THE JOURNEY TO DARKTHORNE

 

By Ashley Anne Douglas

 

Bear in mind this story breaks all the rules – this is a fun adventure story I wrote simply for my own amusement, I am posting it here now, more should be up soon.

 

PROLOGUE

 

Princesses

 

 

            Angelina Howden came home, ran straight upstairs, flung her bedroom door open and threw herself upon her bed, near tears already.  It had been an awful day, she’d spent the whole day job hunting with no luck of a career in sight.  She despaired, her mother and father, and everyone at the job centre told her she was a bright girl, she would find a job – sooner or later.  But it seemed that later was more likely than sooner.

The jobs out there all required people of much more experience than she possessed, they wanted people who had attended university, they wanted rocket scientists – and Angelina was not one of those people.

            She listened to the deafening silence in the house, it spoke volumes, her parents were out working, she had no pets, it seemed even the generally noisy traffic outside had come to a stop, all sound dying as if she’d just put in earplugs.  She sighed, and pulled herself up, trying to control her heartache of her bad day.

            Angelina glanced around her room with an empty heart, her posters of various bands did nothing for her, sometimes she would glance at her Hanson posters and wonder what they would do in her situation.  They had much more staying power than she had, they had more determination, more will power, they didn’t give up so easily like she did.  It was easy for them though, they had each other to draw strength from, she only had herself.

            Sound, at last, the click and soft slam of the front door downstairs eased Angelina’s mind, trying to forget her troubles, she rushed downstairs to greet whom ever who had just come home.

 

*           *           *           *           *

 

            At dinner, Angelina’s father, Gerard Howden, sat slouched in his chair in front of the TV, his dinner plate balanced on his pot-belly, he shovelled a forkful of peas into his mouth, then asked, “so did you find any jobs today.”
            “I had an interview,” Angelina shrugged, she was sitting folded legged on the floor, her dinner plate on the floor, she picked at her food, it didn’t seem very appetising.

            “And…?” Mr. Howden asked of his daughter.

            “They said they’d let me know…which is what they always say,” Angelina tried to fight tears, “they never do let me know though.”

            “Stop getting yourself so worked up, you’ll find something eventually,” Sheila Howden, Angelina’s mother, stated.

            “I can’t wait that long.  I need something now…” Angelina dropped her fork and folded her arms stubbornly.  She’d spent the last six months looking for work, she was almost twenty, and still living with her parents in a small council flat in Manchester.  She glanced at the TV, Britney Spears – whom Angelina hated with a passion – was throwing herself all over the screen acting as if she could dance, Angelina snorted in disgust.  “Turn this shit off,” she muttered.

            “I quite like her,” Mrs. Howden confessed.

            Angelina winced, not understanding how anyone could love such corny music, it had no depth.

            Not like my Hanson, Angelina thought to herself.  At least Hanson don’t rely on badly thought up dance routines and they can actually sing, play instruments and write their own songs.  What can Britney do?  Get her boobies one more size?

            Angelina kept her mouth shut, she dared not make any comments about Britney Spears out loud, her mother and father would only tell her that she was jealous that she wasn’t as ‘thin’ or ‘pretty’ or ‘popular’ or ‘talented’ as Britney Spears.  In Angelina’s eyes, Britney was none of those four elements.  Britney was Britney, and if she had sex with Nick Carter, they would probably conceive a bouncing baby Barbie doll.  These were the only thoughts that could occupy her mind since, after all, she didn’t have much else to think about.

Angelina pushed her thoughts aside, “I’m going to bed…” she sighed.

            “It’s only six…” her mother trailed off.

            “I’m tired.”

            Angelina left her final words at that, and went upstairs.  She headed into her room, the first thing she would see as she entered her room, was her very large poster of Hanson she had pinned up on the wall opposite the door, she’d made this a deliberate thing, just as she had placed large Hanson posters facing every side of her bed so that when she woke up, their faces would be the first thing she saw.  Lately it had been the only thing that would ever cheer her up.

            She lay on her bed, and glanced at large poster of Isaac Hanson, stared into those happy dark brown eyes, and sighed, why couldn’t I have been born in Tulsa, lived in the same neighbourhood as you, been friends with you, been your girlfriend.  No, that’s not my life, instead I live in Manchester – somewhere you’ll never come.  Somewhere where not many people even care if you exist anymore…

            She picked up a girls magazine her mother had bought her yesterday.  Angelina wasn’t really all that much interested in those cheap glossy flashy magazines.  They were all about pop music, sex, and glitter.  Something Angelina saw as cheap and tawdry.  Her eyes fell on an article called ‘the three pop princesses and the Queen of pop’.  Pictures of Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera gazed up at her as if they wanted to make love to her.  She made a face, “gross” she uttered.  ‘The Queen of pop’, the magazine had dubbed was Britney Spears.  In disgust, Angelina rolled the Magazine up and shoved it into her waste paper basket.

