Author's Preface
As she walked further and further in, the forest slowly grew thicker, but not darker. Light filtered through the dense canopy, breaking into soft beams that scattered across the ground. In the darker corners, strange glowing mushrooms clung to tree trunks, casting cool blues and warm golds across the shadows. Some trees had strange berries growing from their bark, while others had pale shoots sprouting from their bases.
But beyond the trees, there were soft mosses. Clear, babbling brooks. Animals running and playing. Occasionally, she even spotted some deer and rabbits. Although they didn’t stay long enough to say hello. Birds sung in the trees, and a soft wind rustled the branches, creating a melody only she was allowed to experience.
It was all beautiful.
Her hands grazed along the tree trunks, and stopped she occasionally to drink water from the flowing streams. The water tasted much sweeter than the Gildan streams. She rested against some trees and even contemplated eating the berries she saw. She just thought better of it. The last thing she wanted was magical indigestion. Once she was satisfied… she stopped and turned to go back home and froze.
She had only walked for what felt like a short time, but… The wall was gone. Even the trees looked different than the ones she had just passed. Her heart began to thunder in her chest as panic rose in her throat. She fiddled with her hair, trying to calm herself.
She knew she had walked in a straight line, so logically, all she had to do was walk the same line back. Jamila took a deep breath and began to retrace her steps.
It didn’t work.
The trees only seemed to close in tighter, the path twisting beneath her feet until it felt as though she was moving deeper into the forest instead of out of it. It was almost as if the trees themselves were moving, blocking her in.
The stories of people going missing, of carcasses being found at the border, of monsters prowling in the dark, began to resurface. The echoes of the forest that reached even the palace. A place of depravity and death. That’s what Nimue called it.
Her breathing quickened as her eyes darted around looking for any exit. A diverging path. Anything.
“N-now let’s not panic...” she whispered, pulling on her hair harder. “There’s still plenty of time...”
A low howl echoed through the trees, causing the earth beneath her feet to tremble. Even the song of the leaves sounded much eerier than it had earlier. An ominous silence took hold of the forest. Not even the rivers or animals broke it.
Her blood turned to ice. Without a second’s delay, she ran.
Branches tore at her dress with each erratic movement. The wind stung her eyes, blurring her vision as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her legs burned, and her body ached, but she kept running. She needed to get out, to see her brother and Nimue. How would they feel if she was found dead at the border? How would Jaziel handle that? Would he survive their father without her? She couldn’t allow that.
“I don’t want to die!” she cried. Her foot caught on an exposed root. She fell hard into the damp earth once more. For a moment, she didn’t move. Perhaps it would be better if the beast ate her after all.
A small groan escaped her throat. Slowly, she pushed herself up. Her face only felt slightly muddy. Her dress, however… A complete disaster. The ivory fabric had been overtaken by a hideous shade of brown. She felt damp, and the fabric now clung to her skin in a way that made her want to rip it off and try to find her way back nude.
Although… she was definitely sure Jaziel would not survive that.
“Nimue is going to scold me...” she mumbled as she examined her gown with a defeated look.
Then she noticed a large clearing up ahead with a massive fallen log. The sun shone golden around it as if inviting her. It looked warm and she was freezing. She approached the log and gawked at it. It was taller than her and was beginning to hollow out inside.
The bark was smooth, and beneath it, the wood shimmered gold. She wondered if all the trees around her had that same glimmer beneath their bark. Not that she was going to pull it off to find out… the forest already seemed fairly offended that she was even here. Jamila made her way around it and came to an abrupt stop.
On the other side was a boy looking no older than fifteen. He leaned lazily against the log, hands behind his head, eyes closed as if asleep.
His skin was a deep warm-brown, with a soft glow that caught even the faintest light. His hair was dark auburn, braided and pulled half up. It reached just to the nape of his neck. Long by Gildan standards. Beaded tassel earrings decorated long, pointed ears, and a bird-shaped tattoo marked the side of his neck.
He was… beautiful.
The prettiest boy she had ever seen. Jamila sat on her knees, admiring him for a moment longer. If his hair was so different… She wondered about his eyes. His lashes were quite thick, and she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
Then her attention drifted to the object beside him. Propped up against the log was a longbow. It was… large. Gildan men would have trouble handling something so big, let alone drawing it. Hand-carved figures were etched along its length. The lines were rough, but carefully made. She scooted closer, her fingers reaching for the carvings. She wondered what they felt like… what they were. What was the history of it all?
“Halnal ol.”
Jamila nearly jumped out of her skin. She placed a shaking hand over her heart and breathed slowly. She then turned her attention back toward the boy. He hadn’t moved much. Still relaxed, hands still behind his head. But his eyes were now watching her carefully.
They were ruby red… sharp and beautiful. Although… she couldn’t help but notice a hint of frustration in them as he looked her over.
“Lat dre hen sepal laba Gilkan lat dand hire…” he mumbled as he clicked his tongue. Jamila flushed red. She didn’t know what he was saying, but she had a feeling it was about her. And she was also sure it wasn’t a compliment.
His eyes met hers, and he froze. They widened for a fraction of a second before he returned to his grumpy demeanor. And for some reason, he looked even more agitated.
“I say... hand off,” he repeated, this time in Gildan. Jamila blinked, frozen for a moment. Then a bright smile spread across her face. His voice was wonderful too. Her day got better and better.
“You can speak Gildan?” she asked, excitement bubbling over. He eyed her with a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance. A quiet sigh left him.
“I... speak,” he said, the words rough and broken, but clear.
