Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Twelve

We followed the man silently through the woods. He seemed to know where he was going and led the way without much in the way of words. We stepped over brush, trying to remain silent. The man knew his way so well that he even avoided areas with noisy dry twigs, guiding us past difficult spots with gestures.

We didn't hear any more evidence of our pursuers, fortunately and traveled with the man for miles within the forest's boundaries. He wasn't as fast as us and I nearly felt uncomfortable traveling at a human pace again. It seemed like such a hinderance. I had this boundless speed in my body but I had to fight it down to stay with him. Carson's face showed the same almost annoyance that I felt.

After what felt like hours, the man gestured us through a line of trees that broke onto a clearing that was buzzing with activity. There were dozens of shelters built in the clearing, primitive at first appearance. They were almost like tents, building made with skeletal structures with hide and canvas stretched over them to create walls and ceilings.

Probably close to one hundred or more people zoomed about. Two women left the forest near us, carrying two baskets between them. One was filled with ripe red apples, spilling over its brim. The other held various weeds, heaped into generous piles atop it. The baskets even seemed like something from another world. I was willing to bet that they had been handmade though I wasn't sure how.

"Oi, Eolis!" one of the women shouted, throwing her hand up in greeting. She had an accent that I couldn't place. Russian maybe? But that wasn't quite right. She caught sight of us and went still, her hand still hanging in the air.

The auburn haired man--Eolis--surged nearer to her, gesturing us to follow. We did. The closer we got to the two women, the more guarded they seemed, watching us carefully. The woman who had spoken was thickly built, not at all chubby but lined with athletic muscle. She had short red hair and brilliant green eyes, reminding me of Carson's. She had a splash of freckles across her nose and cheeks and her lips were twisted into a tight scowl.

The other woman was a little taller. She was shorter than myself and thin. She looked frail but her expression warned me otherwise. I got the impression that these women would be dangerous if we weren't considered friends.

"Mailene, Akalya, I found these two in the woods. They were being chased," Eolis said. I noticed that the more he spoke, he exposed a faint accent that wasn't quite the same as the woman's but wasn't far off. Maybe from the same country but not the same region?

The thickly built woman stepped forward with her basket of apples. "Chased?" she asked, her teeth clenched. "By what?" I noticed her inflection on "what" and wondered about the fact that she didn't say "who".

"Wolves," Eolis replied, his eyes wide and serious.

Shock crossed both women's features. "We must speak with Babui," the thin woman said. She pushed back a long sheet of dark hair, a few shades lighter than my own. Her eyes were bright, almost but not quite reminding me of a Magick. What was odder was that they were two different colors, one a sky blue, the other emerald green. She was peachy in color, her skin laced with lines of red welts.

She noticed me watching her and pulled at her sleeves which had been hiked up to her elbows, covering the marks down her arms. She shifted with her basket, balancing it on her hip.

Eolis nodded. "Where is she?" he asked, looking back to the assortment of buildings.

The freckled woman pointed at a building surrounded by people. Her eyes were tight and I tried to pretend I didn't notice her perusing me, sizing me up.

"Thanks, Mai," Eolis replied, gesturing for Carson and I to follow him.

We traded an uncomfortable glance and I turned, my eyes searching the line of trees for movement. When none came, I turned back, following Eolis as he pushed through throngs of people and led us past a dozen doors.