***
Kiethara stifled a yawn when she woke up. She remembered only a few pieces from her dream last night, none of them putting her in a very positive mood. For some reason, her hazy recollections made her annoyed, but for the life of her, she could not tell why.
Kiethara closed her eyes again, but this time it was not to go to sleep. She allowed her connection to expand to all corners of the forest until she found what she was looking for.
It was not hard to find, now that it no longer was at the edge of the forest. The lone presence was much closer now, and it was moving, too. If it kept its pace, it would be here by the afternoon.
Kiethara got up and looked around, confused. What should she do? Go out and meet whoever was coming? She did not like the idea of meeting this strange person in an unfamiliar part of the forest.
She had never been able to anticipate someone like this before. Now that she did, she did not quite know what to do with herself.
Puzzled, she stumbled to the lake. A quick bath couldn’t do her any harm. Who knows, maybe a clean face would add to the intimidation she was hoping to inspire.
Nude besides for her crystals, she floated on the surface of the cool, crisp water. Every few minutes she checked on her connection again, witnessing the presence make slow but steady progress.
What she needed was a plan. One that showed her strength, her power, and her cleverness. One that would make her intruder shake in their boots and think twice before coming to the forest again.
First, she should become invisible. She could judge the direction the presence was coming in with her connection and hide herself in a tree.
She should have her sword out—an open potion bottle no longer seemed intimidating to her. She laughed in the water at the memory of her now seemingly childish actions when she had first met her father.
From there, everything depended on her visitor’s reaction.
Kiethara pulled herself out of the water and dressed herself. She ran her fingers through her hair again and again until it was ruler straight and no longer dripping. For some reason, the idea that someone else was in the forest besides her was making her very uncomfortable. She wished she had this sort of time to prepare for Navadar’s visits.
Hours later, Kiethara found herself crouched upon the branch of an oak, taking low, deep breaths. Her sword was also resting on the branch, positioned so it could not be seen from anyone beneath her. Her potions were placed under her white dress, but they were reserved for emergencies only.
In her head, she no longer needed to stretch her connection in order to sense the presence. It was close, perhaps less than a minute away.
In her chest, her heart fluttered. It was foolish, really. She had known this was going to happen for quite some time. She had no reason to feel any kind fear. It made no sense at all.
Finally, she spotted the intruder.
It was not what she had been expecting.
It was…a girl. A girl her age. A girl her age, in the forest, alone. Kiethara had not spent much time in the kingdoms, but she knew that women did not have many privileges. They were considered weak, nothing more than child-bearing animals that men led around by the nose. They certainly were not allowed to run around on little adventures by themselves.
As Kiethara watched her come closer, however, she did not think this girl was normal.
She had strange hair, for one. It came down to her chin with a blunt edge, bobbing with her every step. It was brown, but it shone with…red? It also had numerous blond streaks throughout it, as though it had been dyed by a rainbow. From her vantage point, that was all Kiethara could see.
Kiethara jumped.
She turned visible during her fall, using her ability to fly to make her landing softer. Her sword flashed up, its lethal tip just an inch from the girl’s neck.
Again, Kiethara was shocked. At first, the girl’s hazel eyes widened, but a second later her full lips spread into an exuberant smile.
Kiethara frowned as she stared at the girl. A tunic—yellow—fitted her frame, covered slightly by a brown traveling cloak, much like the olive green robe Kiethara had left in her clearing. She wore brown leggings underneath, tucked into boots. Kiethara saw the flash of a dagger tied to her thigh. A bag was strapped over her chest and to the side, covered with a multitude of beads and feathers. A necklace hung from her neck, made of similar materials.
The girl’s appearance screamed eccentric.
Kiethara cocked her head slightly as she continued to stare at the girl.
“I come peacefully,” the girl said, raising her hands. Somehow, her voice was bubbling with excitement.
Excitement?
“Who are you?” Kiethara asked.
“Camella.”
