“Fraya had symbols embedded into the map and I was able to copy them from what the anchor showed me. For instance, there is an eagle over here.” He moves his finger over the map. “There is a strange pattern of different shapes over here. And this is the fork.”
Ariah asks, “Which way do we go?”
“To the right,” Nico checks the map once more. “We should come to a bridge soon.”
We go right and come to a long path arched by a canopy of trees. Vines swing from one branch to another, and bright birds fly overhead. I stop as I watch them get a little too close and immediately feel Ariah’s hand in mine.
“A totally rational fear.” She scrunches her nose to keep from laughing, and although she’s mocking me, she doesn’t let go, and I don’t either.
The path through the tunnel is clear and takes us hours to make our way out of. A few claim to hear strange noises but nothing of great concern comes from it. Overall, the island is eerily quiet.
We eventually find ourselves at one end of a wooden bridge, held together with rope, that is who knows how old. Thankfully we don’t find ourselves too high up and a fall would land us in a murky swamp. I’m more afraid of what’s in the water than the bridge snapping.
Not one plank threatens to give way with each crossing. On the other side we find another path. This one is steep and rockier than the first.
Ariah has to take a few inhales of her spray the higher in elevation we climb, but overall, all goes well.
Hours later, the ground begins to level out and past a clearing of trees, we see a cliff that overlooks most of the isle. A dark orange paints the sky, with lines of purple-and-pink brushed throughout. Utterly stunning.
“I’ve never seen a tree look so luminous,” Ariah whispers. “Like it’s crawling with glowworms.”
There are several trees covering the land. Most of them are situated in shadows as night nears. But nowhere do I see a lustrous tree.
Deean comes forward and stands between us, squinting so he doesn’t miss anything. “I see a lot. But there is no glowing tree out there.”
“It’s right there.” Ariah points a finger off in the distance. “Just next to that waterfall.”
The waterfall is practically on the other side of the isle, a good day’s worth of hiking away.
Nico pulls out the map and points at something below, not too far off from the shore. “Is it just over there? Near that cluster of rocks.”
“See, Nico sees what I’m talking about,” Ariah says.
“I know what you’re talking about but I can’tseeit. On the map it shows this is where we’ll find the tree that grows the Ivian Flower.”
“She really did enchant it,” Chana says.
“Greedy witch.” Vera continues along the path, away from the cliff.
“There is a cave up ahead.” Benny states in between sips of water. “Might be a good spot to rest for the night. Given it’s not occupied.”
There is also a river nearby, flowing out into the sea. A chance for us all to get water and food. “He’s right,” I offer in response to Benny’s suggestion. “Let’s scout it out and see if it’s a safe place to camp for the night.”
The cave is clear. No animal tracks or signs of danger.
“I’ve been thinking” —Chana takes a seat near Deean who bangs two nille stones together, sparking a fire—“if legend is true about the isle forming from Kailaric, the chances of there being any invasive species are slim. We might be fairly safe here.”
InThe Forbiddenby Wanner, he went on about native plants. He referenced birds and snakes but not much else. Any other creatures would have to have been brought here, which is unlikely. The isle is already difficult to find. I can’t imagine many discovering such a place just to bring foreign animals.
“Explains why we’ve only seen birds.” Deean sits back on a log and passes out the food Sallen packed. “That reminds me, I know the Captain said it was for emergencies but maybe in the morning, or when we’re closer to the tree, we can light some of that powder. Make them come get us instead of having to journey back.”
Benny looks over to me and raises his eyebrows. Both of us are surprised at how much help Deean has been.
“I think we can definitely make it by sundown tomorrow if we get an early start,” Nico says. “First light. First cavahor.”
Chana’s head flies up. “You’re from Ethmay?”
Nico flashes the usual grin. “I am. My father worked for a number of merchant crews there, but three years ago we met Prince Iann and were allowed to reside in Saden for work.”
