Journey of a Girl

Ajo: Chapter Nineteen

"You could talk to Frederick, he might know of a safe place—"

"Frederick is a good man, but there is no place safe enough in the towns." The human sighed. "We could leave the woods and travel across the ocean. I've heard of boats that ferry people for months."

"The promise is a part of Credence. She would find her way back to the woods. We'll have to fight."

"That's your pride talking. You cannot fight him and hope to win, Galeia."

"Then I'll die protecting our children."

"You don't have to, there must be a way—"

"The woods are dangerous. They are home to all manner of sinister things. But there is one alone who truly threatens us. It all lies with Ajo, and making him see reason."

"You've tried, it will not work."

The human fetched a long pipe and filled its bowl with dried leaf. He lit the leaf and sat, thinking long and hard about what to do.

"Time and patience," Galeia muttered. "Wind whittles rock with enough of it. I will do the same with Ajo."

"Please, don't do something foolish." He motioned to the infant son in her arms. "There's more at stake here than just you and me."

"That's exactly why I must try."

"Leave him alone, Galeia. Every time you seek him out you only rouse his anger further and something awful befalls us. He will never change his mind."

"But I will not allow him to force his way into our lives, to torment us until he finally takes what he believes is his. He promised to stay away, and he will keep that promise."

Hidden within the shadows and the trees, Ajo snickered at Galeia's pathetic belief that he could be stopped.

***

A month after the birth of her son, Galeia ventured into the woods. A weighted coat shielded her from the bite of winter, and the morning sun warmed her face. Her infant was tucked securely against her chest in a sling, though Galeia stopped often to ensure he was comfortable.

She walked for miles, demanding Ajo's presence, looking as fierce as a wolf that caught the scent of blood. Ajo was content to watch as she hunted him, calling until her throat was raw from the cold. Her breath blew in great clouds and her face was becoming numb.

But she would not relent.

Ajo was not embarrassed by being caught with Credence, but felt justified in their interactions. It was that resolve that made him appear before Galeia.

Wind swept through the pair as they regarded each other, carrying a warning of impending battle in its chill. Galeia turned to a nearby tree and conjured a window into its trunk. She took her baby from the sling and placed him inside the hole in the trunk, tucking moss around his head and body, making sure he could not fall from the makeshift nest.

When she turned back to Ajo, Galeia wasted no time on pleasantries.

"You were forbidden to come near her until she grew up."

Ajo snorted. "A king takes orders from no one. I wanted to make sure you weren't turning her against me. Where is my bride?"

"That is none of your concern."

From her pockets she produced the snail shell Ajo had gifted her daughter. She crushed it between her fingers and threw the shards into the snow.

"If you come near my daughter—"