Prologue
The woman ran and ran. The green of the trees sped past. She thought of her daughter who was hiding in the forest together with Lila, the magical creature. It was a sort of wild cat, a lynx with wings. It was the color of a lynx, had the face of one but it had the wings of an eagle. Evil at the beast’s heart, it began its ascent into the tree tops. The woman turned and looked at the hideous beast pursuing her. She turned away and kept running but for a second she turned her attention to the beast and tripped on an unforeseen fallen branch. A horrible cough caught her attention and she turned again. She screamed as it opened its mouth and showed the green inside of its mouth swelling with despair. A green beam of acid liquid headed straight for her and she dodged aside. She pointed her staff at the dragon. Its green eyes glistened with a corrupt poison. He looked wrathful and wicked. Like he was, not from this world with every scale filled with pure fury and terror
“Eva, there is no point in running, I will get you anyway. And your daughter is next.” The dragon laughed evilly.
“Not if I get your sister first!” Eva shouted. She hit him on the shoulder but he didn’t even flinch.
“Your puny staff can’t hurt me!” he laughed. “And as for my sister, I don’t really care. And anyway, you know as well as I do that you won’t hurt her; she’s too dear to you.”
“Until the chosen one learns to use it, Minnox!” she wailed. She didn’t respond to what he said of his sister, it was true what he said. He looked at her, fear in his eyes. He blinked and it disappeared. Eva didn’t know if she had just imagined the flicker of fear. He roared in fury and threw her aside with his tail.
“I am king of this world now!” he bellowed. She dropped the staff and it rolled away. She just couldn’t reach. She went to grab it by rolling sideways but the weight of the dragon’s tail fell on her and she was winded... and pinned. She struggled. Minnox laughed and approached her slowly. She knew this was the end. She thought of her daughter and closed her eyes. She heard a roar but concentrated on her daughter. She saw visions of Rosa through life and all she had missed. But she wouldn’t know of that for some time yet. She tried to forget the end that was approaching rapidly. She didn’t want to think of her daughter, waiting for her to return or that she would never see her become a woman. Never see her again. What she tried to forget the most was the pain Rosa would feel when she finally found out Eva was dead. She snapped back to reality as a cough filled her ears. Green light filtered between her eyelids and a short pain filled her body. It was an unbearable pain and it drove her crazy in the short time she felt it and she wished it would hurry up and take her. When she felt she couldn’t take it anymore even if it was short, she thrashed about before it was overpowered by blackness.
Chapter one
The shadows of the creeping dusk spread across the damp floor of the wooden hut on the edge of the forest. Lightning crashed ahead and a young girl huddled in her sleeping bag. The thunder following drowned out the sound of the pelting rain against the planks of the slightly low roof. Water seeped between the wood and dripped onto the girl and her companion’s, a winged lynx, heads. The girl’s hair - normally light blond, now dark in the shadows, and it being soaked - hung in clumps around her face, some strands sticking to her cheek and neck. She didn’t make a move to push her hair back into place, too scared for whatever it was her mother was facing now. The girl thought back to what her mother had said that day.
“Rosa, I need you to stay here tonight, and don’t follow me, no matter how long I'm gone. You must stay inside, at least until the storm blows over.” Her mother had first said.
“Storm?” the girl had asked.
“Yes, there will be a storm, a big one, and you must stay here.” The woman answered, stroking the girl’s hair affectionately. Her mother’s eyes had been full of sorrow, but Rosa hadn’t noticed that then, she’d been confused. “Just know that I love you, and I will be back as soon as I can.”
Rosa swallowed nervously as another flash bought light to the hut for a heart beat before she was plunged into darkness again and the deafening rumble of thunder filled her ears. She twisted her wet hair around a finger, her light blue eyes flicking back and forth. They didn’t move for a long time, flinching at every clap of thunder and flash of lightning. But when the storm let up and her mother still wasn’t home, Rosa shifted position, her stomach flipping with worry and fear but grumbling with hunger. Her arms and legs were stiff and her ears were ringing from the sounds of the rain and storm. Now, the pale light of dawn lit the world around Rosa and a slight drizzle soaked the forest and town around Rosa and her companion. They ate in silence, waiting for Rosa’s mother to return, but she never did, not for days, not for weeks, and soon, Rosa didn’t really know whether to believe she would return.
“She has to come home, doesn’t she?” Rosa would ask the lynx every day. “She promised!”
But all that would do was make Rosa cry when she realized that she probably wasn’t coming home. But every morning she’d still listen out for her mother, not with much luck.
