The Petal Kingdom (Bringing Life, Falling Ash Book 2) Read online

  “Be careful out here, Alice. I’ll be back for you.”

  “Take care, Miss Alice.” Kian waved at her. “Don’t get into any trouble.”

  “I won’t. Stay warm, both of you!”

  Alice had the urge to run up and hug them both but she had to hold back. The only thing she could do was wish them a safe journey and wave as they walked away. She would do her best to hold everything down even with the winds picking up and snow falling. This quiet time would give her a chance to practice how to fight. It would help kill some of the time.

  Creating that sword using the ground and grass below, she picked it up and started to swing it. A war was on the way and one of them needed to be ready for it. She stayed aware of her surroundings as she moved about and thrust that sword into the air. She was alone now and she could work on her stances as well as how to use a sword. She didn’t feel so scared and she knew that Vinnie would be back for her.

  However, if she had bothered to look over her shoulders and into the bushes behind her, she would have plenty of reasons to be afraid and even more to start running.

  Chapter 4

  Lavinia wished that she could hold Kian as he coughed and tried to keep moving. He did look ready to collapse any minute but they had to get to the village. He knew he had to get better even though he kept telling her to move without him. Dark was also by his side, trying to keep him warm as best as possible. He had covered him with blankets and watched him as he took his steps. If there was a slippery patch, he tried to pull them away from it. Kian was grateful for the help but he still felt it was unnecessary.

  “I’m not that ill.” He coughed, covering up his mouth. “It’s a cold. Even if we don’t get anything here, we can always move to the next village. We can even find something in the Petal Kingdom.”

  “No, I’m not going to hear that. Alice and I don’t have intention of abandoning you in the middle of this forest. You can say what you want but this isn’t right.” Lavinia shook her head and almost put her hand out to help him up. She stopped and pulled it back. “I wish there was a way I could nurse you back to health. It would save us the trip.”

  “We have to move forward any way so we might as well figure our way around,” Kian said, trying to keep himself warm. “I think I can make it. I might be slow, but we’ll get there before it gets colder and darker.”

  “Come. We’re almost here.” Lavinia looked at Dark who was trying to help him. “Keep him warm if you can. I think I can see a light ahead.” She squinted and saw something glowing. “All right, let’s keep moving. It won’t be long now.”

  They trekked through the snow as the light got brighter. She saw that it belonged to a home and was relieved that there were more lights ahead. They had found a small village that could help and a place where they could rest. Maybe someone would be kind enough to let Kian sleep inside where it was warmer.

  “There we are! Come now! We’re just a few steps away!”

  Kian coughed as Dark held onto him. “What if they turn us away or say they can’t help? What if there is no medicine to cure me? Maybe it might be better to go back.”

  “We came this far. The least we can do is to find a place where you get warm.” Lavinia made her way to the first home and knocked on the door. “Besides, as the princess of Themasa, I can get people to do what I want.”

  “Have you forgotten that your father and his men are after you? You can’t reveal that you’re the princess to them!” Kian hissed. “They’ll hand you over without thinking twice about it! This may be a very bad idea, Vinnie.”

  “Shh!” Lavinia silenced him. “I have other ways too, Kian. As long as I have gold coins, people will do as I ask.” The door finally opened and they were greeted by a young woman who looked worn out from waking up early. It was clear that she had customers who were here because it was loud inside. They were hollering and laughing as music played. It was not the ideal place for an ill person to stay but it would have to do for now.

  “May I help you?” She asked.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss, but my friend is not feeling very well. You can see that it’s very cold and we’ve been traveling for a long time. Do you mind if we sit inside for a little bit? I promise I will pay you for your time.”

  “Oh, dear!” The woman ushered them inside when she saw how red and puffy Kian’s face had become. “Oh, it’s good you found me. Let me get you close to the fire and get you something warm to drink! Were there no other villages nearby or an apothecary?”

  “Trust me, I’ve been looking for one and this is the closest village,” Lavinia explained as the woman took Kian and sat him in front of the fire. While there was noise in the other room, they were grateful for how warm it was inside. The woman handed Kian some more blankets and pillows so he could lie down on the cot. “I can’t thank you enough. Do you know if there is an apothecary or an inn where we can spend the night?”

  “Well, you are in luck that this is an inn. I normally don’t have many rooms open but I can see that this is an emergency. As for an apothecary, I know a few people who do make medicines and cures. I can bring one over and see if they can look after him.”

  “Please do. I promise to give you whatever you ask.” Lavinia nodded as she looked at Kian lying down. “I have one more friend that is on the way. Do you mind if I ask someone to take me to her?”

  “You left someone behind in this cold?” The woman was in awe. “Oh, either this is a brave thing she’s doing or a very stupid one! It’s going to get much colder when the sun goes down!”

