ADARA

Silver stars flickered in the sky above and the endless black sea below. Music raised sprinkles of light around her feet as the water remained still. It burst into colours, beautiful and interchangeable around her. Some of the stars fell into crimson, and others rose into otherworldly golds. Many times she tread the sunless sea in her dreams, but she had never known a place full of serenity. Neither too dark nor too bright. All alone in the dream, surrounded by the glass of the world around her. Neither of the moons, red and blue, spread their light in the starlit sky.

Only her, and the silver sprinkled glass.

Where am I? she asked out to it time and time again. Every step she took sent slight ripples beneath her heel. The stars danced off with silver trails until she came to a stop. Beneath her, the sky continued without end, without the edge of the seas Garren described in his tales. Her reflection stared up at her with wide, silver flecked brown eyes and tousled brunette locks. Each of the notes danced in her ears and gave birth to the stars. Adara sighed and continued to stare down at her weary mirror image.

The world spun with each moment; each minute; each bell of the song. Dizzying motions reeled her back to face the sky, where every star fell into twilight. Adara leaned forward when a large shape headed for the mirror below. It came closer. Closer. She stared into the beauty of evenfall as a large beak penetrated the surface of the sky and sea.

A flash of silver came down upon her neck, and she lurched to get away.

Wood railings greeted her from her bedroom. She sat up with a groan, and waves of pain crawled down her spine. What was that? Hand against her brow, she shook out the energy tickling her fingertips. Her other hand rested on a storybook she chose to read for the night, and she opened up to the marked page. "The Ice Fae of the North." Right, I was going to see if Jisa would enjoy this. Adara stretched and then forced herself off her cot.

"Garren?" she questioned as she stepped out into the one hall they had in the log cabin, peering at Garren's open door. Adara peeked around the corner, where the embers of yesterday dimmed to nothing in the stone fireplace. His favorite poker hung on the small rack, but the old man was nowhere to be found. Adara retreated back into her room to get dressed for the day, smoothing out the creases in the linens. Basket in hand, she donned her mother's crimson cloak before leaving the room. Outside the window, their small front porch was empty of Garren's presence. Where'd he run off to?

Boots on, she left the log cabin behind to round her way through the forest. I should stop by Rosaleta's place on the way. Adara tread the familiar route through the outer boundary of Prunal, where the distant windmills and wheat fields hushed with the wind. Her neck tingled with the memory of silver steel, and she clenched her fists to keep the flames of her soul at bay. As she reached the stone fences of Rosaleta's family orchard, she opened the metal gate to walk up to the large house among the beautiful trees. Polished cobble steps led her up to the porch, and she knocked on the door.

"Rosa?"

Adara stood at the door, waiting for her to answer. She rocked on her heels, listening to the distant birds. Footsteps on the other side snapped her back as Rosaleta opened the door, her wavy curls bouncing along her shoulders. "Adara? You're early. Are you not working at the tavern today?"

"I got the day off today," Adara said, then scoffed. "Just as well. I wasn't in the mood to deal with Gregor after what happened to Iwen." Arms folded, she smiled at Rosa. "If I'm disturbing you—"

"You're not disturbing me," Rosa said, waving her hands to the sides. "I..." She drew back, biting on her lip. "I'm sorry for what happened to Iwen. No matter what anyone says, I know Iwen wouldn't hurt anybody."

He had magick, that's all the reason they need. "I don't think that matters to them, Rosa, but I didn't come here to talk about that. Remember, you said you had something to show me? Said something along the lines that I wouldn't believe it until I saw it?" Adara forced a smile on her face. "It must be something major. Is your harvest looking good this season?"

"Oh, yes, but the harvest is also what I'm not going to show you." Rosa gave her a grin full of mischief. "You have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even Garren."

"Very well." Adara followed her back down the steps and around the house into the large orchard her family cultivated. From apples trees to pears for the upcoming season of golden leaves. Adara kept on the marked path behind Rosaleta as they both tread deeper into the orchard than she remembered. "Wow, had to hide it in the middle of all the trees?"

"You'll see why."

"You're being very ominous today, Rosa." Adara chuckled, and the weight on her heart lifted as the boughs thickened, making a shield from the sky. "I don't think you've ever showed me this deep in the orchard before."

"Because it was to be kept a family secret until it was ready."

Adara rubbed her chin, and they came to a stop. Her heart stuttered at the fallen leaves of white, spreading the field with a winter touch, and what sat in the middle, shining in the morning sun, a tree of grays and spiraling bark of whites. Along its branches, flowering fruits of the same color burst froth from flowers shaped like feathers, shivering with the wind. Adara stepped forward when Rosa nudged her back. Into the snow-fallen field, which crunched underfoot. "Rosa, what is this?"