Rosa awoke with a headache. She has slept funny on her neck and now she had to pay. She groaned and pushed Lila away, her little friend, soft paws sticking into her cheek. Lila looked a lot like a lynx but it had wings. They were rare, well Rosa hadn’t seen any others in her whole life, and she was sixteen. She sat up and stretched, the sun’s rays seeping through the wood of their home. Rosa looked around hopefully, but to her dismay, they were alone. Her mother still wasn’t back…
Lila pressed against her sympathetically. Rosa smiled weakly and stood up to get the food she had saved for breakfast. Two small pieces of bread and some half eaten cheese. She sighed and split the cheese between them, handing some to Lila. She ate her own, Lila eating hers and for once, Rosa was completely silent. She doubted Lila could even understand what she was saying; she must look crazy, talking to a winged cat. She felt like something was missing, a feeling she’d had since as long as she could remember. She grabbed her old worn robe and put it on. They needed to get food for later on. But first they needed fire wood. Rosa was about to tell Lila the plan, then remembered her train of thought. She shook her head and walked out of the wooden shack. Lila complained, a squeak of confusion and curiosity.
“firewood.” Rosa said simply, giving up on trying not to talk to her best friend. She paced further into the deep forest. She lived on the edge of it. She found some thick twigs, not too big, and picked them up. I wish mother was here for this. She thought.
Lila flew around with some twigs grasped in her teeth. Rosa let out a laugh at the lynx’s meager joy. Rosa picked up some more twigs, thicker ones too, that had blown down in the strong wind of the night before. Movement caught her eyes, the bushes rustling, and ash blond hair disappeared into the shadows, white worn robes to match. Could it be…? Rosa shook her head. No, it wasn’t possible! She kept going. She was going to go crazy before she was eighteen at this rate! She picked up a last stick and started back, Lila soaring in tow. They reached the shack in record time, Rosa eager to get home. Her mother hadn’t told her much about what she had gone to do that night, just told her to hide. She dropped the wood on the small pile and took out the old, blackened wood from last night’s fire. She made the beds and cleaned the plates she had stolen from the market in the village. She was tired of her life, tired of not daring to move to a better place, scared her mother would come home to nothing, scared of losing her daughter the way Rosa had lost her mother. But she wasn’t dead, was she? Rosa didn’t really know the answer anymore. She’d been gone so long and Rosa didn’t want to hide anymore. But what else did she have? She had never met her father, and many may think that they were one of those trampy families where the mother had a one night stand and fell pregnant to bring up a baby at a young age with no job and no house. But it wasn’t like that. Mother had had a job; they chose to live in our wooden home on the edge of the forest with the animals. Just now mother had disappeared, there was no money for Rosa, and she had to steal to live. She sighed and thought of the task ahead of her: food for the rest of the day. But first, they had left a pile of wood to be collected in the forest. Rosa whistled to Lila, who was soaring through the sky in the weak morning sun. The lynx flew down and joined Rosa on her trip to get the rest of their wood. They passed a gnarled tree, the tree a Snowy owl sat in every night, hooting to the moon, or to the clouds that covered the moon. As they neared the pile, a dull thumping noise caught Lila’s attention and she flew towards it.
“Lila!” Rosa called after her. “Wait!”
Rosa followed as fast as she could, but soon lost Lila, being slower and heavier. The lynx had an agile, graceful way of moving and humans were slow and sluggish in comparison, even the most elegant ballerina. But Rosa had no trouble guessing where Lila had disappeared to. A hollow thud filled her ears and she had no problems locating it. Just as Rosa could have guessed, Lila was watching, hidden in the shadows. Between the branches of a low oak tree, Rosa was able to see a man, wearing a checkered shirt and brown cotton trousers, thick black hair with the signs of graying and a sagging kind face, toughened old skin, holding and axe and hacking at trees. He had a pile of logs too, cut into a good shape. A horse was tied to a tree nearby, just off a woodland trail leading to town. The horse was grazing at the early shoots of grass and was attached to a small cart. Rosa stepped forward, towards the horse. It was a beautiful chestnut brown, fading black around its mouth and hooves and it had a long black mane and tail, shining black eyes and a white spot between its eyes. The cart looked battered next to the stead, planks of wood barely holding together, some wood broken off and it was all splintering and in need of some tender loving care. Something the horse obviously got enough of. Rosa took another step, standing on a twig. It broke and she clenched her teeth and screwed her eyes closed. That was stupid! She thought.
