A/N: Thank you reviewers. Sorry updates are not very regular or quick, but I have now started my new job and it eats up all my time. Any spare moments I have I spend catching up on sleep. But I have everything mapped out now, just need to write!

Chapter Twenty Nine: The Forest of Gallows and the Trial by Sea

Having been given the priestess' blessing and having survived the sinister temple, Candy found herself back outside in the cold biting weather with Malingo. They stood close together looking towards the edge of the imposing forest, neither willing to make the first step towards uncertainty. Hand in hand, Malingo could feel Candy shivering, but whether from the cold or from fear, he could not tell.

Candy squeezed Malingo's hand for comfort. Again she could not express how glad she was not to be alone. She turned to look at him with frightened eyes and whished she could say something to him.

A crowd had gathered in the time that she had been inside, standing in the light of the flame torches and speaking with all the excitement of being spectators. Candy wondered whether anyone in their number felt sympathetic towards her, or whether she was simply a curiosity.

"Come on," Malingo said, his voice full of gentle encouragement. "The quicker we start, the quicker this will all end."

Candy blinked up at him.

"You are coming with me?" she asked, uncertain of what his reply would be. She wished she could be brave enough to say that he did not have to go, but truthfully she wanted him with her.

"Of course," he replied, "I would not leave you now."

Candy smiled, and felt a tear form in her eye. She wiped it away, and took a determined step forwards and towards her uncertain fate.

The forest loomed over them, covering the pale light of the moon and pulling them into even deeper darkness. The air was thick with the smell of damp leaves and dew, growing stronger as they walked. The floor underneath their feet was soft and slippery in places and Candy struggled to keep upright. She fought the branches that tried to snag on her clothing, which sought to hold her back from her goal. There was no denying that the forest was a frighteningly eerie place, which gave the feeling of having claimed many lives within its midst.

Wishing that he had brought one of the flame torches with him, Malingo stretched out a hand before him and concentrated instead. He had decided to use something he had vowed never to use without great need, but nothing could be more dangerous than being lost in this mass of trees and darkness. Whispering a word of power, his hand began to glow with a pale green light. Its ghostly glow lit the path ahead of them, and helped to guide them over the uneven ground

Candy kept her wonderment to herself, knowing that she would never have been able to keep moving forward had it not been for Malingo. But after a few more minutes of walking in silence, she broke the peace around them

"Do you know were we are going? I feel like we are lost?"

"I can smell a change in the air up ahead, and I can hear voices," Malingo replied.

"Voices?" Candy asked. This prospect alarmed her.

"I hope that I am correct, but we're heading towards the tower and the forest of gallows. Then we'll turn right and head out to sea."

Candy nodded. Malingo might be guessing but Candy didn't have an alternative plan, and she found she could barely think straight in this dark oppressive place. Trying not to think beyond anything but one step after another, Candy followed Malingo's light and after a few more minutes of walking the first of the hangman's nooses appeared in the trees. Slowly the voices that Malingo had claimed to hear drifted towards Candy too.

"Here pretty pretty," someone called at her mockingly. "Oh yes very pretty. Pretty pretty."

Candy looked around for the speaker daring him to show his face. She picked up a large stick, feeling threatened, and feeling comforted by the weight of her weapon.

"Calm Candy," Malingo whispered. "We don't know what we face."

"Candy!" someone called with mirth. "Is it her?"

"It is her!" someone answered gleefully. "I swear it!"

"Oh Candy, have you run away?"

"Don't be stupid, she's on her way to the sea."

Candy looked around in the darkness. But there appeared to be no one there. Were the trees talking to her? Or was it ghosts?

"We'll show you the way beautiful."

Candy felt her face redden in embarrassment and anger. But a sudden movement in the branches of the nearest tree caught her attention, and suddenly she knew where the voices came from. A black crow peered down at her before opening his large beak and laughing a man's laugh.

"Might as well throw yourself in the sea Candy Quackenbush," the crow mocked.

"End it all," another cajoled.

"I would."

Candy dropped her stick and cast around for something to throw. Her hand met a stone and she hurled it up at the great black bird. The crow soared high up into branches out of her reach. It's indignant squawking piercing the air.

"Watch out boys, she's a fighter!"

"Oh ho ho! What fun fun fun, eh boys?"

"Who are you?" Candy demanded, pausing to shout her question up at the branches.

