Excerpt: Starless Night

Chapter One.

I felt the wind blow through my hair as I walked quickly down the deserted main streets in the late afternoon. There was a beautiful, pink, sunset just starting on the west horizon. I peered in at all the families who were enjoying their time together. It seemed like everyone else in this world, at least, was happy.
I was now at the age where I felt I understood the world. I was sixteen and loving it. Mostly. People would always tell me I looked like my mother – she was gorgeous – and I liked that. It seemed my siblings would often get less attention because of me, but that was just because they were still children, right?
We lived in the higher class part of the town; we were invited to dinners at the king’s hall and we were given enough money to live a happy life. My younger brother, Damian, was an apprentice cook for the king. My two younger sisters’ and I took over the house after my mother died. My father was always out late with the king, discussing the Kingdom’s plans of action.
During the day I would usually help my sisters’ clean the house and cook the day’s meals. But around this time of night, I would almost always sneak out.
I couldn’t have any dates with my best friend Amitie until the sun went down. I would bet my family would lose our status if I was seen with her because, unlike me, Amitie lived in the low-middle class of the town. She and her father didn’t get the money that I had. They didn’t get the clothes or food I had. That’s probably why I loved her so much. She had an aura so beautiful, so kind. She didn’t care what she had and didn’t have. She only cared that she was alive.
I turned down a dark alleyway, slowing my pace, and placed my hands along the cold brick wall to search for the door. I counted in my head the steps it took – six, seven, eight – one more – nine – and I was there. I turned and knocked softly, three times, on a dark wooden door.
“It’s me; I’ve got something for Amitie.”
Amitie Helena had been my friend since before I could remember. She was my family away from home. Amities’ family had been killed by a disease in a neighbouring town. Of the group who came to our town, only Amitie and her father had survived the illness. But it was only time that it would have come back to haunt us.
“Oh, Zallia, I’m so glad you came,” said the low voice of Amities’ father on the other side of the door. As it creaked open, a tall, skinny figure emerged and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“How are you Papa?” I asked in a hushed voice, “I brought this for you,” I held out a small package of incense and a tin full of rolls I had made earlier today.
He took the package with a small bow, and led me in through the doorway. In the dim light I could see his salt and pepper hair, slightly thinning in the front, and his brown eyes shifting over the floor.
The room was gloomy; the only source of light was a silver vase that was lit by a crowd of small candles. Around the candles were gifts and flowers of every sort. There were piles of incense, some of which were still burning. A faded photo of a small smiling child sat in front of the vase.
“It’s just like she would have wanted, not to make such a fuss,” I mumbled to myself.
John Helena laid down the gift next to the others as I lit some incense for my former best friend. I picked up the picture and stared at it through watery eyes. “I’ll miss you,” I mouthed through now audible sobs.
A few minutes later there was another knock on the door.
“I’ll get it, Papa, sit down,” I said after I blew my dripping nose. I opened the door and to my surprise, I was pulled outside and down the alleyway.
“Zallia,” John yelled after me as he stumbled out the door, “Zallia!”
I tried to cry for help, but a cold hand clutched over my mouth. My chest tightened – like it usually did when I was frightened or anxious – and I couldn’t breathe.

The next thing I knew, I was thrown onto a damp bed of leaves. The cold air rushed into my lungs in short and sharp intervals. I struggled to open my eyes, I was so scared.
“Sorry about that, but we had to bring you here,” said a soft yet familiar voice. I turned abruptly to where the voice came from. It was Frederica, the King’s daughter, the Princess. She stood just a few feet from me, clutching her stomach – she had been doing that a lot recently.
“My goodness Frederica, you could have just said that it was you. I was so scared! I thought you were one of those street robbers!”
“You’re babbling Zallia,” she shook her head as she sat down on the leaves beside me, “and don’t worry; I’ve already explained everything to Mister Helena.”