  “She opted to stay behind to take care of our things. She’s fine, I promise. She is keeping warm and told me to go ahead. He needed help more than she did.” Lavinia hoped that this explanation would be enough. “I swear I will be back quickly with her. I know the way now.”

  Deep down, she wasn’t sure of that. Dark had disappeared once again and she didn’t know where it had gone to. In a way, it might have been a good thing. Light and Dark would be frightening to those who didn’t know them. As long as they didn’t get into trouble, everything would be fine. The others that she was worried about, Elias, and Madelyn, would not be an issue as long as they stayed close to her.

  “I can send a guide with you. It’s very hard to walk through the snow and ice by yourself. I know it will only get worse.” The woman explained. “We also have some stallions out in the back. If you wish to ride one, all you need is two gold coins. I promise that they are in excellent health and move very quickly. Not to mention, they can carry three people at a time.”

  “Then I shall take a stallion with me.” Lavinia handed over two gold coins. She was curious as to how a horse could survive out in this cold. Even the ones in Themasa had a hard time surviving the three months of winter they had. “Give me the finest one that you have, Miss…”

  “Lora.” The woman introduced herself. “You may call me Lora.”

  “All right, Lora,” Lavinia nodded. “Lead me to stables then. I promise to bring your horse back as quickly as I can.”

  “Take your time. He can handle the weather.”

  “He can?”

  As they stepped outside to the stables, she soon saw what Lora was talking about. These were not the normal horses that they had in Themasa or other kingdoms. They were completely made of ice, sleek and white. Their manes and tails were made of snow and their eyes were empty. They looked more like ghosts than living creatures. However, when she heard one neigh and snort, she knew that it was real. In the corner, she could see that Dark had found a horse that was friendly. It was gigantic but it didn’t get spooked when people were around and quickly moved around the stable. Riding one of them would be a chance of a lifetime.

  “I’ve never seen horses like these,” she whispered. “They’re so beautiful.”

  “They’re only found here in the lands of frost and snow.” Lora nodded, stroking one of them. It bristled and kicked the ground below. “Don’t be frighte
ned of them. They may seem dangerous but they are actually very gentle. It’s easy to earn their trust.” She moved to the side so Lavinia could touch the horse. “Go on. He won’t hurt you.”

  Maybe not but I could end up hurting him. This is not one of the ice dragons or serpents. What if it melts with my touch? She thought, slowly making her way to the horse. It was a little afraid and started to move back. “He must sense something. Maybe I should just walk back.”

  “It’s all right. The horse might seem scared but just wait and he’ll come to you. Hold out your hand.”

  Lavinia did just that and waited for the horse to move forward. It sniffed around before making its way toward her. She held her breath and hoped that it would not be spooked. She was grateful to be wearing gloves now because she didn’t want to touch the ice. She didn’t understand how Lora could handle that without freezing her fingers. Everyone in the Frost Kingdom seemed like they were made to handle the worst conditions without needing coats.

  She watched as the horse approached her and she slowly stroked him. It didn’t have pupils in its eyes but it did seem to soften up around her. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you? It’s okay if you’re scared. I’m scared too. Let’s try to get through our fears together, shall we? We can make it. I know we can survive this.”

  “Take care of him,” Lora said as Lavinia climbed on top. The horse was already prepared for riding. He didn’t turn to ash where her bare wrist brushed against him so she could relax. “He’ll know when he needs to stop and rest. Just try to come back before it gets too dark.”

  “I will.” She grabbed the reins and gave them a little shake. The horse started to move. “Please take care of my friend!”

  “Do not worry about him. I will keep him warm and make sure he gets the right medicine. As for you and your friend, you are welcome to stay the night. I cannot promise you the best room but I will try to find something worthwhile.”

  “Thank you!”

  With that, Lavinia got the horse running and they were soon going back into the forest. She hoped that Alice would still be there and would be well enough to come back. Once she found her and got their things together, they could spend time in the inn until the weather let up. The snow was starting to come down a little harder so it was not ideal riding weather. Even with a horse made of ice, it wasn’t wise to be out now. The horse would get tired and she didn’t see any other villages nearby. She only had time for one trip to and back from the camp.

  “Hold on, Alice.” She grabbed the horse’s reins to make him go faster. “I’ll be there before you know it.”

  Chapter 5

  The weather was starting to get colder as Alice paced around the remains of the fire. No matter how hard she tried to keep the flames going, the wind kept putting them out. Now all that remained were a few embers that were going to die out. Nonetheless, she tried to find more wood in hopes that she could start it back up. The one problem with having ice dragons was that they didn’t breathe fire. All they could create was ice and that certainly wasn’t going to help here. Light also didn’t seem to have any powers to create heat even he could light up the area. It helped a little bit but it wasn’t enough to keep her warm enough.