            She closed her eyes, she had so much to worry about, with the job situation, not having any money, not having any friends and an obsession with a guy she would never meet and never have.  She felt very depressed.

I wish I could just escape, she thought sadly, and then she felt herself begin to drift into sleep.

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

7

Beginning of an Adventure

 

 

            Angelina wasn’t sure when she’d become aware she was awake, or in fact, when she had become aware the texture under her had seemed to have changed.  She remembered having lay down on her soft comfortable bed, with it’s cotton sheets, right now, under the back of her hand, she felt something slightly dampish, mushy and damp.  She made a face and sat up a little, looking around at her surroundings.

She was no longer in her safe, warm, comfortable room, she was in a damp, misty forest, with huge tall trees looming over her, patches of grass and earth damp under her, she wasn’t even wearing her black trousers and blue blouse anymore, she was dressed in a blue silk dress with gold and silver trim, it was tight and uncomfortable, she winced, making a face.

            What the hell is this meant to be?!  She demanded in thought, she looked around worriedly, not seeing a soul in sight, in fact she couldn’t see much of anything due to this damp mist that was hovering over the area, she heard such distinct sounds of the birds in trees, the rustling of the dress she was wearing as she moved, in the distance, a soft constant thudding. 

            She was quite aware that the thudding was getting closer and closer, and she began to grow weary of it, she grew weary of the whole thing, of this dream – that was what it appeared to be.  Only she couldn’t wake up and why she wasn’t sure. 

            She glanced in the distance, coming through the trees, was a dark figure on a horse, she stood, paralysed with fear, who was this going to be?  The headless horseman?  One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse?  Or, perhaps, Prince Charming?

            The horse, and it’s rider, approached, the rider stalled his horse and glanced down at Angelina.

            Angelina stared up at the young man, dressed in all his finery, he had long golden hair which was pulled back into a loose ponytail, dark brown eyes which, to Angelina seemed awfully familiar, he had a noble, debonair air about his appearance, he climbed down from his horse, looked at Angelina curiously.

            “Is this the way to Darkthorne?” he asked.

            “Darkthorne?” She questioned, she glanced around, it wasn’t exactly like there were any sign posts.  “Uhm…I…don’t really know…I just…I just got here…”

            “Where is your horse?” the young man asked of her, she reckoned he couldn’t be any older than fifteen, he seemed strikingly familiar although she was far more concerned with where she was than this mans actual identity for the moment.

            “I…I don’t have a horse,” she faltered, she wasn’t sure if that was a crime.

            “You walked all this way?  It’s a long way back to the village, my lady,” he looked at her, “and you should not be out alone, it is not safe for a lady of quality to be out alone with the lurking dangers…”

            Oh my god, oh my god, I don’t believe it, she suddenly had realised who she was speaking to, I’m standing in front of Zachary Hanson!

            “Well…you see, I was in bed at home…and then I woke up here…on the floor just before you came here…” Angelina tried to explain.

            “Sounds like the work of the evil Queen of Darkthorne…she dabbles in black magic,” Zac Hanson looked at her, “My lady, I offer you my horse, you can ride it back to the village safely now, before darkness falls,” he bowed.

            “But…I don’t want to go to the village…I want to go home, my home isn’t there…it’s in Manchester…”

            “Where is that, my lady?”

            “It’s in England, silly, where are we?” she looked at him.

            “In Albertane, ma’am…”

            Okay, this is scaring me, according to Hanson’s ‘Middle of Nowhere’ Album, Albertane was a planet in the song ‘Man from Milwaukee’…does that mean I’m in space?  Doesn’t look like space to me, looks like Earth…and this guy is warped…this cannot be happening, no no no no.

            “Stop calling me lady,” Angelina finally stated, “My name is Angelina…”

            “Lady Angelina,” he bowed, “I am Prince Zachary of Thunderock,” He took one of her hands with gentle ease, proceeded to go down on one knee and he kissed her knuckles, he glanced up at her.

            “You’re a Prince?” she questioned.

            “Yes,” he stood, “but you do not need to call me so, call me Zachary if you must.”

            “How about….Zac?”

            “I do not mind,” He smiled.

            “Where is this Darkthorne you keep talking about?”

            “I was told the path to Darkthorne would begin at the end of these woods, Lady Angelina, I must go there, the Queen has kidnapped my brothers, and I must come to their aid.”

            “Alone?  Without an army?” she began to see this as a warped reality and she began to realise if she didn’t go along with this she probably wouldn’t get out of here.

