Journey of a Girl: Chapter Four

It was late afternoon and Credence was relaxing against a tree, allowing her thoughts to drift where they wanted.

Only one day ago she was happy to forget about the woods, but after hearing the plight of the band by the river, conflict was rising within her.

Stop caring, she commanded herself. No one ever cared for me.

That wasn't the truth and she knew it.

Her family had cared for her. The Queen had kept her safe—

"I will not fight. I will not speak with the Queen. I care only for myself."

Like Ajo.

"Stop!"

She pounded her fists against the dirt.

"I cannot rely on anyone, so no one should rely on me!"

The crunch of footsteps came from behind her.

Is it Ajo? her mind asked.

"I don't care if it's the Queen's entire court."

The noise grew faint as whatever it was moved away. Satisfied she wouldn't be bothered, Credence closed her eyes and waited to fall into sleep.

***

Warm breath. Heavy panting. The smell of meat and—

Wet.

Wet and coarse.

A tongue being dragged across her skin.

Something was licking her.

Credence moaned and heard leaves rustling as feet scampered away.

She was content to spend another hour in dreams until she felt breath on her neck.

Something damp pressed into her cheek.

Teeth nipped her arms.

I'm being eaten, she thought and her eyelids fluttered open.

Yellow eyes were staring into hers.

Surrounding them was the white-furred face of a fox. It jumped back but did not run, only regarded her with amusement. Just as Credence opened her mouth to shoo it away, the fox put a paw over her lips.

"Don't be scared," it said, "or we'll hurt you more."

Credence's eyes widened, but another voice spoke.

"You mean, 'Don't be scared, we won't hurt you'."

The white fox giggled and removed its paw. "Yes! That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Not at all." The owner of the second voice revealed itself, another fox, smaller and red-furred. Around its middle was a sling and pouch made of leaves. "Apologies for his confusing speech, but he's still learning humanspeak. What he meant to explain was 'We're not here to eat you'."

"Yes, yes! That's it!"

"You should put more effort into your studies."

"Who are you?" Credence asked.

"Ser Alejandro the red, at your service." The red fox pointed to his companion. "He is Trespass the white, not yet a ser, but in training."

"You're...a knight?"

"I am, my lady." The red fox dipped into a graceful bow. The white fox attempted the same show of manners but was far more clumsy in his execution.

"We are pleased to meet you, Credence," Ser Alejandro continued. "The Queen of the Wood sent us with a message."

"I'm not interested in her message."

"We've also brought a gift."

"It's a flower!" Trespass announced with glee.

"Er—yes, it's a flower. Very good, Trespass, you've ruined the surprise."

"It's not a surprise, it's a flower."

Ser Alejandro sighed. "Yes. Yes, it is."

He dug into his leafy pouch and produced a lovely rose, long-stemmed and blue with white speckles. He set it on the ground and motioned to it with his head.

"Take it to her," he instructed his friend, "and be gentle!"

Trespass obeyed, delighted to be of use. With less care than Ser Alejandro would have liked, he took the rose between his teeth and bounced over to Credence, holding the flower so close to her face that the petals tickled her nose.

"S'ss lovely," Trespass said through clenched teeth.

"You needn't be so close," Ser Alejandro admonished. "Put it in her hand."

Trespass jumped from Credence and dropped the flower into her lap. She held it up to admire its beauty.

"It's lovely, but I do not want the Queen's gifts."

"Meedy-sin," Trespass said, ignoring Credence's refusal. "Good strong magic. Should kill you right away."

"Should heal you right away," Ser Alejandro corrected.

"I said that, didn't I?"

"Why is the Queen giving me this gift?" Credence asked with heavy suspicion. "I'm not hurt."

"Not yet," Ser Alejandro said with a wink, but thought better of his answer. "I mean, no—you're not hurt. But if you ever become hurt, you have that flower to heal you."

Credence raised an eyebrow. "In case I'm hurt in a fight, perhaps?"

Ser Alejandro shrugged. "Yes, that's one way to get hurt. You just put it in your mouth and chew. No boiling or steeping necessary. It's the Queen's thanks for releasing her from Ajo's prison."

"And if I don't accept it?"

"You don't have to, of course."

