Far from the Sea

The Other World

Kai hoped that he might be able to discern their surroundings once he saw more of them. He was wrong. His concern grew. Liesel tried not to let his troubled expression feed her fears.

They heard the sound of moving water. A stream. Kai went toward it, and when he reached its banks, he placed his bag on the ground and raised a hand to his head in thought. "It doesn't make sense. None of it looks familiar. We should have met the road by now, but the forest goes on forever."

Liesel came to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist in comfort. "We'll find it soon," she assured him, though she was just as uncertain.

Night fell with them still no closer to Cardiff. "We're bleddy lost," Kai said and cursed.

"No, I think if we go a little farther-"

"Liesel." Kai's voice was stern. "Look around. Does you recognize any of this?" He waved his hand in a wide arc.

It was true. She recognized nothing of their surroundings, but it didn't mean much. She'd never ventured far away from their village. Anywhere would have been strange to her. She pulled her lips into her mouth and bore down, grappling for a plan. Any sort would do.

But Kai made the decision for her. He swept past, mumbling, "Better make camp for the night. No tellin' what's in these woods."

With the fire their only source of light, the sky darkened around them. It was frightening. Liesel huddled close to Kai, who pulled his coat around both of them for warmth. He'd gone silent, but the light of the flames flickering in his eyes gave them a fierceness. Liesel had seen him wear this expression before, when he was deep in thought. She assumed he was consumed with righting their course. They ate a little of the food from their packs and fell asleep in each other's arms with their stomachs still grumbling.

She dreamed that first night and woke violently at first light, her body covered in a thin veil of moisture. Strangely, she felt the impression the dream had left upon her, but couldn't recall the details, save for the color red and pain. Even stranger, Kai was gone. Fear seized her as she imagined terrible things happening to him. Her heart calmed when she came upon a note he'd scratched in the dirt.

"Gone to scout. Back in a bit."

Being alone made her nervous. She pulled up her cowl and tucked her feet into her skirt, determined to stay put as he'd asked. "It's fine," she told herself. "You're fine. There's nothing out there to be scared of." She willed her bravery into existence, but was infinitely glad to see Kai striding through the trees.

"Have you found the road?" she called out once he was in earshot.

His face was grave. "No sight of it. It's so strange. We couldn't ha' gone that far from Boscastle. I brought you breakfast. Here, eat." He held out a bundle, unwrapping the cloth to show his findings. Fruit, two round golden globes with thin skin that could be pierced with a fingernail, and several handfuls of red berries.

Liesel scrutinized the offerings. She reached for one of the gold fruits. "Mum says that bright colors mean poison."

He glanced at the berries, shrugged, and tossed them to the ground. "Mum knows best." He sunk his teeth into the fruit's flesh. Juice dribbled down his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand. "I walked deep into the forest, but there's nothing to be found. No roads. No other towns. Everything's different - even the trees. Like we're a whole world away."

"Maybe you were walking the wrong away. Away from civilization instead of toward it."

Kai prided himself on his sense of direction. If he were within striking distance of Boscastle or the road the led to Cardiff, he'd find it. Lacking something familiar to serve as a landmark, there was no way to navigate the terrain. Yet for Liesel's sake, he shrugged and gave a vague, "Maybe."