Shadows on Snow: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales) (22 page)

“Spirits willing,” I said under my breath, joining my sisters in wishing my godmother farewell.

In a twirl of light, she vanished as a shooting star, streaking out of the tent and into the sky.

“Thank you, Godmother,” I said as I watched her go. “I’ll remember your words.”

“Why don’t you ride with us?” Adelaide said as I set my foot in Cora’s stirrup. “There’s no need for a glamour in the wagon. Then you’ll be well-rested when we arrive.”

I adjusted the itchy collar of the army uniform and shook my head. “This small glamour isn’t taxing for me, especially as I don’t have to alter my clothing. “You really think I’d be content to sit in a wagon for three days? I’d go mad, Adelaide. I can keep a watchful eye this way.”

She sighed and stepped onto the back of the wagon. “You’re ridiculously stubborn, Rae.”

“So I’m told.” I mounted Cora and situated myself. “You say it as though it’s a bad thing. I think it’s a means of self-preservation.”

“It’s a needless risk,” she said. “The soldiers ride this road all the time. They know what to look for.”

Lifting the reins, I shrugged. “Then perhaps they’ve grown too used to it. Fresh eyes never hurt to look.”

Not waiting for further argument, I urged Cora forward at a trot, taking my place near the rear middle of the forward group of riders. Only a few minutes passed before we headed out, a three-day journey to the town of Herrimen ahead of us.

I passed the time sharpening arrows on a whetstone and listening to the banter of the other men. They didn’t know who rode amongst them, or perhaps they would have been more mindful of their tongues. As it was, I was treated to bawdy tales of public house revelry and bragging stories of bravery on the battlefield. More than one spoke of Prince Leopold and the courageous acts of selflessness that kept them under his service.
 

“Remember when we were pinned down at Baker’s Cove?”

“Do I remember? I lost eight men in my company alone, and was sure I’d follow them by morning. How could I forget?”

“You remember what he said to us then? Only sixteen he was, and refused to let us surrender. Those pirates would’ve seen us all gutted had it not been for that last push he led.”

“Aye. Remember what you’re fighting for and never let anyone take what’s most important from you, that’s what he said.”

“That, yes. Said that right before he charged their captain. I’d never seen a man so bent on keeping his soldiers alive. I’d bet a year’s wages he’d have died himself before he’d let any of us give up.”

“His Highness is the only reason I didn’t bleed out at Magridor, too.”

“Ah, right! I nearly forgot how brilliant he was with needle and thread. He could patch up near anything and you’d hardly have a scar to show for it.”

“And likely as not, you’d have a good story when he’d finished, too. He wasn’t much for carrying a tune, but he could spin a tale better than any bard I’d ever heard.”

“Think he’ll tell one about us once we’ve set him to the throne again?”

“Aye. And he’ll know us all by name, no doubt.”

“Then we’d best make the fight worth telling about, eh?”

When Leo said he trusted these men with his life, it was for good reason; they trusted him in equal measure. Not a one wasn’t willing to die to see him restored.

The supply caravan wound through valleys and forests alike, passing fields covered in snow from winter’s touch, and slowly giving way to milder temperatures. It was still cold, but considerably more pleasant than the northern border with Moran had been. My sisters kept away from me on the trip, allowing me to keep my disguise intact. If we were attacked, the soldiers would act no differently toward me than any other man, and thus no enemy would find me a more interesting target. We encountered no resistance, however. The caravan was expected and appeared as normal.

On day three, we arrived in Herrimen shortly before dinner. After seeing Cora secured for the evening, I wrapped myself in a thick cloak and shed my glamour. I found my sisters shifting uneasily near the wagons.

“How is it to be in the world again?” I asked, leaning up against one of the massive wheels. “The look hasn’t changed so much as we all have since last we were in civilization together.”

Belinda looked twitchy. “There’s not much in the way of wildlife here,” she said. “I’ll have to be a cat this evening and explore where I can.”

Erata wrinkled her nose. “Do try to stay away from rubbish piles and stinking alleys. I’ve no desire to comb your hair of fleas when you’re done.”