"How do I know you are the Queen's subjects? You could be a servant of the King."

Ser Alejandro's ears flattened against his head. "We would never serve that monster. We could take you to the Queen to prove we're honest."

"Yes!" Trespass chirped. "The Queen! We go to the Queen!"

"No, thank you," Credence said. "I'll take your word."

"A knight's honor lies in his word," Ser Alejandro said.

"You're strange," Trespass said. "Odd girl, who doesn't want to meet the Queen."

"I have met the Queen."

"Odd girl, who doesn't want to re-meet the Queen."

"Credence is angry with her," Ser Alejandro mused. "The Queen knows it."

"I'm not angry with her, I just want nothing to do with her kingdom or her war."

"And you've decided to find a home beyond it."

"Yes," Credence said, astonished that the fox knight knew of her purpose. "I'm trying to find the end of the woods. Do you know where it is?"

"I do," Ser Alejandro replied. "But I'm not sure you really want to go there."

"I'll find it with or without your help."

"At least hear the Queen's message before dismissing us."

"No, I don't—"

Without warning, Trespass fired off into a recitation, spouting a slew of sometimes nonsensical words that were spoken almost too quickly to be understood.

"On behalves of the Queen of the Wood, these messengers will speak an invitation to the court of her majesty. One Credence, dooter of Galeia, and named heir of the Queen, is hereby summoned to show her nose and eyes and put herself in the brawling to defeat one Ajo, monster king, who is also the Queen's son and growing his own army to take Credence by force anyway...and there's a part about big magic of souls...and Credence is special and will be a General and the Queen will teach her powers...Oh! And the Queen reminds Credence that she married her son after not listening to good counselors and the Queen is sad because she was right. Then a few more words on commanding Credence to the castle...and lastly, if she says 'no', she's dim or a coward or lying, and something to do with treason."

Credence and Ser Alejandro listened in dumbfounded silence.

Trespass finished his monologue and looked at his audience with a proud, beaming grin.

"Goodly spoken, if I say so on myself."

"Well," Ser Alejandro said through a hiss. "That's one way to put it."

"I don't want to hear the other way," Credence said flatly.

"Please, Credence, answer the Queen's call."

"She won't even come to me herself. Why would I waste my time traveling to her castle?"

"The Queen is gathering an army to save her kingdom. She believed we could encourage you. And we are her messengers, after all. We must deliver her words."

"I thought Isolam was her messenger."

"Ha ha!" Trespass interrupted with sing-song taunting. "You thought, you thought—and you were dumb all along!"

"My friend," Ser Alejandro said, "we must work on your tact." He turned to Credence. "Isolam was the Queen's messenger, but after his unfortunate death, we took his place. We were tasked with bringing you to the castle, where you and the Queen can speak safely."

"She was afraid of her son—what changed?"

"The King of the Wood will kill her anyway if she's defeated. She might as well die trying to save her people. But with your help, the outcome of the battle could change."

"It won't, I promise you."

"Don't be so sure, Credence. As Ajo's wife, you make a formidable opponent."

"You know I'm...his wife?"

Ser Alejandro winked. "A special few of the Queen's servants know. Don't worry, it wouldn't be prudent to share your secret, so we'll keep it to ourselves." He shot a meaningful glance at Trespass. "Or else."

"The Queen is fighting a pointless war," Credence said. "Ajo is too powerful, he can't be killed."

"He and many others may believe that. But listen to me, the Queen has begun creating a—"

"No, you listen to me. I don't care and I don't want any part of this. Leave me in peace!"

She began to walk away, but Ser Alejandro's next words gave her pause.

"He has another tree." Her fists balled up but she did not turn to face the fox. "There are prisoners in it already. Innocent lives. He might use them for his army."

"How could he do that?"

"Who knows? Maybe he'll twist their minds and force them to fight their own families. Or use dark magic to take their spirits. Or he might simply trap and kill everything in the woods. Do you understand now how serious this is?"

"He wants only me."

"But it's not only your safety he threatens. The Queen must go to war, and Ajo will engage her. The Queen not only wants you by her side, she needs you."

"I'm tired of explaining myself," Credence said through gritted teeth.

Without another word, she walked from their sight.

