The Midnight Kingdom

Chapter 1

 

               I don’t often wish for much. I’m fairly content. I’ve worked hard to accept my lot in life, playing the cards I’ve been dealt with a smile on my face. But in this moment as I’m hurtling toward the earth, I wish the tree branch I’d chosen for my afternoon nap had been above softer ground.

               Squinting my eyes shut tight, I brace for the impact… but the impact doesn't come. Opening my eyes, I see the sky above me, almost frozen in time, growing no further distant as the seconds march on. A glimmer ripples across my vision, and then I feel myself falling again. With a hiss and a thud, I hit the hard earth, my shoulder and hip absorbing much of the blow. Groaning, I roll to my other side, gingerly pressing fingertips into the sore flesh.

               Before my assessment can continue, a loud commotion meets my ears and my foggy brain assembles a reasonable conclusion - something has startled me awake, causing me to lose my normally perfect balance and send me crashing to the ground.

               But what happened with my fall? Was I still dreaming? Am I ill? Shaking my head, I chalk it up to the extreme heat of the summer sun, and quickly duck for cover.

               Without regard to pain, I move as quickly as I can to the nearby riverbank, disguising myself in tall grasses. Crouching low, I peer at the scene rude enough to wake me from my peaceful slumber.

               A gilded, ornate carriage is stopped on the nearby road and footmen whirl about, struggling to gain control over a horse that gone wild. Tossing its head frantically and pawing at the ground, the horse snorts and whinnies in painful bursts. Well-dressed women are being bustled out of the carriage, rushing away from the impending danger. A second horse, harnessed with the first, grows increasingly anxious.

               I’ve never been a hero; the opposite, morelike. In a lot of ways I’d like to leave these aristocrats to their fate; stranded with lame horses, a broken carriage, and a few bloodied footmen. But it’s probable that they’ll spot me at some point, coming to the river to wash wounds or fetch a drink. In fact, my coin purse is a little light these days... I might be able to avoid robbing them altogether if I can convince them to pay me for my assistance. If not…. Well, I can feel my knife still tucked neatly against me.

               Deciding on a course of action, I quickly test my bruised side, ensuring nothing is broken. Satisfied, my eyes scan the river quickly, a smirk settling onto my lips. I know just what to do. But who would I be if I didn’t add a little drama?

               I pluck a nearby flower from the ground by its roots, dip it into the river, and hurriedly wrap it in broad leaves. I roll along the riverbank until I am within two long strides from their party, injured ribs jolting with every rotation. Pulling myself even with the injured horse's side, I press two fingers into my mouth and let out a whistle louder than a banshee’s scream, then spring from my cover. There is a split second of quiet, and I take advantage of their stunned faces.

               I cannot prevent a small grunt of pain as I leap onto the stallion, and I roll myself over its flank and onto the animal's back. Pressing the soaking wet flower neatly against its nose, I hold on for dear life while it tosses its head, tries to bite me, and the once-again alert footmen begin shouting and reaching for their weapons.

               This had better work.

               I don’t have to wait long. A few seconds more and the animal’s eyes begin to droop. I scramble to unsheathe my knife and slice through the leather holding the two horses together. The mare rears and races into a nearby field, shattered pieces of wood dragging behind her. The stallion beneath me settles, the tossing subsides, and he slinks to the ground. I slide off, wincing as I hold the long wooden rails steady until I can set them down. Satisfied, I begin to turn, but the cool prick of steel against my throat halts my movement.

               “Drop your knife!”

               I comply, the blade sinking neatly into the dirt at my feet, and my eyes take in the scene. Four men, swords drawn and pointed in my direction; one pressed just under my chin. Realizing the severity of my situation, I assume a look of innocence. “Now, gentleman… is this the way to treat the one who just saved your horse… and all of you?”

               “What’s she going on about?” One of them tries and fails to hide a whisper to a comrade.

               “I haven’t any idea, but you can bet we’ll find out. I'm certain the King would love to know who’s here trying to take off with the princess.”

               My eyes flit from the carriage, taking in its ornate design, to the women huddled fifty meters down the road dripping in silk and pearls, to the crest on the chest of the men pointing their swords at me.

               Fuck.

               “My esteemed gentlemen, please. I had no idea who you were at all. I am but a simple traveler, and I have experience with wounded horses. I only sought to assist.”

