Here is my most recently finished chapter. My goal right now with this book is to finish it, and then to perfect it. So if some parts may seem hurried, that's why. :D
Chapter 4- Of Loneliness, Promises, and Love
Fear kept Mai from tears as she stumbled through the darkening woods. She'd run all day, and felt as if her unfeeling body could go on forever. However, when a house came into view, she stopped short, and ducked into cover; afraid that another witch might be inside.
But after no sign of life came from the house, she crept closer. Still closer she went, until she peeped through the front door. There was no one.
Breathing deeply, letting out the tension that had made her rigid, she walked in, and collapsed on one of the three beds.
She was barely passing the threshold of sleep, when a rustling of wings woke her.
Filling the room were her brothers! As they touched the floor, they shed their feathers, and became boys once more.
"Rey!" Mai cried, flinging herself into his arms. The tears that hadn't fallen earlier did so now; and not only Rey, but all the brothers came together to comfort their little sister.
Still, they couldn't let her finish. Rey pushed her away, and knelt in front of her.
"Mai, we have much to tell you, and only an hour to spare."
Scott butt in, "We can only spend an hour a year as humans again. It's a common effect of transformation spells."
"An hour a year!" fretted Mai. "But what can I do without you?"
"You'll have to find father, and live with him," Cedric said, "in spite of Scyllaea."
"Live with Scyllaea? Please, don't say I must." Mai shuddered, and snuggled back into Rey like a child.
"Well," said Kance, "it's either that, or live in a tree. This house is used by robbers."
"I want to help you." Mai looked at all of them; even Kance looked sorrowful despite his teasing. "How can I break the spell?"
"Mai, no!" Devlin, Rey, and Cedric all spoke at once.
"I told you she would ask," Michael said to Scott. Kance tried not to look hopeful.
Virtually shouting, Mai insisted. "Tell me! I want to help you! I'm not a little girl anymore.
"Why shouldn't I ask?" she asked Michael. "You are my brothers. You're my family. How could I live with father without doing everything I could to bring you all back with me?" Turning to the older boys, she continued, more softly, "Please. Just tell me what I need to do."
There was a collective sigh about the room, as the brothers resigned themselves. Scott came forward. "Shirts turned us into swans, shirts must change us back. You need to make six shirts out of dew flowers, and put them on us. Once we wear them, we will never be swans again."
"That's all?" Mai asked incredulously.
"No," Rey said. His eyes were sadder than ever as they looked upon his beautiful, laughter-loving sister. "Until you finish the shirts, you must not speak, laugh, or even smile. If you speak one syllable or giggle once, it's all over. We have one chance, and that lies in your silence. Your serious and complete silence."
Devlin continued the instruction, "Now that we've told you about it, you have until sunrise to decide."
The sun would rise again? They all looked out the window, into the night.
"I'll do it." Mai said. Her heart became firm, her resolution solid. "I will break the spell." She started to smile, but stopped. "Who knew those sewing lessons would be so important."
Her brothers smiled for her, but their hearts were also heavy. The hour was almost up.
They let the stillness of the night remain between them. For the rest of their time together, Mai simply looked at each of them; memorizing their faces, for she wouldn't see them for another year. She had to keep her focus if she was to do this.
Their time together ended. One by one, each of the brothers was wrapped in whiteness and flapped out the window. Mai watched as they flew farther and farther away until they looked like six new stars.
For the next few hours, she stood at that window; preparing herself for the next seven years. Steeling her mouth into a line, and covering her voice with a blanket as her brothers had been covered by feathers, she watched the horizon glimmer with the first rays of morning.
With an apprehension that the occupants of the hut might return, Mai went out into the forest. She had not slept for an entire day and night, and she was beginning to feel the effects of drowsiness. Walking through the forest, she finally found a whinspen tree to sleep in--the huge, nearly fantastical trees seemed to grow into natural furniture. She curled her small form into a crook of three branches, and--wrapping her dress more tightly around herself--she fell asleep.
As the dusk settled over the forest, she awoke again. It was her habit on waking to smile at the rising sun; or in this case, the setting sun. But she caught herself before the corners of her mouth had risen that far. Sighing, she closed her eyes to reaffirm her resolve.