            “Most of our knights died in the battle with the Queen’s army,” Zac sighed, he looked almost without hope for a moment or so.  He glanced at her, “So I cannot afford to stand around, I do not know what terrible tortures my brothers will be enduring…”

            “I should go with you…” she thought about Isaac, this evil Queen had Isaac and she didn’t want to stand for it.

            “No, my lady, it is not safe for a lady to travel to Darkthorne…”

            “But I should,” she looked at him, “You’re alone, and besides…I don’t know how to get home, if this Queen knows magic, then maybe I can get a way to get back home…”

            “The Queen is evil, there is no way she would ever send you home.”

            “How do you plan to defeat her on your own?”

            “I don’t know…” he sighed, “I have a sword and bravery and this is all I should need…but if you wish to come along, then I cannot stop you.  And guilt would plague me if you should walk to Darkthorne alone.”

            She looked at him, “Thank you.”

            Zachary helped her onto the horse and climbed behind her, taking the reins with his arms around her to hold on, the horse began to trot it’s way through the woods cautiously.

            “What’s the horse’s name?”

            “Madeline,” Zac explained.

            Figures, Angelina thought rolling her eyes.  This was the weirdest situation to be in, and she didn’t know how to explain it to Zac that this wasn’t meant to be happening, that people didn’t travel by horse these days, they travelled by car and plane, and that there weren’t evil magic queens and never were.

            “So…your brothers…how did they get kidnapped – but you didn’t?”

            “My brothers are headstrong, they fought with the knights, I was prohibited because my father, the king, decided I was too young to battle,” he sighed, “I had to run away to try and save them before it is too late.  The queen wants to marry my eldest brother, if she can make him fall in love with her using her black magic, then she will marry him, then murder my parents so that Isaac reigns as king, then she will continue to use black magic to control his actions and thoughts, she will rule all of Thunderock, and then all of Albertane eventually…” he shuddered in despite.  “I would love to murder that witch.”

            “Why did she kidnap Ta – I mean your other brother?”

            Zac cringed, “I suspect in case something goes wrong involved with her spells with Isaac – if Isaac dies, Taylor immediately becomes the next heir to the throne.”

            “Oh…” Angelina still couldn’t understand what was going on, although it seemed pretty much explained out.  She didn’t know why she was part of all this, or why she had got here, had she lost her mind, had their been drugs in her food and all this was a big hallucination?

She thought of Isaac, she’d always so longed to meet Isaac Hanson, she’d longed for him to love her, although it seemed unlikely, but if she continued with Zac on his quest, then she would rescue Isaac, her love.

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

The Inn at Fairthorne Edge

 

 

            The mist seemed to gradually get thicker, and Angelina despaired, what if they were going the wrong way?  She didn’t even know the way to this Darkthorne and neither did Zac.  All Zac had was a horse, a feeling and a few directions, he didn’t even have a map or a compass.  She held onto the horses rains, sitting side saddle, in her uncomfortable dress, wishing she was wearing something warmer and more comfortable, against the cold damp mist her silk blue dress did nothing for warmth or protection from the damp. 

The daylight was fading fast and the dark was approaching, and just when the forest seemed like it would never end, they happened upon a strange building which was fashioned in an odd manner, and built around a giant tree.

            “Whoa there, Maddie,” Zac tugged on the horses reins and she stopped abruptly, neighed and snorted, and remained still.

            Zac climbed off the horse and helped Angelina down, “Lady, you’re shivering,” Zac said worriedly.

            “I’m fine, I’m just a little cold, is all,” Angelina tried to smile, she hugged herself.

            Zac glanced at the sign on the building’s doorway, “Fairthorne Edge Inn,” he read aloud.

            He opened the door and they stepped inside, there was a large lounge in the front, the smell of beer, the sound of pipe music, and the chattering of voices seemed to bring the room to life.  There was large fireplace at the back of the room, with a roaring fire, and Angelina felt drawn to it.

            Zac touched Angelina’s arm, “Go warm yourself by the fire, I will speak with the innkeeper and see if there are any rooms for charter.”

            “Okay…” Angelina agreed, she headed over to the fire and stood by it, holding her hands out to be warmed by the flame.  Zac spoke with the innkeeper who was behind the bar, the innkeeper was a large plump man with a pleasant smile and rosy cheeks.  Angelina glanced over her shoulder at Zac and the Innkeeper agreeing on a deal for a room.

            “Forty gold pieces,” The innkeeper laid his hand down, kept his voice firm, trying to get a direct deal.

            “Twenty- five.”

            “Forty or no room,” the innkeeper stated, “I am sorry, I have to make a living…last week Queen Britney’s army attacked the Inn for no reason and took all of my earnings,” he seemed sad for a moment.