               “Oh yeah? What’ve you done with the horse, then?”

               I shift slightly, attempting to gesture to the flower on the ground before his nose, a sickly purple liquid oozing from the petals. “Those are the blooms from a somnus aeternam… surely you’ve heard of it? Deadly to man - but to a horse? It simply puts them to sleep.” Feeling bold, I lift my hand and point to the horse’s foot. “See there? That green spot in the horse’s pad: your horse has stepped on a poisoned thorn. It must be in excruciating pain. Let me make a poultice for it. I can draw out the thorn and relieve him of the poison; you will need to have him walked the rest of the way home, but I daresay he will not be lame nor dead.” Drawing myself up to my full impressive height, I add, “I’m sure the King would be grateful to you for your efforts in returning not just his horses, but his princess home safely as well?”

               The sword tip wavers.

               “How do we know that what you say is true?”

               I shrug, relaxed. “Go look for yourself. My dear sirs, I would never wish ill upon our great King or his family, but it matters not to me whether you accept my help or not. If you can find someone else to solve your predicament, please do. I shall return to my home, thank you very much.”

               I turn away, feigned nonchalance my best defense as I move to step beyond the cluster of guards- but a flurry of color catches my eye. “Don’t! Please, don’t go!”

               A young woman is rushing towards me as fast as her voluminous skirts allow. Two other women follow her, looks of confusion and alarm on their faces. The guards drop to their knees, heads bowed to her, though each keep their sword expertly pointed in my direction and I’m sure their eyes are still only on me. Ah. This must be the princess.

               When she reaches me, she dips her head into a practiced curtsey, made less charming by the blush on her cheeks and the heavy breathing from her exertion. “Please.”

               She lifts her head and makes eye contact with me, gasping a little. Irises the color of whisky and amber glitter beneath a waterfall of dark, curled hair. Her eyes scan me quickly, lighting over my trousers, shirt, and vest, then landing on my hair, pinned tightly to the back of my head. “But… you’re a girl!”

               I smirk, bowing low before her. “That I am, your highness. But do tell me how that bears any mention at a time like this?”

               She frowns, shaking her head of this thought and gestures to the horse. “Can you really fix him?”

               I can hear concern evident in her voice. “I can.”

               “Then do it.”

               “It would be my pleasure.”

               Before the guards can convince her otherwise or the scandalized looks on the faces of her ladies-in-waiting cause her concern, I rush away from the swords and towards the horse again. Kneeling in the dirt, I lift the hoof and examine the vivid green thorn wedged into soft flesh. I click my tongue, gently touching the horse’s nose. “Don’t you worry, boy. I’ll get you fixed up.”

               I find my knife in the nearby dirt and carefully pick it up so as to not cause any alarm. The footmen act at once, swords lifting towards my throat again and the princess inhales her breath sharply. Holding out a steadying hand, I speak calmly. “I’m not going to hurt him, but I cannot touch the thorn myself. Let me use the knife to pry it out.” I keep my eyes trained solely on the princess, holding her gaze steady. She is clearly my best advocate for getting out of this without being arrested or killed, and a reluctant sense of authority over the footmen.

               She nods and I smile at her, the footmen lowering their swords. Returning to the horse’s side, I lift up the knife, slide the tip into the thorn’s base, and using my other hand as a fulcrum, gently pry the massive thorn free.

               “Ah ha!” I shout gleefully and rise, a three-inch-long thorn speared perfectly onto the tip of my knife, but my elation is instantly snuffed out. It melts, oozing down the knife and I drop it just before the substance reaches my skin. Black-tinged blood bubbles from the hole in the horse’s foot, and I realize with a sickening lurch in my stomach that I was wrong. I felt so certain this was a simple thorn from a Lion’s Fire bush, but the blood trickling towards my feet is not … normal. I’ve only seen this once before, many years ago in my childhood village, and that memory will never leave me. My mother had barely been able to save the boy, and only luck had ensured the antidote was within her medicinal stores.

               The horse begins to stir, legs twitching and kicking. It won’t be long before he wakes fully, and this poison causes excruciating pain. Panicked, I race to the river, scanning the rocks in the middle. It has to grow around here. It has to! The late afternoon sun is glaring, and sweat trickles down my brow, blurring my vision. I stare hard into the waters, desperately searching for the antidote.