Then, sliding out of the whinspen tree, she traveled back to the hidden castle. This was an act of pure faith. Mai did not know if she’d be able to find the castle. She had no path or spool to guide her, and she’d been running so blindly the previous night, that she had no memory of her passage. Still, the castle was a sure source of dew flowers. Also at the castle were her sewing items.
As she traveled, she had to continually remind herself not to smile. She discovered that it was hard to keep up hope when she couldn't smile.
Then she stepped into a sudden clearing, filled with flowers, and revealing a mansion. Tears instantly came to her eyes as the images of yesterday came flooding back. Was it really only the day before that she was saving Kance from burning the porridge?
Silently crying, Mai started to pick up the wilting flowers. Already, their season was ending. She had to hurry if she wanted to have enough to last an entire year of sewing. Scooping the flowers into her dress, she made her way to the castle. She could keep them fresh using the “Poultice for the Preservation of Blossoming Flowers” that Scott had designed as their combined present for their father; a present he'd never receive now.
No, Mai determined, wiping away her tears, No, it will simply be delayed. I will succeed; I will save my brothers.
She entered the castle. Grabbing a basket from the closet, she dumped the flowers into it. She made her reticent way into her old room, and took out a few changes of clothes along with her dreaded sewing kit. After some thought, she also slipped her embroidery into her basket.
Will I need food? She thought hard. Amazingly, she felt no hunger now-- simply tenaciousness. But Mai knew this wouldn't last. Moving towards the kitchen, she passed the library, and stopped.
The sound of breathing was coming from her father's chair.
Slowly, Mai crept into the room, and over to the chair. Nearly gasping, tears streamed anew down her face. It was her father.
His doublet was stained with grass, dirt, and rain. His hands were red from his nails digging into them. Even in sleep, his face showed his despair.
He would help her, Mai knew. But as she reached out to him, she froze in fear. Would her father really help her? Or would he stop her? Take her somewhere else?
As Mai thought about living in another house alone, she shuddered. She couldn't live with the fear. Besides, with him, she'd be urged to smile, to talk, to laugh. She'd want to comfort him.
Well, at least she could leave a note. Her clumsy spelling might be hard to make out, but at least he'd understand that she was alive and well. No, Mai shook her head to herself. His hope would overcome him, and Scyllaea would know from him that I was still alive. Her hope was that Scyllaea would believe Mai was dead and never think of her again.
Sighing inside, Mai stroked her father's robe gently and quietly straightened up the room. Then, packing another basket of food, she left the castle for another year.
Stepping out of the clearing, Mai tried not to leave a trail, even though she risked never being able to find the castle again. If there was a trail for her to follow, others would also be able to follow it, and either find her or her father's mansion. Walking forward, Mai looked back, hoping that she could find her way the next year.
Hope. Hope was all she would have now. Hope, and her work.
In view of the rising sun, Mai struggled up the whinspen tree with her basket in hand. Sitting on the solid branch, she took out a needle to thread. She'd start with Rey's shirt
As the rosy beams lit up with bird song, she took a pale blue dew-flower from her basket. Stabbing the needle through the center, Mai held the flower carefully to keep the petals from falling out. Taking another blossom from the basket, she connected the two with an embroidery stitch. One inch down, she thought. How far to go? The next year, she would take her brothers' measurements. For now, she'd simply start.
Eighty-seven flowers and a half-sleeve later, Mai removed Scott's ointment from it's place. Dipping her fingers in the clear, jelly-like substance, she went to the basket of flowers and carefully handled each of them, wrapping them up in a hardening shell.
After twenty-four hours of wakefulness, Mai had finally exhausted herself. Stowing her work carefully away on a branch above her three-pronged sleeping place, she nestled herself in and gave herself to the darkness that soon enveloped her.
She woke with the morning mist. After a few bites of breakfast and a visit to the stream, Mai picked up her needle and began once again. The shell from Scott's juice had set overnight, making the flowers easier to handle. Following many more flowery stitches, Mai felt her muscles cramping.
Putting down her work, she shook out her hands, then started again.
In the afternoon, she climbed down from the whinspen and walked through the forest, eating yonnberries for lunch, and keeping a watchful thought on her smile.
She walked for an hour, and then went back to her work.