"Long ago, my great grandfather left our home to find a tree he heard in a story," Rosa joked. "He wanted to bring something new to this place, and he claims to have met an ice fae who bequeathed him a small seed. He called it an Icebark tree. It's only found in the northern reaches. It took our family ages to get it to grow, but we did it." Rosa raised her arms up to the bark to hug it. "The tales my grandfather spun about this tree I could scarcely believe."

"No one's ever been that far," Adara pointed out.

Rosa dropped her hand from the bark. "Not recently. The borders to our kingdom have been closed since my grandfather's time. We struggled to figure out how to make this tree blossom since we couldn't just ask around about it due to the thoughts towards anything magickal." Her frown deepened. "Adara, look." She pointed upwards, the light of excitement returning to her gaze. "It's grown fruit. It's never done that until now."

Adara stepped into its shadow. "Rosa, you'd get into trouble if any of the knights found this."

"Why do you think it's so deep in the orchard? Besides, I think it's worth the risk."

Worth the risk. Adara pressed her hand against her chest, smothering the flames. If only the risk wasn't death for just existing. "It's a beautiful tree, Rosa. Thank you for showing this to me."

"I can't rightly say if the fruits are ready yet," Rosa observed. "Would you like to try one once I've had a peek to see if they're ready? I plan on doing so during the Sunfire festival. You can come over. You can bring Jisa and Garren. We can try this fruit together."

Adara smiled with a little less force. "You... want us to try one?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend, Adara. I know since Tara disappeared the last festival you've been isolating yourself." Adara jumped when Rosa clutched her hands. "Whatever is going on, you can talk to me about it. I know I've been busy prepping the orchard for the season, but everything's set now."

Adara sank into her shoulders at the words. You can't let anyone know, Garren's rough voice scolded her. You can never be too sure of someone's intentions from word alone. Isolation followed her every step in the twilight sky and sea after the loss of her mother. The longer she fought back the flames, the faster they burned her alive from within. There was no escape in her dreams or waking reality. The weight returned to her heart, and she clutched Rosa's hands back. "I'll remember that, Rosa. I'll try."

Rosa released her. "That's all I can ask. Where are you headed now?"

"Up the hill, probably. Garren goes up there when he doesn't leave a note," Adara said with a nod to the knolls. "I'll see you during the festival?"

"Of course. Have you got your mask ready?"

"Finished it earlier. Jisa gave me the idea," Adara said, then nudged her with her elbow. "I guess I'll leave that a surprise for you?"

"I'll wait on tenterhooks." Rosa led her through the orchard, away from the beautiful, snow-flecked tree. It haunted her mind with the shadows of grey. Winter hadn't come, but Rosa and her family made it bloom in the center of her garden. Water stung the corners of her eyes as she waved Rosa from the metal gate while she stood on the porch with a happy smile on her face. On the path to the shrine Mother tended to when on one looked, she rubbed her arm across her brow to chase away the wetness sliding down her cheeks. Her heart strained against the current.

Why take a risk over a tree?

Every unexpected loss of the things she held dear, where Mother left her nothing but a crimson cloak, a wyvern using its wings to shield a star, and a small snowflake. Things she would never know where she got them from. Things she never thought to ask other than a bedtime story. Garren never told her either, but she doubted he knew anyway. I want to see what's past our borders too... but I'll have to settle for storybooks.

Adara moved through the silent forest, hearing her own footsteps crack the branches underneath her heels. Undergrowth cracked around her, but she ignored the small creatures going about their lives as she moved for the knolls. She stopped by the creek to wash off her face, controlling her breathing as Garren taught her. One. Two. These flames can't hurt me... She splashed more water against her palms, but nothing quenched the embers boiling under her skin. They're still mine.

Every count made her aware of the sounds, or the lack thereof.

It's so quiet... Adara fell into the lull of her own heart, until she glanced in the water's reflection and crimson spread.

Adara raised her head to look into the void of shadows across the bank. Still and unmoving, teeth bared with stained blood.

Move.

I have to move.

Whatever that is, it wants to kill me.

I have to move.

I need to move.

Stop staring at it.

Its body boiled with bulbous tumors as it cracked open its jaw to reveal another row of teeth, a sickening tongue lolling out to lick at the grass. Crimson spread at its touch, and the grass wilted into ashen blood. Frozen by the water, unable to be free from the flames, Adara found her voice gone as it screeched and lurched across the water, where its shadows slicked through like tar.