"We are the spirits of the forest. The spirits of the men who died here, dancing on the ropes. We took their tongues and now we speak," a crow replied. His beady eye shining.

Candy shuddered with revulsion.

But despite all the talk, she and Malingo had covered good ground and now he turned left to head out towards the sea and to the denser part of the forest.

"I will guide you Candy, follow me!" a crow called flapping from branch to branch ahead of her.

"She doesn't need your help!" Malingo shouted up towards the trees, finally loosing his patience. Laughter was all the reply that he received.

Candy stumbled and almost felt.

"You're lost Candy. But we can show you the way," the great black bird promised.

Candy hesitated. But Malingo pressed on until he was out of sight. Suddenly the forest closed in on her and she became disorientated. Where had Malingo gone? She could hear him calling her name, but he sounded unnaturally far away, almost as if the forest had swallowed him.

Candy could feel the forests magic confusing her, filling her head with fear and doubt.

"This way Candy," the crow called.

"Follow us," the other spoke, flying past her, his wings brushing against her hair.

Candy followed, knowing that she had no choice. She walked what seemed like forever, stumbling over branches and slipping on leaves. She made slower progress without Malingo and his magical light, and with every passing moment the crows became more frantic. It wasn't long before she fell and scraped her hands raw and realised she was being led astray.

"Malingo!" Candy shouted, desperately struggling to her feet.

A crow swooped by her, and made her scream.

"Get away from me!" she shrieked

The crow laughed once more, but its mirth was short lived. All as one they took off into the air, flapping their wings in fear.

"Something dark approaches!" one cried. Before it burst into flames, and fell dead, black, smoking and crumpled at Candy's feet. Candy stared at the crumpled mess in shock.

"Candy?"

The word crept up her spine like ice, tingling her skin. Her heart began to pound and her breath caught in her throat. She turned to face what the crows had fled from, with tears in her eyes, to find Lord Carrion. His face was lit by a strange light, more powerful than Malingo's, which to Candy's surprise seemed to light up the world around him.

Candy let out the sob she had been holding dropped to the ground exhausted. He reached in a second and pulled her up from the dirt and the mud. Candy clung to him feeling ashamed. He felt strong beneath her hands, unyielding. She wiped the tears from her face feeling foolish.

"How did you find me? You're not meant to be here?"

"I followed you," he replied, as if it was nothing remarkable that he should do so.

"Why?"

"To make sure you were safe. This ritual is stupid I should never have let you go."

Candy sniffed. She didn't know what to think.

"When you disappeared from the path, I feared the forest had you. But then I found the Geshrat and he told me of the crows. I then feared worse."

"Worse, why worse?" Candy asked shakily.

"They were leading you to the cliffs. They lure trespassers to their deaths."

Candy felt a chill descend upon her and she remembered the confusing thoughts the forest had given her. The strange sense of being inside a dream and they way Malingo had vanished before her. She did not doubt him. Without Lord Carrion, she most certainly would not have survived this place.

"Did Malingo…"

"He's safe," Carrion replied pre-empting her question. "He's waiting for you on the beach."

"Thank you," Candy said. She took his arm and let him guide her back to the path.

They walked in silence and Candy let herself think. She realised how different the forest felt to her whilst she was with Lord Carrion. It wasn't frightening anymore, just empty. Maybe it was because Carrion moved as if nothing could frighten him, or make him lose his way or doubt his steps. But hadn't he not just said that she had caused him to fear? His only concern was for her? For a moment Candy felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude mixed with pride. She was proud to be walking next to him as an equal through his domain of terror. Before she shook her head with the absurdity of the idea.

After a while the ground began to change. The trees became fewer and the soil became dusty. The dust then turned to sand and the trees to shrubs.

"Turn left and you will find what you are looking for," Carrion instructed.

Candy nodded and walked away from him. She stepped out onto the beach and looked up towards the sky. The stars shone down on her once more and to her right she saw the cliffs, silhouetted against the moon. It would have been a certain death to have fallen from such a height. Again she thought of Carrion, and how he had broken all the rules to keep her safe. It was more than she could ever have expected of him.

But she stopped herself again. If it weren't for Lord Carrion, she wouldn't have been in the mess in the first place.

"Candy!"