“Who’s there?” the man called, looking up from his work. Rosa thought for a moment. Should she show herself or just make a hasty escape. But the man saw her and his expression softened. “Oh you’re just a kid!”
“I’m not just a kid!” Rosa said, offended. She stepped into the open. The horse looked up and blew air through its nose, thudding a hoof against the floor and flicking its tail before going back to its grazing.
“Still a kid. What are you doing out here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be playing in the streets with those other little snot noses?”
“I don’t live in the town.” She said, looking at her feet.
“Well run alone home to your parents.” He told her, lifting his axe again.
“I can- okay. But can I stroke your horse?” she asked.
“Don’t see why not.” He said, giving the logs another pounding. Rosa said her thanks and walked up to it. It lifted its long head and sniffed at Rosa’s shoulder which was just at the perfect height. Rosa giggles slightly and Lila’s curiosity got the better of her and she came to investigate. Rosa bought a hand down the horse’s nose and smiled at it. One day, I’ll own a whole stable of beautiful horses like this one! She thought, before turning away and heading to where the wood had been left, saying a goodbye to the man. She grabbed the wood, Lila taking a few thinner ones and they headed home.
Rosa walked through the village. For once, Lila walked beside her instead of flying. The market filled the streets that existed of plaster buildings with flat roofs and large tiled clearings. The smells of food filled their noses, fresh bread, soups, tea and sweet cakes and treats that made Rosa’s mouth water. The sights of people buying things and bartering with the prices at the busy stands, talking to friends while the children played near the edge of the market made her wish she fit in with the village people. Mothers with young children, telling them to stop moaning, or feeding them small samples of food, young people of her own age hanging around the stalls, trying to look cool and mature, young boys playing with a ball or marbles, homeless people trying to get food from the stalls and old couples walking around the market. Rose looked at the stalls and a familiar face struck her. She smiled as she saw the man she had seen in the forest, selling wooden chairs and tables and other wooden furniture, things she couldn’t afford. She was about to go and talk to him, but something caught her attention. It was Lila. The lynx took flight and flew past a market stand. She grabbed some bread in her claws and flew away high. But a hand gripped her back leg and pulled her down, just as Rosa called out to her.
Chapter Two
“Lila!” she called.
“That lynx is hers! They should be punished!” people cried. All attention turned to Rosa and they were all saying the same, that it was her fault, she was a criminal.
“No! She is just a child.” An aged man in a long robe, holding a crooked wooden staff raised a hand and silence fell over the whole market as they watched the scene. The man stepped closer, his long beard and short wispy hair was lighter than the snow of the past winter. “Where are your parents, child?”
“I don’t know.” Rosa said, feeling she should tell the truth.
“Are you lost? Where do you live?”
“In a hut, at the edge of the forest.”
“Does your mother live there too?” he asked. “And your father?”
“I’ve never known my father, and my mother went missing.” Why was she saying this? This could all go horribly wrong!
“Then we must find you a better home, my child.” The man placed a hand on her shoulder. He emanated a strange calm and she felt drowsy. She tried to fight it, but she seemed to feel that nothing could go wrong with him there. Even when she saw people holding Lila, who was struggling, against a market stall, it didn’t stir any feelings. She simply followed the man to a large run down building.
“Hello Lucy, I have a new one for you.” The man told a young, elegant looking woman with reddened lips, a beauty spot on her cheek, green eyes and her black hair pulled into a tight bun. She was thin and wore a long gown, dark blue; almost black, with a square, mid cut neck, not too low, not too high and long sleeves. Slits went up the sides to about where her knees were.
“Fill this in, sir.” She said with a sweet voice, a strange accent to match. The man leaned forward, grabbing the feather quill and dipping it in the ink, filling in the form.
“What’s your name, child?” he asked Rosa.
“My name is Rosa.” She answered, her thoughts slightly fuzzy. He nodded and filled the name in. he turned to the woman. Rosa noticed she had sharp cheek bones and a pointed chin and pale skin. “She had an animal with her. Is that allowed here?”
“We’ll find it a room for now, presumably with the girl and we will find her a family that will take the animal.” Lucy explained. The man handed her the form and patted Rosa on the shoulder, then left. Rosa felt the calm slowly ebb away and reality set in.
“Where am i?” she asked.
“The orphanage, sweetie.” Lucy smiled warmly. “Follow me. You have no belongings?”
Rosa shook her head.
