“I swear to theDeep, I will never again be so careless. If I ever see my chambers again.”
Valkie knows better now, so you will do better.
Now, there is an admirable goal.
Light glows from the windows of Hollyhock Cottage, where the family staying there must be gathered in the cozy space. Sparkwillow Cottage is cool and dark—empty of guests. At the far edge, Redcurrant Cottage shows signs of its now-familiar inhabitants, but sits silent at the moment.
Casting my eyes around, I see no one, but depressions in the snow being slowly softened and filled by the falling flakes show me their path. As I follow the trail, voices trickle between the buildings, getting clearer as I move down the side of Hollyhock Cottage to a hedgerow that extends past Sparkwillow and Redcurrant. Beyond it, in a large clearing along the forest’s edge, I find the acting troupe in mid-rehearsal.
My approach comes to a quick halt as Juani runs in from one side, careening past the odd pairing of big Mikael and tiny Katja, who both still to a tableau at his entrance.
“It comes!” Juani yells, casting panicked eyes skyward. He points frantically, even as he tumbles backward onto his bottom. “The beast is here! It comes for us!”
His terror is so convincing that I look up, my heart thudding as if I expect to find a monster swooping for us. The sky is only a swirling mass of snowflakes against the usual purple-tinged clouds.
“Has no one called the Slayer?” cries Johannes, helping his brother to his feet. “Will no one protect us?”
With a dramatic thrust of her arms, Helkki mimes tossing open a door between the trees along the back of their makeshift stage.
“You called?” she chimes, her eyes following Juani’s extended pointing. “Not this again.” She rummages through a sack, searching for something. I have no idea what. “I’ll have this sorted in a toe tap, not to worry!” she singsongs.
Meanwhile, the other four on stage all gape at her, just as I do.
A familiar voice interrupts my bewilderment from behind. “I’ll add the illusions during the actual performance.”
I whirl, pressing a hand to my heart. Lark sits on a fallen log, observing with an amused smile.
“The attacking wyvern,” he explains, gesturing to the empty sky. “And I'll make the sack Helkki uses for this bit overly large for comedic effect.”
I glance to the stage, where the others are moving again. Mikael tucks Katja under one arm, playing the part of a doting couple. Meanwhile, the twins creep forward with frequent disbelieving glances at each other.
“Is that supposed to be the Slayer?” Juani stage-whispers. He turns an exaggerated, cynical look out toward us.
Lark speaks quietly beside me. “We break the fourth wall in this one. It brings the audience in on the joke with us.”
I nod slowly, piecing it all together. With another at Lark, I realize there’s an unexpected audience gathered in the tree line behind him, watching the play unfold.
A white fox sits closest in the light. Its beautiful fur and delicate face are as breathtaking as I imagined last night, assuming this is the same one. Beyond it, a karku rests its big, furry body against a tree, paws resting serenely on its belly. Two reindeer—the wild, grey variety—and a tall, shaggy hirvi stand nearby. On the broad elk's antlers, several metso and grouse perch, their wings tucked tight to their bodies in the fallingsnow. Even Hugo has roused from his daytime sleep to watch from his perch on Lark's hat.
“Friends of yours?” I ask softly, not wanting to scare off the fox. I want it to come closer so I can stroke its fur and see if it’s as soft as it looks. As if I wouldn't get bitten.
Then again, Lark seems to draw creatures to him, so who knows? Maybe they would be friendly. Or maybe the urge is only that I really want to touch Lark’s silky-soft ears again.
He merely pats the log beside him with a smile. “They’re just curious.”
“They’re not the only ones.” I take a perch to watch from his side, accepting the blanket he extends from his shoulders to tuck me into its warmth. “What's the play?”
“An ensemble comedy,” he tells me. “It's a group of friends who get themselves into precarious situations, bumbling through by luck and funny timing, culminating in their accidental taunting of the wyvern, which follows them home.”
“Aren't you in it?”
“A small part at the beginning. The rest of the time, I take care of the set and the effects.”
“Oh, but I wanted to see you act.”
He leans close and taps the end of my nose. “Then you'll have to come to our performance.”
He smirks, setting loose an odd flutter in my belly. I have to look away from the yellow and green tones in his eyes, catching the reflection of passing snowflakes. Hugo grunts once, and a reindeer blows out a breath.