            Angelina stalked over quietly, and stood by Zac.

            “Twenty-five,” Zac tried again.

            “Listen, this is our last room, there are others here who would be more than willing to pay the full price for the room…” the Innkeeper tried to convince Zac.

            “Isn’t there a discount for Royalty?” Angelina asked, hoping this would help Zac’s haggle.

            “Royalty?”

            “Don’t you know this gentleman here is the Prince of Thundercliff?”

            “Thunderock,” Zac quickly glanced at Angelina then back to the Innkeeper.

            “A prince, eh?”

            “Yes, sir, I’m on a quest, we need shelter from the cold, Lady Angelina is soaking wet right through, we’re chilled to the bone, we have to save my brothers from Queen Britney, please…twenty-five is all I can offer, my father the king’s treasure was pilfered when the Queen’s army attacked, please…” he looked desperately at the Innkeeper.

            The innkeeper finally nodded, “Oh, alright,” he sighed, he handed Zac an old Iron key, “It’s the attic room,” he added.

            Zac pulled out a money bag, but the Innkeeper shook his head.

            “No…that’s alright,” he said, “just…don’t tell anyone.”

            Zac smiled, “thank you good man, when I defeat the queen and recover my treasure, you will gain your earnings back,” he promised, and with that, he took Angelina by the arm and led her upstairs.       They went up to the top floor, a small attic that you almost had to stoop in, their room was dingy, dark, badly lit, and the bed looked mangy.  Angelina swallowed, staring at the bed, she hoped to god Zac did not expect her to sleep on that.

            “Something wrong, my lady?” Zac questioned.

            “No…not at all,” Angelina looked at Zac, “It’s a little early to sleep.”

            “We should rest, though.  We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow,” Zac explained, “according to the Innkeeper, Darkthorne is three days journey by horse,” Zac looked at her.

            “Do we know the way?”

            “I’m going to speak with some of the patrons, see if anyone has a map to Darkthorne,” Zac explained.

            “How hard can it be to find?”  

            “Well according to the Innkeeper once we hit the Grasslands we’re in big trouble.”

            “What are the grasslands?”

            “According to the Innkeeper the Grasslands is cursed.  It just seems to go on forever…no trees…no rocks…no horizon…it just goes on…”

            “How the hell are we meant to—“ the moment she said hell Zac’s face went blank as if he’d never seen a lady swear before.  “I mean…How are we mean to pass the Grasslands…” she trailed off.

            “I am not sure,” Zac sighed, “But I’ll find out, you wait up here.”

            “No, where you go, I go.  You’re not leaving me up here with the fleas,” she grabbed onto his arm.

            He looked at her oddly, and they went down into the lounge of the Inn, the warmth soothed them both, the laughter, the chatter of voices, the smell of strong ale was almost comforting.  Angelina held on to Zachary’s arm, looking around. 

            “Who do we ask first?”

            “I have…absolutely…no clue,” Zac paused, he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear and headed towards the bar, “Innkeeper,” he demanded, trying to get the mans attention.

            The Innkeeper glanced at Zac and gave a nod.
            “I need to speak with someone…anyone…who has been to Darkthorne.”

            “You could try that one over there…” the Innkeeper waved his hand gesturing to a small hooded figure who was sitting in the back of the inn, hands around a large mug filled with liquid.

            “Alright,” Zac nodded, he and Angelina made their way towards the figure, they reached the hooded figures table, and Zac cleared his throat, “ahem…”

            The hooded figure raised it’s head and glanced towards Zac and Angelina, the hood falling back a little to reveal the features of a young woman, dark flawless skin, vibrant purple eyes, thick black curls of hair tumbling out of the hood.  At first, her expression crossed over on disturbed, as if she had not anticipated being approached by anyone on this eve.  She tightened her grip a little on the mug she was holding, and glanced at Zac questioningly.  “What is your business?” she demanded.

            “The Innkeeper says you’ve been to Darkthorne…” Zac trailed off, his voice did not hide his surprise.

            “Yes?” the young woman murmured.

            Angelina glanced at Zac, the fact that this young woman was a woman had caused Zac to be a little off balance, Angelina had not been on this world long, but she could tell already that this was some sort of age where men were the heroes and women were the victims, the helpless sex.  No wonder he had seemed so concerned about Angelina coming along.

            Angelina cut in, since Zac seemed a little speechless, “Listen, we need information.  We have to be in Darkthorne as quickly as possible…how can we do this safely…”

            The young woman drew her breath, “Most people are running the other direction from Darkthorne, why in the world would you want to go towards it.”

            “My brothers…they were kidnapped by the Queen…”
            Angelina looked at the young woman, “We need to get there, now can you help us or not…”

            “Perhaps…what would I get out of this?”