  “I wonder where they are now,” she murmured, pacing back and forth to collect what she could find on the ground. It was difficult to dig through the snow but she was able to get a few sticks and leaves that she could use for kindling. “I really hope they were able to get to the village in time. If not, then we’ll have to try and find them.”

  Light handed her some rocks that she could use for flint. Even though he and the creatures were around her, she did not feel safe. It felt like they were still being watched so she was careful where she went. She tried not to stray too far from the camp they had made. Without a map, she would get lost easily out here and she wasn’t familiar with all the areas in the Frost Kingdom. They were far from the castle and other areas where people were. She was in the woods and she was alone. If there was one thing she knew about being alone in the woods, it meant that she was vulnerable.

  On the other hand, it could also mean that no one will bother me. They will see that I have nothing of interest and they will move along. After all, I’m not wealthy. I’m wearing clothes I’ve been wearing for years now. I don’t even have many coins on me. She thought, looking on the bright side. That means that no one would try to rob me or attack me. In a way, I am safe. I have nothing to worry about. I just need to stay calm.

  Then her mind drifted to the worst possibilities when she heard a noise rustling in the bushes. It wasn’t the usual rustle she heard whenever there was an animal in the woods. This sounded sharp and she could hear tiny bits of glass shattering on the ground. This proved that she was not alone so she stood her guard and had the dragons and serpent around her.

  “Who is there?!” She demanded, looking around for a weapon. The only things that were in her arms right then were the sticks that she was going to use for kindling. They wouldn’t be of much use but she would have to try. Next to her, she could feel Light’s brightness trying to keep them both visible and warm. “Come out!”

  There was a snicker and some whispers as well as growling. Something was lurking around and there was no need to stay here. She knew now that she was going to have to run. She didn’t have anything worthwhile if these were thieves looking to buy something. She also didn’t know how she would be able to fight back so the best thing she could do was try to run. She had to run.

  “Go! Get out of here!” She yelled at Light as she tried to make her way to the larger dragon. He had now woken up and was huffing out cold air. It didn’t look like it wanted her to ride him because he started to back away. “No, boy! No! I’m your friend!”

  She stopped in her tracks when she felt a hand grab her arm. It was a good thing that she was covered up or else this person, whoever it was, would be sprouting leaves and thorns out of their body. Breathing hard, she didn’t dare to turn around. The dragon wasn’t afraid of her but who was behind her. She dropped all the kindling to the ground and watched as Elias and Madelyn tried to find a place to hide. Shooing them, she let them find a safe place while she dealt with these thieves.

  “All right, girl, that’s as far as you’ll go. Just give him over and any other valuables you have and you won’t be hurt.” Someone whispered in her ear. She could feel his cold breath and she wanted to squirm away. “You seem reasonable enough. You’re probably a smart girl too. You will do as we ask, won’t you?”

  “Let me go,” she whispered, balling her fists up. A terrible thought was filling her mind but she wanted to get out. “I don’t have anything you want or need. Not to mention, the dragon is not for sale. He won’t go with you. He will only listen to me.”

  “Oh, so you plan to do this the hard way, don’t you?” He tightened his grip around her arm and she winced. “I don’t think you understand what I’m trying to say. I can’t blame you since you don’t seem to be from around here. However, if someone demands something of you, it’s not something you’re supposed to refuse.”

  “I’m well aware of that.” Alice stared at the ground below her and it gave her an idea. She didn’t want to touch anyone with her bare hands but she could touch the dirt below her. Slowly, she started to pull off her gloves without them seeing it. “I’m not the one who needs the lesson here. I’m afraid you don’t know who you are trying to rob or what you think you’ll get from me. I may not be from the Frost Kingdom but I’m not so easy to fool or push over.”

  “Ah, so you have guts! I like that in a victim!” He taunted her, poking her in the ribs. “I will commend you for your bravery but I still think you are making a foolish move. You truly want to stand your ground, no matter what happens. For that reason, I’ll try to reason with you. I will give you one more chance to do as I ask and we can forget all about this.”

  Alice wanted to snap back at him but held her tongue. She let her gloves fall to the g
round. “Before I do anything, let me ask you something. Have you ever seen grass grow from the ice?”

  She heard him click his tongue. “My dear, I don’t really have time to answer such silly questions. Now you are really starting to test my patience and I don’t want to keep asking politely. So hand everything over!”

  “Ah, I wasn’t asking you a question. I was just going to demonstrate something.”

  Without waiting for him to answer, she fell to the ground and touched it with her hands. Immediately, it erupted into vines and leaves pushing away everything that was around her. People around her began to scream and run while she started to get away. The leaves and flowers were to prevent them from getting to her so she ran toward the dragon.

  “Fly away!” She yelled at him as the vines grew bigger around them. The dragon hissed and roared as she got closer to free him. Once there, she climbed onto his back with Madelyn and Elias. “Find a place to hide now!”