Desperate Forest Page 3

  He circled me. “We can’t do that—you know about us now. You could reveal us to King Abrax or anyone else. No, I’d say as long as you continue to be stubborn, we’re much better off keeping you here.”

  “Aren’t you worried the Tover knights will come looking for me and find you anyway?”

  “Tover knights, is it? I thought you said you were traveling with Marcsnovian knights?” Jay smiled smugly at my slipup, revealing flawless teeth. “Tell me something, Princess, where were those knights of yours when you were trapped in my net in the forest? Or when I was pulling you half-dead from the river?”

  “That was you?” I gasped at his revelation that he had saved me after I was shocked by the eel.

  “It was. You’re welcome, by the way.” He rolled his eyes as if I were the one being rude. “Anyway, something tells me you want Abrax’s knights to find you even less than we want them to find us. Am I right?”

  I glared at him but felt my resolve weakening under the realization I owed this awful man my life. Plus, lying seemed to be getting me nowhere.

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  “Well, that’s a start,” Gavin said, stepping in front of Jay. He held out his hand. “I’m Gavin, by the way.”

  I took his hand reluctantly and shook it. “Roselynn.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” Gavin released my hand and stepped back. “Why don’t you tell us your story.”

  ✽✽✽

  I told Gavin and Jay my tale as briefly as I could. I was wary of both men, but since they were the closest thing I had to allies—and I was entirely at their mercy—I figured continuing to lie was pointless.

  I explained how my uncle had kept me captive for the last few months. How he’d murdered my father for his throne, and I’d overheard his plot to kill me in order to keep his power.

  “My only chance was to escape, which I did, and now I need to get to Marcsnovia to be safe.”

  Although Jay had already been listening to my story intently, his scrutinizing gaze shot to mine. “Marcsnovia? Why? What’s keeping you safe there?”

  “King Darius and I are engaged.” I cleared my throat and held my head high. “Once I reach Marcsnovia and Darius and I are married, Tover will no longer be under my uncle’s rule. I can make Abrax pay for my father’s death and free my people from his tyranny.”

  Jay snorted as if this was amusing. “You really think that’s all it will take to stop King Abrax?”

  I placed a hand on my hip. “I know it will. Even though Tover’s inheritance law favors male lineage, my uncle has no blood ties to the kingdom—my father acquired it by marrying my mother. That means I will become queen if I marry or my uncle dies.”

  “Well, that’s quite a story.” Gavin rubbed his chin. “I have to admit, what you said about your uncle doesn’t surprise me at all. I was a knight in Tover under your father, but soon after your uncle came to power, I deserted. King Abrax is a ruthless man.”

  I nodded, appreciative that Gavin seemed to believe my story. I also felt a sudden fondness for him, learning he had been one of my father’s knights, although I didn’t remember ever meeting him.

  “And where was this fiancé of yours when your uncle had you locked up and was planning your murder?” Jay’s harsh voice startled me.

  “I’m assuming he’s been busy taking care of his own kingdom after his father’s death.” I crossed my arms, my annoyance growing. “King Charles was killed unexp—”

  “Still, you heard no word from him at all?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “Surely he would have found some way to stay in touch.”

  “My uncle would have intercepted any letters Darius sent. For all I know, he’s been answering them in my place!” I threw my hands in the air. “I’m sorry, why is that any concern of yours?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  I glowered at him, then turned back to Gavin. “Can you help me or not?”

  “I’m sorry but I’m afraid not.” Gavin sounded genuinely apologetic. “You see, your plan to get to Marcsnovia doesn’t work out too well for my group. We have reasons for avoiding that land.” He said his last words carefully while Jay scowled.

  Gavin continued. “And I can’t let you go that far on your own, you’d never make it alive. What I can promise is to take you far away from your uncle’s reach—where you’ll be safe—into Galesmore, the next kingdom over.”

  “How does that help?” I sighed in frustration. “I won’t be able to stop my uncle, and he’ll never pay for his crimes. How is that fair?”

