Into the Deep Wood

The room erupted in shouts of approval. The Hag’s appearance alone had excited the morbid curiosities of the nobles, but when they felt the waves of her anger roll through them in a very terrifying, almost tangible way, there was not a person in the room who was not in awe of Korschey.

Many had clearly never heard of her, but to see a real-life creature of the Nothing was a thrill. Although there were more than a few faces there that reflected both anger and sadness at the sight as they had family who inevitably did not make the return from the Deep Wood, their bones likely already ground up and added to the ashen piles on the Hag’s hill.

Everyone had cheered for the man who had come out in front of the kings. Everyone but two people. Neither of them spoke; neither had the words or the air left in their lungs. They did not look at each other, just simply stood frozen, their eyes affixed to the hunched monster and its hunter.

The Hag, distressed, thrashed about but was limited in her movement as the three chains affixed to her collar stretched in three different directions. It looked as if it was forged closed around her neck. Above it rose a cage meant to stop the Hag from speaking. It was a muzzle, and the iron links wired her jaw shut. Slightly above them, a mechanism was installed that was drilled right into her cheekbones.

Val did not hear anything said beyond that point; her eyes dropped, and breathing became hectic and uncontrollably fast - so much so that she thought that she was going to lose consciousness.

She had never thought that she would see the Hag again. The horrors of her years there came rushing back to her all at once, like a wave that first lingered above, blocking out the sun, then crashed down, wiping out everything in its path. She had to leave right then and there. She tugged on Marat’s arm urgently, looking up at him, then paused.

Marat’s face reflected angry disbelief; his jaw was clenched, and his eyes held an unbreaking stare on Erlan.

“Marat,” Val whispered to him, even though he gave no indication of hearing her, “It’s her, Marat, we have to leave…”

“She’s restrained.” He told her under his breath, still looking ahead.

“Please!” She desperately tugged on his arm, but he jerked it free.

“Do you not see this?” He asked her, still quiet and tense. “He’s alive. And with Korschey.”

“Marat, she isn’t restrained. She can still–” Val begged, quieting immediately as a hissing whisper echoed in her head.

I can smell you, stupid girl. I can feel you.

Val felt paralyzed. It was as if her heart stopped beating altogether. The noise of the crowd quieted, swallowed up by the voice.

No…

I can smell your contamination, putrid sow. Dashed and scampered and still ran afoul.

Val shut her eyes, willing the voice to go away, trying to think of anything else. Anything.

Little bones, little neck, snaps like twigs at my beck.

Despite her trying, Val felt compelled to look. The Hag was facing her and if she had eyes - she would be looking right at her. Her neck was strained, nose slightly raised, searching. Finding.

She could stand it no longer. She turned and began making her way through the crowd the best she could, as bodies were packed tightly in the room. She felt someone grab her hand.

“Valeria, not now,” Marat commanded, tugging her back.

“I can’t!” Tears were already welling up in her eyes.

“She can’t hurt you,” she saw his eyes were begging her, “Please.”

In her selfishness, she hadn’t seen him. She hadn’t seen the pain that was now written all over his face. The hand he had on hers trembled. She stopped trying to push through.

“I can hear her, Marat…” She said, nervously looking back toward the front of the room. From there, they were no longer visible.

He nodded and, without further words, went in front of her, pushing a path for them both to get through.

When they made it out of the great room, she collapsed against the wall. He slowly sat down next to her, pulling his knees up to his chest like a child. They did not speak for a long time. Val tried her best to bring her breathing under control before she made herself sick.

Marat looked at her finally, and she at him.

“You can go back,but I have to find him.” He said. She shook her head.

“I do not want to go back alone, not now.”

“Would you rather be here with her?”

She sat thoughtfully. Val felt safer here with him than she did far without him. Everything in her ached to leave, to get as far away as humanly possible, but, she already regretted asking that of him.

Seeing his brother alive after all this time…

“I would rather be here with you.” She said.

He nodded.

They sat silently for a few more hours as the ceremonies continued. When the people began pouring out of the room, Marat jumped to his feet, helping her up. He frantically looked through the people who were coming out, looking for a certain face.

Val looked out as well but did not truly wish to see that face, knowing that it was inevitable if she were to remain here with Marat.

Something caught his eye at the end of the hall. Whether it was Erlan or not, he suddenly took off.

“Wait here!” He called back as she lurched to go after him, but he was quickly out of sight and lost in the stream of people.

Val stood very still, movement all about her. People were talking, laughing, throwing up their hands and pointing. All discussing what had gone on that day. Not a single face looked familiar, and why would it?

And so, she slowly made her way to the doors, still feeling faint and in need of fresh air. Once outside, she veered off to the side of the building, looking for any space of solitude where she could gather her thoughts.