            “My friend here is a prince…” Angelina gestured to Zac.

            The young woman looked at Zac, “if I guide you to Darkthorne, what will I get…”

            Zachary paused, “I can’t pay you immediately…but I can guarantee you five-hundred gold pieces if you help.

            “A thousand.”

            “Well…” Zac seemed to be rather greedy with his gold, but Angelina realised it was not his gold – but the kings.

            “Wait, before we make arrangements here, can you actually assure us you can get us there?”

            “I’m the only person in Albertane who has made it past Darkthorne Forest,” she stated.

            “You’ve never been to the castle?” Zac demanded.

            “No.  And don’t even think for one minute that I avoided the castle out of fear.  Believe me, that castle is protected by magic, there’s no way in…” the young woman explained.

            “We need to get into that castle…we’ll find a way,” Zac declared.  “Alright, if you guide us, you will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces.”

            The young woman nodded.

            “I am prince Zachary, and this is Lady Angelina,” Zac bowed.

            “I’m Culzean,” she stood up.

            “Alright, Culzean, in the morning, we leave for Darkthorne,” Zac stated.  “Be ready.”

            Culzean smirked, “no…YOU be ready.  It’s a rough road ahead…and believe me, you better be prepared,” she pulled her hood up, glanced over at Angelina and Zac, then she went up the stairway leading to the rooms.

            Angelina smirked, “I like her.”

            “She’s a little impetuous,” Zac snorted.

            “Someone else I know is also impetuous,” Angelina grinned, and with this, she headed upstairs back towards the attic room.

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

The Journey To Dewberry Village

 

 

            The morning seemed to come all too soon, Angelina felt more fatigued than she felt she had ever been before.  The bed had been rough and lumpy, and the blankets itchy, the dress she had not attempted to remove and had pinched her under the arms, making it uncomfortable for her to find a reasonable sleeping position.  She felt as if she had barely fallen asleep when Zac – who had been sleeping on the floor all night and had awoken refreshed and alive – had arose her to tell her they had to begin the journey to Darkthorne.

And so, Angelina rubbed her puffy eyes, pulled herself together, pulled her long coppery hair back with a length of string she had found lying around, then she and Zac left the cold damp almost musty atmosphere of the attic room they had rented for the night, and stumbled down the splintered oak staircase into the first floor of the inn. 

Only three others were awake at these early hours of dawn.  The innkeeper was counting his money in the back of the inn at a table.  A young blonde in rags was wiping tables with a wet cloth, and finally an enormously plump woman with bright red hair – whom Zac identified as the Innkeepers wife - was kneading a lump of dough on the bar-counter with her large strong looking hands, she hummed a pleasant tune, and looked to Zac and Angelina as they approached.

            “Ah, good morning,” She smiled brightly, her teeth were crooked, and yellow, but she had a beautiful smile still.

            Zac and Angelina had not realised their hunger until seeing the lump of dough under the innkeepers wife’s hands, they suddenly noticed the smell of fresh bread was lingering in the air, their stomachs gurgled in response.  “Good morning,” Zac and Angelina replied, their eyes never leaving the dough under her hands.

            “Culzean is waiting for you in the stables,” the innkeepers wife explained.

            “Thank you,” Zac gave a humble bow and headed out the door, Angelina ran to keep up.

            “Zac…” Angelina gasped as she followed quickly, stumbling over a few rocks embedded into the dirtpath.

            “Uh huh?”

            “Has it occurred to you that we haven’t eaten?” Angelina asked.

            “Yes, it has,” Zac responded, he stopped, “take this,” he said, he handed her his money pouch, “Go inside, speak with the innkeepers wife, ask her if she will supply three loaves of bread, and a bottle with a cork to store water in,” Zac looked at her, “there are only forty gold coins in there…try to haggle,” he explained.

            Angelina gave a nod, and with the money pouch, she went back into Fairthorne in, and spoke with the innkeepers wife.  Angelina was polite, sincere, and managed to convince the innkeepers wife to supply the necessities Zac had asked for – and after convincing the innkeepers wife that Zac was one of the princes of Albertane and was going to help get all the lands money back from the evil queen, the innkeepers wife donated the supplies – free of charge.  It almost seemed too good to be true, but Angelina accepted.

            With a satchel with the bread and water in her hand, Angelina headed to the back side of the inn, where the stables were, Zac was outside, Madeline saddled up and ready to go, Culzean was sitting proud on a large black stallion, there was a huge grey dappled horse between Zac’s horse Madeline, and Culzean’s black steed, Zac was holding the reins.

            “Where did the horse come from?” Angelina questioned, she looked at the large grey horse, and put her hand against it’s face.

