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Even now, I could feel Balefire responding to the call of the forest, as it roused his wild pooka nature. I knew the fiend wanted to shift into a bird or a bat, or some other creature small enough and swift enough to flit through the towering trees and lush undergrowth with the rest of his wild fae brethren. But I gave a warning squeeze with my knees and murmured a threat about not buying him his favorite fish from the market when we got home, and he behaved and stayed horse shaped. For now.
There were other people trickling down the road along with us, on various mounts and in carriages or wagons. The contestants were up front. Most of them exchanged teasing banter and bragged about their odds in a good-natured way that helped to dispel some of the nervousness that was palpable in the air. There were also the officials and a couple of highly skilled mages to ensure things got off to a start without any magical interference. And then there were the passels of onlookers, noble and lowborn alike, who had turned out to see off their favorite team. Even Ama and her parents were here to see the contestants off on their last task.
I guided Balefire up to mingle with the ranks of other nobles and sponsors, the queen's spell still saving me from anyone making the link between Rina, the queen’s gossip, and Katrina, the steward of Larkwood.
It was so strange how the high magic worked. The few courtiers who noticed me only saw an employee and fellow castle resident, out to watch the tournament, just like them. They never gave any indication that they associated me with the steward of Larkwood. It still gave me a vaguely uneasy feeling. But at the moment, I was glad for it. It gave me one less thing to worry about. No one asked questions, and it allowed me to get up front with the nobles so I could hear and see everything as the challenge was formally issued.
The teams drew up in the space designated for them as the official in his dark red robes stepped up onto a boulder and used it as a stage. A spell helped his voice carry as he reviewed the specifics of the challenge. My hands were sweaty against the pommel of Balefire's saddle, and I found it hard to breathe. Lion team, Bear team, Raven team, and Peacock team. They were all that was left of the dozens of hopeful groups who had entered the tournament. I was sure they were questioning the scoring by now. While Lion team had the highest score on paper, several of the other teams that had been sent home had technically scored higher than Bear, Raven, or Peacock. These teams were chosen with additional scoring measures. Namely, the non-physical, less obvious criteria I had helped set forth for every challenge, which was scored behind the scenes.
There had been grumbling when the teams had been announced for this final challenge. Sponsors questioned why their teams were disqualified after scoring so well. While they hadn't given all the details, the king and queen had revealed some of the additional information to soothe ruffled feathers. And it had quickly become apparent that there was more to this challenge than simple physical prowess or beating a clock. It wasn't all about just completing a challenge, but how they completed it that mattered. Revealing that before now would have ruined our ability to judge the teams on how they carried themselves when they didn't think they were competing. But for this challenge, that kind of secrecy wasn't really needed.
This last challenge was a rather straightforward quest.
A hush fell over the crowd as the official's voice announced the final game in the tournament of hearts. "For this last challenge," he said in a tone of mystery and drama that the crowd echoed back at him with sighs and titters of excitement. "Our remaining teams have a very simple task. They must enter the Untamed Wood and find a treasure. Within this forest, there is a resource that is precious to the territory of Astra, the capital city of Brightfall, and to all of Elfhaven. The team who locates this resource, safely obtains it in a manner befitting someone of noble blood, and brings it back to Astra City successfully will be named the winner of this challenge. Extra consideration will be given to the team who completes this task the fastest, however the competitors have one full week to complete this quest. If they fail to return by the day after the full moon, they will be disqualified."
Everyone murmured at that. Yes, it was a simple task, on the surface. But of course, there was more to it than what the official's words implied. And the next full moon was a wild moon. While the contestants technically had until the day after that to get back to the capital city, everyone knew that was an additional challenge and limitation. No one in their right mind would spend the night of the wild moon inside the borders of the Untamed Wood.
The wild moon came quarterly throughout the year, and it coincided with feast days and ceremonies, celebrating the times when the rules of magic changed. When the power inside every living thing became stronger, and grew wild and unstable. It was a time when every fae in the world struggled with their primal animal instincts.
Starting the day before the wild moon, it would become increasingly impossible to focus on the task, difficult to think clearly and make safe decisions because of the growing wild magic. And many highborn fae felt the lingering effects like a bad magical hangover for a day or two afterward. So, while the teams had a week to complete this task, really it was more like five days or fewer, if they wanted to be sure they were thinking clearly and functioning like normal people.
