AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The sand rushed by underneath her cart, and yet the golden landscape remained the same for miles. It made Naya feel like she was moving quickly and slowly at the same time.
She settled into the cushion, looking for some kind of landmark she could use for reference if she had to find her way back. But only sandy hills were visible in all directions all the way to the horizon.
It was only when the horse-creature slowed and her cart bumped down on the sand that Naya realized she’d fallen asleep. The skies had darkened, and a sharp wind scraped loose sand across the magical dome over her.
The horse-creature trotted to a halt, as did the procession behind her, and a quiet flurry began as soon as the riders slid off their animals and people climbed out of their carts.
By the time daylight had faded, they’d set up campfire structures that surrounded the fleet. The horse-creatures had been detached from their carts and fed, and the people were sitting in groups around flickering fires. Domes of magic covered each group as they ate and chatted, stretching out on blankets to settle for the night.
Naya folded herself into the corner of her cart, shivering, her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The heat of the sun had faded with it, and the magic dome had turned the air icy cold. She covered herself with the blankets and let her thoughts simmer, watching the twinkling sky so different from the one she used to watch over Ashens.
What were her parents doing? Had they found her spot in the forest? She wasn’t sure how long it’d been since she’d been taken, but they would be searching for her by now. The question was whether they’d find her.
While she wanted to cling to the idea that she could be hidden somewhere in one of the three continents, she had to face that she wasn’t in the Known Lands. It wasn’t just the desert or the language, but also the design of the clothing and strange items they possessed—the horse-like animals, the use of magic and the behavior of magic, the fabric that reacted to distance. Even the lantern on the table of her tent had been a strange design; fat, gold, and round rather than the usual tin rectangular.
Everything was too different. The stars weren’t the same ones she was used to seeing. When she’d arrived, it had been bright—daytime, even though in her forest it had been night. The days here were either ahead or behind her time.
It was hard to believe she could be beyond the Known Lands, but ignoring the obvious signs wouldn’t help her get back. Hopefully, her parents would find a clue in the forest, but whatever the beast used to interrupt magic and bring her here had to be extremely powerful—more so that any portal created in the Known Lands.
If her father couldn’t find her, he’d ask the other rulers for help once he eliminated their involvement, which should happen quickly. Between the three of them, they should find her—she just didn’t know how long that would take.
Muffled footsteps interrupted her thoughts. The stout healer approached with another stem of the knobby plant. Three women accompanied him; one held a tray with bowls on it, and the other two bent to do something at the corners of her cart.
The healer smiled at her nervously as he waited, nodding his approval that she’d finished the previous stem.
When the dome disappeared, an ice-cold breeze whipped Naya’s hair into a frenzy. She inhaled sharply, the cold so bitter it sent relentless shivers skittering through her.
The healer checked her wounds and reapplied the ointment and salve. He replaced the empty stem in the holder with the new one and then took from the tray a bowl of something steaming, a small bread and two round, furry items that were either fruit or vegetable.
After handing her the food, he stepped back and the dome reappeared, this time heating the air to a comfortable warmth.
Naya sighed in relief, nodding her head to the healer. “Thank you.”
He dipped his head, a quick smile bracing his lips.
Naya thought quickly. She pointed to the stem. “Thank you for the….”
“Tmae,” he finished for her. “Ell tmae.”
She nodded. “Yes, the tmae. thank you.” After a beat, she pointed to the beast’s horse-creature. It stood a few feet away, chewing slowly. “What is this?”
The healer glanced over and then back to her.
“In my land, it is like a horse,” she added, speaking slowly. “This is different.”
“No horse,” he said haltingly. “We call nnirae.”
Naya leaned forward. “Ne-ray?”
He nodded. “Nnirae.”
Naya frowned. The way she said it didn’t sound the same, but when she repeated the word again, he nodded. It must be her accent.
He gestured to the landscape. “They are from… tikshon… the sands.”
She lifted her brows. “They are native to the desert?”
A low, threatening word came growling along the twisting wind from the nearest campfire. “Oppo.”