I calmed down almost instantly. Frederica’s aura was so peaceful; I couldn’t stand being frightened around her.
Just then I saw something move beyond the trees. Frederica must have seen my expression as she was pulling leaves out of my hair. “Ah, its Shin, he went to get some things for the trip.”
“A trip,” I asked, “where are you going?”
“Don’t you mean; where are we going?”
“We?” I watched as a blush stretched across her cheeks. She rubbed her stomach with her fist, more like mashing it with her fist. When she still didn’t answer, I asked her again.
“Yes, we are going somewhere with the Princess. She has not told me where we might be going, either,” said Shin as he walked over to greet us. He bowed before the Princess and kissed the palm of her hand. Then he took my hand and did the same.
He sat down on a pile of leaves across from us, his hand resting on his sword. I looked at him carefully. Shin had deep green eyes, and dark blonde hair. He was just as muscular as most of the other noblemen. But he was shorter than most of them as well. I remember standing with them waiting for Frederica one time; they all must have been six feet tall, if not more. Shin only just passed the height of their shoulders.
We sat in silence.
“Nervous, Zallia?” asked Shin in a low murmur. He pointed to my hands and I saw I was ripping handfuls of leaves to shreds.
Why would I be nervous? Why should I be nervous? What are we doing here? Where are we going?
“Why-” I was cut off from my questioning by a loud and shrill scream. It took me a moment to realize that the scream had come from Frederica’s mouth. She was doubled over and almost heaving. A few seconds later there was a low drumming sound coming from deep in the forest.
Frederica moved closer to me. “Come with me, please, watch your step and make sure to keep quiet.” I watched as Frederica’s face contorted in pain as she released her stomach to reach for my hand. Only curiosity made me take the Princess’s hand, and let her lead me into the forest.

Shin, Frederica, and I, walked carefully and quietly through the dark and damp forest. The low drumming sound seemed to be getting softer, even though I was sure we were getting closer to whatever was making the noise.
I was still holding the Princess’s hand until she let out another high screech. I was startled and stumbled back into Shin, and we landed in a tussle on the forest floor.
Frederica giggled and apologized for the sudden outburst, but she still looked like she was in pain. She did not explain what she was doing or what was happening to her. Instead she mumbled, “come on, we’re almost there.”
I now knew better than to ask what exactly we were doing. For whenever I tried, I got the same dull smile and a look that said, you’ll see.
In a few minutes, we had reached a clearing that I recognized as Frederica’s flower patch. The same one we used to play in when we were children, when Amitie was still with us. I noticed the difference soon enough, instead of flowers there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of little dryads.
When the sounds finally faded and everything was quiet, Frederica spoke once more.
“Good evening, Lord Artemis and Mistress Brianna.”
Through the crowd, walked two ancient dryads. One was tall and skinny, the other was short and withered looking. Both of them were wearing shining silver wreaths around their necks – symbolizing royalty.
“I have found the one who I think can help in our quest. She has a strong soul and is pure. But I have not told her of the trouble so I believe she will not pose any harm if you were to refuse and let her go. She is a friend of mine; her name is Zallia.”
As she finished, I stood, stunned at what the Princess had just said – trying to understand it. I attempted to move closer to Frederica – to ask what was happening now – but I was stopped by Shin. He spun me around to face all the dryads; who were staring at me.
“You stupid girl! We already have our savior! Has no one told you?” roared the taller dryad.
“My most humble apologies sir, but I thought…” mumbled Frederica. She held her stomach with both arms and dropped to the ground.
“You thought wrong my child. I’m sorry that you have gone to such trouble for us,” wheezed the shorter dryad in a slightly lighter tone.
“Frederica! Are you okay?” I exclaimed as I struggled to get free of Shin’s grasp. “Let me go!”
Then, it was quiet. Every dryad in the clearing was staring at me again. I got free from Shin and went to help Frederica off the ground. She looked extremely pale – almost translucent.