“That’s amazing!” She beamed. “That means we can talk!”
She stuck out her hand in greeting. “Oh! I’m Jamila! Nice to meet you!”
He stared at her hand, sighed again, then grabbed his bow, stood, and began to walk away. Jamila froze once more, her hand still fully extended. She dropped it with a sly smile and followed after him.
“That’s the second time you’ve sighed!” she chirped. He didn’t bother to look at her, let alone respond.
“My nanny says every time you sigh, you lose a year of your life!” He stopped suddenly with no warning, and she collided right into his back.
Jamila rubbed her sore nose for a second and groaned. He turned around to study her. Her eyes widened. He was huge. She barely reached his shoulders, and she still had to crane her neck slightly to look at him. Not to mention, he was a lot stronger-looking than all the other fifteen-year-olds constantly bothering her.
Jamila was by no means short. She was an inch taller than most adult women. But for the first time in her life, she felt… short. And for some reason, that made her very excited.
“Go home, princess,” he said, irritation slipping into his voice.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “How did you know I was a princess?!”
He glanced down at her, stopping at her eyes. Her very lavender eyes. A small, amused smile pulled at his lips.
“Lucky guess,” he said, his smile taking on a more smug look as he crossed his arms over his chest. His Gildan was better now. Still accented... but smoother, improving with every sentence.
“Go home,” he said again. Then he turned away. She stood for a moment, watching him walk away. Within a few steps, he had already put a decent distance between them. Anxiety began bubbling up with every step he took. She looked around the forest, and tears began to prick at her eyes once more.
“I can’t,” she muttered softly. He stopped abruptly.
“I don’t know how...” Her voice cracked as she grabbed her muddy hair. “to get back...”
She sniffled as tears began to run down her face, streaking through the dirt. She wiped at them, her face feeling warm. How could she cry in front of a stranger? Worse yet, a pretty boy.
He looked over his shoulder. His expression was much softer now, although he still didn’t speak. He just kept glancing between her and the forest ahead. Jamila couldn’t help but notice the tips of his ears twitch. He let out a long sigh and scratched the back of his head aggressively.
“Quinn sepal gand ali lernore eipa…” he mumbled. His eyes remained fixed on the distance. On the wind, Jamila could almost hear a voice. But perhaps she was just imagining it.
He turned, strode toward Jamila, and held out his hand. Jamila blinked at it, studying it, unsure what he was trying to convey.
“Oh fir funal sake…” he muttered under his breath. Her attention immediately returned to his ruby eyes.
“Hand,” he said. She processed the word for a moment. Then she wiped her tears.
Jamila smiled and eagerly took it. He turned and began walking in a completely different direction from the one he had been looking toward. She followed, her smaller hand wrapped snugly in his. Jamila noticed his stride was much shorter now. A soft, fuzzy feeling bloomed in her chest.
They walked on in silence for a few minutes before she could no longer take it.
“You know...” she started. Another sigh escaped him as his shoulders slumped. She ignored it. If he really wanted her to stop, he only had to say so.
“I never got your name.” She tilted her head, curiosity written across her face. Silence enveloped them once more, a pout forming on her lips. But just because he wouldn’t speak didn’t mean she had to stop.
“I could name you!” she exclaimed happily. He glanced back at her with a raised brow, but it was only for a moment.
“How about... Ruby?”
He stopped. A shiver ran down his spine. He looked at her with a mixture of disgust and defeat. A smile tugged on her lips, but she pushed it down. His mouth formed a tight line, and color rose to the points of his ears.
“...Shin,” he muttered after a moment. Her face lit up.
“Nice to meet you, Shin! I’m Jamila!”
“I know.”
They walked on. Jamila inched closer until they were side by side.
Jamila kept the conversation going, which was easy because she pointed out every tree and bush they passed. Shin relaxed more and more with each passing minute. Once they arrived at the wall, Jamila stood there, hesitant to move or let go of his hand.
This was the first person she had met outside the world she knew. One who showed her honest annoyance and sincerity. Perhaps… she would have a chance to make a real friend. But what if that was something he didn’t want? She didn’t want to force herself on him.
According to her mother… she could be a lot.
“Can... Can I come hang out with you again?”
Her eyes met his, pleading. Shin looked down at her, his red gaze meeting hers. His face showed no hint of what he was thinking, but something about him felt softer.
“In a week...” he finally said. Jamila lit up, but he interrupted her.
“Only day. No night. And no going beyond this point without me.”
She nodded straight away. She didn’t care as long as she got more time with him. She wanted to know him better and be his friend. That was all that mattered.
“I promise.” She offered him a pinky, and he looked at it for a moment. A puff of air left him as a smile lingered on his lips. He wrapped his pinky around hers, although it looked more like a tree in comparison. Her face flushed. He really was warm.
“A promise,” he replied. Slowly, they pulled apart. Jamila waved goodbye before heading home. The sun was still warm, but she suddenly felt very cold as she returned to the palace.
“Nimue lectured me, and not long after… my mother decided perhaps it would be for the best if I lived away from Jaziel for a time.” Jamila said with a smile, but Shani couldn’t help but notice the sadness behind her eyes.
“But! That’s a story for another day…” Jamila glanced down at her daughter. She brushed a gentle hand over the curve of her daughter's ears. A longing smile replaced the sad one.
“Mama...” Shani murmured.
“Hmm?”
“Do you still love him?” Silence enveloped the room. Jamila’s hand froze in the air as her eyes grew distant once more. Tears formed quietly . She leaned down and kissed Shani’s forehead.
“With all my soul.”
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