The air here smelled grassy, but not in a good way. It was as if a pile of cut grass had been allowed to rot in the sun for several days. It got caught in her nostrils, and she could almost taste its sourness. This brought on some fragments of memory.

“What a pleasant surprise to see you here, Owlet.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin, her soul dropping. She felt the cold of the voice wash over her and whipped around. He stood blocking the path back, his arms folded, with a bright smile. His eyes were cold. She never remembered his eyes being that cold.

“This isn’t real…” She muttered, suddenly recalling the nightmare she had at the inn. Erlan, stuck in the mud, crawling toward her - the smell of dog fennel in the air.

“This is as real as it gets!” He stepped forward, and she flinched, stepping back. “Come now, despite the unpleasant circumstances of how we parted ways, let the past be in the past.”

She shook her head, taking another step back. The ground was uneven here. It was meant to be a garden once, but the project seemed to be abandoned.

“But how…?” She found herself stuttering.

“You may not know this about me, Owlet, but in my youth, I was a most excellent swimmer.” He uncrossed his arms, meaning to set her more at ease.

“You hadn’t come back; you hadn’t looked for us. You hadn’t looked for Marat…” Her voice broke.

To allow him to think that Erlan had been dead this whole time, not a word, how could he have done that to his own brother?

“And why would I have looked? Marat had banished me after our mishap. One that I may say could have easily been avoided.” Erlan waved it off. “I went in the opposite direction. It so happened that it took me into the very deep north.”

Something about his voice and his face felt disturbing. She could not put a finger on it. Perhaps it was the memory of her fear that night and the continuing nightmares. He stepped toward her, but to move back now meant to run, and she could not outrun him, not in dress, and likely not even without one.

“Come now, Valeria.” Erlan grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. “I beg your forgiveness. It is a shame that what the Legho had done should sour what could have been. It was not I, it was not in my heart to act on it that way - but the thoughts that borne that desire were very much real. My desire for you.”

She tried to pull her hand away, disgusted, but he held on to it insistently.

“That was… a long time ago.” Val felt compelled to appease him. This earned her a wider smile on his face.

“That is precisely what I mean. It was such a long time ago.” His eyes turned down, and he took the entirety of her in, returning his gaze to her face. “And look how well the time has treated you.”

Run. Just run.By gods, just run.

“You must speak to Marat.” She said, ignoring his comment. “He knows you are alive; he is looking for you.”

“All in due time. My brother and I have some very choice words to exchange. But it is you that I meant to seek out first and foremost.” He leaned in, his lips brushing first her cheek, then her ear, sending unwelcome goosebumps down her back. He whispered, “I know your secret, Owlet. She told me it. She told me everything once I asked nicely.”

And with that, he let go of her hand and took a step back, still smiling, his eyes still soulless and cold. She felt herself shaking and willed everything in her to not show him that fear.

He must have known about her and Marat…

“I’ll come for you, Owlet. I will come for you tonight. Wait for me,” he said, turning and walking away toward the courtyard, where the crowds were loud and boisterous.

Val stood, unmoving, staring ahead, grinding her jaw so hard it ached. She wished for nothing but to find Marat before Erlan did.

Marat searched in the crowd. He pushed through and ducked under, his eyes darting about. There were no royals here, not even members of their court. It was only onlookers. There had to be another area where they had gone.

A side door meant for the service staff.

He pushed through into a hallway. The door that led to the outside was wide open, and he ran through. He was on the left side of the building now, the courtyard walled off. He ran along it, finding the rougher bricks and launching himself off of them, grabbing the fence spikes and pushing onto the other side. It came so naturally to him, yet he did not account for his current physical state and landed with both feet, the real and the fake, collapsing as the false buckled and threw him off balance. Embarrassed and furious, he pushed himself up. Something felt wrong; the ivory ball in the knee was no longer aligned.

“Fuck…” he muttered, leaning back against the bricks and fiddling with it in hopes that he could set it in place. But the steel rod had snapped, and there was no repairing it. Not here.

“Fuck!”

He sank down, grabbing his face with his hands and letting out a desperate growl. After a moment, he stood and limped toward where the horses and carriages had been.

He made it just in time to see the last of the royal’s carriages leaving.

“FUCK!”

Desperate, he took a few shaky steps forward. Erlan had no way to know he was here, not unless he saw him. But, there were still two days left of the negotiations. He would get the leg fixed - Theodora could fix it, and then he would find Erlan.

Val waited in the main courtyard, fretful, looking for Marat until she finally spotted him limping toward her. She ran to him, grabbing his arm to help support his weight.

“I couldn’t find him.” He said, defeated.

“What happened?” She looked down, his leg moving unnaturally.

“They left before I could.” It was as if he didn’t hear her.