Candy smiled as she saw Malingo. Her feet sunk into the sand as she tried to reach him, but he was safe and so was she. He pulled her into a tight hug and Candy's smile widened. Strange that they should know each other for only a short time and yet Candy felt she could trust him completely. There was no awkwardness between them anymore; the forest had destroyed all of that.

But her peace was soon disturbed, as a group of people had come into her eye line and were walking towards them. Candy stepped back from Malingo hesitantly.

"The next trial?" he asked.

Candy nodded.

"Looks like it," she replied joylessly.

The spectators did not share Candy's alarm, instead they were laughing and a band of musicians followed them playing happy tunes. Candy felt herself stiffen with alarm. She did not know what would happen next and the anticipation and fear of what might be made it all the worse.

A woman with harsh face led the way towards Candy. She had an expression which spoke business, as if she would not be swayed by Candy's frightened eyes. Her hands were cold and as she grabbed hold of Candy's arms to hold her still, her sharp fingernails dug in. Around her, others followed, pushing Malingo out of the way and tugging at Candy's dress. They ripped pieces away, ignoring Candy's struggle against them, and left her shivering in her white petticoats.

The crowd stood back to admire their handiwork and the musicians played on. Candy looked around at the faces watching her. Some smiled with encouragement, some remained blank and uncaring. The woman with the harsh expression took her arm once more and began to drag her towards the sea.

Two strong looking men stepped forward and Candy shied away from them. The woman let go roughly, and Candy stumbled into the water. Its temperature was jarringly cold and painful. Her blood seemed to disappear from her skin to seek warmth further in, and her feet and hands began to turn blue. The men pulled her further into the water until she was waist deep and the bottom could no longer be seen.

Candy did not want to think of all the creatures that might be swimming next to her, all as curious as those watching from the safety of the beach. But as she looked back she could see a small group of tents had been put up on the beach, and a fire was lit in the middle of them. At least there was the hope of being warm after this was finished.

Without warning the men knocked her feet out from under her and she fell into the water. The freezing cold covering her totally, stinging her skin and knocking all sense of time and place from her. Desperately she tried to fight against their hands but they held her too tightly under the water.

Her lungs strained and she felt herself panicking. She was sure that she could not endure much more, but still the seconds passed by her and as small dots of light started to form behind her eyelids, the men lifted her up out of the water and back into the freezing cold air.

Candy shock, unable to control herself. The men had to carry her back to the shore, since her feet were so numb. Barely noticing where she was, Candy accepted a blanket as it was wrapped around her, and felt her feet painfully come back to life as she stood on the sand.

"Congratulations, you have survived your trials, you are worthy. You will now dress for your wedding and we will escort you," the woman with the harsh face instructed. She had a smirk on her lips which told Candy that she was rather please with herself.

Candy coughed and tasted the salt of the sea in her mouth. She wiped her mouth on the edge of the blanket and tried to regain some coherent thoughts. The woman smiled at her and Candy had the sudden urge to slap the smugness off her face. How dare she stand there all superior and dry, whilst Candy was made to bare all before a crowd of strangers?

"Mistress?" someone said kindly from behind her.

Candy turned to see that it was Peta and Lola that had brought her the blanket to cover her modesty, and who supported her with gentle hands. Lola looked at her as if she was waiting for Candy to speak.

"I'm cold Lola," Candy said, her voice shaking.

"Come on," Lola replied. "We'll help you."

The harsh faced woman looked as if she was about to protest, but Lola wrapped an arm around Candy, rubbing her to try and keep out the cold, and turned them away.

"You will make sure the crowd stays away from my Mistress whilst she prepares herself," Peta said without a hint of hesitation. "We will leave only when my Mistress is ready."

The woman nodded, biting on the inside of her cheek to keep her reply to herself. She had been paid to make this last part of the trial difficult for Candy, but it seemed she would be unable to carry out her patron's wishes. Miranda DeWinters would not be pleased, but someone had outsmarted her this time.

"I'm really glad that you're here," Candy said as they walked. "I didn't expect you."

"We didn't expect to be here either," Peta replied. "But Lord Carrion ordered us to come, and so here we are. Good thing too, that woman would have had you go to your wedding as you are."

Candy smiled through her chattering teeth, and looked around for Malingo. She spotted him already by the fire, removing a kettle from the flames. Candy doubled her pace, the promise of something hot to drink spurring her on.