And that wasn't even getting into how the forest itself might change on the night of the wild moon. It might not be dangerous here for someone who was aware of their surroundings, on most days. But on the night of the wild moon? Even the highborn fae left places like this alone during the wild times because there was just no predicting what might happen.
I licked my lips and shifted in my saddle, hoping for the millionth time that they all got the hint and got out of there before the wild moon. Hoping that my hairbrained idea wasn't about to get someone hurt. But as I watched the contestants, I could see it on their faces. They all got the warning. They wouldn't linger.
I watched as the men of Raven team shared a glance, and I was certain that they, at least, had the good sense to get this done as quickly as possible and get back to the safety of civilization before things went wild. Something inside of me relaxed a bit at the knowledge. I really was invested in them. I cared for them, even with as little as I really knew them. Some wonderfully strange, intangible force drew me to them.
I already considered them mine.
The official droned on a bit longer, outlining the rules and reminding the contestants to play fair and comport themselves in a manner suiting the station they hoped to hold if they won the tournament. Then each team leader was equipped with a medallion that contained a tracking charm and magic flare in case of emergency. If the flare had to be activated and the team was evacuated from the woods, they would be disqualified. But the measure was there in case someone was in life-threatening danger and needed help.
Bach touched the gold charm after the official put it around his neck, then glanced up, his eyes finding mine in the crowd. The look that crossed his face was hard to read. Some mixture of excitement and wry resignation that didn't really mix well. But I understood. He was excited to have this opportunity. He and his team were still in the running despite technically losing some of the challenges. But he probably felt bad about wanting to win when he was staring at the face of the fling he had slept with.
He was probably thinking about how he would end up married to someone I knew if he won. If he had any genuine affection for me based on that one night and our friendly interactions since then…of course he'd feel conflicted. But if Raven team won…then I could finally tell him the truth, and all would be well.
I lifted my hand to brush my hair back behind my ear and discreetly gave him a finger sign that meant good luck. He hid a smile as he turned away to listen to something Fife was saying. Then the official blew the ram's horn, and the deep, booming call signaled the beginning of the final challenge.
The teams took off into the woods at high speed, all of them eager to be the first ones to find and retrieve the treasure it held. I was happy that they all seemed to fan out in opposite directions. Hopefully that would keep them from fighting amongst themselves. And it might keep whoever was causing issues from interfering with this challenge.
There was no one set treasure. No pre-determined object to retrieve. Hopefully, that would make it much harder to magically boobytrap the contestants, or whatever nonsense the saboteur had planned for this event. That was, if the king and queen and their guards hadn't already figured out who was responsible and stopped them. For all I knew, the perpetrator was sitting in prison back in Astra City. But I didn't get my hopes up. The royals liked their secrets and games. But surely, if they had apprehended someone, they would have told me at least that much.
"Goddess of mist and moon, watch over them," I murmured as I watched Raven team disappear into the woods.
I was devoted to the spirit that lived in us all, that all-powerful source of magic, and creation, and flow in the world. But I also didn't believe that the goddess gave you anything you weren't willing to work for yourself. So, when the crowds faded off, I checked to make sure I wasn't being observed, then I guided Balefire into the woods in the direction Lion team had taken.
After my worries yesterday, I had decided I wouldn't be content to watch from afar. It would hardly be any fun if I didn't tag along and observe this part of the tournament the way I had all the rest. And just like all the other challenges, there was more to this one than was obvious at first glance. I'm just gathering more information about the champions, just like all the other times, I told myself.
It was a flimsy excuse at this point, but I'd take it.
"Come on, you big brutes," I whispered as I trailed after Lion team, keeping my distance and staying in the shadows, concealed by a new disguise charm. "Lead me to the gold, so I can see just how badly you're going to fail."
Chapter 25
There may be no single right answer to this challenge. But there were plenty of wrong answers. And, as predicted, Lion team headed straight for the most obvious wrong answer.
The Untamed Wood had been mapped as much as possible over the years, given its changeable nature. There were still pockets of forest that stubbornly remained undiscovered and probably hid secret wonders. But for the most part, the king and queen of Elfhaven already knew what resources and treasures lay hidden within. The large vein of gold buried in the western part of the forest was already well known to them; they had simply decided that Elfhaven had enough other means of gathering wealth, and that it wasn't wise to disturb this wild place just for a bit more gold.
Part of the test in this challenge was to measure the teams' knowledge of and sensitivity to the world around them.
