Chapter 6: The Red Forest

As Felux entered the Duke's office, Delrik stood in his customary melancholy way; Staring out the window, longing for the freedom of outside yet being locked in by the weight of his responsibilities.

Felux spoke, "I'd just gotten word. Lady Cosaria's leavin this evening."

Delrik didn't move as he said, "Yes, I heard."

Felux moved closer and said, "Yer wantin to send her away like that?" Felux thought Delrik could at least insist they stayed the night. Show a bit of hospitality.

"It is for the best."

Felux asked, "You'll go to see her depart at least?"

Delrik clenched his hand into a fist. He said, "It would be best if she didn't see my face again."

It might make her cry, he thought.

Felux rolled his eyes. Delrik could be so dramatic.

Felux said, "Then I'll go myself to see them off."

At least Felux had the common courtesy to say goodbye.

༻✧༺

The sun was setting by the time Cosaria and Tilda were waiting by the carriage, bags packed, ready to leave the castle. An awkward mood hung in the air.

Cosaria hadn't conversed with Tilda since their dispute. Tilda had tried to apologize but Cosaria just said, 'thank you', like she always did. It worried Tilda.

Tilda said, "Are you sure you want to leave tonight? It might be better to wait and leave in the morning. Then we'll be out of the Red Forest by nightfall tomorrow. If we leave tonight, we'll have to sleep in the Red Forest."

"We have to leave tonight," Cosaria said.

Tilda shrugged. She felt it wasn't worth the effort to try and argue with Cosaria over this.

Tilda said, "Okay."

That dashing foreigner Felux approached and Cosaria retreated into the carriage. He waved to Cosaria but she hadn't seen (or didn't want to see it) as she shut the door behind her.

Felux turned to Tilda and said, "I'd have liked more time. It's sad to see yer going."

"Yeah, sure," Tilda said. Of course Delrik would send out his crony to guilt trip Cosaria. She said, "That might make us feel better if it were true."

She began to climb into the passenger spot beside the coachman when Felux took her arm and held her back.

"It's true. My Lord, he's..." Felux paused, searching for the right words to describe Duke Delrik. "He's a private man."

"No kidding." Tilda said as she moved her arm away from Felux's touch. The more they talked, the more Tilda started to think they would be safer in the Red Forest than at the Arquix castle. "Bye."

Felux said, "Be careful not getting off the path in the Red Forest. There's monsters about the area."

Tilda said, "Of course. It would be ridiculous to go off the path in the Red Forest." Tilda came to the conclusion that she had more to worry about from the monsters in the castle than in the Forest.

Then the old Coachman waddled up and put his hand on Felux's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said, "I've got on me a profugio charm from the church. It keeps the monsters away."

Tilda frowned at the charm the Coachman flashed. Of course the church was selling hoaxy trinkets like that, Tilda thought as she wondered how much the man had spent. Probably a week's worth of salary.

Not wasting anymore time Tilda and the Coachman boarded the ride and set off into the forest.

༻✧༺

It was dark by the time the Coachman announced to the entourage their rest place for the night: A lovely open clearing where the trees opened up to reveal the cloudless, starlit night.

Lady Cosaria was sleeping in the carriage. Tilda had made sure she would be comfortable with plenty of blankets and a soft pillow.

It was a cooler night and Tilda had chosen as her resting place, a tree near the road, the Coachman and his 'charm' were not far off. She couldn't sleep as she stared at the sky. She had a lot on her mind.

Her first priority was to keep Lady Cosaria safe. She drew four circles in the dirt while she conversed with herself in her mind.

We can't go back to the Baxarte estate. It's too dangerous there for Cossaria, Tilda thought as she put an X through the first circle.

Tilda filled in the second circle with the image of a house. She thought, We could go hide out at my family's, but that might put them in danger.

She X-ed out the house circle then tapped on the third circle.

Hiding out at the church isn't an option either.

She X-ed it out.

What if we went to the Central Provinces of Galtrum? I bet we could get work as farmers or sheep herders. And I hear they vote for their King there.

Tilda drew a line through the fourth circle, symbolizing a road.

The best route is through the mountain pass after the Red Forest, Tilda thought, then she glanced at the sleeping Coachman. We'll need to ditch him. Maybe we can convince him to let us go. Have him tell everyone we died tragically or something.

A wry smile came to Tilda's lips as she thought, Cosaria would die tragically, I would die heroically trying to save her.

