“It’s quite apt, actually. His name is Stahlmaus. Rod Stahlmaus, if you’re on familiar terms, but most people just call him Stahlmaus.”
“Fine, Stahlmaus.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “You said you and Stahlmaus were there for me because of my music. Are you saying you thought I had magic?”
Celesta instantly sobered and looked at him seriously. “You do have magic. Listening to you is like getting a glimpse into your soul. Your music is real and raw and passionate, more than anything I’ve ever heard before. The magic from your songs was strong enough that Drosselmeyer felt it even before he made the gate to your realm. It’s why uncle was trying to find you; he wants your magic.”
“You’re saying I’m in this mess because I happen to play the harmonica?” Alex was growing more and more irritated. “I don’t know what you think I can do, but I’m just a soldier. I don’t have magic, and I certainly don’t want to be involved in whatever political mess is happening here. Thank you for your hospitality, but I would like to go home now.” He retrieved his jacket and stood, crossing his arms.
“You can’t. At least, not yet.” The ballerina hopped to her feet and began putting out the fire. “When the mirror broke it destroyed the gateway.”
He glared at her. “So make a new one.”
Celesta shook her head. “I can’t. Weren’t you listening? Drosselmeyer is the only one that can make gates to the other realms.”
“Where is he?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Like I said, we can send him a message when we get to Arboris.” She folded up the blanket and began gathering the few supplies scattered around the clearing. “If we leave now, we should be able to make it there before nightfall. It’s a good thing we ended up falling into Spring rather than Winter. The weather is perfect for walking.”
“I thought you didn’t know where we were.” Alex watched the little pixie’s light, energetic movements. She certainly didn’t seem to feel any negative effects from the previous night.
Celesta neatly stacked the supplies before stepping lightly across the clearing and placing them in the hollow of a nearby tree. “I don’t. But I know Arboris is to the west, and as long as we head that way, we can’t miss it.” She turned back to him and grinned. “I think you’ll find that the roads in Faerie work a little differently from the ones you’re accustomed to. Are you ready?”
He pulled his eyebrows together in confusion. “Aren’t we taking those with us?”
She looked over her shoulder to where he pointed at the supplies. “Oh, no. They’re there for anyone who might need them. The dryads keep little caches well-stocked throughout their forests; they’re known for their hospitality.” Celesta bounded past him, adding a little hop and twirl to her steps. “All right, then,” she called with a sunny smile. “Off to Arboris we go!”
Four
Theirpathquicklyconvergedwith a narrow road, and several things became abundantly clear as Alex trekked through the trees with Celesta.
The first was that whatever season he had ever experienced before and called “spring” paled in comparison to the warm air, vibrant colors, and lush and teeming plant life around him. A sweet, floral scent balanced delicately with the earthy smell of soil and wet wood hung in the air. The sounds of birdsong alone would have inspired him to compose a sonata, had he heard them during his youth. It was, in a word, the quintessential springtime.
The second was that, despite her size (or perhaps because of it) Celesta seemed to possess a boundless spring of energy. She walked with a bounce in her step, often skipping ahead to examine something beside their path. Alex was reminded of walking with an energetic young dog, though he kept the comparison to himself. The little ballerina was just solively. And she smiled so much it made his face hurt just thinking about it.
The third was that, while he would have expected someone who moved that much to have no energy left for speaking, Celesta’s mouth was just as exuberant and energetic as the rest of her. She carried on a steady stream of cheerful chatter as they walked, offering observations on the scenery or relaying stories from her childhood. She didn’t seem to be bothered by his relative silence, and his short, one-word answers did not deter her from continuing.
After a few hours, his patience had been worn nearly thin.
“...and you should know, of course, that dryads are very particular about what kind of wood should be used for building fires. Only use the dry twigs that have already fallen; never use an ax on a tree in this part of Spring. Once, when I was younger–”
“Celesta,” Alex muttered through clenched teeth, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I really don’t care.”
She paused and looked up at him, the surprise in her big brown eyes almost enough to make him feel guilty for interrupting her.
But the blessed silence canceled out the guilt.
Celesta wrinkled her forehead in concern. “But what if–”
“If we need to build a fire, I’m sure you’ll be more than up to the task. But you said we would be in Arboris by tonight, and it’s not like I’m planning on staying here. Once we find Drosselmeyer and he fixes the gateway, I’m going home.”
“Oh. Of course.” Her face resumed her usual pleasant expression, though Alex was certain he had seen her wings droop.
And now the guilt was winning over the silence.
He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. His right arm felt as good as new–he could hardly even tell where the injury had been. “I just…I’m used to walking in silence. When you’re trying to evade enemy soldiers, there’s not a lot of room for talking.”
Celesta’s eyes shone with empathy, and she matched her steps to his own. “You were in a war,” she said, the words more of a confirmation than a question. “I suppose it makes sense, then, why you would be so eager to return, if you loved your country enough to fight and bleed for it.”
“Something like that,” he grumbled. The truth was, the only ties keeping him connected to Cabriole were the few letters he had saved from his mother when he had first left home for university and the parcel of land on which his parents’ house had once stood. It was nothing more than dirt and charred remains now, but it was still the last place where they had all been together.
