Meadowcity (25 page)

Chapter Thirty Three

It was the hardest journey Sylvia had every taken, but they were finally nearing the end.  Her leg was badly burned, but no matter how hard she tried to ignore the pain, she had slowed them down.

What was worse than the pain were the horrible feelings taking root in her stomach.  They weren’t going to make it in time to warn Meadowcity.

Her sister, her parents, were home inside their wooden walls and earthen villas.  They stood no chance against Skycity’s bombs.

Ven and Flint were gone, probably carted away to Skycity.  Riftcity was still enslaved, and Meadowcity was next.  And to think she had only been delivering that message to Gero only a few weeks ago.

Sylvia and Ember bickered constantly.  Ember was evidently used to being in charge; but when it came to the trail, Sylvia was the leader.  She had decided to come at Meadowcity from the south, opposite the gate.  If Skycity was advancing on them, they would be coming from the north, and they certainly didn’t want to run into their army again.

So once their journey seemed like it would be coming to an end, it only became more difficult, because the south held no clear way through the woods since no one traveled this way.  For hours, Ember walked in front hacking away at the brush as Sylvia hobbled behind, leaning on her walking stick, keeping her ever watchful eyes on the woods for predators—wild or tame.  Ember cursed the woods, cursed Skycity, cursed Sylvia, but swung the knife anyway, bringing them a few inches closer to the city each time.

The sun was falling toward the horizon at a steady pace as, sweating, Ember lashed her arm out once more, and they emerged into a small clearing.  Sylvia thought they were near the treewall.  As Ember bent over catching her breath, the wolf on Sylvia’s back squirmed.

It had managed well for the past few days, sometimes in her pack, and sometimes on the tether.  Once, it had even tried to warn them of something—but it turned out to be a treemouse skittering down a tree.

They trudged on through a thinner wood, Sylvia leaning heavily on her walking stick, her whole leg throbbing with each step.

Finally they stopped at the sight of a solid line of trees, grown so close together a person couldn’t even fit through them.  The wall sent relief through Sylvia, though not enough to calm her leg.  She sighed and lowered herself to the ground, finally giving in and taking the cream out of her pack.  There wasn’t much left.

Ember approached the wall, craning her head all around to study it.

“So this is the famous treewall,” she said.

Sylvia nodded, wiping her hands on the grass and reaching for the stick so she could stand again.

“It’s much better from the inside,” Sylvia tried to joke.

“I didn’t think they’d be so close together.”

For a moment it was quiet as Ember tried to find a spot to peer through the trees, and Sylvia struggled to stand on one good leg.  The wolf squirmed, trying to get out.  Sylvia thought maybe she should take it out and let it stretch its legs.

Ember gasped.  Sylvia almost fell over.

“Oh.  No.”

Sylvia’s heart leapt into her throat.  She rushed to where Ember was looking through a tiny gap.

“They’re already here,” the red headed girl whispered.  “And they’re inside.”

Chapter Thirty Four

It felt wrong to be outside of the treewall past sunset.  But they had no choice.  Sylvia watched as Ember tore up a piece of bread for the wolf, who jumped around on the tether tied to a tree.  Its stark white fur had been cleaned since they first rescued it from the explosion.  The memory of its dead mother didn’t wash away so easily, Sylvia thought.

They sat outside the wall for two hours, while Sylvia’s nerves vibrated with tension. 

They were in there.  With Sonia.  And Lark, and Adeline.

Since Ember had first spied a Scout walking the perimeter path, they had kept an almost constant watch on the little slice of the city they could see.  No one inside seemed to be panicking, and they had seen a few citizens walking by hurriedly.  It was Riftcity all over again, but they couldn’t see any obvious damage from the bombs.

That was the only reason Sylvia hadn’t stormed the gate by now.  Ember had tried to convince her that they should come up with a plan first.

Sylvia grunted as she wound some cloth around her calf, temporarily covering the red, blistering skin. 

As if I need another reason to get in there
, she thought. 

She was all out of burn cream, and the pain was getting worse.  She didn’t want to think about how it would feel to take the cloth off, but it was that, or scrape the burn along the ragged tree branches—because they were about to scale the treewall.

It had never been done, that Sylvia knew of.  It wasn’t permitted—the wall being a vital and historical part of the city’s security.

She tucked the end of the cloth underneath a layer, and raised herself up with the stick as Ember untied the wolf.

“What should we call her?” she asked, tousling the stark white fur and pulling her hand away just in time to miss its teeth.