“What is your purpose here?” Kiethara demanded. She had never tried to be so serious before. It did not look like she was installing any fear.
“To meet you,” Camella said. “To meet the guardian.”
The girl curtsied and looked up at Kiethara with a mixture of emotions. Only one of them was potent: respect.
Kiethara lowered her sword and took a step back, pursing her lips. “Why?”
“Why?” Camella laughed, spinning around. Kiethara blinked in surprise. “Don’t you feel the air? Don’t you see the grass? Who wouldn’t want to see the beauty that throbs through every petal here?
“And who wouldn’t want to meet the noble being in charge of protecting this miracle? I yearned to do so and I finally have. I couldn’t be happier!
“Miss Kiethara, I come here peacefully and in the hope of friendship! I will do anything to gain your trust!”
Kiethara bit back a laugh. Camella reminded her of an ecstatic puppy, which in turn reminded her of Sinsenta. Was this how he had acted when he had first met Gandador?
Kiethara sheathed her sword and crossed her arms. A small smile slipped through her carefully composed mask.
“How do you know my name?” Kiethara asked.
“From my grandfather, Odarick. I believe you have already met him,” Camella said.
Kiethara gasped. Images and memories from Redawn flooded her mind.
“Odarick,” she breathed.
“Yes,” Camella said with a broad grin. “Grandfather sent me with a message for you!”
“Really?”
“Yes, he told me to tell you ‘hope.’”
“Hope?” Kiethara asked.
“He said you would understand,” Camella said. She sounded confused as well.
Kiethara nodded, remembering. Hope. So much had happened since that conversation. It seemed so long ago. Truthfully, the old man had been pushed to the back of her mind, but now he had sent his granddaughter here to preach the same message.
How odd.
Despite the oddity, Kiethara’s features broke into a warm smile.
“Why don’t I show you around?” she asked.
The smile that broke out on Camella’s face looked like it would burst her round cheeks.
“That would be lovely!”
Kiethara nodded to the west. “I’ll start with my clearing.”
They walked together in silence for a moment, Kiethara surprised at how happy she felt. Ever since Trinnia’s death, her thoughts had been morose, her dreams intense. Camella’s brightness was almost unreal.
It would be nice to have a friend.
At Kiethara’s step, white roses blossomed from where her feet touched. Camella stared in awe, triggering a blush across her pale face.
“It really is amazing here!” Camella exclaimed, throwing her arms up. Kiethara found herself laughing.
“It’s home,” she said simply.
“That’s such a nice word for it,” Camella sighed. “Home. It’s so...warm.”
“Yes,” Kiethara agreed. “It can be peaceful.”
“Not exactly quiet,” Camella pointed out. They paused for a minute, listening to the animals.
“It gets creepy when it’s quiet,” Kiethara whisp
ered. The two girls giggled.
After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, they reached her clearing. For the first time, Kiethara tried to see it through the view point of an outsider. It was so plain. Grass swaying in the breeze, with only two trees standing in the middle. Between them, her hammock lay, white and frayed. A wild flower could be seen here or there.
Camella, however, squealed in delight. She practically danced forward into the clearing.
“This is where you sleep?” she verified, running her hand over the hammock.
“Yes,” Kiethara admitted.
“It’s wonderful!” she sighed. “It must be so peaceful, rocking under the stars.”
Peaceful. Camella liked that word. Or yearned for it, by the tone of her voice.
“Oh, yes, it definitely has its perks. Better than sleeping in a tree.”
“Really?” Camella asked, as though that surprised her.
“Sleeping in a tree is not as comfortable as you might think.”
“What do you do in the winter?” Camella asked, crossing her arms and shivering at the thought.
“Freeze,” Kiethara said with a laugh. “This winter wasn’t bad at all, though.”
“It snowed,” she said in disbelief.
“Um, yes,” Kiethara agreed, unsure how to respond.
Camella just stared at her.
