The Iron Seer

Chapter 19 - The Cait Sith's Warning

It had been months since the princes returned to the Winter Court, and my life had regained a sense of normality. With one glaring exception.

My cousin Narissa was a constant presence in my life - a nuisance, even more so than Tiaothin, though at least I'd chosen her. At least Ti made her presence known with loud noises and mischief; Narissa was like a snake slithering about the manor. The only warning I had that she was nearby was the creeping sensation of being watched. It ground on my nerves so badly that I had to resort to spending time in the kitchens, where not even Narissa would go, though I preferred being outside or in Isolde's greenhouse to that loud, crowded, and steamy room.

Standing in front of the bone-white tree at the edge of the forest, I strung my bow and aimed it at the heart of the tree, where I'd carved a makeshift target with a knife a few bored summers ago. It felt like it had been centuries since then.

I pulled back on the string and the arrow flew with deadly accuracy, lodging at the very center of the carved circle, shuddering with the force of its impact. When North had taught me to shoot a bow, it had been out here, in this forest. The place reminded me of him, and I wondered, not for the first time, where he was now.

My life had returned to a daily routine, a certain predictability, but there was now a new missing piece, an empty place in my life where there hadn't been one before. I'd had no word from Ash since he and his brothers had left, though I recalled our last goodbye perfectly. We'd been standing on a hill above the road with our horses, and I'd asked him to let me come with him to Court. His only response was a soft kiss on my forehead and a whisper in my ear: "I promise."

Waiting for him to visit again, to even send me just one letter, was the most frustrating thing I'd ever experienced, with the exception trying to play hide and seek with Tiaothin when we were little. If that phouka didn't want to be found, you didn't see her.

As I reached back over my shoulder to pull another arrow out of my quiver, a bored voice spoke from nowhere.

"Are you quite done maiming the tree, because I have been waiting here awhile, and this cold is very unpleasant." The words were followed by a hissing sneeze.

I whirled around, searching the forest for the source of the voice. "Where are you?" I asked, nocking another arrow. My muscles tensed, preparing for an attack. "Who are you? Show yourself."

"I'm up here," said the voice, unconcerned.

I looked up.

And there, in the branches of the tree, lounged a grey cat. His tail was wrapped around him, his fur puffed up to keep warm against the cold. His yellow eyes regarded me with distaste.

"You're a cait sith," I stated. It was obvious, but my mind felt strangely blank with surprise. The bow was slack in my hands. What was a cait sith doing here? And talking to me?

"Yes, yes, I am a cait sith, you're very clever," the cait sith said, his voice implying the opposite. He turned his attention to a paw, where his fur was matted with ice from walking in the snow. He licked it carefully, making sure to get all of it off, before starting on his other one.

"You wanted to speak to me?" I prodded, increasingly bewildered. He wasn't a threat. At least, I didn't think. Even so, I wouldn't be letting my guard down. I scanned the trees for any signs of movement while keeping one eye on the cat.

He glanced up, as if just remembering I was there. "Ah, yes, Ariella Tularyn. I have come a long way to speak with you."

I lifted my bow halfway, suspicious. "How do you know my name?" It seemed that this was the second creature I'd never met before who knew my name. The first being the fire elemental, who had known about my visions.