.”

“There is no need for that,” Fiere smiled. “We have servants for that.”

“Very well. I will await your invitation your highness.”

“Thank you, my lady. Now may I show you to your chamber?”

Shay shook her head. “If it pleases your highness, I would rather just spend the night here.”

Prince Fiere nodded. “I understand. Please make yourself comfortable. If you need anything just ask the guards. I will have the servants prepare a bath for you here and some fresh clothes.”

“Thank you, your highness.”

“If you will, I will take my leave now.”

Shay stood and curtsied as she bade Fiere goodnight.

After Fiere left, Shay sat for a while hugging her father. Then she took the book from under his pillow and crossed to a chair where she sat and made herself comfortable. She opened the book and started to read.