  “Life’s not fair, Princess,” Jay said as if I were a child. “Some people never pay for their crimes, that’s just the way it is.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe you could be content with that, but I’m not. I owe it to my people to stop Abrax, and I’ll do anything I can to accomplish that, even if I die trying.”

  Jay gave a short laugh. “You seem to be well on your way to doing just that. Whatever your plan was, forget it. You wouldn’t last a day in this part of the woods alone. We can take you somewhere you’ll be safe. You head toward Marcsnovia and you’ll be making a big mistake!”

  Gavin laid a hand on Jay’s shoulder as if checking him. Jay shook him off and released an irritated groan, then strode out of the tent. I was glad to see him go.

  “I am truly sorry, Your Highness,” Gavin said. “I wish I could help you, but I made a promise to the people here to take them to Galesmore and get them to safety.”

  “I understand. But if you let me go, I can continue my journey alone.”

  Gavin shook his head. “It’s much too dangerous. I’d be releasing you to your death. Stick with us and you’ll have a fighting chance. When you get to Galesmore, you can send word to King Darius.”

  “Do I have a choice?” I asked bitterly.

  “I’m sorry, but no.” He did, at least, sound remorseful. “Come on.” He motioned toward the entrance.

  I followed Gavin outside, feeling like everything I’d set out to do was crumbling around me.

  I’m sorry, Father.

  Deflated, I glanced at Jay, who was standing by the fire, his mouth set in a hard line. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right about one thing. Life was not fair.

  Chapter 6

  As we walked closer to the fire, Gavin called for the group to gather around us.

  In the dim firelight, the girl with the light blonde hair glared at me. The dark-haired girl gave me a reassuring nod and a hint of a smile, while the others merely stared. I assumed word of my real identity had gotten around.

  “All right, listen up!” Gavin gestured to me. “We’ve got a new addition to our group. Princess Roselynn will be traveling with us to Galesmore. At this point, it’s in our best interest to see she makes it there safely with us. She’s not to leave the camp alone, understand?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Good!” Jay addressed the small crowd now. “If she proves herself troublesome, you have our permission to do what’s necessary to ensure the safety of this group.” He gave Gavin a pointed look, then turned to me. “You got that, Princess? Do yourself a favor and don’t try crossing any of us. It would not end well for you.”

  Gavin motioned to the dark-haired girl who had smiled at me. “Gianna, we’ll leave it to you to show Princess Roselynn how she can help around here. Is that okay?”

  “Of course.” Gianna nodded.

  “Thank you.” Gavin grinned at her appreciatively.

  Jay flashed me a wry smile. “You’ll find life here is a little different from fine castle-living, Princess. Let’s hope you’re a fast learner.”

  Gavin waved to the group. “All right, everyone, now that it’s settled, let’s have a good night. We’ll continue our journey tomorrow at dawn.” Gavin and Jay headed toward the tent we’d come from.

  The blonde girl with the steely eyes followed them. “You can’t be serious! You’re putting us all in danger by keeping her here!”

  “Not now, Laurel,” Jay
said gruffly over his shoulder.

  Laurel followed them into the tent. I could hear her and Jay arguing, with Gavin firmly trying to placate them both, but I could not make out any words.

  Good. I hope she’s as unhappy about my being here as I am.

  “Ahem.” The girl with the kind smile stood by my side with her hand outstretched. “I’m Gianna, Your Highness, it’s nice to meet you.”

  As strange as it felt to make introductions under these circumstances, something about the girl cheered my sour mood. I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Please, call me Roselynn.” I had never enjoyed being addressed by titles. I accepted her handshake. “It’s nice to meet you too, Gianna.”

  “C’mon, let me introduce you to the others and show you what some of your responsibilities will be.”

  “All right.” I fell into step behind her, feeling the most comfortable I had all evening. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you come to be here with Gavin . . . and him?” I gestured to the tent where heated conversation was still taking place.

  “Jay?” She laughed. “He’s something, isn’t he? Don’t worry, he’s a bit abrasive, but once you get used to him, he’s not so bad.”

