A Mess of a World: the Etched Stone

3.3) Alessida

"Wait!" Lorraine said, reaching out her free hand and stopping the arrow in midair. "I don't want to hurt you, but you must be one of them."

Zaki'a prepared to fire again.

"Zaki'a, wait!" Damen said, making her pause.

"Ebin?"

Alessida, still tongue-tied and frozen, watched as Sama pointed in the direction and Lorraine scampered into the trees. Hopefully they would never come across her again.

The hovering arrow dropped and Alessida felt that she could speak again.

"What happened?" Zaki'a demanded, putting down her bow and holding up an accusing finger. "I leave for twenty minutes and turning to the others now. "I come back hunting to see you all conversing with an armed mage!"

"She came out of the forest." Alessida told her. A spark of anger flooded through her. "I thought you said that this wasn't Spirit's Wood!"

"It isn't, Jade." Zaki'a sneered. "This is the Filyr Forest, which starts a few miles back and runs to Ebin. Andren has lots of unnamed woodland about, and it can be hard to tell where you are, but we have traveled this way many times."

"Then what was she? Some crazy person?" Alessida demanded. "What are the Altering Woodlands? What was she talking about?"

"That is a forest bordering Spirit's Wood-" "This this one?" "-Yes. It is... similar on the inside to the Wood, but not half as dangerous. It tends to make those who stay inside too long question their sense of reality."

A shiver went through Alessida. That could be me? That insane otherworldly girl?

"That was weird. Reminds me of something that would have happened to Jeckel, the great explorer."

Alessida and Sama exchanged looks and Zaki'a sighed, "Now if you'll excuse me, I will prepare dinner."

#

The archway of the trees leading to Ebin were beautiful as the sun brilliantly shone through the branches and cast shadows on the world below as it sped by. Even from far away Alessida could see the capital and saw how the Filyr Forest made way for its large stone walls covered with ivy and small purple flowers.

Damen's words from before replayed in Alessida's mind when she saw them, and it made her smile to see such beauty. The road directly connected to a drawbridge with a raging river underneath and a large gate kept just anyone from entering.

Guards keeping watch eyed them suspiciously as they neared and one motioned them to stop once they reached the drawbridge.

The Andren guards looked less atrocious up close than the Kaartan ones Alessida had seen, wearing silver and grey armor versus blood red. The crest they bore on their chests and shields was one of two leafy trees crossing to make an X, and they considered them carefully, but not meanly.

Other people crowded around the edges of the entrance, but the guards made no move to open the gates for them. Alessida's eyes narrowed as she began to wonder what was going on.

The guard who had stopped them walked over alongside Damen and said gruffly, "Do you have official business in Andren?"

Zaki'a and Damen shared an uneasy look as Damen pulled out papers from his satchel and handed them off. "Yes." He said. "But what's going on here?"

"The city's been shut down until further notice for anyone without written permission. You Defenders can go in-" He glanced at the two girls with them as he handed back the papers. "Along with your... passengers. I wouldn't stick around if I were you. Just get in and get out."

"What happened? Was someone attacked?" Zaki'a demanded, urging her horse forward.

"There's a string of murders and thefts and we're on lockdown to try and root them out. We'd really not like to let anyone in until they're found, but orders are orders." The guard huffed. He motioned for the gate to be brought down and Alessida heard the distant sound of gears turning. "Horses stay out here. Be sure to register them."

"I don't want to jinx us, but I have a very bad feeling about this." Damen said hopping off his horse.