3
“Oh.” The sound escapes from my lips and I feel tears welling in my eyes. I've traveled so far, but never arrived at my destination. Where am I? Of course, Apolline and Kieran aren't the only places in Marley, but I've never been to any of the others. I crumple to the ground and let my tears fall. I can't go home. I have no idea where I am. Kieran could be another weeks travel from here. I'll never make it with my bad leg and short food supply.
"Excuse me? Can I help you, miss?" A small voice says from in front of me. I look up and wipe my eyes.
"Where am I?" I ask.
"Dippreta," the girl standing before me states. "Are you lost?"
"I'm not lost, I just don't know where I am," I say. "Make sense?"
"Yes," she says. "Come on, I'll take you to my house and we can talk there. No one is supposed to hunt in the woods here. She helps me up and we walk to her house.
"Sit, I'll make us some tea," the girl says. I sit on the sofa and she walks swiftly into the kitchen. My bow and quiver sit propped up against the wall next to the front door. My leg is stretched out in front of me and my pants leg is rolled up to my thigh. The girl comes back and pours some tea into an elegant mug for me. I sip it slowly. "Is your knee still sore?"
"Yes, ma'am," I say.
"No need to call me by anything too formal, sweetheart. Linae is just fine," the girl says.
"Thank you, Linae," I say.
"Where is it sore?" she asks.
"Here," I say, and I touch the inside of my knee.
"Can I feel it? I'm a healer, I can help you," Linae says. I look at her. "Of course, I understand if you don't trust me, that's just fine."
"Oh, no, go ahead," I say before I seem rude. She begins using her elegant fingertips to feel around the muscle and bone in my knee. Thanks to the leaves I was chewing shortly before I arrived here in Dippreta, the pain isn't so bad. I watch the girl- no, woman (she has to be at least twenty-five)- as she works on my knee. Long, straight pink hair that has been wound around her head into a bun, blue eyes, the color of the sky, pale skin, like Ivy's. She wears bright green eyeshadow and baby-pink lip gloss. I wonder if everyone here dresses like her. Her knee high dress is purple and orange, and is spotted with blue butterflies. She seems strange, but trustworthy.
"Hmm... how long have you been walking?" Linae looks up at me and smiles, revealing two rows of bright white teeth.