“I’m fine,” she gasped in a raspy voice. “You should worry about yourself,” she nodded towards the dryads again.
“Who cares about them – you need to go lie down or something.”
“No one will be going anywhere.”
I turned to see the shorter dryad approaching Frederica and me. But instead of stopping in front of us like I thought it would, it continued to a bush a few feet behind us. It reached down and pulled something up.
“Let me go! Ah, Zallia! Tell it to put me down!”
“Johannah?”
“You know this eavesdropper?” it questioned, holding my little sister up higher above the ground.
“Put her down, she has nothing to do with this,” muttered Frederica.
“Oh I think you are wrong, she has something to do with this now that she has seen us.”
Frederica took a few steps closer to the dryad, and then exploded. “No, she isn’t involved! I don’t know what you plan to do, but just don’t do anything to her!”
The dryad looked fleetingly at its companions, and reluctantly dropped Johannah to the ground. I rushed over to help her to her feet.
“Zallia, Damian and I were worried about you,” Johannah sobbed as she slid her arms around me. “You didn’t come home and when we went to Mister Helena’s house, he said you were with the Princess. I thought it was weird that the Princess would be out so late and I got more worried. So I told Damian and Paige to stay with Mister Helena. And then Damian was complaining that I got to go out by myself, so I told him-“
“Johannah,” I interrupted her rambling, “I get it, okay? I’m fine, we can go back home.”
“She will not leave.”
This time I saw the taller dryad move toward us. I stepped in front of Johannah to block their view of her. “You have no authority over her. I said my sister could go.”
Then everything moved very fast. A low rumbling sound ran through the forest when the dryad pinned me to the ground. I heard my sister scream, and someone called my name. I was on my feet a few seconds later, about ten feet away from where I was originally. Shin had pulled the dryad off of me and was now fending them off with his sword.
“STOP!”
I cowered against the sound; I had never heard Frederica being so loud and powerful. Though I should have guessed those traits would run in her family. She walked up to a large bunch of the dryads and motioned for all of them to follow her. Then she spoke to Shin, and turned to lead the dryads away.
Shin backtracked to grab Johannah off of the ground where she had fallen, and then he walked over to where I stood. “She’ll be okay, the dryads will listen to her,” he said when he noticed the horrified look on my face.
“How do you know that for sure? Dryads can be dangerous when they want to be!”
“She will be fine.”
“You’re her bodyguard, you should be with her all the time! She shouldn’t be left alone with them.” I snapped as I attempted to follow the path Frederica had taken.
“No, she asked to be alone with them,” he said in a stern voice. He grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him.
“I don’t care, I’m going after them,” I spat.
“It is an order from the princess. We have no power to appose that,” he mumbled; worry lines creasing his forehead.
I pulled against his grip. “Let me go! I don’t care what she said! I won’t stand by and let her get herself hurt.”
“I’m worried too, but I will not oppose her commands. This is her choice, and I have to believe in that, no matter how much I do not want to.”
“Zallia, I think Shin is-“
I turned my head to scowl at my little sister. “Johannah! Don’t you dare say he’s right!” I roared, and then I looked back at Shin. “If the King knew about this he would be disappointed in you Shin, as am I.” I felt his grip loosen with my words and I managed to pull my arm away at the right time. I jumped back a few steps to get some room between us. He reached for me – gently this time – still with worry across his face, but somehow different.
“Sorry, but I actually care what might happen to her.”
“What might happen to who?”
Shin dropped his reach for me and the worry on his face was replaced by a smile. “See? I told you,” he taunted before he looked over to Frederica and said, “Nothing, your highness.” He walked past my right shoulder to greet Frederica, and as he did, I spat in his face.
“Bastard,” I whispered under my breath.
I swiftly walked in the other direction, grabbed Johannah, and jogged through the bushes.
“Where are you going?” she gasped from behind me.
“Don’t you mean; where are we going?”