As I watched them bicker a bit, Clarice eased up beside me. “We’re to move out tonight, leaving the wagons here,” she whispered. Be ready come the watch’s cry of ten.” She pressed a bundle of cord into my hand. “Perhaps spend your time until then with this to see if it’s of any use in this plan.”

Looking down, glimmering golden cord shone up at me. “This is…”

“From the flax, yes,” she said. “Adelaide saw to the other as we traveled.”

When I turned, my eldest sister presented me with a fully shaped bow staff, waiting only to be strung. It was a thing of beauty, grown and twisted in the right places for my hands, its weight perfectly balanced with the precise amount of give. Awestruck, I looked at the two of them, grateful and humbled that they would use their gifts for such an exquisitely crafted weapon.

“Thank you,” I said, admiring their work.

“Best run out and test it in the woods, away from prying eyes,” Adelaide said. “Return before we leave tonight.”

“As though I’d miss it.” I grinned at them and hurried away, eager to try out my new prize. In the quiet of the forest on the outskirts of town, I knotted a loop into one end of the flax cord and measured it for size. Once two loops rested in the notches at either end of the staff, I gave a gentle tug on the cord to check the tension. It was tighter than I was used to, but I could still pull it well enough. Taking an arrow from my quiver, I nocked it and aimed for a tree twenty yards away. The bow creaked and bent as a ripple of light passed through the cord from center to end. Eyes on my target, I released a breath and fired.

The arrow whistled as it cut through the air, hitting its mark with a crack of splitting wood. Confused by the loudness of the sound, I jogged to the target, stunned to find my arrow sunk into the trunk halfway up the shaft. The tree split vertically in a massive gash through the bark, the damage so great I felt terribly for harming the old oak. A quick tug on the shaft revealed my shot would remain there, thoroughly embedded in the tree. I wondered if it was more than the increased tension of the bowstring that caused the devastation of my arrow, especially as none of my sisters were sure what the ramifications would be of using the magical flax to make the cord. Had my shot struck a creature, rather than a plant, the effects would have been undoubtedly fatal.

I nocked another arrow and scanned for a new target, a boulder this time, and let fly with a softer pull. As it hit, there was a distinct spray of shrapnel, ratcheting up my anxiety. A quick investigation showed a deep pitting in the stone, roughly as deep as my thumb and wide as my fist. The arrow itself splintered and shattered and laid in bits all around.

A deadly weapon, indeed.

Not willing to lose more arrows than the two, especially given where we were headed, I discarded any ideas about further practice and headed back to town. Owning an object of this much power worried me. Were it stolen from me, the thief would likely abuse the horrific accuracy it possessed.

Again finding my sisters, minus Belinda this time, I quietly discussed my results with them.

“Even if we cannot prevent its taking, can we restrict use? Perhaps keep it to our bloodline as an inheritance?” I asked.

Farah hummed thoughtfully. “The more generalized the restriction, the easier the ward,” she said. “I can restrict it to any but you simpler than I can an entire family line. Additionally, if you recall, our bloodline includes the likes of family traitors, and I don’t wish to see certain members come into possession of this bow if it does what you say.”

“Any shot is a kill shot,” I said. “It matters not how gently you pull.”

Farah turned to Adelaide. “I’ll need a few things for this. Sage, valerian petals, and red salvia, if you have them.”

After a moment’s thought, Adelaide rummaged through her pack, removing three small pouches from a belt she lifted out. “I’ve no red salvia, but I think violet will work as a substitution, if you’re doing as I think you are.”

Farah considered the pouches in her palm. “I think so, yes.” She turned back to me. “Rae, have you your knife?”

“Of course.”

“Then come with me.”

A little bloodletting and quiet concentration later, and I flexed my hand, wincing at the movement. “Good for me I pull with my right,” I said. “The gash stings terribly, and the powder you applied to it does it no favors.”

Farah wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’d have rather not done this tonight given our pending activity, but there was nothing for it. Will it hinder you?”

I shook my head. “Not overmuch, I think. I’ve endured worse. By the end of the night, I think it will be a minor irritation in comparison to everything else likely to hurt.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case,” she said, setting a hand on my knee. “We must stay positive for this.”

“Agreed,” I said and stood, adjusting the quiver strap across my chest. “But it’s nearly time. Are you ready?”

