Author's note: Welcome to new follower EverythingEver. My thanks as ever to Jimli for the review and to Arista Everett June for the review and for favouriting.
THE WIZARD'S PRICE
CHAPTER 10
They left the last house of Peratha and soon they were walking through a desolate landscape of rocks, dry grass and stunted trees. The sun was mercilessly hot. The path was clearly visible but rocky and uneven. They made little progress that day. The night was coming on fast when the girls were trying to reach a clump of bushes in the distance. They were tired and hungry but they continued for the only shelter the area had to offer. When they reached it, it was nearly dark. They had the last of the food the farmer's wife had given them and soon they were sleeping. Next morning they woke up in lush woodland. Julietta's medicine bottle was full again and they had provisions for a couple of days. The distant mountain forest could not be seen but a clear path led upwards further into the wood.
"Somebody is helping us, Zita. I think we will find the garden and I will be healthy again."
"I think you're right Julietta, but we have to do our bit as well and go as far as we can during the day."
The girls followed the path that took them higher into the mountains. Sometimes they crossed large open spaces but towards the evening they didn't stop until they had found some shelter among the trees or in a thicket. While they were asleep, somehow they were moved and the next morning they woke up closer to their goal. A fortnight later they had reached the forest at the top of the mountain. The path apparently still went further but this forest was so gloomy and thick that Julietta was reluctant to continue. Zita encouraged her friend, "We have walked so far to get here and somebody helped us as well, somebody who obviously wants us to succeed or they would not have given you the medicine. Perhaps it's the lady in green who gave the medicine to your father, perhaps someone like her. If our path leads into that forest then we should go there."
"I'm afraid, Zita. It's so dark, how are we going to see our way through. We'll get lost."
Julietta was right, it was impossible to see more than a couple of metres along the path. Either side of the path, the forest was impenetrable. Zita wasn't too keen to enter either but their journey this far had led them here. The only way they could go was forward into the dark forest, along the narrow path. If they didn't go on, then everything they'd achieved so far would be wasted. Julietta's only chance of being healthy would be lost. They just had to continue.
"Come," said Zita with more confidence than she felt.
She entered the forest. Her friend quickly followed – she didn't want to be left behind.
It was quiet in the dark, dense wood. Not a bird could be heard. It was so very dark that sometimes they could hardly see the path. Five minutes later they couldn't see any path at all but Zita continued as if they were following a clear road instead of what looked like an animal trail. Julietta became tired; she was sure it was late already and still Zita didn't stop. Then they saw a light shining through the trees. As quickly as possible they went towards it and they saw a big circular clearing in the wood lit up by the full moon. In the centre stood the strangest temple imaginable, a circle of trees formed the pillars and the boughs of the trees intertwined to form the roof. The girls heard music and singing coming from the temple, but the structure looked totally empty. Then a young girl came out from between the trees. She went towards Julietta and Zita and welcomed them.
"You must be tired, but your journey nears its end. Come in, and eat and drink with us. We celebrate the first day of the first full moon of summer."
They thanked the girl and followed her into the temple. From the inside it looked even stranger. The trees could not be seen. Instead the whole temple was cut out of white marble. It had several rooms and was in fact a small palace instead of a mere temple. Ten more girls were waiting for them. All wore similar dresses in different colours, covered with pearls or precious stones and strands of them were woven into their hair. Julietta and Zita were taken to a room where warm baths were prepared for them and two dresses laid out. Dressed in the beautiful clothes and with their hair arranged with strings of gems they looked like sisters to the strange girls.
While they were sitting down for their meal, Zita asked, "Are you by any chance related to the beautiful lady who met the King and started us of on our search?"
The girl in the green dress who had invited them in said, "I am that lady."
"That's impossible," said Julietta, "my father said 'a mature woman, a lady', not 'a young girl'."
"We are all ages," said the girl, and changed into an older woman. "We are the spirits of nature, people call us the fairies, and we are ageless. My name is Orelia and I am the first, the oldest you would say."
"You've helped us to come this far, haven't you," said Zita. "Why are you helping us to reach the garden?"
"Because we are sure you two will find the entrance and break the spell that keeps it closed."