But my family... I'll have to send them a letter under my new alias.

Her thoughts turned back to the Coachman. Would he go along with it? She thought, Maybe we can pay him off with Cosaria's jewelry.

Tilda knew that payment wasn't a guaranteed way to secure silence, especially if another source could offer more money.

Or we could fake our deaths. Get some animal blood, spread it on our clothing.

That would require skills in deception and Tilda wasn't sure she could make it convincing. Also, where would they get new clothes? Tilda tapped her chin and considered her interactions with the old Coachman.

Nah, let's just pay him off and swear him to secrecy. He seems like a nice enough guy not to condemn Cosaria to a life of endless torture and sadness. Good plan. Time for rest.

With a plan set, Tilda's mind was finally able to calm down as she drifted off to sleep.

༻✧༺

The next morning Tilda came to Cosaria's carriage early with a plate of food that she and the Coachman had prepared. She was eager to tell Cosaria her plan. Tilda knocked on the door.

"My Lady, I've got your breakfast."

Tilda waited in silence.

"My Lady?"

Tilda knocked again.

"Lady Cosaria?"

Tilda opened the door to the carriage.

Empty.

Tilda dropped the plate of food.

"This is bad."

She ran to the Coachman in a frantic stir. She said, "Can I borrow your horse?"

The Coachman sensed something was off. "Why?" He asked.

Words came spilling out in a flurry, "Cosaria'smissingand sheprobablywentinto theRedForest,withtheMONSTERS,and-"

"Slow down!" The Coachman said, then he tried to clarify what he thought he heard, "So the Lady is missing."

Tilda's heart rate had increased and she was beginning to breathe heavy in panic.

She said, "Yes. She probably ran off. Her first time making a decision and it's a stupid one."

The Coachman unhitched his horse and roughly saddled it. He spoke to Tilda calmly to ease her fears and give her the impression that everything was going to be okay. He said, "Back at the castle, you'll probably find someone who'll be willing to help. They'll know these forests better than I would."

Tilda nodded and the Coachman helped her into the saddle.

He continued in his soothing tone, "Keep straight on the path and you'll be there in no time. Do you know how to ride a horse?"

Tilda nodded. She was lying, of course, but she felt like she had seen enough nobles do it that she could figure it out.

The Coachman said, "Good luck," Then slapped the horse which immediately took off in a steady canter.

Tilda hung on for dear life. While a canter isn't a gallop, Tilda didn't know the difference, and so to Tilda, she was breaking speed barriers.

Standing by the carriage the Coachman remembered his charm. He chided himself for not thinking to give it to the maid before she took off.

༻✧༺

Tilda made it to Arquix castle in what felt like no time.

"Help! Help" Tilda called as she burst through the castle gate.

Knights gathered around as Tilda fell/jumped off of the horse. Her legs had turned to near jelly and a nearby knight had to support her weight.

"Lady Cosaria is missing," Tilda said.

༻✧༺

It was just another normal day in the Duke's office. Felux, proofreading some paperwork. Delrik, writing up some documents, examining budgets and-

A knight slammed open the door.

"Sir, it's urgent!" He said.

Tilda barged in with another knight. She dropped onto her knees in the most pleading position she could manage, her forehead touching the floor.

"I know you're a tyrant and merciless and a man with no heart," Tilda began.

Delrik tried not to act like he was hurt by this sudden fury of indignities as Felux tried to act like he didn't find it funny.

Tilda continued, "But please, please help Lady Cosaria. She ran away in the Red Forest and I have no one else to ask."

Delrik composed himself enough to ask, "I'm a tyrant?" He wasn't used to servants actually telling him what they thought of him. Much less to do it while groveling.

Tilda kept her forehead plastered to the ground as she said, "You can kill me for my impertinence after we find her. Please, we don't have time. She got desperate and now she's gone."

Delrik suddenly remembered the beautiful angel who had been torturing his existence since the moment she walked into it.

He asked, "Why would she run away?"

Tilda had always had a hard time keeping her mouth shut when she was on a roll, and at this very moment, she was on a roll.

She brought her head up and glared at Delrik as she said, "Maybe you don't know or care, but Cosaria is an illegitimate child and has been abused from the day she entered the Baxarte manor."

She moved her head back into forehead-floor position. "Sure, the family was selling her off, but marriage to you was going to be her way out. But then someone kicked her out without fully considering her position and now she's taken drastic measures. She left in the middle of the night. She could be anywhere by now."