            “I won him in a bet last night,” Culzean stated, she looked at Angelina, “I hope you are prepared for this journey.  Darkthorne is no place for a lady.”

            “I’ll survive,” Angelina walked over, Zac helped her up onto the grey horse, and then mounted Madeline.  “Okay…so the plan is?”

            “To get moving as quickly as possible,” Culzean stated.  “The faster we move the more chance we have of making it to Dewberry village before nightfall – my brother lives there, we can acquire weapons – we will need them if we wish to get past Darkthorne forest.”

            As the journey began Angelina found herself growing more uneasy.  Zac and Culzean made it seem like the journey to the Castle in Darkthorne would be more treacherous than she had ever expected.  What kind of dangers would lurk there that would need the weapons that Culzean was speaking of?  There was always time to back out she decided, she had her own horse now, she could ride back and escape somehow…

            But Isaac is in the castle in Darkthorne, Angelina reminded herself. This may be some kind of crazy dream – but you have always wanted to meet him, and even if this is some sort of fairytale land and he isn’t the REAL Isaac Hanson – it’ll be worth it.

            The journey seemed endless that day, as they rode their horses through the beautiful green fields, through the shallow river and through a quiet woodland.  There was something about the land that reminded Angelina of movies such as ‘First Knight’ or ‘Dragonheart’.  There was almost this magical mediaeval mystery and beauty about the land.  And she watched Zac as they rode, forgetting who he was in real life and focussing on the fact that right now, he was a Prince in some make believe fantasy world.  She pondered if this evil Queen would really be able to send her back to her own world.  She pondered if this really was just a dream, and she would awaken in her room, safe under her covers, gazing upon her comforting posters of Hanson. 

            But everything right now felt so real, every bump as the horse galloped, every chill to the breeze, every pinch the tight silk blue dress plagued her with.  There was no conversation between Zac and Culzean – Angelina felt that Zac despited the fact that Culzean was obviously a warrior – and not a helpless woman as he had obviously grown up to believe women were.  With no conversation, the sound of the world seemed so alive, but there was no traffic, no street noise, no noisy people wandering around, just the sound of the birds, the wind, and the horses hooves upon the grass. 

            The time seemed to slow down and Angelina wished she had a watch or some sort of instrument for telling the time.  “What time is it?” she asked wearily, eventually, it had definitely been hours they had been riding for.

            Culzean stopped her horse and circled a little, looking at the sky, she was weighing in her mind the way the light was playing against the clearing in the woodlands, the sprinkle of clouds in the sky, “It’s almost sunset, we should continue fast before nightfall comes,” She stated calmly, the three continued riding through the woods, a little faster than before, the horses seemed uneasy, especially Zac’s horse, Madeline.

            “Did anyone think to bring a torch or a flashlight or something?” Angelina asked hopefully.

            “Flashlight?” Zac asked in curiosity, his brown eyes widening, “What’s that?”

            “It’s…nothing,” Angelina didn’t feel like explaining this wonder of modern technology to him, “Zac…I have a question,” she finally admitted, glad the silence at least had been broken.

            “Yes, my lady?” Zac glanced over at her.

            “Why did the queen kidnap your brothers…I mean if they’re only princes…”

            “Isaac is heir to the throne if my father dies – and Isaac would do anything to save Taylor’s life,” Zac explained, “Isaac is noble, and would rather die than have our brother die.”

            “But what does Isaac’s being heir have anything to do with why the Queen kidnapped him and Taylor…”

            “I suspect…” Culzean stated, interrupting before Zac could explain it all the way he imagined it, “That the Queen is interested in Marrying Prince Isaac because he is heir – and then murdering the King and Queen of Albertane this would leave her and Isaac in control of the whole land…”

            “But Isaac would never marry her…” Angelina hoped.

            “Not true.  If the evil Queen said she would kill Taylor if Isaac didn’t agree to marry her Isaac would succumb,” Zac explained.  “He’d rather be wed to pure evil than to see his brother die.”

            “If she’s so powerful why not just use magic instead of having to use Taylor to get to Isaac?” Angelina asked.

            “Magic can’t will someone to do something they don’t want to,” Culzean explained.  “It’s the main imperative of magic.”

            “Imperative…what you mean like laws?  Rules?” Angelina asked.

            “Yes…” Culzean nodded.

            Angelina nodded, understanding – she hoped.  This all sounded so complex.  She wished she had paid more attention during all those fantasy movies, maybe something in them would help her cope with this right now.

            As if things could not get bad enough, a heavy rain began to pour down upon our three adventurers, Zac despaired, “How can we ride through this?”

            “Just ride,” Culzean huffed, she kicked her heels into her horse to make him gallop faster, “We’re not that far from Dewberry village,” she explained.