That became Mai’s routine-- breakfast, sew, walk, sew, sleep, sew. For weeks, for months, it went on.
As time passed, Mai’s step grew heavier; her spirits drooped. Often, she’s cry herself to sleep.
One night, she awoke to a realization. It’s because I can’t smile, she thought. As long as I can smile, I can be optimistic, I can hope. But I can’t. Despair overwhelmed her, and she sunk into slumber again.
The next day, Mai didn’t sew. Instead, she walked through the autumn colored trees to the cottage where she’d last seen her brothers.
Closing her eyes, Mai pictured her brothers’ faces. She remembered conversations, laughter. Wistfully, she thought about their life before Scyllaea had come, and the beautiful times they’d had. She thought of the sorrow in Rey’s expression when he discovered he couldn’t marry Candra.
At least, not yet, Mai determined to herself. Finally, she remembered seeing them in this cottage that last night, and watching them fly into the sky.
These are my brothers, she reminded herself, And they need my help. I made a promise, and I must fulfil it.
As the winter winds began to blow, Mai started to make plans. She couldn’t stay in the tree, that was for certain; but where could she go? She knew the answer, but she couldn’t accept it-- it would be so hard. However, it was the only choice.
Putting the remaining dew flowers and the sewing kit into her basket, Mai left the whinspen tree, and headed for her father’s mansion.
As she walked through the woods, clouds gathered in the sky, and the scent on the air promised snow. Crossing the grassy meadow, Mai felt the first snowflakes fall.
She entered the house carefully, quietly. Frightened about who might be there, Mai searched the different rooms before returning to hers. She sat on her old bed, and set down her basket. Looking around at the familiar walls, Mai shuddered as she was filled with the memories and the emotion.
Picking up her basket, she then started to work.
Her fingers had come to handle everything with the same delicacy with which she had to handle the dew-flowers. In that way, although her hands and appearance became callused, the expression about her was one of fragility, strength, and a deep understanding.
As the winter wore away, Mai replaced her routine of walking in the afternoon with sitting in the library and reading. Slowly, she relearned what she had mastered during Cedric’s tutelage.
It was a slow and a dull time.
The marble corridors were stark and stoney. Windows revealed only a white landscape against the gray sky.
Mai was constantly caught up in a dreamy remembrance as she continued her sewing. Another sleeve was finished and she had started on the body of her first shirt.
One day. as she rose from her bed, Mai closed her eyes again and breathed deeply preparing herself for another long, tedious day. As she dressed, she glanced outside, and gasped inwardly. The sun had finally broken through the clouds, uncovering the glittering beauty that had been hiding under the pale vapor.
Within a week, the trees had shed their white coats and started sewing their green shirts even as Mai sewed her shirts of color.
When the snow had nearly melted, Mai went searching through the library for Scott’s “Poultice for the Preservations of Blossoming Flowers” recipe. She made up another jar of the needed formula, packed more food and clothes, and made her way back out into the forest.
As she tramped on, Mai looked around at the many signs of spring around her. The crocuses popping up between the patches of snow; the robins hopping from branch to branch; that blueness of the sky that appears only after the cleansing of winter snow.
Mai sighed in her heart as she reached her whinspen. It was a sigh full of meaning: resolve, resignation, reluctance, and relief all at once. After settling herself and replacing her belongings to their previous places, Mai picked up her work and began again.
A few days passed before Mai knew the time had arrived. It was the week of her sixteenth birthday. How strange, she thought to herself. This time last year I was cleaning up Kance’s porridge. Oh, Kance. And tears started running down her cheeks.
Each of her brothers came to her mind, one by one. Rey; leaving Candra for his sake and hers. Devlin; solidly supportive. Kance; full of fun and energy. Scott; always learning and sharing. Michael; rambunctious and loyal. Finally, Cedric; her closest brother, the one who’d taught her to read, and sympathized with her. The one she’d hurt the most, but who still loved her determinedly.
Then, she remembered.
“We can spend an hour a year as humans again.”
If a stranger had wandered into the glade at that moment, he would have had a strange sight: A young lady dancing the forest floor with a completely straight face, but with sparkling eyes.
As the sun had broken through the clouds weeks earlier, anticipation had broken through the monotony of Mai’s existence.