Suddenly, Delrik grasped the seriousness of the situation. Every moment they wasted here was a moment Lady Cosaria was in danger. Danger that he was responsible for.

He ordered his knights, "Get the tracking dogs."

༻✧༺

The dogs led the way as Delrik and Felux ran the charge in full gallop. Tilda followed behind, riding in a clumsy, fearful fashion. Her knuckles were white from gripping the reins so tightly.

Both Felux and Delrik were capable horsemen and Tilda could clearly see the difference between her awkward riding style and their experienced calmness. She tried to mimic their saddle swagger which seemed to help make riding easier.

In the distance the group heard a scream!

"That's her!" Tilda said as she bolted towards the noise. She knew it was Cosaria.

༻✧༺

Several monsters surrounded Cosaria, her new dress was torn in several places.

Delrik and Felux took out their bows and began shooting at the monsters, horrible three-legged venom dogs.

The first monster prepared to pounce as Delrik nocked an arrow and released. A gruesome howl erupted when Felux shot off his arrows, felling three of the terrible creatures.

The men were close enough now that they dismounted and began hacking, sword and steel, at the monsters.

Tilda had already dismounted and was running straight towards Cosaria.

Felux was a butcher as he slashed three of the beasts open. In his tenacity he left an opening which one of the beasts took advantage of. Just as the beast was about to bite Felux's arm, Delrik grabbed the scruff of the dog's neck, jerking its body back into the steel of his thrusting sword. Then he threw the carcass at the remaining survivors.

Meanwhile, Cosaria was so glad to see Tilda, she did not see the danger pouncing on her from behind. Tilda tackled Cosaria out of the way only to receive the brutal attack herself. Tilda collapsed as blood gushed from a wound on her side.

Delrik advanced as the surviving monsters began to back away, recognizing a superior foe. However, Delrik and Felux were not about to let them escape. It was the job of the Arquix dutchy to eradicate the monsters. With less than seven quick movements, the remaining dog's were cut to pieces. Their limbs and heads stained the ground with oozing green blood.

In a last ditch effort, one of the dogs ran towards the cover of the trees. Delrik threw his sword, piercing it through the heart as it fell to the ground with a yelp of pain.

The battle was over.

Cosaria knelt beside Tilda, tears streaming down her face. Felux rushed over and put pressure on Tilda's wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but he knew it was too late. The wound was fatal.

Cosaria spoke, "I never should have left."

Tilda retained some of her dry humor as she said, "No, you shouldn't have."

Cosaria covered her sobbing face with her hands. She said, "You're dying!"

"Look at that..." Tilda said, pretending she didn't notice the giant gash in her side. "You might be right."

Tilda's sad attempts at humor didn't seem to mollify Cosaria.

Cosaria kept crying as Tilda said, "Cosaria listen to me."

Cossaria didn't move.

Tilda grabbed Cosaria's hand and said, "Listen."

Finally, Cosaria looked Tilda in the eyes. Tilda said, "Stand up for yourself and go find your happily ever after. I couldn't keep my promise, but you can, if you try. You can find happiness. I know it."

Tilda was growing cold.

So cold.

Delrik looked away from the scene. He had seen enough death in his lifetime to know what would happen next.

Tilda lost consciousness.

Felux tried to apply more pressure. He knew it was useless but he didn't want it to end like this. Then he saw the change in Tilda's eyes; how they glazed over. Her eyes closed and finally, her head dropped.

She was dead.

Delrik shuffled his feet, Felux lowered his head in a sign of respect and Cosaria, she was doubled over in intense, inconsolable grief.

Tilda had been the only kindness Cosaria had known since her mother had died. Losing Tilda was like losing her mother all over again. If only she hadn't tried to run away on her own. If only she wasn't so weak. Tilda was her comfort and care in all aspects of life. All Cosaria wanted, more than anything, was for Tilda's recovery. Tilda, her maid, her friend. More than a friend. Tilda was family.

Suddenly, a burst of light illuminated from Cosaria. The light traveled from her heart down into her hands. Somehow, she knew what she had to do. Felux moved away as Cosaria touched the wound with her light. The glow surrounded the wound making the gash grow smaller and smaller until it was completely healed.

The glow faded.

Cosaria fainted.

Delrik wore an expression of complete marvel as Felux glanced up at him.

"Let's bring these two back," Delrik said.