Sylvia gasped as she put too much weight on the leg. 

“You think it’s a her?”

Ember shrugged.  “She’s a sassy little thing.  Have any in mind?”

Sylvia snorted.  Only Ember would be concerned about naming a baby wolf at a time like this.

“Not really.  You want to get going on this?” 

Her nerves were like a taut bow, vibrating and waiting to make its mark.

Sylvia turned her back so that Ember could squeeze the wolf in her open pack.  The soft animal created a soothing warm presence on her shoulders, bringing an edge of calm.  Sylvia hobbled over to the tree and began to untie the leather cord.

“How about Snow?”

“No.”

Sylvia approached the treewall with the tether in hand.  Ember came up behind her and handed her a stone the size of her hand.

“Snow
flake
?”

Sylvia turned to Ember and gave her a look.

“Okay, but she’s just so bright.”

Sylvia wrapped one end of the cord around the rock a few times, tying it securely and testing it more than once, pulling hard.

She took a deep breath and lobbed the rock upwards, aiming for the crook between two trees several feet above her head.  With a clunk the rock found its place and Sylvia tugged on the cord, keeping it there.

“Daisy.”

“Ember!”

“Yes!  What a great name!”

Sylvia rounded on the redhead, eyes wide. 

“Look.  My family is in there.  Who knows what Skycity is going to do to them.  Can you take this seriously?  Please?”

The older girl looked away. 

“I’m sorry.  Let’s just—do this.”

Immediately Sylvia’s insides washed with guilt.  All the family Ember had left was missing.

“I’m sorry," she said, turning back to look at her.  “We’ll find Flint.”

Ember’s eyes wouldn’t meet her, she only nodded, her eyes swimming.

Sylvia turned to the wall, pulling on the cord to test her weight, then taking a steady breath to pull herself up, her good leg held out to bump against the bark. 

Arm muscles straining, she slowly gained height.  Blood pumped painfully through her leg as she pulled herself up.

The wolf barely struggled, probably scared to death now that it was stuck on her back up so high.  It gave a little whimper as she climbed.

She reached the crook in the tree, angling her good leg to set herself on a fat branch, careful not to squish the cub.  She held the rock and dropped the cord to Ember.  Straddling the branch, she took several deep breaths, her head swimming, leg pounding.  It was as if she could feel the blood flowing through her entire leg, slowly, painfully.  She took another breath. 

The sun had sunk below the horizon, but its light remained, which was good because no one had lit any lamps yet inside the city.  No one should see them coming over the wall.

As Ember got to the top, she reached up and grabbed a thin branch to pull herself up next to Sylvia, who couldn’t move at the moment.  Another breath.

“Luna,” she breathed.  Anything to concentrate on other than the blood, pumping.

Ember gaped, and then looked more closely at her. 

“Are you okay?”

Sylvia shook her head, closing her eyes briefly.

“We need to get you down, and to the Healer’s,” the redhead said in a rush. 

She untied the rock and threw it into the woods, wrapping the tether around a branch as thick as her leg, jerking the knot securely.

Numbly, Sylvia felt Ember reach around her, and tie the tether across her hips.

“I’m going to lower you, okay?”

Another breath.  She nodded.

Sylvia almost passed out as she moved the leg to untangle herself from the branches.  Climbing must have stressed the wound.  Luna wiggled on her back, growling unhappily as Sylvia blinked heavily.  Another breath.

Both legs hanging free, Ember motioned for her to slide off the branch.  Sylvia fastened her hands on the tether around her waist, grip white as she left the tree, slipping off.  She could hear Ember grunt as she took Sylvia’s weight on the line.

Slowly, slowly, Sylvia inched closer to the ground.  She stuck her good leg out to stop from spinning, and her boot caught on the treewall.  She stopped.  Ember must have run out of cord.  She stretched her good leg down, toes searching for the ground.

She felt the long grass sweep by her boot, so she tugged at her waist, fingers scrabbling to undo the tight knot; but she dropped unevenly, too late not to put weight on both legs. 

She crumpled in pain, only able to turn her body slightly to keep from crushing Luna as she collapsed to the ground. 

Her face in the grass, she could hear Ember kicking off the bark above her.  Then she felt Ember’s hands on her, pulling her up to sit.

“We need to go,” Ember said.

Sylvia couldn’t agree more.

With Ember’s help, she hobbled up, but had to lean on her to walk now that her stick was on the other side of the wall.