Hurriedly, Mai picked at the flowers of the shirt-- attaching it to the first sleeve. If she sewed quickly, maybe, maybe, she could finish a shirt before the next night. Her heart thrilled at the thought of having one of them back with her.
Finally, darkness fell and it was time.
With a finished shirt over one arm, Mai ran through the deepening shadows towards the robber’s cottage.
They say that evil stalks the land when the moon hides her face, and it was on such a night as Mai hastened towards where she was sure to find her brothers.
Anticipation gripped her, making her heedless of the thorns and branches that caught at her dress.
As she passed through the bushes surrounding the cottage, Mai’s foot caught on a root. Even as she fell, Mai held back the cry that nearly escaped her.
Lying in the dirt under the sticks of the yonnberry bush, Mai breathed heavily for a few moments before checking on the shirt pressed beneath her. Thank goodness! It had held together.
As she stood, brushing herself off, she heard voices from the cottage.
Had her brothers already arrived! She moved quickly towards the door, but stopped before opening as harsh laughter erupted from the inhabitants.
“Yeashiree!” a voice drunkenly slurred. “I sheen her ta-day. Jusht perched up der in a...” -here the man hiccupped- “... in one of dem wish-perin’? Whenshipen?”
“Whinspen tree?” a female voice-- much more alert-- completed his sentence for him.
Heart beating rapidly, Mai knew she should leave, but another voice within her told her to stay. They’re talking about me. What are they planning? Once I know, I’ll leave.
The drunken man was continuing. “Yesh indidee, pump-”(hiccup)“-kin. And I sheen her da day befoh dat and da day befoh dat. Jusht shewin’ her flowas.” Mai heard the clunk of a tankard. “D’ye shuppose ye have eny mer fer drinkin’, Mishter Perin?”
“We just might, for such a useful comrade.” A chilling male’s voice came from next to the door, and Mai jumped. As she backed away, she snapped a twig. She froze, mind panicking, trying to hear the reaction.
All was still in the house.
At first that reassured Mai, but then she saw the door opening.
Turning, she ran pell mell back through the thorny bushes.
“She’s here!” Yelled the man who’d been guarding the door. “Vinni, you go the back way. Marsh…” his voice died away behind her as Mai ran faster into the night.
As she burst into a moonlit clearing, Mai stumbled--almost falling, but catching herself. As she approached the other side of the glade she saw a shadow in front of her and stopped. Whirling, she ran for another edge, trying to get back out of sight.
Shadows were flitting through all the trees. In her fright and exhaustion, Mai couldn’t distinguish human forms from among the natural variations.
The man from the door-- Perin -- ran after her into the glade, also panting but not worn down as Mai was.
“Well, well, well. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” his wicked smile gleamed darkly. “Here we were thinking we’d have to climb a tree to have the pleasure of your company. Little did we know you’d be paying us the visit.”
Falling to her knees, Mai bowed her head, grasped her necklace, and prayed. Prayed for her brothers to come, prayed to her mother, prayed to Whomever was watching. Her world was ending, she simply knew it. These people would end her.
“What? Giving up so quickly?” The woman, Vinni, came from the forest behind Mai. “We knew you couldn’t talk, but we didn’t think you were dumb.” She snorted and other laughs came from the surrounding woods.
At that moment, through the sinister darkness, a beam of moonlight broke through the clouds. It illuminated a great white bird that descended into the clearing, landing between Mai and Perin. Another bird came down facing Vinni.
Feeling the rush of wind, Mai imagined the worst and closed her eyes tighter, curling over into a ball.
“Ahh, look,” Vinni said, in a sickeningly sweet voice, “You have little birdy friends.”
Perin snickered, “They’ll make a fine feast for all of us to enjoy; won’t they, little girl from a tree?”
“I haven’t had a feast for some time and would enjoy one, thanks for asking.” The voice came from behind Perin. He spun around, startled. There stood Kance, grinning his impish grin-- and with a sword drawn.
Perin’s smile returned, though he took a step away from the blade. “I suppose these birds are friends of yours as well?”
This time the voice came from near Mai. “You might say that.” Spinning again, the robber saw two young men by her-- Devlin and Scott.
“So,” Devlin continued, “You thought you could beleaguer our sister?”
