Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (15 page)

“
What
are we going to do with them all?”

“
I
suppose you'll find out when it's time,” Roland replied.

Finally,
when all the rags were black with grime and the last lantern was
polished, the man led us into the forest, where the green canopy
above blotted out the sun, and the leafless ground was covered in
blankets of moss. I watched as he hung the lantern on a low hanging
branch, and another on a higher branch of a different tree before
going back the way we'd come to retrieve two more.

“
If
you're wondering why we're putting them in the forest, you'll find
out tonight,” Roland whispered.

I
was glad he'd spared me from asking yet another question. Being so
clueless about everything was making me feel like a child.

Once
all the lanterns were hung, it was about mid-day. We still had hours
to kill before the festival began.

Roland
and I walked out from behind the platform, and I was surprised by how
much had been done since we had first started on the lanterns.

The
few stands that we'd seen around the clearing had doubled in number,
and many tents had been set up. In the center of the clearing, an
awning was being stretched between four poles, casting a long
rectangular shadow across most of the shorn grass.

“
What's
the awning for?” I wondered aloud.

Roland
kept watching the men that were stringing it up. “Dancing. They
put it there, so that the stands don't take more than their fair
share of room.”

“
Are
there really going to be that many?” I asked. The number was
surprising already for this small town.

He
looked over and smiled. “Of course. Many people traveled to get
here today.”

As
we walked, an old woman called out to us. “You two! Do you have
some extra time on your hands?”

“
Sure,”
Roland said as he walked up to her. “Do you need our help with
something?”

I
approached behind him. The woman had a table full of different kinds
of flowers, filling the air with a wonderful fragrance.

“
I'm
sorry to bother you, but our time is running short, and we still need
to make enough wreaths for all the women and girls.” She said
all this as she weaved the stems of a few flowers together.

I
watched her for a moment longer to see how she was doing it, and then
I tried to copy her. Surprisingly, I got the hang of it, although it
took me a lot longer to finish.

Roland
had a harder time with it, probably because his hands were a lot
bigger. It was an hour or two before the last flower was woven into
the last wreath.

The
woman thanked us for our help, and gave me a wreath to put on my
head. I took it, but seeing as there was no other woman with a wreath
on her head, I decided to just hold it.

Roland
and I wandered through the town until I saw Natalia walking around
with Liana, who looked as healthy and cheerful as she usually did. I
left Roland's side and walked up to them, surprised to see Liana
looking so well after her condition this morning.

Liana
smiled. “Hello! I was hoping I would be able to find you here!”

I
returned the smile and said, “You look like you feel a lot
better. Has the sickness already passed?”

She
nodded. “Although I'm not sure how, I'm very glad it did. I was
so disappointed that I was going to have to miss the festivities.”

“
Well,
I'm glad you don't have to anymore,” I said.

Liana
looked behind me, at Roland. “Have you two had a good time?”
she asked.

Roland
looked at me with a smile. “Couldn't have been better.”

Natalia
raised her eyebrows. “So what did you do?”

This
time, I answered. “Mostly, we've been helping set up things for
the festival, but we also went to the Sticky Wicket for their
cinnamon rolls.”

“
You're
lucky,” Liana said. “When we got there, they were all
out.” Then, she took a hold of my elbow and began to guide me
away from Roland. “Let's do something fun, shall we?” she
asked.

I
looked back at Roland, who had shifted his attention away from me,
and was now conversing with Natalia. An uncomfortable emotion stabbed
at my heart, one that I'd never felt before. I pushed it away from my
consciousness, and looked back at Liana.

“
Sure,”
I answered.

Liana
and I spent the rest of the day helping with various tasks and
watching the traveling wagons roll in. The people inside looked
different from anyone I'd ever seen. Their clothes were patchy, sown
up with many colorful fabrics. Heavy jewelry adorned each of them,
beaded necklaces and bracelets, multiple earrings, and rings with
large gemstones. Even the men had on jewelry, although it was more
masculine than what the women wore. Most of them had dark hair and
dark skin, but there were a few mixed in that had blond or brown or
red hair. One that stood out to me was a woman that must have been in
her mid-thirties. Her hair was a different color red than mine. While
mine was a darker color, hers was almost as orange as a carrot. It
was braided messily down her back, as if the hair was so silken that
it didn't want to stay in place. Even from where I was standing, I
could still see the pronounced freckles on her face and arms.

When
she saw me looking at her, she smiled at me. I smiled back before
looking away. “Are these the gypsies?” I asked Liana
quietly.

She
nodded. “Yes.”