               Time slows to a stop, and I’m ready to turn around in defeat and accept my fate when a sliver of bright red catches my eye. Yes! I leap into the river, ignoring the shouts behind me, and swim full speed towards the small bush blooming on an island in the middle of the river. The current is strong and my body is screaming with effort. My bruises are battered as I bump along the rocks but I swim hard, forcing myself to continue. Finally, the red berries are clutched in my palm, and I push off once again for shore. Scrambling up the bank, my clothes are torn, my hair has come undone from its hold, and my fingers are numb, but I lay the berries in the dirt and smash them with a small stone. I scoop up the pulpy bits and dirt around them, spit into my hands, and work it into a rough paste. Silently whispering prayers to the goddess, I mash the paste into the wound.

               The horse rights himself fully, wildly tossing his head and pawing at the ground with his wounded foot and I scramble backwards, out of harm’s way.

               “Curaidh!” A clear, crisp voice rings out and the stallion’s head snaps up, seeing the princess. She holds out her hands, eyes set firmly into his. “Curaidh. Settle.”

               I hold my breath as she approaches him, one finger extended towards the tip of his nose. The horse tosses his head once or twice, but calms, and with all the tenderness of a mother and her child, the princess touches her fingertip to his nose. “There you are, boy.” She smiles, and presses her nose to his, breathing deeply.

               There is a still sense of awe around this little group standing in the bright sunlight on the side of a river. I watch carefully as eventually the horse rests his foot against the ground.

               The breath I let out is loud and I even chuckle a little. The princess turns and her gaze falls on me. It is intense, fearless, and calculating... and I find myself shifting uncomfortably in my stance.

               When she speaks, it is quiet but full of strength. “Thank you for your service. I shall always be grateful.”

               I scratch the back of my neck, unnerved by her focus. “You’ll need to fix the carriage’s whiffletree… I had to cut the leather for the mare over there and she broke off a bit of the shaft when she ran. Your horse can’t pull right now so one of your footmen will need to lead him and I suppose that means you’ll have to find another horse. None of this I can help with.”

               One of the ladies in waiting looks scandalized, and leans over to her counterpart, not bothering to lower her voice. “She’s caused us as much trouble as she claims to have saved us! Better to have simply killed the beast and moved on.”

               “Eugenia!” The other woman giggles and swats at her arm.

               The princess’s shoulders tighten and she turns towards the women. “I will deal with you later.” Her voice is as cold as steel and they visibly shrink back. I cannot help but smirk at them, but when she turns back to me, I assume a look of somber responsibility.

               “Please forgive them. They obviously have no concept of the value of this horse, nor do they apparently possess an understanding of how important Curaidh is to me.”

               I smile at her and bow again. “It is of no consequence, your highness. Now if you’ll excuse me… I really must be going. There is a village about an hour’s walk up the road. You should find assistance there.” I point, then look up to the sun’s position in the sky. “Do be careful though. I hear a well-known bandit is known to prowl these roads after sundown.”

               Letting a bit too much irony to drip through my words, I waggle my eyebrows at the women behind the princess. “Wouldn’t want to get caught up in something nasty, now would you?”

               Facing the princess once more, I bow deeply, and I can hear her gasp. “You’re hurt!”

               Quickly glancing down, I can see the bruises and scrapes on my shoulder are visible through a tear in my clothes. “‘Tis nothing, your highness. I am quite alright. If I can heal your horse, do you not expect that I can heal myself?”

               She frowns, looking anxious. “Can I not pay you for your services? You…” Trailing off, she gestures to my attire. “Your clothing will need to be replaced even if you refuse to see a trained healer.”

               I tip my head and look at her. “I suppose I could accept.”

               The princess motions to a footman, who tosses a small pouch of money at me. I catch it quickly then right myself and spin on my heel in the opposite direction.

               Her voice rings out behind me, calling to me. “What is your name?”

               I let the smirk slide back over my lips and I look back to meet her eyes. “I’m afraid, your highness, that is something I simply cannot tell you.”

               She blinks a few times, narrowing her eyes. “Then tell me this! Why are you dressed like a boy?”

               I gesture to her overwhelming getup. “Because dresses are uncomfortable infernos that inhibit movement. How would I have swooped in to become your hero today, if I had been wearing... that?”

               And then I take off into a sprint, her laughter ringing behind me like a clear, crystal bell.