Marked

Arryn clung to the thin rail of the ship desperately. The wood was slicked wet from the dense clouds, making any sort of grip next to impossible. Her feet had already slipped twice, and she trembled from fear of falling. There was nothing below her except open air, and, she assumed, a certain death. They were too high up and the clouds too thick for her to tell whether they flew over land or sea, but neither would kill her kindly.

“Where is she?” a furious voice cried out from somewhere within the clouds.

“I can’t see anything with this blasted fog,” a second voice shouted back in response.

“Then what are you waiting for? Take us out, damn you! And the rest of you lot, find the girl! She bears the mark.”

Terrified, Arryn pressed herself against the side of the ship, her soaked clothing clinging to her almost as tightly. The dress was not meant for climbing in, nor did it keep out the cold.

When the ship rose out from the cloud, a strong gust of wind blasted against it. The sails snapped in response, and the ship lurched forward.

The sudden movement and onslaught of wind caught at Arryn’s skirts. The gust pushed itself between her and the side of the ship, forcing her grip to weaken. Her fingers could not maintain their pathetic hold as she was ripped from her perch.

She screamed as she fell.

The cloud engulfed her once again, blocking the ship from sight. The last she saw of it was the captain leaning over the rail and calling at his crew to give chase.

Thoughts raced through her mind almost as quickly as her downward plummet. The pirates had kidnapped her, stolen her away from her homeland. Their intentions were unknown to her, but she had heard them mention a mark on several occasions. She had no idea what they were referring to, for she had no birthmarks or scars worth noticing. Though sailing the skies, she had spent each moment doing whatever she could to escape. Now that she’d made it out of their clutches, she had no way to save herself.

Thinking things through had never been one of her strengths.

As she passed through the cloud, she joined the barrage of rain that pelted toward the earth. With the ground drawing ever nearer, she could see that her grave would be a forest. From this vantage point, she could see that the trees spread far, bordered on one side by white-capped mountains.

The growing fear within her, coupled with the frozen temperatures she’d endured and the wet, made her heart beat wildly. Exhaustion and panic turned against her, and she passed into a blissful darkness before her body could break against the rocks.

When she woke up, her body felt warm and heavy. She didn’t want to open her eyes for fear of what she might see. If she was alive, she could imagine the damage her body had sustained, and wasn’t ready to face the pain that was surely waiting. If she was dead, well, that was another matter entirely.

A deep groan rumbled in the earth beneath her.

She awakens, a whispered voice said in breathy tones.

Kill her, a second voice suggested. Before it’s too late.

We cannot. She bears the mark, a third voice, this one filled with infinite wisdom said. We must protect her.

Confused, Arryn opened her eyes. Above her, she could see the dense canopy of dark leaves. Slowly, she turned her head from one side to the other. The movement was not easy, and her neck felt stiff, but she saw no one.

Panicked, she tried to move her arms but found them unresponsive. “Who’s there?” she called, her voice frantic. “What do you want with me? You have the wrong person. Please, I just want to go home.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. They fell out of fear and pain. Her body felt stiff, and something pressed her down.

She is frightened, the voice that had threatened to kill her said with amusement.

Of course, she’s frightened, the breathy voice snapped back. And you’re not helping. Great Enthraladin’En, what would you have us do?

Enthraladin’En, the voice of wisdom, let out a low hum. It rippled through the earth, and the weight on Arryn’s chest lifted.

With the weight gone, Arryn was free to sit up. Surprisingly, her body was not broken, nor had she sustained any great injury. She checked herself, unable to comprehend what was happening. There was no one that she could see, so where had the voices come from?

A gentle breeze ruffled her hair and stirred among the leaves. It was unlike any wind she had ever felt for it seemed to have risen up from the earth. It flowed around her, and she cautiously rose to her feet.

The wind gathered itself, swirling into a column of light. When it dissipated, in its place stood a tall, lithe woman with flesh of amber. She was robed in flora and fauna, her eyes two orbs of obsidian. There was a terrifying aura about her, of silent power and infinite knowledge. She was regal, and yet, her gaze was kind.

Arryn stared up at the figure who stood head and shoulders above her. She wanted to ask who she was, but her voice refused to work.

“I am Enthraladin’En,” the being explained, “one of the great sentinels of Inladryth’Ael’Uen.”