Her legs jumped into action as she tumbled out of its lunge. It's sticky breath sent chills down her spine. It smashed into the tree, but coiled around it. Crimson leashes tore the bark apart as it chewed, but kept its gaze focused on her. Hungry. Depraved. Adara stepped back, trying to will her flames, but the embers no longer boiled.

"No, no," she begged when they refused to answer. "Come on..." Adara moved for the tarry creek left behind in the creature's wake as it detached itself from the tree, pulsing with the life it stole. Adara dug into her cloak, fumbling for the knife Garren gave her in case Gregor tried anything. It lunged forward, the size of a bear as she threw the dagger into its broken jaw.

It wailed and thrashed as she stepped back, but she held her breath when the metal rusted and fell apart in several quick moments. Adara jumped when it lunged for her foot, and she sent her boot into its mandible. It snapped at her heels, and she pulled back, only to trip onto her hindquarters from the imbalance movement. It drew closer, snapping and snarling. Closer, the shadow boils burst in her view.

Adara raised her hands to shield herself from the end.

In the darkness, the bird's beak broke through the sea's mirror, a ringing coo shattering the twilight sky as the stars followed the phoenix's swooping tail of black flames. Silver stars exploded around her, and she gasped out from the pain rolling around her palms. One moment. Into two. Adara bit down on her tongue, and dared to release herself back into reality.

Her hand lodged deep into the stone maw, its teeth inches from her bare skin. Adara tugged it out with her own scream, lunging back up to get away from the monster. She waited for it to come back to life, but it remained still as stone. Waves of exhaustion filled her temples, but she shook it out, staring at the stone.

I need to get out of here. What if someone saw? What if there's more? Adara tried to even out her breathing, but she gave up to the futility as she raced her way through the knolls. "Garren!" she screamed. "Garren!" She headed up the marble steps to the shrine. "Garren!"

"Adara?" a gruff voice answered as she rounded the rocks. She almost cried in relief at the familiar gray hair and iron eyes. He held a cane close to his side, following the sound of her voice.

Adara grabbed onto his arms, trying to collect her thoughts and her breath. "Garren— There was a thing—I don't know what it was, but—" She trembled on the spot as Garren raised his hands. "Garren—"

"Breathe, Adara, what did you see?"

Adara tightened her grip. "I don't know what it was! It was... shadows? It was made of shadows, and it was trying to kill me. It-It drained a tree, or killed it, sucked on it-I don't know!"

She half-expected him to snort at the idea, but his face fell. "What?"

"—And then it turned to stone. I think I did something? Garren, I don't know what it was—" Adara jumped at every sound, though the silence deafened. Garren snapped into action, using his cane to traverse the steps as she followed behind.

Garren stopped her with a hand in her general direction before heading towards the creek. Adara kept close behind him, the only guardian she had in her life against everything scary under her bed. When they reached the creek, she frowned at the lack of a stone monster. Garren stood on the other side, silent as the forest before.

"It was here," she insisted as he stepped into the water to make it to the other side. "I swear it was here."

He said nothing as he knelt where it had been before to pick up the rusted knife it left behind. Back to her, he stared down at the knife, running a careful finger over the hilt and onto the flat of the blade. Adara bit on her lip, unable to trust the movements of the tree's shadows.

"I believe you, Adara."

"What?"

He said nothing as he got back up. Adara leaned forward when he mumbled something in another language she never understood, as he didn't teach her. He threw the rusty knife into the creek. "Adara, you need to stay within the confines of the town and the cabin," he growled. "If the shadows are moving, we need to be ready."

"Ready? Wh-what was it then? Do you know what I'm talking about?" Adara raced over the creek, crystal clear and free of tar. "If you know something and you're not telling me—"

"If you turning it to stone like you say didn't stop it I can't say where it went as I wasn't there," Garren said with a sigh. "Godsdammit, I'm not as young as I used to be." He hesitated, then pointed down the path. "Get back home, Adara. It's not safe out here."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Go on a walk."

"Alone?" Adara stepped forward with a shake of her head. "What if it comes back?"

Garren glared down at her. "You're just going to have to take my word for it for now, as difficult as that usually is for you. Get back to the cabin. I'll be along shortly after I'm done."

Adara hesitated, then nodded before rushing away from Garren.

He knows something. I've only seen that look before... I remember it like a distant dream... did I see it from one? I remember Mother saying something a long time ago, and he... gave her that same look. I just can't remember where we were at the time... Home? Somewhere else?

Everything spun in her head, but she never forgot the phoenix of evenfall rising from the mirror to spread its colors of hope across the sky.