Putting his hand on his own weapon, Perin sneered. “There are only three of you. Who knows how many there are of us.”
“Three,” Michael yelled from a treetop. “The drunk one stayed behind.”
The clanging of steel on steel was heard, and Rey-- forcing the remaining man in front of him-- entered the clearing.
“Marsh!” Vinni yelled, losing her cool.
Striking the man’s small blade from his hands, Rey shoved Marsh to the ground. Then he turned to Perin, eyes ablaze and royal bearing in full stride.
A sword touched Perin’s back before he could run: Kance was still there.
Vinni had run to Marsh and Scott had let her. Devlin and he moved to guard the couple as Rey steadily advanced towards Perin.
“What are you going to do to me?” the once confident man trembled, shrinking into himself as Rey’s presence crushed upon him.
Rey smiled at him, “I’m going to reward you.”
Perin glanced up, suspicion and surprise twitching along his face. “What?”
“You will get precisely what you deserve. Lower your blade, Kance,” Rey ordered.
Then, with a swift movement, Rey kicked Perin to the ground-- all the rage, hurt, and anxiety he’d felt for his little sister going into the motion. As the robber laid there, waiting for more blows, Rey reached down and helped him up.
“That’s all the punishment I have for you.” Then he turned and went to Mai.
“Don’t worry,” Kance told Perin. “There’s still five more of us.”
After releasing the subdued and chastised assailants, the worried brothers gathered around Mai where she still knelt trembling on the forest floor.
“Mai,” Michael tried, “It’s alright. They’re gone.”
Sobs heaved Mai’s shoulders, but she didn’t make a sound.
Scott understood what she was doing. “It’s okay, Mai. The curse is completely lifted for this hour. You can cry out loud.”
With a quick intake of breath, Mai held out her arms and looked up at Cedric with a dirty, scratched, tear lined expression. “Please…”
Hastily, Cedric got down and put his arm around his traumatized, sixteen-year-old baby sister; holding her as her tears were heard for the first time in a year.
The others waited soberly until Mai calmed. Gradually, they all sat or knelt beside her
Rey reached out a hand and put it on Mai’s shoulder. She turned towards him, but kept her gaze on the ground.
“I’m sorry we didn’t come sooner, Mai.” He looked at her sweet face-- filled with so much fear and sorrow-- and cursed himself inside.
“We were looking for you,” Michael put in. “We thought you’d try the cottage, but by the time we were there only the drunk was left.”
“Thank you,” was all Mai could whisper. “Thank you.”
Kance’s face had become mysteriously wet after his brave showing with Perin. Seated directly next to Mai, he couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“Oh, Mai!” He threw both arms around her and squeezed her tight. “Mai, I was so scared. I’ve missed you so much!” Grinning, he winked at her, “These old geese can only be tolerable for so long, you know.”
And Mai laughed.
They all sat there for a while; simply feeling the bond of belonging beginning to build again.
“What do you do as swans?” Mai spoke softly-- almost as if she was afraid of her voice.
Michael shrugged, “We mostly just fly around. We visit Father at home occasionally, but not often.” He looked at the ground. “We don’t want Scyllaea noticing us.”
Fear chilled everyone at the mention of her.
“We look after you a lot,” Rey added.
Mai turned to him swiftly. “You do?” she looked at the others, “Why don’t I ever see you?”
“Well...” Cedric tried to answer. “It’s just hard.”
Suddenly, Mai jumped up! “Oh!” she cried, “The shirt!” Frantically, she ran around the glade.
Devlin was the one to run after her. “Mai! Mai, it’s okay.” He held out the dewflower shirt that he’d rescued from the bushes.
Taking it, Mai held it close. A year’s worth of work had gone into this; it meant one brother would be back.
Supporting her arm, Devlin brought her back across the clearing to the others.
“I finished a shirt,” she beamed brightly at them.
Kance and Michael whooped in unison; Rey and Cedric hugged Mai; and Devlin and Scott just smiled, unsure of any other way to show their joy.
One by one, the brothers each insisted on trying the shirt, getting a glimpse of the remedy that would soon be theirs.
Then came the question of which brother should keep the shirt. Everyone went quiet, especially Mai.
