Moon Flowers (Book 1 of the Flower Trilogy) #Wattys2016 #Featured

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE -- HALIA (Edited)

HALIA'S POV

"We are now armed," Flora said. "But we still need to plan an attack—a way to inflict the most damage."

"We're still outnumbered," Ryn said. "Even if we make our way back in the fortress, it will be difficult to isolate the Evil King."

Going back to the fortress was a terrible idea, I thought.

I wanted to tell them so, but I could hardly get a word in. It was all about the Elders. And their experience. Although I had helped Siegfried get his powers back, my opinion was ignored now. Once again, I was only a Last-born.

"We need to know if Tönx was successful in bringing Phi to the thunder spirits," I told Aras, the only fairy that would listen to me. "Or wait for a sign that the First Creatures are coming to help."

Aras gave me a serious look. I watched as her child body pushed her way into the crowd that had gathered in the shadow of the forty-kinds-of-fruit-tree. She was going to try to make herself heard. To let my words be heard.

Meanwhile, I sat by the forty-kinds-of-fruit-tree. Its foliage protected me from the burning summer sun. I closed my eyes and focused on the connection that linked me to Phi.

I wanted to feel her, like I had since the day of our union. I could not. Our connection was silent.

She was too far for me to feel it, I thought. That's a good thing. If I can't feel her, neither can the Evil King.

Or she was dead. Killed by the First Creatures. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. It was not something I was ready to face.

I needed to believe our people had a chance to be safe, that Phi had a future, and that we could still be happy. Together.

The Elders were still discussing their plan, still deaf to my godmother's attempts in making them listen, when the fortress's gates began to creak open.

"He knows we escaped!" the Matres shouted with the tone of a mother fearful for her children's safety.

"Hide behind the trees," Siegfried bellowed.

In a jump we all regained our miniature sizes and hid as well as we could behind the large tree trunks.

"Shh," Ryn said to quiet the nervous fairies.

Wotan came out of the gates followed by a dozen of his guards, his thralls. He was sitting atop an eight-legged, gray horse.

I had heard of that horse. Grannie had told me about it in one of her stories. Its name was Sleipnir. It was a horse Wotan rode through the world of light and darkness.

Wotan rode past us, and I could see the runes carved out on the horse's teeth. The Evil King didn't seem to be searching for anyone.

"What is he up to?" Nixie asked once he was out of ear's reach.

"Let's follow him," Siegfried said.

He began reciting an incantation, lighting up the related rune on his calf in an ochre red colour.

You who live in these woods

In the name our Mother I call upon you

Come out of the shadow into the light

To deliver us from an deplorable impass

As he finished saying the last line, a storm of birds and bees left the forest and carried us on their backs in pursuit of Wotan's fast paced mythical horse. Because of the way the man had treated their natural habitat, the animals were more than inclined to help us.