Uniting the Heavens by Emily English

Uniting the Heavens by Emily English

Author:Emily English [English, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780997930016
Publisher: English Scribbles
Published: 2016-11-15T05:00:00+00:00


SIX

The headaches were getting out of control. Aren hadn’t suffered this much since before he was apprenticed, and he was determined to not get kicked out of the House because of his ailment. The headaches were the reason he had gone on his most recent fishing trip, but thanks to the messenger, he didn’t have time to figure out how to let the illness run its course. There was only one way he knew of to fix this quickly, before it began to affect his job.

Aren sped through Tiede on the back of Bontan, whom he had borrowed from the House gree stables. His speed elicited a few stares, but it didn’t matter; the closer he got to Tiede Wood, the less his head pounded, further convincing him that he was doing the right thing.

He rode towards the eastern cliffs. The wall on the east that protected the town from a thousand-foot drop to the sea came to an abrupt end at the point where the Wood began to become more dominant. Bontan managed the perilous white gravel without care and delivered his rider to the Wood’s edge. Aren dismounted and secured him to a tree trunk. He removed the pouch of water that was strapped close to Bontan’s neck and poured it into the gree’s waiting mouth as if he were nursing a cub. Aren stroked the top of Bontan’s nose, and the gree purred deep with satisfaction. “I don’t intend to be long, but if you get a feeling that something bad’s happened to me, feel free to cry out and let someone know, all right?” Bontan snorted as if in agreement.

Aren’s headache had diminished to an annoying throb, and as he took his first steps into the mossy darkness, even that was beginning to fade. He took another look at the sun sitting high in the late-afternoon skies and hoped he’d be able to find his way back out. He knew a quick peek wasn’t going to cure him. Whatever was calling wanted him to stay awhile, have tea. A few more steps—his boots pressing into the soft, leaf-and-needle-covered earth—and he was in near total darkness. He looked back again, feeling fairly certain that he could find his way back out.

Stars, what was he thinking? There had to be other ways to cure a monstrous headache. Maybe even the Illitheien stork doctor had an answer; all he had to do was ask. Aren took a deep breath. Maybe he should stop kidding himself; something masochistic in him wanted to go into the Wood.

The air was cool under the canopy of trees, and the smell of dirt and moss and wet things filled his nose. He ran a hand through his hair and made his way towards a small clearing where slivers of light managed to filter through. This place felt familiar. He took note of the trees that ringed the clearing—the flaky, dark-gray bark and the odd mark slashed into each one, revealing white wood inside. If the mark was some sort of character, he didn’t know it.



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