“Well,” Devlin was finally the one to break the silence, “Judging by tonight’s incidents, I think that someone should stay that can protect Mai.”
The others nodded, and Kance added, “Also, it shouldn’t be me. I’d always be forgetting and trying to get her to smile. It should be someone who also has a reason to be sad all the time.”
They all looked at Rey and that comment. He was looking at the ground, tears in his eyes.
When Mai walked up to him and put a gently hand on his arm, he whispered, “It’s been more than a year. I haven’t seen her in more than a year.”
Without any more discussion, the shirt was given to Rey. He put it on, and then they all stood together silently, waiting for the hour to finish.
Cedric was the first to change, then the others quickly followed. Soon it was only Mai and Rey standing side by side. But when Mai turned to him, Rey was also growing pale, and shifting under the shirt.
Mai’s mouth opened in surprise and sorrow, but the hour was up, and she couldn’t express her rage and anguish.
Once again, hope had risen only to be killed.
Rey, as a swan, shrugged off the shirt then looked at it with seeming confusion, then he lifted his head, and looked at Mai.
With loving eyes, Mai crouched down and stroked his long neck even as she picked up the shirt.
Calling out above them, the other brother-swans urged Rey to join them. And so all of Mai’s brothers left her again.
A few hours later, she made her way once more through the forest.
The tears that had wet her cheeks almost continually for the past year came yet again as she was walking. Was this to be her existence for the years to come? Loneliness, aching, tears, and a life in seclusion? Was she only entitled to one hour of happiness?
The birds chirped merrily in the treetops above her head, heedless of her inner struggle.
As she reached her whispen, Mai paused for a moment. The birds had gone quiet. There was a slight rumbling sound-- the sound of hoofbeats.
Quickly, with the skill acquired by a year of practice and a fear acquired a few hours earlier, she scurried up the tree. Hanging the baskets on their branches, Mai arranged her skirt out of sight and peeked through the scattered leaves and boughs.
Into the clearing rode not one horse, but five. Each was carrying a hunter.
Although all of the hunters were loud and laughing, Mai's gaze was immediately drawn to the one in the center.
He had dark blonde hair and a happy face. His plain brown garb could not conceal his bearing-- it was that of a king. As he pulled his chestnut stallion to a halt he grinned and patted the horse's neck.
As she gazed at him, Mai caught herself. Startled, her hands flew to her mouth. She had almost smiled! Fearfully, she turned away from the handsome, young king. She must not look at him again.
Her heart gave a small pang.
How could that be? Mai wondered. I have only now seen him. I can’t be in love. But her heart said otherwise, with another little prick.
Ah well, she resigned, I will never see him again. He can be one more reason for me not to smile. But if anyone could make me smile...
Mai's heart soothed at the thought.
Focused as she was in her own mind, Mai didn’t notice the eldest hunter watching her with a puzzled expression.
As she dwelt on her thoughts, Mai concentrated on keeping her face grim; fighting the happiness she felt swelling in her. I must remember my brothers, she reminded herself. I must not forget.
She thought of all the times she’d allowed herself to hope and all the times she’d been disappointed. More than almost anything, Mai did not want to feel that way again.
Then, with the fading sound of horses galloping away in her ears, she gathered flowers from her basket and continued to sew.
Rey, Devlin, and Kance were all nearly the same height, so the next shirts would be made the same way the last one had been made.
A few weeks passed before Mai saw the hunters again. The young king wasn’t with them, but Mai watched as they rode by anyway. This time, when the eldest gentleman looked, she inadvertently met his gaze.
He immediately smiled at her, but then frowned when she bent her head back to her work.
Spring turned to summer. Time marched on monotonously for Mai, broken only by the occasional visits of the hunters. They never seemed to be hunting, but simply riding and shooting at targets on the trees.
Sperish, the last month of summer, was coming to an end. The warm days and brilliant colors brightened Mai’s spirits and the light in her eyes.
On one of her best days, she heard hoofbeats. Maybe her king would be with the hunters once more.
Sure enough, he was there. Not only that, but with unhestitating movements he was coming towards her whispen tree.
Move, Mai told her body, Hide; but her heart had taken control. She could see him coming closer and closer. Then he was there. Under her tree.
Their eyes met.
