* * *
"Mother Rain says it will frost in the morning," Toff announced after coming in from helping Father Willow mend a fence around the cattle barn. The Fae didn't eat meat, but they kept cows for the cheese and other things that could be made from the milk. Father Willow treated his cows better than he treated most people in Toff's opinion, but he didn't have much respect for many of those people, either.
"Then it'll frost," Corent had beaten Toff home by only a few moments. "Come on, let's clean up," Corent motioned for Toff to follow him to the porch where the wash pan was.
* * *
Father Willow was at the door early the next morning, knocking. Corent answered. Toff heard Father Willow's voice inside the house as he was dressing for work. Today, he was to help with the maple syrup making.
"Son, Father Willow's Lily got out again, and he needs your help to find her." Corent stood inside the door to Toff's room. Lily was Father Willow's best cow and had birthed twin calves many times. Father Willow fussed over her constantly. Toff sighed. This wasn't the first time he'd gone hunting Lily with Father Willow.
"I'm almost dressed, father," Toff replied, sitting on the edge of his bed to slip on his boots.
* * *
Toff waded through tall grass as he followed Father Willow toward the higher pastures. The cows grazed there through the summer, because the grasses grew thick and sweet. With cooler temperatures coming, the cows had all been corralled. Had the Green Fae settled farther south, they would have been at the equator and spent the entire year in warmer temperatures.
Tiearan and the elders wished to raise trees that thrived in a more temperate zone. The maples were among those; therefore, the village had never been moved. Part of the trade-off came in the hemisphere's extended daylight hours; Le-Ath Veronis spun on its side instead of its axis. The Green Fae used sunlight to enhance their power, so the constant sunlight enabled them to use power at any time. It also filled the precious crystals they employed to help accomplish their work.
An entire half of the planet lived in darkness, too, because of the planet's rotation. The Queen's palace was near the edge of that half and was in constant twilight—Toff had learned that in his geography lessons. He'd only seen a few of Le-Ath Veronis' inhabitants and he was very curious about them. Redbird had forbidden him from speaking with any of the traders who came to the village. Toff couldn't imagine why speaking with the traders might be wrong—he'd watched them from a distance and they were always polite and accommodating.
"You think Lily headed in this direction?" Toff trotted through frost-covered pastures to keep up with Father Willow's longer legs.
"I think so. Lily didn't like the hay she got last night, so she's looking for green grass. She doesn't realize she won't find any by going in this direction." Father Willow tossed his answer over a shoulder and kept going. The summer pasture was a good hour's walk from the village. Toff didn't mind the walk—it kept him away from Gren and the others.
They followed a well-worn trail to the summer field, hollowed into the dirt from years of cows passing back and forth over the same ground. The morning frost had turned the tall grass brown, Toff noticed, as they made their way past fields that now lay fallow, waiting for winter to pass and spring to come. Then plowing and planting would commence, just as it did every year.
Lily wasn't visible in the field when they arrived. Father Willow stood in the midmorning sunlight while mist rose from the ground around him. Warmer air had arrived after the brief frost, causing the frozen moisture to turn to mist. Father Willow shaded his eyes against the sun's glare as he searched for Lily.
"Toff, go east and check that stand of trees. I'll head in the other direction and see if I can find her." Father Willow began walking before he heard Toff's reply. Toff knew Father Willow was worried; he just didn't want to say that to Toff. Toff walked toward the designated stand of trees.
"Lily," Toff called, once he stepped under the branches of the first trees. Walking farther beneath the canopy, he called out again. A rustling noise came from a crowded stand of trees, deeper in the forest. The small stand of trees Toff searched was only the beginning of a larger forest that stretched into the northern reaches of the planet, where it became so cold that only evergreens survived. Past that, it became too cold for anything to live.
Toff had heard tales of white foxes and snowy hares that lived in the evergreen forests, but he'd never had the opportunity to go and see these things for himself. He was kept busy for the most part and had never visited the capital city of Lissia or any of the other cities that dotted Le-Ath Veronis. Redbird would likely prevent his going, even if he voiced his desires aloud. Toff caught the rustling noise again, so he called for the missing cow once more.
Father Willow was nearly half a mile away from Toff when he heard him scream, and then scream again. Willow turned and raced in Toff's direction.
Chapter 2
Toff was only half-conscious when he heard an unfamiliar voice—a woman's voice—saying strange things. "Don't let him die, please," she begged. "He's too young for the turn. You have to keep him alive." That voice was pleading with someone. Toff was sliding back into unconsciousness when he felt cool hands on his face and even more hands on his badly beaten body. Toff knew he was hallucinating—he imagined the hands he saw through eyes nearly swollen shut were large and blue.
* * *
"You've had your chance, I think." The same woman's voice came again.
"But we had no idea this might happen. You act as if we planned this." That was Redbird's voice. Toff's foster-mother was nearby and arguing with someone.
"Your father admitted that he'd been watching those two boys and thought they might cause trouble. Yet you failed to call me to deal with the situation. Why is that?" The unknown voice was accusing. It frightened Toff. Brought back a partial memory of the beating he'd received from Haldis and Sark. They'd been waiting for him in the trees, luring him farther away from Father Willow. Toff had no memories after the first few punches. Had they meant to kill him? Toff didn't know and his head hurt too much to attempt to piece it together. None of it made any sense to him.
"You cannot take him from me—he isn't fully grown yet. That was the deal—to wait until he was an adult." Redbird argued with the unknown visitor.
"What deal? Who made that deal? You know as well as I that your mindbond has a hold on him, but I will not sit still while you allow this to happen!" The voice was angry, now. Toff moved restlessly—he found this upsetting.