Children with Stars in their Veins (Chapter 23.1)

a/n: hey, thanks for checking out Starry Veins! This is the novel I wrote for Round V of LMS, and it's still a first draft! While I don't discourage any feedback, I prefer not to receive feedback on grammar! I'm not polishing this draft up yet, so I'm not as concerned about editing. I am, of course, open to all feedback, but I ask that you keep this in consideration! Thanks <3

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[Rowan]

Rowan’s mouth was dry and their resolve crumbling, and Cassius’ attitude hadn’t helped anything. They half-heartedly searched foraged near the road, where Alanna was resting, and allowed themself to feel mildly sullen.

And then they heard Artemesa’s calls ringing out through the trees.

They almost tripped, before righting themself and listening. That was definitely Artemesa, and whatever was happening, she was distressed.

Relinquishing on scavenging, they ran back up to the road. Alanna was sitting upright, her eyes wide and wild. She turned to them, the light of the sun turning her irises pale silver, almost white.

“Raz and Em,” she said, getting to her feet.

They held out their hand and she grabbed it, face twisted into a deep frown too grooved and careful for one so young.

But when they turned towards the forest to pursue their friends, the trees began to knot together. They formed a solid line of bark, branches entangling and roots snaking through the earth to uproot it.

They stared at it, mouth parted. They had heard stories of the Wilderlands, but… if they had crossed the line after leaving the domesticated area around the Citadel, how had they not died?

Alanna’s hand tightened on theirs, and she trembled, pushing into their side. “Oriole,” she whispered, panicked.

They squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. We’ll stay on the road.”

“What about Raz and Em?” she asked, voice still hushed.

A white hissing filled their ears for a moment. They shook their hand and gave Alanna’s hand a little tug as they took a step towards the direction where Artemesa had cried out. “They’re both very fast,” they said. Alanna wasn’t going to appreciate being lied to, and they were all in this now anyway.

Alanna followed silently and with purpose. At some point, she let go of their hand, and they spied her attempting to do on-the-move stretches she had probably learned from Mishal.

Warm nestled into their chest, and they inhaled deeply.

The forest was impenetrable even as they walked along. They wondered how far the trees had formed a barrier, an impossible shield. To ward off those who would enter? To keep something in?

And then they saw the figures, flickering ahead on the road, so far away it almost hurt to look at them. Even from their distance, they swore one of the shorter figures wore a crown of flames. Beside them, multi-hued feathers were illuminated in the afternoon sun.

Ember and Artemesa. Which meant the other shorter figure was Cassius.

“Is that someone with them?” Alanna whispered.

They nodded, slowing their pace. Who would be with Cassius and Ember? Were they friendly or not? If they hadn’t returned, probably not. Not with Artemesa’s cries either.

“What if they see us?” Alanna pressed, tugging on the folds of her nightgown like if she willed it hard enough it would become trousers. It didn’t not. It was the same dirty and dishevelled nightgown as before, stained by ash and mud. Not that their trousers were in better condition, already torn in more then one place and ash-marked too.

They glanced once more towards the forest. It had gone still now, but that didn’t mean it was idle. The Wilderlands could move or shift at any moment.

Grabbing the sleeves of their thigh-length, deep purple robe, they tugged it off and held it to Alanna. “Put this on so you don’t stand out.” They sucked a breath in through their teeth. “Let’s walk down lower, next to the road. We’ll wait until night falls to get closer.”

“But the trees moved,” Alanna said, pulling the robe on and closing it tight around her. It was several sizes too big on her tiny frame and fell down close to her ankles. At least it wasn’t floor-length on them.

They were already wearing dark colours, deep crimsons and bronzes, and from so far away it wouldn’t stand out against the shadows of the trees.

“You stay between the road and I,” they said. “And if anything happens, the road is right next to us.”

Alanna looked doubtful but followed Rowan all the same as they crept partway down the hill that sloped down from the road. The trees shuddered and Alanna’s hand shot out to grip their wrist tightly. After a moment passed, nothing more happened, and they turned back to glance ahead where they had seen Ember and Cassius and the strange figure.

They were still there, slowly moving farther away, and they nodded to Alanna. “Come on.”

* * *

Night covered the road in a blanket of shadow. There was a single ward against the dark, a fire that the stranger had lit, that illuminated the ropes tied to Cassius, Ember, and Artemesa, as they sat in front of it.

The stranger had made camp at what Rowan, to the best of their knowledge, presumed to be one of the five-mile outpost markers that travellers took shelter at when using the industrial roads. A tower stood nearby, and that was where they were crouched with Alanna, watching the stranger and their friends.

“How are we supposed to get them?” Alanna asked, tugging on their loose sleeve. “That guy looks scary, Ori. What if he hurts them?”

“Shh,” they said. “Remember the thing I said about staying quiet?”

She nodded, although frowned with displeasure, and leaned back against the stone of the tower.

Curled on the ground beside Cassius, Artemesa raised her head, ears swivelling. Her nostrils twitched, snout straining against the rope tying it shut.

They glanced at the stranger, who had his back turned to them.

“Una lux nus,” they whispered, holding up their fingers in a pinching gesture. A light flickered momentarily between the tips and died.

Artemesa’s ears went forward, head jerking to the side. She sat up and pressed her nose into Cassius’ leg. He stared morosely into the fire, brows furrowed forward. Artemesa nudged him harder, and he turned to look down at her crossly. She met his gaze, and then angled her head and stretched her neck out, towards where they watched.

Cassius muttered something. Artemesa struck his leg with her nose again. She set her chin upon his leg.

Whatever she did that time, Cassius eyed the stranger. Then he glanced over towards the tower.

They shifted forward, closer to the firelight. “Una lux nus,” they whispered again, as quietly as they could. The light flickered again, but this time it was much brighter and made a gentle, sweet chiming noise.

Rowan scrambled backwards as the stranger turned around, and Alanna whimpered as they bumped into her, a little harder than necessary. They held a hand up over their mouth, and Alanna bit her lips together, eyes wide.

word count:

1,122

translations:

una lux nus = single light flicker