Pearl of the Stars

After crying quite pitifully in her sunless tree-prison for what felt like hours, at last Violet had the nerve to attempt escape once more. Moist with rain and tears, covered in slick mud, Violet forced herself to crawl a few inches in each direction. She couldn't picture where the tiny flicker of light had come from before. Running her hands quickly along the vine-like walls, at last she found what felt like a straight crack in the system. She pressed her shaking fingers through the dirt, leaning back on her heals and pulling as hard as she could.

A piercing ray of sunlight blinded Violet for a moment. Her eyes glowed with pride. She had escaped! She opened the heavy door of roots just a bit farther, then slipped through. Giant pine trees loomed around her, staring down from every side.

She could hear the water again.

Violet stood with some trouble, walking unsteadily towards the sound of crashing water. Her throat ached and she still felt traces of crusty blood lining her lips. Thirst seemed to overpower her mind, driving her closer towards the roaring liquid. Wide-eyed, she stumbled upon what appeared to be a waterfall. It was neither large nor small, but rather something in between. The foam and the glistening ferns and the moist rocks were one of the most lovely combinations in nature Violet had ever set her eyes on. The young man that sat on one of these rocks, his back facing her, was one of the scariest things. She was certain that he knew she was there, for her approach had been noticeable at best. Her escape would be fruitless after all.

When he turned around, Violet thought that her heart stopped in her chest. His skin was the oddest shade of brown she had ever seen, and his face was smudged with traces of dirt, bringing out his large eyes. His eyes seemed to bulge out of his head, as if he spent hours upon hours just staring into nothingness. His dark hair was so long, it looked to be a wig, and would surely be frowned upon in society. Regardless, Violet almost smiled. She was guessing Cam, this wild man, had nothing to do with society.

“Good afternoon, yeah?” he whispered politely, before turning around to stare into the waterfall once more, his eyes never losing any of their apparent largeness. Violet had almost forgotten about his heavy strange accent. “Since you seem to have decided you are well enough to venture in the forest... Cam wants to move now.” He sniffled. Was the man crying? He didn't seem to be the sort to cry. “Although Cam's home always been safe before, not now. People of the castle come looking for you, little lady. You is special, just like Cam.”

But which enemy, which side of the Hidden War were looking? Who did the castle even belong to anymore? Violet suddenly felt all too faint. She cried out one pitiful yelp, before collapsing flat-out into the mud. Her nightgown would be stained and ruined beyond compare, though it wasn't even hers to begin with.

Cam stood over her in a matter of seconds, reaching down to pick her up and cradle her against his chest. His eyes bulged even more, staring into the distance. “Change plans, yeah? We must move now, quick. They are riding by sunset.”

He carried her back to the cave underneath a great tree, roots intertwining along every visible surface of the ground. Violet was helpless to take action or even speak up, for her lips were too dry to move. Suddenly they were splashed with cool water, and she looked up to see Cam hand her a water skin. It was her water skin! She reached for it eagerly, gulping nearly the entire thing. Suddenly Cam was back and she rested in his arms again. How could he hold her so effortlessly? Perhaps it was due to her ribs slowly sticking out further each day, pleading for food. Perhaps it was because his arms were rippling with muscles. Violet admired them as he ran, not quite sure what was happening. She might have passed out again at any moment.

The next few hours of running, walking, and resting were fuzzier than a blur in time. Violet swayed in and out of consciousness. At one time, her head was flaming, at another, it was icy to the touch. She must have contracted some sort of illness from the storm.

When he stopped to rest the next night, Cam lay flat on a slab of rock, running his fingers along a trail of moss. “People from the castle are looking for you, little lady. As are people from the guard.”

Even in her delirious state, Violet knew what that meant. Leo was looking for her as well as searching for Ysmay. And now the Cosmic Guard were after her. Could she really be that much of a threat? Violet felt so completely overwhelmed that she almost drifted into the black sleep once again. She was just a peasant girl who worked for a witch that had gotten too engrossed in her art of magic. She had no one to call friend or family, and nothing to use to her advantage in a battle besides petty charms. She was useless, running from her sure-to-be death with a strange man she had no choice but to trust.

Quite unexpectedly, Violet began to cry.

Cam's eyes bulged even more then usual, and he sat up suddenly, surprised and confused and flustered all at once. Violet felt like laughing, and she probably would have if it had not been for her tears. Cam looked like a frightened toad.

He held his arms out awkwardly, patting her on the shoulder. She sobbed again, surprising herself by leaning into his warm chest and not even bothering to hold back the thick tears. She cried like that the whole night, Cam not moving or even making a sound. Maybe he had fallen asleep. Still, Violet was thankful for the small comfort.

After her eyes were milked dry, she continued to sniffle until her eyes finally closed and she leaned her head against Cam's steadily beating heart. At one point in time, Violet would have frowned upon sleeping anywhere near a man, if she even had to consider it at all. But now it didn't matter. Her angst and yearning for hope had easily quashed her dignity into tiny little shards.

The next morning was met with the usual happenings. Cam was out retrieving herbs and berries, and Violet was resting on a bed of moss with her water skin tucked tightly in the crook of her arm. A fur blanket was wrapped around her, holding her in its comforting warmth. As soon as Cam returned with their meal, Violet knew something was wrong. He stuck out his hand, helping her to her feet. This time she was strong enough to walk a good distance on her own.

Cam didn't speak to her. He avoided looking at her, clucking his tongue absentmindedly whenever she tried to meet his eyes. He kept tangling his fingers through his long black hair, making it even more dirty. Something Violet had thought was impossible. She was left traveling on her toes, as if expecting a monster to charge out from behind a bush at any moment. Though no such thing had occurred, as far as she knew. Violet was starting to believe the rumors that the magical creatures had all migrated to lighter lands in the world, lands that stretched at an impossible distance away.

Times like those made Violet wish she hadn't been born in The Land of Night, with all its fear and darkness and war. The death was inescapable, haunting her even in dreams.

“We're almost there, little lady.” Cam had finally spoken. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His apparent anxiousness was making Violet wary as well. Where exactly were they going? She could only guess, though apparently it was a place Cam was uncomfortable with. At least their approach might mean a short distance until rest.

A powerful wind suddenly swept through the pines, howling a welcome sign to the thatched rooftops that lay ahead. As they walked closer and closer toward the village, Cam's usually quick strides seemed to be becoming slower and slower. Violet reached out to take his hand in hers, a wordless message of comfort and trust. She didn't look at him, but if she had, his dark smile would have sent shivers down her spine.