Zita had more questions. "Why don't you show us the entrance? And why is there a spell that keeps the garden closed?"
"We can only take you to the area where the garden can be found. You have to find the gate yourselves. And we can't tell you anything more about the spell. There is little we can do to help you."
Julietta had been looking around in the dining room. She was fascinated by the wall at the top end of the table. On it was a mosaic made of gems, depicting twelve daisy-like flowers, each of a different colour. In eleven of these the core was a pulsating light, like a heartbeat; the twelfth was dark and its colour looked dull and lifeless.
"One of the flowers on the wall is broken," she said. "The light doesn't work anymore."
"It's not really broken," one of the girls explained. "Once there were twelve of us, but Kalanta fell in love with a human. That in itself is not a problem; we are allowed to love and we're even allowed to share the life of the man we love and bear him children. But the moment we marry our lover, we become mortal even if our lifespan is far greater than that of ordinary people. Kalanta sacrificed her immortality when she married the man she loved. She died a long time ago now, and she had no female descendant who might have taken her place. That is why the light has gone out in the twelfth flower."
"Oh, what a sad story."
"It is sad, far sadder than you realise, Princess Julietta" Orelia said.
"What happened then?"
"We can't tell you, not now at any rate. And the moment we can, it won't be necessary. But come, it is late. I'll show you your beds."
The next day Julietta and Zita slept until it was just about midday. A meal was set out for the two of them. The fairies weren't there and it was late when they returned to their temple-home and soon it was time for bed yet again.
The same thing happened day after day until finally Zita asked, "When will you take us to where the garden can be found? We've been here for days now. It is becoming boring to just sit here all day."
"If you think you are ready, we'll show you tomorrow."
"I think we're as ready as we're going to be, since we don't know which way the garden opens or what we will find inside."
"Julietta, are you ready to go?" Orelia asked.
"Yes," said Julietta. "We've waited long enough."
The next morning they started early. Five of the fairies walked in front of Zita and Julietta, six followed them. They continued along the same path the girls had been following the day they had come upon the temple. Like Zita they seemed to find a path where Julietta couldn't see any. The track went steadily higher. Although it was daytime, the dense forest made it more like dusk. After a quick lunch huddled together in a small clearing, they continued. The path had become steeper and the roots of the trees made the walk even more difficult. Some hours later they came out of the forest. In front of them was a bowl-shaped meadow – an area big enough for a town. It was bordered all around by impenetrable woods, as dark and forbidding as the one they had just left.
"Somewhere down there is the entrance to the hidden garden," said Orelia. "From here on you are on your own. Unless you find the garden you won't see us anymore. Julietta, you have to choose whether you will continue with the quest or not. We will give you enough medicine to search for a week and return home if you can't locate the entrance. This means that if you fail, you will never be cured and we won't be able to give you any more of the medication that kept you going so far."
"Why?" Zita had been none too keen on all the mystery and secrecy. And now they were telling Julietta that she wouldn't get anymore medicine if she didn't find the garden. "Why can't you give Julietta more of that medicine if we fail to find the entrance to the garden?"
"It is not out of malice, Zita. We made the medicine with the last we had of the healing water. Even we can't get into the garden. It is closed to us as it is to everyone."
Then Orelia turned to Julietta again. "If you decide now that you can't do this and that you want to go home, we will escort you there. With our help you'll be home in a week. We will also provide you with a medicine, not as strong as the one you have now, but it will ease the pain and difficulties of your illness somewhat. For some time at least but only the water in the garden can heal you. Are you still willing to continue?"
"Yes," said Julietta, "I want to be healthy. I'll do whatever it takes. We will find the garden, won't we Zita."
"Yes, Julietta, we will," was Zita's answer, although privately she wondered how they could find an invisible entrance in an area this big.
"Good! We wish you all the best for your search. The only thing you have to do if you find the entrance, is to go straight for the fountain and drink from its water. It will heal you instantly. You can't miss it. It's in a small temple-like structure. In the middle of the temple is the statue of a young man. Remember, you have only a week to find it."
The girls had just enough time to thank the fairies and then they were on their own.