Hiraeth by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano

Author:Jennifer Leigh Pezzano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jennifer Leigh Pezzano

Vigilance now followed us since the wolf’s visit to our campfire. Every snap of a twig in the distance had Domine reaching for his crossbow, which he now wore slung across his chest while walking, his eyes pivoting cautiously through the forest. Sometimes, I think I would see a flash of gray between the trees, and my heart would jump, but when I turned to look, there was nothing there.

We were now a day away from the mountain pass, and the grip of cold grew stronger, our water now a thin layer of ice we had to break through every morning.

Long shadows filtered through the undergrowth as Domine leaned against a tree and unfolded the map, the paper crinkling as he smoothed back the creases with his hand and squinted against the waning light. “There should be a river about a mile up from here. I think that will be a good place to stop for the night.”

Lilica sat beside me, finishing up her snack of dried nuts, while I rooted around in our pack, taking quick stock of our food provisions. I longed for something fresh to eat, but the frost had killed the last of the wild berries along the trail, and the watercress that grew in the shallow streams was now withered. With a sigh, I looked up at Domine. “We’re running low on food.”

“I’ll set some snares tonight. See if we can catch something.” He pocketed the map and bent down to ruffle Lilica’s hair playfully. “What do you think the fairies eat out here?”

She beamed up at him, stuffing a peanut into her mouth. “Leaves.”

“Okay. Well, I guess we can always try that if we get really hungry.” With a wink, he picked up his pack and crossbow, slinging them over his shoulder.

“No, silly. We can’t eat leaves!” She giggled and scrambled to her feet, falling in step beside him.

Despite my apprehension regarding the reality of our dwindling food supplies, a smile pulled at the corners of my lips as I cinched my pack closed and followed behind them, our footfalls leaving a gentle echo that slipped between the trees.

My steps fell in time with the rhythm of my breath as we walked, the deep emerald hues of the forest merging so seamlessly with the placid blue of the sky. It was within these moments on the trail that everything else faded away. My mind no longer crowded with gnawing questions and restless worries. There was a stillness that encompassed me. A weight lifted. A slow unraveling that sharpened my senses. But I could not ignore the caution hidden within Domine’s eyes. Winter was closing in. I could feel it. The silence in the forest had now grown more acute. Except for the occasional raucous cry of a crow, the twitter of birds was gone, their wings lifting long ago as they answered the call for warmer weather.

It would take us three days to get through the mountain pass, and I prayed for the skies to remain clear.

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