Spero of Iter

2. The Stag

"You must be joking," Jaqueline said, stooping.

            "What? No! You are, in fact, in Iter. The greatest of all the kingdoms! Your land of New York must be very far from here. You must be exhausted. How long have you traveled?"

            "Twelve minutes," she mumbled. "Is your kingdom close by?"

            "Milady, you are standing in it. My father merely owns a small portion of forest for farming. As far as the eye can see is Iter. All except for the mountain's shadow yonder." He pointed at a snowy mountain far in the distance. She hadn't noticed it the previous day. How strange.

            "Why? What's over there?"

            Vincent gazed at her quizzically. "You must know, surely."

            "No, I don't," she admitted seriously.

            He narrowed his brow at the raven-haired girl, seeming more interested in her history than confused. "The dragon of the Great Seethe rests upon that mountain. He guards this river fiercely."

            "Vincent," she said.

            "Yes, Milady?"

            "I think something very strange is going on here."

            "I beg your pardon?"

            "I'm... not supposed to be here," Jaqueline added, her heart beginning to beat heavy in her chest. This was insane; a dream of some sort. Perhaps this was all an elaborate prank.

            "Ah, Milady, if you would kindly come here with me," he whispered in excitement, his eyes staring past her in wonder. He absent-mindedly guided her away from the opening near the lake and behind a large boulder. Rocks were everywhere. It was so strange that trees could grow even a mile away from this lake's shore, yet they did in less distance than that. All grew in droves, long and whimsical branches cascading down near to the green earth. To add all the more to the beauty that she perceived, she then saw a large white stag. It had long beige horns, and its eyes were large, sparkling from the reflection of the lake. It walked swiftly, watchful as it approached the edge of the body of water and took a sip. "You may want to look away for this," he suddenly said, the sound of wood bending following his words. She turned her gaze to look at him.

            "Oh my gosh!" Her words were by no means as quiet as his had been. She couldn't help it after seeing him pull back an arrow in his long bow. He let the arrow fly, but the stag had heard her cry and ran away, letting the arrow plummet to an unforeseen target.

            He sighed profusely. "Why did you do that? Now I have to track the stag again." His childish features turned from wonder and interest to intense anger and disappointment.

            "But, why would you hunt that deer? It's illegal without a license," she protested.

            "License? Every man in Iter wishes dearly to catch the beast. If I were to catch it and take its head to the king as a present, I would no longer need to be a squire. I would be a real knight!" It seemed as though he were throwing a tantrum.

            "Well, when you put it like that," she paused, "it makes me want to slap you. Why would anyone hunt if it wasn't out of necessity?" Her countenance pleaded that he might understand the importance of what she was saying about the creature's life. "It looks so innocent, and it's rare?"

            Vincent nodded reluctantly, his red hair flapping up and down as he did so.

            "Then why would you do that? Just to fast track your... knighthood?" The last word came out like a bad taste returning from a day's previous meal. This was ludicrous. She had to get back to her campsite; her family would be worried sick.

            Vincent nodded again, this time straightening his slumped shoulders. He seemed proud of his aspirations. She had heard better. "I would be honored beyond compare," he declared, puffing up his chest in an unwittingly comedic fashion.

            "But that's not what a knight is supposed to be honored for," she persisted, not entirely sure why. "A knight is supposed to be kind and valiant. He's supposed to go save a maiden from a tower... or something like that." She suddenly shook her head, her dark, damp hair grazing her face. "This doesn't matter. I need to get home." With her new resolution, she stood to her feet before walking in the direction she believed she had come from before nearly drowning.

            "Where are you going?" He sounded as if her direction were faulty in some way. How would he know?

            She walked past a couple trees before coming face to face with a large rocky wall. She peered up quizzically at the horrendous sight. A mountain was what stood in front of her. A mountain she had never seen before. She had been in New York, not the Rockies.

            The sound of dead leaves crunching beneath feet sounded behind her. She didn't have to turn to know who it was. "I don't believe your family could be here... unless they somehow climbed the steepest mountain in all the lands," he said sarcastically. He was starting to get on her nerves.

            "I could've sworn I came this way," she grumbled to herself. She then felt the witless urge to start knocking on it, as if there were a false panel that would move if she hit the correct spot. No, it was all solid, and frankly her fists hurt a little bit. "I... I wasn't here last night."

            Vincent stepped next to her, looking at her not as if she were crazy, but as if he had just recognized a celebrity. "I have never heard of the land of 'New York,'" he said as if he had just thought of a breakthrough.

            "Yeah, you already said that," she lamented, now placing her forehead against her obstacle in defeat. With a sudden movement she turned to the left and began walking swiftly.

            "Where are you going," he called in concern. He then began moving himself, rushing his pace to keep up with her. For a tall kid, he was pretty slow.

            "Around."

            "Around what? The mountain? That's a five-day journey with a horse!"

            Jaqueline stopped, a sigh releasing from her lips. She turned slowly to face the boy. "Where," she muffled a sob that was aching to come into the light, "where is my family then?"

            "I believe you should come with me, and we might be able to figure something out." He looked her intensely in the eye, like he had something important to say. "Besides, you must be cold and hungry. My mother is making stew for supper." He smiled sweetly at the thought of his mother's cooking.

            Jaqueline's brows furrowed at the thought. This was a strange kid that was a stranger. She ruminated on the subject, deciding it was not a very good idea. Yet her stomach betrayed her with its sudden rumblings. She hadn't eaten since the day before, or hours before, depending on how legitimate the whole 'Iter' thing was. She shook her head, trying to get her mind back on track. "I can't. I have to get back," she replied.

            Vince looked at her with a side eye. She knew what he meant... she couldn't get back. How would he know what was going on? It didn't matter. She needed all the help she could get, or else she could never find her family. "Lead the way," she finally caved.

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Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read the beginning of my new novel. Please, let me know what you think! I would love to hear any comments, little critiques, or thoughts on what's going to happen next.

I hope to see you in the next chapter!