  She led me away from the tent. “I used to live in Tover with my father. He was the best blacksmith around. But when King Abrax gained power, he came to the town and captured as many men as he could to serve in his army—my father included.”

  Gianna’s gaze turned sad. “When my father was taken, I was left without money or food. I didn’t have any other option but to try to journey to Galesmore—my aunt lives there. I did okay for myself at first, but the deeper I got in the forest, the more I struggled to survive. I nearly starved to death, but Gavin found me and made me part of the team. If it weren’t for him, I probably would’ve died.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I noticed Gianna seemed even younger than me. Much too young to have been left on her own.

  “I was lucky,” Gianna said. “But, trust me, you don’t want to be alone in these woods. Come on, let me introduce you to the others.”

  She led me to an older couple. The woman stirred a large pot over the fire, while the man sat next to her whittling a stick into a spear.

  “Well, good evenin’ there, darlin’!” the redheaded woman exclaimed in a bright voice. She was tall and plump with a good-natured smile. But her blue eyes held a hint of sadness behind their sparkle.

  “I imagine you could use a bowl of stew after the day you had.” She dished a generous portion into a cup and handed it to me with a spoon. “There you go now, dear. ’Tis nothing fancy, but it’ll keep you satisfied till the mornin’.”

  I took the cup gratefully, even though it had an unfamiliar aroma about it. I hadn’t had a proper meal in days. The empty pit in my stomach had started to be a given.

  “Thank you,” I said in between mouthfuls.

  The woman chuckled. “Now take it easy there, darlin’ we ain’t about to run out. You do make an ol’ woman feel mighty proud of her cookin’ though. The name’s Macie, and that there’s my husband, Pete.”

  Pete nodded and smiled while Macie went on. “Glad to see you found us before you got in harm’s way. This is some mighty dangerous woods we have ’round here. Ain’t no place for a gal like you to be wanderin’ alone.”

  I had half a mind to correct her by saying I hadn’t exactly “found them,” as I’d been taken by force, and my “wandering” had consisted of a careful study of my maps and compass. But I knew she was merely being kind, so I gave a weary smile instead.

  “Now, I don’t know what kinda business your uncle’s been up to leadin’ you out here, but Pete and I left Tover the minute we heard talk of another war startin’. We’ve seen our share of wars—fought in two, my Pete did. But we weren’t stickin’ around for another one, with that king runnin’ his people into the ground. I said to Pete, Tover ain’t no place for us if they’re gonna be forcin’ the wounded to fight.”

  She gestured toward Pete, and I noticed he had a walking stick propped up next to him, and his right leg was turned out in an unusual manner.

  Macie pointed at his leg. “That there’s a souvenir from his second war.”

  I was finishing the last of my stew when Jay strode past, carrying an ax over his shoulder.

  “You’re getting the hang of forest-living already, hey, Princess?” He grinned cheekily and inclined his head toward my bowl. “Best muskrat stew you’ve ever tasted right there, isn’t it?”

  “What?!” I spat out the last of my meal, disgusted by the thought of eating anything with “rat” in its name.

  Jay chuckled while Gianna smacked his arm. “Leave her alone, you lout! She’s had a rough enough day without dealing with your stupidity.”

  As Jay strode off whistling merrily, Gianna turned to me. “The food takes a little getting used to, but Macie can turn anything into a masterpiece. She was the finest cook in town back in Tover, weren’t you, Macie?”

  “Go on, girl, what nonsense!” Macie scoffed but was obviously pleased.

  “It’s true,” Gianna said, “she made the best bread I’ve ever tasted.”

  “The secret”—Macie leaned toward me—“is a little bit of honey. Gives it that sun-kissed flavor.”

  I managed a feeble smile, relieved I had enjoyed most of my meal before it was so unpleasantly ruined. I was used to dining on chicken, venison, and pheasant, not strange forest rodents.

  Gianna took my mostly empty bowl, set it down, and motioned for me to follow her.

  “Come on, let me introduce you to Thaddeus.” She pointed to an older man with a graying beard who was chopping logs with an ax. For some reason, he also looked familiar to me. Jay was cutting wood with him, and the two seemed to be enjoying pleasant conversation.