She would not be guilted or pressured down a path of despair, and she would not justify or quarrel with anyone else about her choices.

"Girl! Girly girl!" Trespass' high-pitched squeal called behind her.

Credence continued moving forward.

"We're staying by your side," Ser Alejandro joined after.

His voice grew Credence's anger to the point where her skin felt hot.

"But we will not bother you with our charge," Ser Alejandro continued. "We'll be here just to make sure your travels are safe."

Credence did not answer him, choosing to ignore his presence completely.

***

For three nights and two days, Credence journeyed on.

She encountered no other noteworthy strangers or spectacles, but the foxes kept her constant company. There were no more words spoken about the Queen or Ajo or a war. Instead, their banter turned playful and they became a pleasant distraction, for their noise and frivolity filled the silences that may have otherwise been plagued with reflection and argument.

Despite her initial coldness, Credence began to enjoy them and engage in conversation.

"We're the guardians of lost chicken!" Trespass proclaimed as he bounded in a circle around Credence.

"Lost children," Ser Alejandro corrected.

"I thought hummingbirds protected children," Credence said.

Trespass threw his head back and let out a long chortle. "Hum birds?! Those drunks? Always flitter around and guzzle sweet water? That's ridi-riculo—that makes me laugh! A drunk looking after a child!"

"As opposed to a trickster?" Credence teased.

"We're nothing of the sort," Ser Alejandro said in an indignant tone.

"You must have been sleeping then, when my brother and I were lost in the woods."

"If one does his work correctly, it might appear he's done nothing at all."

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly as I said. Did you think it was pure luck that the jester-ghost found you?"

"You're not implying you played a part in us finding Marmy Jo's camp?"

Ser Alejandro nipped at his fur to scratch an itch.

"I'm not implying anything, Credence."

"Well, you might want to work on your introductions. I fell asleep and woke up with a tongue on my face. I thought you were eating me."

"Gross," Trespass said.

"You obviously don't know how you taste," Ser Alejandro added dryly.

On the third day, the woods began to shift.

The air changed long before the landscape, becoming discernibly thicker, and the mild season turned humid. The scent of dirt and moss gave way to an odor unlike any Credence had ever experienced. It was a curious smell, clean and tinged with salt. There came a continuous whooshing noise that sounded like a thousand collective breaths going in and out.

Trespass' ears flattened and his body fell into a slight cower, while his companion sniffed the air.

"This is where we leave you, Credence," Ser Alejandro said, "but should you wish to return, call our names and we'll come to you. We'll be waiting."

"I won't return, but for what it's worth, thank you for your company. I can't repay you—"

"Give us fishes!" barked Trespass.

"We do as the Queen commands," Ser Alejandro said, "and because we want to help."

Credence smiled at the pair. "It's a shame, I don't believe I'll ever see you again."

"If you really believe that, you won't."

"Goodbye, Ser Alejandro. Goodbye, Trespass."

"Goodbye, little one!" Trespass called, his attention already pulled away to chase a butterfly.

"Not-so-little one," Ser Alejandro mused.

"All right, goodbye great big fat one!"

Ser Alejandro failed to stifle a laugh. "Come on, my friend. The Queen is waiting."

They disappeared into the trees behind her, and Credence turned her gaze ahead. She caught a glimpse of white dunes, and when she pushed through the final wall of brush she gasped at the new world before her.

Dark, rolling water stretched as far and wide as her eyes could see. Waves broke against coarse sand that blanketed the ground, and no trees or flowers sprouted from its grains.

"The ocean," she whispered.

Pa had told her stories of it, but no words could do the real sight justice.

The screech of a strange bird took her eyes upwards, where the sun sat inside the blue sky, its view unimpeded by branches. She watched the bird plunge into the tide, only to resurface with a fish in its beak, and rise towards the heavens in graceful flight.

This land, Credence thought, was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She was still clinging to the edge of the trees, hesitating before taking her first step onto the beach.

Once her foot left the dirt, she would be free.

No more Ajo. No more Queen. No more shadows and bitter winds.

Just clean sand, warm air, and the peaceful roar of water.

When she moved to step out of the woods, a voice spoke behind her, low and pleading.

"Don't."