“We’ll find you some nice, neat clothes.” Lucy promised. She led the way up some wide stairs. The banister was curled at the bottom and followed the balcony like hall way at the top that was lined with doors and disappeared around a corner. At the bottom of the stairs was a black and white tiled hallway with a few doors on each wall. The walls were a peachy red and further up a soft yellow and the carpet of the stairs and upstairs hallway were old and worn and damaged and were a once deep, now dull red. She went right at the top of the staircase and carried on to where the hallway was out of view of the downstairs reception-entrance room. She kept going and the hallway had so many doors Rosa didn’t even try to count them. Lucy opened one of the doors and let Rosa in. it had a bed, a smaller cushion on the floor, probably for an animal, a set of drawers near the bed, a desk with paper, ink and a feather quill and a wardrobe. It had a faded brown carpet and dull gray walls and one window showing a concrete yard.
“This is your room until a family takes you to theirs.” Lucy said, closing the door behind her. “We will have your animal brought here now.”
Rosa nodded and watched as Lucy left and closed the door. Rosa walked to the window and looked out. The sun was starting its way down the sky and trees littered the grass outside the courtyard. Children of all ages were now playing in the garden, with ropes, circles made of metal, for what Rosa could see, and wooden things on strings. Either that or they were running after each other. They were all in long dresses with wide skirts and tight top halves. They were plain navy blue and were high cut, short sleeved and whit buttons up the front. She wondered if that was what she’d be forced to wear. One of the girls looked strikingly familiar. Only, it wasn’t a girl, it was her mother! Rose rubbed her eyes and looked again. But she was gone. She didn’t know what to make of seeing her mother and of this place, but she didn’t have much time to think about it because Lucy returned with a dress, like the ones the girls outside were wearing. She was told to put in on and then hurried downstairs to join the other girls in their classes.
“A new student, ma’am.” Lucy said after she led Rosa along the corridor, down the stairs and up to one of the doors.
“Take a seat, be quick!” the woman at the front of the room was holding a smooth stick which she struck against the palm of her hand to punctuate what she had ordered. Rosa sat at the closest empty chair, at the back. “Name!” the woman demanded.
“R-Rosa.” She said clearly, besides that she stuttered a little. The woman made her nervous.
“You must understand the basic yet important rules in our class, no talking unless I tell you to. No eating or drinking and do everything I say, even if that is to jump off a cliff!” the woman, who Rosa figured was a teacher, with all the notes on the black board, had a high, whiny yet strict, no-nonsense voice, or tone, Rosa wasn’t sure which. Her graying black hair was fastened in a tight knot like Lucy’s but it made the older woman’s face look edgy and intimidating, when for Lucy, it only flattened the young woman’s features. The lithe, tall old woman had almost black, hawk-like eyes and thin lips, pressed into an even thinner line and her face was littered with wrinkles. Rosa didn’t like her. No one did. The teacher started her lesson again, which was to last until the evening. Then they were let to go to dinner, which they would hurry to, eager to leave the lesson. Rosa learned quickly to call the teacher ma’am, even the other adults did.
“We are now going to practice writing, please copy this sentence onto your small blackboards.” Ma’am commanded. Every one picked up a piece of white chalk and leaned forward slightly. Rosa did as they did.
“With your right hand, the left one is the hand of Laikee!” Ma’am was scolding one of the younger girls. When the sun began to dip behind the mountains, a high bell rang and the students stood and gathered their things in silence, putting them into their desk, which opened up. They all began to leave. Rosa slowly followed them, whose ages varied from anywhere around ten up to seventeen. They all passed through the large entrance hallway, passed the stairs to some double doors hidden in the shadows. The other children opened them and poured in, sitting on the wooden chairs, ready to eat. When Rosa walked through the doors, a large room with multiple long tables lined with chairs met her eyes. On the far end of the room, another door swung open as many adults, all female, filed out pushing carts with plates of food on them. They all had the same tight buns and plain black button up dresses with white aprons over them. The walls of what the girls called the mess hall were plain, pale gray; the floor was bare, rough and worn wood. Rosa sat down at the nearest empty chair. A plate was placed down in front of her, and with a glance at the others, she didn’t touch it. The noise of chatter died down and all the girls clasped their hands together, leaned their heads against their fists and closed their eyes.
“We shall now say grace.” One of the ladies called out. Her voice echoed through the mess hall. All the voices of the girls chanted together, not loudly, in thanks for the food they were to eat. Rosa tried to join in but then decided to move her lips and act like she knew what to say instead. The girls suddenly stopped and picked up their forks, but the lady stopped them.
