“Was it Alfinstock? Musklewort, maybe?”
“No.” His gaze wandered to the treetops, seeming as if the gears in his head were shifting focus. “Hifflewump. Ah, what was it?”
I smiled inwardly. Was it wrong of me to manipulate his weakness to get him off my back? No. After what he’d called me.
No.
Raj returned with the horses.
“I’ve gathered a few apples,” I said, sitting on the grass.
“Good. I’ve got fresh water.” He held out a canteen and I took it from him. Although I tried to avoid it, my fingers brushed his, making butterflies flit through my stomach, and I ground my teeth.
He sat across from me, his eyes on the road as he began eating an apple. We didn’t speak, and I was fine with that.
As we finished our meal, dark clouds blocked out the sunlight, and we quickly mounted our horses. The dwarf stayed under the tree, still mumbling one name after another.
“How long has he been transformed?” Raj asked.
“Not long. He’s been mumbling names this whole time. I pity the creature.” I hoped the goddess forgave me for omitting the truth, but there was no way I could tell Raj of the poison the dwarf had been spouting. I would be humiliated for the rest of eternity.
“I see.” He narrowed his eyes at the dwarf. “I’m still not convinced he’s friendly.”
“I’m starting to agree.”
“You are?”
“Yes. But unless we can think of what do with him, I’m afraid we’re stuck.”
Raj mounted his horse. I stayed back with the dwarf. Still mumbling, he sat under the tree, too caught up in his own thoughts to pay us any notice.
Could I leave him here? He’d more than deserved it. He’d been rude and demanding. Then again, I wouldn’t feel right leaving him here alone. Grudgingly, I spoke up.
“Dwarf,” I called. “We’re leaving.”
He looked up, eyes wide, as if coming out of a trance. “Aye, I can see that,” he snapped. He got to his feet. With a flash of light, a wolf stood in his place. I mounted my horse, then kicked her to a trot to catch up with Raj. The wolf followed on quiet feet, keeping pace beside my horse, his tongue lolling.
The afternoon turned chill as thick clouds blanketed the sky. The road grew steeper as we approached the mountains. Sable had trouble keeping up with Raj’s Arabian mare, who seemed more suited to steep inclines.
Walls of granite covered in vines lined the roadside as our horses climbed. My fingers were growing numb as I held to the reins. Sounds of the horses’ hoof steps, coupled with their exhalations, broke up the silence.
My thighs ached as I clung to the saddle. My thin riding breeches were the only thing to keep me from chafing. I’d never ridden so much in my entire life, and I couldn’t say that I was anxious to do it ever again.
As afternoon turned to evening, we finally crested the mountain range. I stopped my horse next to Raj’s, who stood looking out over the valley.
The old castle sat at the valley’s center, tall spires reaching toward the sky, reminding me of my sewing needles, sharp spikes that seemed to poke through the hovering, misty clouds gathered around their tops. Vines encased the castle, making it seem as if the structure were part of the ground. The remains of the town surrounded the fortress, though only ruined structures remained. I was shocked at how five years of neglect made the place look so old. Nature had a way of reclaiming its own.
Memories flooded back as I looked at the castle. I remembered looking back as the high sorcerer took me away to the tower. He’d tied my hands together, and I still remembered the sting of the ropes as they left blisters on my skin, although I’d been too afraid to run even if I could have. I thought I would never return, yet here I was, prepared to enter again.
Without speaking, we took the road descending into the valley. Cobblestones appeared in patches beneath the grass. At one point, this had been a major thoroughfare leading to the castle, but now, it was nothing more than a footpath, barely visible beneath the weeds.
The wind picked up, slow at first, but gaining strength until it blustered so hard I had to tug on my cowl to keep it from flying off. Strands of blue hair beat against my face. The air smelled of rain, and cold droplets splashed my skin as we weaved between the dilapidated buildings and approached the castle gates. I searched for our old cottage but couldn’t find it. Maybe it was better that I didn’t see it. Too many memories I needed to forget.
We neared the end of the lane where the castle loomed over us. Behind it, the backdrop of the gray sky reflected off the parapets, making them blend in with the approaching darkness. Vines with thick bark and thorns the length of my ring fingers encased the castle. Stones crumbled beneath the vines. The drawbridge was barely visible through the mass of woody growth, and the incessant wind shrieked through the open portcullis.
The wolf trailed behind us as Raj dismounted his horse, and I did the same.
“What should we do with the horses?” Raj called over the wind.
“We can leave them in the old stables,” I answered. “Follow me.”
Grasping Sable’s reins, I walked around the castle. The stables sat away from the towering walls. Parts of the thatched roof had collapsed, but the wooden posts remained standing, and inside, the stalls were dry. The air held the scent of moldy hay. Rats scattered, their tiny feet pattering, as I tied Sable’s reins to a post. Outside, the wind shrieked, but in here, the air remained calm. The wolf sat just inside the entryway, keeping to himself.
“Will the horses be safe here?” Raj asked.
“They should be safe enough.”
“Very well. Do you know where to find the radish?”
“Yes, we’ll have to follow the vines. When my mother cursed the king,