  As we approached, Gianna called out, “Thaddeus, have you met Roselynn yet?”

  Thaddeus took a break from his rhythmic ax swinging to nod in my direction. Jay ignored us, continuing to split logs at ferocious speed.

  “Good evening, Your Highness,” Thaddeus said, then went back to his task.

  Gianna inclined her head and we walked back the way we came. “Thaddeus keeps to himself, mostly. In fact, I think the only person I’ve really seen him talk to is Jay, although he hunts with Gavin sometimes. He’s the newest member of our group—came from Marcsnovia, apparently. I’ve still yet to learn his story, but Jay vouched for him.”

  At Gianna’s mention that Thaddeus was from Marcsnovia, I turned to look at him again. I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d seen the older man before. I wondered if he had lived in the castle or if I’d seen him around the town.

  Shifting my gaze, I noticed Jay watching me. I quickly turned my back to him. As I did, I saw an angry-looking Laurel leave the tent I’d been in earlier. Gavin called after her, but she ignored him, stalking off toward the woods.

  Gianna nodded in her direction. “That’s Laurel.”

  “Is she always so pleasant?”

  Gianna laughed. “Pretty much. But it’s not her fault—she’s had a hard life. She was orphaned when she was very young and lived with her sister until recently. Apparently, she found Jay in the forest. He was injured, but she managed to heal him. They’ve traveled together ever since.”

  “Injured?” I glanced toward Jay to see him and Gavin engaged in serious conversation. “What happened to him?”

  Gianna shrugged. “I have no idea. Heard he was in bad shape, though. Sounds like Laurel saved his life. She has amazing healing abilities and knows anything you could imagine about what grows in the forest. I think she’s hoping for a fresh start in Galesmore—maybe an escape from unhappy memories.” She shook her head. “I’ve never been able to get to know her well, though. She really keeps the walls up.”

  Gianna brushed her hands together. “Well, that’s everyone. Gavin and Jay, you’ve obviously already met. They make a fantastic team. Gavin was out here on his own for a while. When he ran into Jay and Laurel, they combi
ned forces. Jay’s a real expert at scouting the land and studying maps. He’s the main reason we’ve made it so far without running into knights.”

  “Why’s that?” I hoped to get some insight as to why Jay seemed familiar to me. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I’d met the obnoxious man before.

  “Who knows? He doesn’t like to talk about himself. I don’t know what he did before this or where he’s from. Personally, I think he’s part wolf and can sense people from miles away.” Gianna smiled at her joke, but I couldn’t help wondering if her assessment was not far off, given the fact he’d discovered me.

  “Gavin scouts with him too, but his real skill is hunting—that’s where he was tonight. Gavin never gives up until he gets meat for us.” She picked up a bow and arrow set, draping it across her shoulder. “He’s given me some great tips on improving my shot. My father taught me archery, but I never realized how much I still needed to learn until I was trying to hunt my own food.”

  I nodded, starting to understand why the group had been so successful at avoiding both Tover and Marcsnovian knights. Clearly, everyone here had valuable skills. “So, what else do you do here?”

  “I’m pretty much in charge of any other odd job you could imagine. Washing and mending clothes, caring for the horses, and fetching water. I used to pick berries, but once I picked a poisonous kind by mistake. Laurel was furious, so I told her she could have the honors after that.” Gianna shrugged, seemingly unperturbed by her near-fatal mistake. “It’s just so hard to tell the difference.”

  “I’m not sure how much use I’ll be with the other tasks, but finding the right berries to eat is actually something I know.”

  “Really? That’s great! And don’t worry too much about the other stuff. It’ll all become natural with practice.”

  I smiled at her enthusiasm, feeling slightly more at ease about my situation. I was pleased to have my own skill that would be helpful.

  While I wasn’t any closer to getting to Marcsnovia with this group, I would undoubtedly be safer. My near-death experience in the river earlier today reminded me just how perilous this forest could be.