“
Roland
told me that they were supposed to be arrested on sight. Why are they
allowed to be free now?”

“
Their
music is better than anyone else's,” she answered. “And
they know how to have fun.”

“
They
aren't a threat?” I asked.

She
shook her head. “They seem pretty harmless...but keep your
change purse hidden.”

I
watched as many of them jumped up onto the stage with their
instruments, the red-haired woman among them.

Liana
looked up at the darkening sky. “It's probably about six
o'clock,” she said. “The festival should start soon.”

As
if on queue, the gypsies on the stage started tuning their
instruments, creating an otherworldly sound to ring through the
clearing, silencing everyone's voice. It continued for a few moments
before they all stopped simultaneously.

The
crowd gathered in around them, and Liana and I were pushed forward
with them. Then, they started playing. First it was just the
red-haired woman. She played a slow, haunting melody on her violin,
her face somber. The song started at a low pitch, but gradually got
higher as it went on. It sounded so mournfully beautiful that I
wished I knew what it was about. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped,
and her face widened into a grin before all the instruments joined in
together for a fast-paced, jovial tune.

The
crowd cheered. I was surprised when someone turned me around, a wide
smile spread across their face. I recognized the person as one of the
gypsy men. He slipped the wreath out of my hands and placed it on my
head before dragging me off under the awning for a dance.

“
I
really don't know how--” I started.

“
Don't
worry,” he said with a smile. “I'll lead you.”

My
heart pounded inside my chest as we began to dance. At first, I was
self-conscious of how I looked, but as I glanced around, I saw that
some of the other girls had been stolen off by gypsy men, too. Even
the old woman who had made our wreaths found herself dancing with a
handsome young man. I knew I just needed to loosen up and have fun.

A
small smile began to spread across my face, and soon, the other
dancers were just a blur as the gypsy man and I spun around in
circles. I was surprised when the song ended, and I was quickly
switched to another gypsy as the next song began, this tune with even
more energy than the last. I danced for three more songs before I
needed a rest. Another man tried to take my hand, but I had to smile
politely and decline. I spotted Liana among the crowd of people, and
hurried over to her before someone else tried to dance with me.

She
smiled when I appeared next to her. “I didn't know you were
such a good dancer,” she shouted over the noise.

“
I
didn't either,” I said with a breathless laugh.

We
had a festival in my hometown every year, but there wasn't very much
dancing, and the gypsies were never there. The orphan girls were only
permitted to go for one hour, usually before the dancing even
started.

A
man came up and took Liana by the hand, dragging her into a dance.
She smiled back at me and waved before joining the other twirling
couples.

I
enjoyed being able to watch the dancers. I found Natalia among them,
her usually serious expression nonexistent as she was spun around. I
nearly laughed out loud when I spotted January getting pulled away
from the crowd for a dance. She stumbled a little, but then, most
likely with magic, her movements became graceful. She noticed me
watching her, and smirked.

I
averted my eyes, the smile retreating from my features.

“
May
I have the next dance?” said someone behind me.

I
glanced behind me to see Niko.

I
narrowed my eyes at him before focusing back on the dancers again.
“I'm not much of a dancer,” I said.

“
Nonsense,”
he cooed in my ear. “I watched you dancing with the travelers.”

I
blushed and distanced myself from him. “Well, I'm afraid that
I'm worn out from earlier. You'll have to find someone else to dance
with.”

The
song ended abruptly and another one began. Niko jerked me into a
dance, and to my dismay, it was a slower one. I glared up at him, but
all he did was watch me with his cold blue eyes as he led me through
the steps. Every part of me that touched him felt colder somehow.

“
You've
been exceeding the others in your obstacle training,” he said
as he twirled me around.

“
Perhaps,
but that's only because we never do anything else.”

“
With
past students, I've found that obstacle training enhances their
reflexes. You are probably no different from them.”

I
didn't reply. Niko kept watching me, making me feel uncomfortable. I
tried not to look at him, and prayed that the song would end.
Unfortunately, it seemed to last forever.

When
the musicians finally drew out the last note, Niko dropped my hands
and left me in the center of the dancers. I walked the other
direction, glad to be rid of him.

I
was surprised when Kurt appeared in front of me. I hadn't seen him
since the incident with Roselle. He took advantage of the next song,
and led me smoothly into a dance. This one was a little more fast
paced, but still slower than the first songs.

“
What
was that about?” he inquired, his gaze following Niko.

“
I
have no idea,” I answered truthfully.

“
It
would be best if you stayed away from him,” he said, looking
back at me.

“
Why
do you say that?” I asked. “Do you not trust your own
brother?”