“What?” was all Arryn managed to say.

Enthraladin’En smiled gently. “You may call me En. This is the forest of Inlauen, as the humans call it. I, along with three other sentinels, protect this forest and all residing in it.”

Arryn glanced around at the trees. She could feel the whispers of the woods, the voices of the forest itself. “And the residents?” she wondered, afraid of the answer.

En only nodded.

“I have heard of the enchanted woods,” Arryn continued when En remained silent. “My mother told me the tales. It is said to be a living entity, an ancient place of magic . . . and monsters.”

The foliage around her began to tremble, the leaves shaking in a sound not unlike to laughter.

“Is something funny?” Arryn asked.

“I think you’ll find the monsters here are not what you imagine them to be. Humans frighten so easily.” Then her smile faded. Her expression grew sad as she held Arryn’s gaze. “The real threat does not come from Inlauen, though it is just as ancient.”

“Threat? What are you talking about?”

“You bear the mark.”

Glancing around, Arryn took a small step back. “I don’t know what that means. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I was kidnapped, and I’d just like to go home.”

En held her hands open in front of her, a small light growing above them. “What fate brought you here matters little. What matters is that you answered our call.”

“What call?”

You’re going to save us, Arryn.

“Who said that?”

“Can you not guess?” En asked.

Arryn took another step back, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m not a hero. And I don’t have any mark. Why does everyone think that?”

The light lifted away from En, floating slowly over to Arryn. It encircled her, trapping her in a ring of light. The light grew, expanding until it had consumed her.

Within the light, Arryn watched as lines began to form on her flesh. They revealed themselves starting at her fingertips, then crawling up her arms. When the light faded, the markings remained, glowing as though they had absorbed the light.

“What’s happening?”

En stepped forward, taking Arryn’s hands in her own. “It is the mark. You have carried it your whole life.”

“No.”

“Arelli’Nekoryn, you are the only one who can save us.”

Arryn paused, staring up at En in shock. “How do you know my full name?” she breathed.

En smiled, gently touching Arryn’s cheek. “It has been a long time, but you have finally come home. You are one with us, Arryn, you always have been.”

“That’s impossible.”

A distant rumbling shook the earth just then with a violent wrenching. Fear filled the air as a long crack spread its way across the forest floor. The trees trembled, and the flowers concealed themselves. The crack grew, opening a fissure that continued to expand.

It comes!

“Arryn,” En called. “There is no time. Run. Seek out Rethare’Lael.”

“What are you talking about?”

A black mist rose from the fissure, the grass dying instantly at its touch.

En began to speak in the language of power, and a golden light rose to meet the mist.

In the same instant, a vine wrapped itself around Arryn, pulling her out of harm’s reach.

Run, Arryn. Please, you’re our only hope. Find Rethare’Lael. Find him, and he will help you find the answers you seek.

Arryn watched En fight the mist as the forest dragged her away. When she was set back on her own feet, she ran. She ran as far as her legs would carry her. When they would no longer bear her weight, she collapsed, her breath heavy and desperate.

She lay on her back as she tried to calm her racing heart. Between the branches, she could just make out the twinkling of distant stars. Her stomach pinched with hunger, and she curled into a ball, hugging herself as fresh tears fell silently down her cheeks.

“I don’t want any of this,” she moaned wearily. “I want to go home.”

You are home.

When morning came, she found herself surrounded by woodland creatures. They snuggled up against her, shielding her and sharing their body heat with her. As she roused from sleep, they did so as well, scrambling away from her to allow her space.

She didn’t hear anyone coming up behind her, but she felt the presence of someone. When she turned around, she saw a creature that reminded her of a deer. Only this one had two sets of horns on its head, a flattened face, and a long wispy tail. It stared at her with intelligent eyes, and slowly lowered its head.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I heard the call of En. She told me to find you.”

“And who are you?”

The creature lowered its head further, bending one of its knees in a sort of bow. “I am Rethare’Lael. Though you may call me Rel.”

“You are?”

Rel stood up once more, meeting her inquisitive gave. “It seems you have many questions.”

“And you have the answers?”

Rel cocked his head to one side.

Arryn took a deep breath. “What is the mark?” She glanced down at her arms. “And why me?”