It was getting darker in the city with no lamps lit, which was lucky for them.  Sylvia directed them away from the perimeter path, towards the center of the city.  They wove in and around villas to avoid anyone who might be on the paths.

Sylvia barely noticed Ember’s wide eyes and craning neck as she took it all in.

At last they spotted the lake between villas.  A soft breeze brought the scent of sweet smelling blossoms.

Sylvia was becoming increasingly wary by the moment.  Never had she see the city so empty. 
Where was everyone?

But she supposed they were all rounded up into the Citizen’s Hall, as they had done in Riftcity.  She tried not to imagine Sonia and her parents ripped out of their villa by some sour faced Scout, a snarling beast on a tether at their door.

Leaning heavily on Ember, they rounded on the Healer’s Hall, looking for a back entrance.  They eased the door open, loathe to make any noise.  Sylvia posted herself by the door as Ember went to look the halls over.

Sylvia opened her eyes as she heard Ember’s soft footsteps returning.

“It’s clear,” she said in a whisper, offering Sylvia her shoulders to grip.

Ember’s feet were silent as Sylvia scuff-hopped down the corridor.  They searched for a supply closet, anything that would help.  After opening a few doors, and finding nothing and no one, they spotted a small door at the end of a corridor.

Inside, there were shelves full of bandages, salves and tinctures.  Sylvia leaned against the doorway as Ember searched, pulling boxes and tins from the shelves.

The redhead opened a large cupboard by the floor and let out a shriek.

Sylvia’s eyes snapped open.

Brandishing a small but pointy knife at them from inside the cupboard was Caylee, her soft brown hair snarling around her face, eyes wide.

Sylvia let out her breath, placing a hand over her heart as if that would calm it down.

“Caylee,” she sighed.

“Sylvia?  What are you doing here?”

Ember gripped the girl by her arm and pulled her up.  “Are you a Healer?” she asked.

“Y-Yes.  What happened?” she bent and began to unwind the cloth from Sylvia’s leg.

Sylvia let out a little moan as she did so, the cloth ripping away most of the skin on top.

“Why don’t we get you on a cot,” Caylee said, gripping Sylvia around the shoulders as Ember scooped up her lower body.

“What is that!”  Caylee almost dropped her.

“Luna,” Sylvia said.

Ember snorted. 

“Sylvia’s going to train her.  Did you know Skycity’s got trained lions?”

Sylvia saw Caylee nod as they lowered her onto a cot in the next room.  Ember pulled Sylvia’s pack off, almost cradling Luna to her.

“Where is everybody?” Sylvia asked, finally lying back onto the clean sheets

Caylee finished stripping the cloth off the burn. 

“The Hall,” she said tightly.

“They came yanking people out of villas, and then here,” she said, disappearing from Sylvia’s view. 

She could hear her across the room now pumping water into a bowl.

“They grabbed my mother, and all the other Healers, but I locked myself in the cupboard,” she said, sounding ashamed.

“We’re lucky you’re here,” Ember said warmly.

Caylee squinted at Ember as she ran cool water over Sylvia’s burn. 

“Who are you?”

“I’m Ember,” she paused.  “Maybe you know my brother Flint?”

Caylee’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she looked to Sylvia for confirmation.  Caylee stared at them both as if demanding an explanation.

“We went to Riftcity,” Sylvia said with a sigh.  “Skycity was there.  Imprisoning them.  Making them mine limestone for their bombs.”

She and Ember had put it together on their way back.

“On our way out, they set one off.” She gestured to her leg.  “But when it was over, Flint and Ven were taken.”

She winced, realizing too late Caylee might take that badly.

The young Healer stood and brought the bowl to the counter, returning with a glass of water and a tiny tincture jar.  Sylvia watched as she squirted four drops into the water, and then took the glass as it was handed to her, and sat up. 

“What happened here?” Sylvia said after drinking half the glass.  “How did they get in?”

“Gero let them in.”

“What?” she nearly shouted.

“They surrounded the city.  They gave a little demonstration before demanding we surrender.”

Caylee was searching the cabinets now, her voice coming in and out.

“They threw one of those—things—at the path.  The whole hillside in front of the gate is—mangled.”

“So Gero told them we were surrendering.  There was hardly any time for anyone to complain when the men rushed in, wolves on leashes, bombs in hand,” she said bitterly.

“I’ll be right back.”

Caylee walked out of the room, leaving Ember and Sylvia to stare at each other.  The pain had subsided after the cool water, and a mild lassitude was beginning to fall over her.  She suspected it was the tincture.