“I had fire, too,” Kiethara defended herself. She let one of her hands burst into flames.
Camella let out a delighted gasp at the display. “Your power is beautiful!”
Kiethara blushed, flattered. Camella’s view of her was much too high; it was ridiculous. Aaron was the kind of person she should be directing all of this reverence to.
“Thank you,” Kiethara said softly, staring at her enflamed hand. Gandador had become an enemy because her mother had shared too much. What could she share with Camella? What was too dangerous?
She trusted Navadar. Conversations with him were simple; secrets no longer applied. Conversation with Camella was nice, but Kiethara had not been in this position for a while. She wished Navadar was with her. She remembered the first time he had come here, how she had foolishly told him everything…
Camella was perceptive.
“What’s that look on your face?” she asked with a playful grin. Her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Kiethara tried to bite back a bashful smile, but it played on her lips.
Camella let out a delighted gasp and clapped her hands. “You’re in love!”
Kiethara’s eyes widened. Yes, she was sure she was in love with Navadar. She had never really declared it like that, though. Camella stated it factually, as though nothing had ever been so definite.
“How can you tell?” Kiethara asked, shocked. There was only one other person who had ever read her face so easily: Gandador.
Camella giggled, but then she sighed. The sound sounded so wistful that Kiethara felt an unfamiliar pang that wasn’t her own.
“Love isn’t subtle,” she explained. “For one, I call your powers beautiful, and you look off dreamily into the distance. Now, I know you weren’t dreaming about me! No, but I’ve heard of it countless times and seen it a dozen more. Recognizing it is second nature to me now.”
There was an undercurrent to her tone that Kiethara did not understand. There were some defined emotions, but the rest of them were so mixed that she had a hard time telling the difference. How could Camella make her out so easy while Kiethara couldn’t even read her face?
“You’re a lucky girl,” Camella whispered.
Kiethara finally understood.
“Don’t look so disappointed!” Kiethara chided with an understanding smile. “Love isn’t as blissful as they make it out to be. It certainly isn’t easy. Trust me, I know from experience.”
“I’m up for the challenge,” she said earnestly.
“Listen,” Kiethara said. “I don’t have any stories or life experiences that will be of any use to you, considering all of it revolves around my position here. But I made the mistake of loving blindly. Passionately, yes, but blindly. It wasn’t until after the delicious poison entered my heart—the prick of love, if you will—did I become known to his flaws, motives, and…friends.” The word dropped strangely from her lips. “The point I’m trying to make here is have caution. Be wary before you allow him to grab hold and mangle your heart.”
Camella stared at her. “Your words say you don’t love him dearly, but your eyes do.”
“We’ve had…some troubled times,” she admitted. “I’m not saying that your experience will be anything like mine. Actually, it will probably be very different. You must remember that I am a guardian and that my responsibilities come before anything else. I have to look at things from a precautious position. My life, his life…The forest holds me stronger than he does, I’m sorry to say.”
“Then how did you meet?” Camella asked, confused. “How did you fall in love?”
“He came like you, alone and seeking adventure. We met, and he kept coming back to visit…I enjoyed his company; I found someone who was willing to accept me for everything I am. He knows almost everything: every fault, every trial I have gone through. He knows it all, he knows what the forest is to me, and he doesn’t care. He’s so brave, too…I love him for accepting me. And somehow, he found it in his heart to love me back.”
Kiethara did not know where the words had come from, but she knew them to be true.
“That sounds better than what you said before!” Camella accused.
“It’s complicated,” Kiethara sighed.
“I don’t know,” Camella disagreed. “Love sounds pretty peaceful to me.”
Kiethara thought for a moment of the fights, of the loss, and of the pain that had followed her and Navadar. She recalled running through the kingdoms, torn apart because of him; she recalled him tackling her out of the way of the burning tree; she remembered the kiss that had changed everything, the kiss that had been interrupted by her worst enemy…
No, she could not agree with Camella.
Love was far from peaceful.