With a nod, we left the back of the wagon and rejoined the others. I slipped back into my glamour and we were off, headed to meet the soldiers gathering outside of town.

“How close is the army, Commander Preston?” Adelaide asked the head of the operation.

“At last check, it will be two days before the main body of the forces arrive at the palace. Advanced units should arrive before first light,” Commander Preston said. “We should hold off on entering the castle until they’re closer.”

“We can’t afford that,” Clarice said. “Today is the last day before the enchantment on the prince becomes permanent. We must move immediately. If all we’re able to do is break the spell, that will buy us time to overtake the rest.” Her words, though I knew the truth of it already, hit me hard, and I sucked in a sharp breath.

The commander looked none too happy about taking orders from women, but made no argument. “Very well. Let’s be away then. It will take several hours of riding before we reach the grounds.”

“The small force to infiltrate the interior should ride with me,” I said. “We’ll be taking a different direction to the western side of the castle.”

Commander Preston nodded and signaled to a group of soldiers to one side. “Mount up, gentlemen. Three hours of hard riding await you.”

“I’m coming as well,” Farah said, stepping up beside me. “You’ll need defense and a lookout for traps.”

Commander Preston feigned an attempt at hiding his smirk. “My Lady, I hardly think—”

“Wonderful,” I said, pushing past him in complete disregard. “Let’s be off then.”

Leaving him sputtering a bit, I rounded up the men assigned to the mission and flashed him a placating smile as the ten of us rode past him. Farah came up beside me, grinning wryly. “It works much better if you don’t give them room to argue, is that it?” She chuckled.

“In my experience, yes,” I said before snapping Cora’s reigns and leaning in to her full gallop.

The plan was for our group to infiltrate the interior, opening the gate for the remaining force. Ideally, we’d simply hold positions at the gatehouses to either side of the massive door after a small stealth attack. I mentally traced the route through the walls of the palace, determining the quickest, but least-traveled passages inside. Once we had control of the gate and the soldiers inside, my sisters and I would find King Alder, putting an end to his evil by any means necessary.

The closer we got to the palace, the wilder my heart beat in my chest. By the time we reached the clearing to tether the horses, my body quivered, every inch of me singing with purpose. My focus was absolute. We crept through the eastern woods, eyes sharp and ears tuned for the sound of guards. In the shadows of the trees, we waited, watching for the patrol to pass by to enter the servants’ entrance hidden by a false wall. When a pair of Royal Guardsmen went by on their scheduled rounds, I emerged, soundlessly darting across the ten-yard stretch of open area before reaching the door. The stone handle turned with the tiniest squeak, and I let myself in, leaving it ajar only an inch to mark the entrance for the others. Farah came next, followed by four more men. There was a break then, as another patrol was due past any moment. Each second that ticked by stretched out into minutes in the dark passageway, but soon enough, the remaining four soldiers were through as well.

Silently, I tapped Farah’s shoulder, leading the party onwards. We wound down corridor after corridor, pausing any time I heard the slightest sound up ahead. A quick check to validate my route showed us precisely on track, near the queen’s bedchamber on the eastern side. Without the queen’s presence, there was no need for servants to frequent these parts of the castle, save for daytime dustings and room airings when company was due. Up a ladder then, and continuing down the eastern wall, I held up a hand.

We’d reached the door to the stairwell leading up to the guard posts. I lifted my bow from across my back and nocked an arrow. Sure as the sunrise, someone would be waiting mere steps from the exit.

If I aimed for his throat, there would be no alarm raised.

Farah’s hand on my shoulder gave me pause. I turned, the gleam on the Shield of Ellandra visible even in the low light.

“All who stand behind me,” she whispered.

With a nod from me, she eased past, her hand on the doorknob. I stood directly at her back, arrow drawn and ready to let fly.

“I can’t keep silent any longer,” a man said on the other side. “Keeping him in that coffin, on display for the world, it’s not right, Sam.”

“Hold your tongue, if you know what’s good for you,” another replied. “I like it no better than you, but you’ve seen what he does to those who disagree with him. Leniver, Adita, and Cricks all disappeared during the night after Commander Purdim heard them saying what they ought not to. There’s naught to be done for it now.”