Credence ignored it and pressed her foot onto the sand. It connected with a gentle crunch and grains filled the spaces in her tattered shoes. Excitement overtook her and she ran towards the water. She threw herself into the shallow waves and was stunned when salt stung her eyes. The fleeting pain could not drown her spirit, and she splashed and giggled, as careless and awed as a child.

After several minutes of play she looked at the trees, watching the ocean's wind bend their branches.

They did not look comforting, not like home anymore.

She waved at the woods, careless of who might be watching her.

Free. I'm finally free!

At last, she pulled herself from the water and sat in the sand to let the sun dry her.

Without the filter of trees it was hot, but she closed her eyes with a pleased sigh and allowed her mind to drift and think on idle things.

She imagined enormous boats sailing on the waves to distant worlds.

What would be found in those foreign lands? Would the people across the world be as horrid as those in the towns? Would their customs be any less cruel?

Was anyone there at all?

No one on the other side of the ocean would know her past.

There were no people like Galeia.

No monsters like Gretel or Lilith.

No kind spirits like Marmy Jo.

There might even be no magic.

Would Credence ever see that piece of the world?

As she daydreamed, she thought she heard the distant howl of an animal, but when she opened her eyes she saw nothing but sand and water and a wall of trees.

Her face was a little too warm.

She had wasted much of the day and was in desperate need of sustenance and shelter.

The ocean's water was undrinkable, which Credence thought was a strange design. An endless supply of water, and not a drop to drink. Unsure if the beach would grow cold after the sun was gone, she walked along the edge of the woods to gather sticks and kindling before crafting a pyre in the sand. There was still a question of what she could find for food—and her stomach was beginning to chide her for splashing most of the day away.

Does anything grow or live here? she thought as she studied the sand.

There were fish in the ocean, but she would need a tool to catch them.

A troubling thought came to her.

What might come out in the night?

A new world, a new set of problems.

Still, she reasoned, it was better than what she left behind.

But she was thirsty.

And hungry.

Somewhere in the woods, an animal cried out.

Credence glanced at the trees.

Not far back there had been a stream with clean water.

If she just took a short trek into—

No. I will not go into those cursed trees, not for anything. Not for—

She tried to swallow but her throat was painfully dry. Her tongue ran over her lips, dipping into the shallow grooves of cracked skin. Her eyes hurt from constant squinting, and her skin stung when she touched it.

"I won't go in there," she said to the woods. "I'd rather starve."

The distant howl of a wolf answered her.

***

She had guessed right, and the sand grew cold when the sun left the sky, but Credence had a fire to keep her warm.

She'd made a pitiful camp close to the trees, where the sun could not reach her as easily. She couldn't sit too close to the flames, however, for they were uncomfortable on her burned skin.

She stared at the ocean, longing to drink it, trying to remember how elated she had been when she first saw its waves.

Credence was suddenly aware that she was crying, but she could not remember what prompted it.

Pain, she thought.

Instead of commanding her mind to cease these notions, she allowed it to dwell on the grief that coursed through her. She had achieved what she set out to do, and had earned a moment to pity the tragedy of her life.

She would mourn her losses one last time, and begin tomorrow as someone new.

A spider-like creature scuttled near her foot, giving Credence such a fright that she jumped back, thinking it meant her harm. It was carrying a spiral shell, and didn't seem to notice the giant it had terrorized, but scurried on its way before digging into the sand. Curious, Credence leaned down to the hole it had created and greeted it with a low voice.

"I don't wish to bother you, but I wanted to ask if you knew where I could find food."

The creature did not leave its burrow.

"You can come out, I won't hurt you. I've never met anything like you before! My name is Credence."

It didn't respond or move from its hole, no matter how nicely she asked. When she carefully tapped its shell, the creature dug further into the sand.

It cannot understand me, she realized.

It was the same with the animals in the towns.

There's no magic here.

She sat up too quickly, and her head became instantly dizzy.

Her tongue was thick and begging for water.

Her stomach roared in anguish.

"I need..."

Her words were slurred and her voice sounded distant.

Water and food. She had to find some or—

"Need."

It was the only word she managed before slumping over onto the sand.

Nothing, not even the crab she had spoken to, spared her any notice.

The cry of a wolf echoed from the trees, closer than it had been before.