            Angelina hoped at this village there would be dry warm beds – without fleas – and a fire to dry these soaking wet clothes of hers.  She copied Culzean’s example, and kicked the horse gently in the sides, he galloped faster, Zac and his horse immediately followed.  The three rode, until finally they were out of the woodlands and in a deep valley, it was darkening quickly, the sky dark, dark grey, the rain pelting down like liquid ice.

            Lightning struck two miles south, and the sky was lit up brightly and thunder rolled distantly in the nearby hills, Angelina’s horse jerked backwards, pushing itself up on it’s hind legs, timorous from the storm, Angelina was thrown off the horse and landed hard on her back with a thud on the thick wet mud.

            Zac circled Madeline around seeing Angelina had been thrown off, at the same time, he tried to calm the horse from taking the same actions as Angelina’s horse.  He dismounted, and walked over, “My lady,” He fell to his knees and pulled her up slightly, “are you hurt?  Can you move?”

            “Ow…yes…I just…ow…my ankle…” Angelina realised there was a pain in her ankle, it felt like she’d pulled something.  Zac pulled her up into his strong arms, looking at her, there she was in his arms, dripping with mud, her hair clinging to her face in unattractive clumps.  Angelina returned his gaze, he looked only clean and handsome, his eyelashes spiky, his smile reassuring.

            “You should ride with me,” Zac decided, he lifted her carefully onto his horse without trying to hurt her, then he grabbed the reins of the grey horse and strapped them to the saddle of Madeline, he climbed on and wrapped his arms around Angelina, holding onto the reins. 

            Angelina closed her eyes and leaned back against him, feeling her exhaustion settling in again.  She had drifted off into a peaceful sleep, leaning back against Zac, safe from harm as long as his arms were around her.

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

Faith In the Angel

 

            When Angelina arose from her slumber she was laying across a wooden bench inside a small building which seemed to be some sort of church.  There were beautiful stained glass windows staring her in the face, arched ceilings and mahogany wood furnishings.  Angelina sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in her ankle, she could hear Zac and Culzean’s voices somewhere. 

            She got up, and limped around, her feet making echoing noises on the stone floors.  She grabbed a hold of whatever she could to keep herself upright, and found a large wooden door, she pushed it open forcefully.  Culzean and Zac were sitting at a large oak table, and a man in a brown cowl was sitting at the head of the table, he looked at Angelina and smiled, “come in my child.”

            Angelina stumbled in and took a seat beside Zac, and looked at him, he had dried since the rain, and he had no mud on him, he’d been cleaned up.

            “Angelina, this is Brother James, Culzean’s kin,” Zac introduced.

            Brother James stood, “you were exhausted and we did not wish to waken you,” he smiled, he walked over, “your ankle is swollen, and you are tired and worn.  I will have my wife see to you…and give you some dry clean clothes,” he smiled.

            Angelina felt relieved that she would have clothes other than this horrid blue dress which pinched her under the arms, she tried to stand as Brother James wife stepped in.  His wife – whose name was Raven, had long black hair in one thick beaded braid.  She was wearing a simple grey frock that was not very flattering.  Angelina followed Raven to a small upstairs room – there was a large wooden basin full of water – probably cold.

            “You may wash here,” Raven stated, “I will find you some clothes,” she added, and with that left the room.

            Angelina knelt down and touched the water, ice cold, but she would rather feel colder than remain in this dirty gritty mud.

            Raven entered again, with clothes, “This is all I can offer,” she said, she gave a nod, then left the room.

            Angelina stripped awkwardly, there were many laces to her apparel, and after releasing all the laces, she slipped out of the dress, and sighed in relief.  She washed quickly, soaked her hair and tried to remove all the mud out of it as best she could, after removing all the dirt from her body, she dried off and pulled on the clothes that Raven had left out for her, it was a cream coloured dress, linen, a little frayed at the sleeves but otherwise in very good condition, it was long, the skirt straight cut, the bust with a square collar.  It thankfully was not too tight, and for the first time since she’d arrived in this Godforsaken land, she was comfortable in her clothing.  She wrung out her hair as best she could without getting any more wet, she glanced at her reflection in an old metal bed pan hanging from the wall, distorted but she looked as well as she could.  Along with the accessories of the apparel – which consisted of shoes, and a cape, was a heavy leather belt.  She picked up the belt, strapped it on loosely just to it clung to her hips and no more, hauled on the heavy cape around her shoulders, glad for the warmth it provided, she pulled the shoes on, and she headed for downstairs.

Zac was standing in the hallway, fumbling with his sword absently.

            “So…” Angelina reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked at Zac hopefully, as if he had come up with their next plan.

            Zac looked at her, and stepped back, his expression a little stunned, she was not sure why at first.