“Now we must welcome our newest friend. Rosa was bought to us today by none other than the town leader!” she looked at Rosa. “Stand up dear!”
Everyone watched her as she slowly stood up. They all welcomed her in unison, their voices twining in harmony. It made Rosa shiver how they were so perfect and never stepped out of line. She smiled nervously and quickly sat down. Now, everyone turned their attention to the food, to Rosa’s relief, and started eating. She looked at the food before her. It was meat of some sort with what looked like tiny, completely green trees and strange leaves. She started eating curiously and though the food wasn’t to her taste, she couldn’t stop herself wolfing it down. When they were done, they were sent up to their rooms. Rosa stood up to go. She walked through the doors and up the stairs, along the corridor, which was now lit with candles, to her door. Well, she thought it was her door but two girls barged past.
“This is our room, new girl!” one almost growled the words as they closed the door, a little too hard, in Rosa’s face.
“You must need the next room down.” Another voice made Rosa jump. She turned and faced a girl with high cheek bones, olive colored skin and glittering green eyes. Her hair was a soft brown. “You’re sharing my room.” She added with a smile.
“T-thanks.” Rosa smiled back.
“Come on.” The girl opened their door and they stepped inside. Rosa sat down on her bed, and the girl sat across from her on her own. Rosa hadn’t noticed the other bed. Outside, the sky had cleared, showing the last of the sun’s rays as it hid behind the mountains, peaking out between them. An urgent knock sounded on the door. The girl stood up and opened it.
“Is Rosa there?” someone asked.
“Yes, of course.” The girl stepped back and beckoned to Rosa. “It’s for you.”
“What is it?” Rosa asked when she reached the door and looked out into the hallway.
“Here is your companion.” It was Lucy, with Lila. “Be quick, we need to take her to the pound before it closes at sun down.”
“The pound?” choked Rosa.
“Yes, that’s where she’ll be kept. Sorry but ma’am has said she cannot stay here.” Lucy apologized, though she didn’t really seem as sorry as she made herself out to be.
“No! You can't!” Rosa exclaimed as she reached out to grab the cage frantically but Lucy pushed Rosa back and closed the door. Rosa tumbled to the floor and hit her back against the bedpost, holding it in pain.
“Then don’t say goodbye!” Lucy said in an irritated voice as she walked further away, putting space between Rosa and Lila. Her steps were far away as they descended the stairs to the ground floor hall. Rosa tried to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. She pushed against it a few time, then turned and leaned against the wall in defeat.
“R-Rosa?” the girl stuttered, sounding confused and slightly nervous or fearful. “What did you just do?” she was pointing at the door. It was hanging on its hinges, ready to fall off.
“I don’t know – uh whatever your name is,” Rosa answered, “but let’s go.” She pulled the door to the side to make room to get out and ran down the hallway to where it opened into the large ground floor entrance hall, below the stairs. The double front doors made of brass where slightly open – not locked – and the caretaker wasn’t there at the moment, and neither was Lucy or any other of the ladies. Rosa was down the stairs in moments, taking the steps two at a time. Behind her, the girl was panting with fear and her eyes were wide. Rosa ran for the door.
“Hey, what are you doing?” the caretaker, a sturdy woman with the same black dress, white apron and tight bun, shouted. A hand grabbed Rosa’s wrist and she squealed slightly, struggling against the caretaker’s strong grip. She pulled Rosa further from the door, into another doorway opposite the mess hall door. Rosa’s wrist ached with the effort of struggling, but she couldn’t give up. They were nearly in the room when suddenly the grip loosened and Rosa pulled herself out of it, rubbing her wrist as it hurt a little. She was about to turn and run, but in the dim light, Rosa could see the girl she shared a room with wrestling with the caretaker. The caretaker had the upper hand.
“Go!” the girl said, stopping the caretaker from grabbing Rosa again, who jumped back again. “I’ll keep her busy!” she knocked Rosa back in the direction of the front doors. Rosa hesitated and was about to complain but the girl spoke before she could. “Just go, quick! I’ll be fine, trust me. I’ve been here my whole life.”
“But what is your name?” Rosa asked, starting to walk backwards.
“Denna.” She breathed. “Now go!”
“I’ll come back for you!” Rosa promised, but Denna was too busy distracting the caretaker and it was a losing battle. Rosa turned and ran for the door just as the other woman filed into the entrance hall, ma’am at the front, pointing and screeching orders. Rosa burst into the cool night.