            “What is it?”

            “When you stepped towards me…you were like an Angel,” Zac drew his breath, he knelt down on the floor, took her hand and placed a soft kiss tenderly upon her knuckles – which were scraped from the rough horses reins.

            Angelina looked down at him, “Zachary,” She pulled him up, “that’s a nice thing to say but can we please just focus on the task at hand – your brothers…”  Angelina was only focusing on Isaac at this time.

            “My Lady,” Zac said, “Will you walk with me?”

            “Walk with you where?”

            “Outside, please, the rain has stopped?” He looked at her questioningly.

            “Alright,” Angelina agreed, she pursed her lips together, looped her arm with his and they left the warmth of the small chapel like building, and walked along the narrow dirt path.

            “Where are the horses…?” Angelina asked quietly, she looked around, they appeared to be in a small village, the narrow path led into a street, small houses and stables lined the road, and a few merry drunks staggered out of a tavern together, leaning against each other and singing happily.

            “In the stable, at the back of the chapel, my lady,” Zac explained, he turned and looked at her, “You know, I am glad you came along on this journey.”

            “Are you?” Angelina questioned, she listened to the soft scuffling sound her fabric and leather shoes made upon the cobblestone road.

            “Yes…it is nice to have a woman’s company, the sound of your voice, the bell-like sound of your laugh,” Zac blushed, “Your smile…you’re beautiful when you smile, like an Angel.”

            “Zac…” Angelina stopped him, “Are you trying to—” she caught herself.  In this particular way of communicating she could not think of how to put delicately, without shocking him.

            “My Lady…” Zac sucked in a breath, “There is something I must ask of you…”

            Angelina held her tongue, looking at him expectantly, hoping to god we was not about to ask her what she thought he was about to ask of her.  When he did not answer, she swallowed, “Yes?”

            “The Queens minions are not far from here, they have been searching for me.  I need you to find out what they know.”

            “How am I meant to do that?!” Angelina demanded, gaping.

            “Eavesdrop…spy…use your womanly ways to find out something…” Zac looked at her.

            “Why can’t Culzean do it?” Angelina questioned.

            “They know her,” Zac looked around suspiciously, the street was empty, “Angelina.  Culzean has been through Darkthorne before, they know her.  You, they have never seen before – it would be easy for you to learn things.”

            “What would I have to do?”

            “I believe they are in the Tavern at this very minute,” Zac pointed to the tavern across the road, and looked at her, “Brother James said that the Queen’s minions interrogated him and Sister Raven two hours before we arrived, looking for Me.  If that’s so, they know I’m on my way and they will be sitting at the tavern waiting.”

            “Why the Tavern?  Why wait there?”

            “In small villages such as these Taverns are gathering places for thieves, assassins and spies.  The Evil Queen’s minions know that.” Zac explained.  “Taverns are also a place of talk – where the Queen’s minions might feel they would learn something.  We need to turn the tables on them.”

            Angelina sighed, “Do I have a choice?”

            Zac gave a firm nod, “You always have a choice – but I am asking.  If I felt you were in any real danger I would not ask this of you.”

            “Alright,” Angelina gave a nod.  “Will I have to drink?”           

            “People may be shocked at a lady walking into a Tavern – only Women with bad reputation’s spend their time in taverns at these ungodly hours.”

            “But won’t that mean I will be given one if I go in there?” Angelina quickly asked.

            “Does it matter?  We are only passing through this town.”

            Angelina frowned, “SO like a man to ask a woman to risk her reputation,” she began to forget what she was dealing with, she frowned, “But since we probably won’t get any further unless I do just tell me what I need to learn.”

            “Anything regarding my brothers, the Queen, her plans, and any traps along the way.  Keep a clear head – do NOT drink the ale – and try to remember as many details as possible…”

            “What if something goes wrong,” Angelina hugged herself.

            “Then take this…” Zac took a dagger – complete with a leather sheath - from his belt and held it out to her.  “Hide it beneath your cape, don’t let anyone see you’re carrying weaponry,” he added.

            “Alright,” Angelina nodded, she drew her breath, “Are you sure I can do this?”

            “I have every faith in you,” Zac touched her cheek, leaned over and kissed her forehead, “You have a strong will, you’re brave…and I believe in you – I have faith in you.”

            “Thank you…so…what can I expect from these Minions of hers?  What do they look like?”

            “The Queen’s minions always wear red capes and silver helms, beware, although they are handsome they can be vicious and cruel,” Zac paused for a moment, “Oh…and beware their voices…”

            “Their voices?”

            “Just protect your ears, and you will be safe.”

            Angelina nodded, “Alright, I’m ready…”
            “Good luck,” Zac nodded, and let her go on her way.

 

 

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