We took the deer head and set off. The woods appeared especially eerie ahead. It was the darkest part of night, and if I wasn’t mistaken, a haunting voice seemed to follow us through these trees, almost echoing our quest. A couple of thin snowflakes began to fall from the sky, dotting the ground with their presence.
“Strange, isn’t it? How close we are to succeeding,” Arthur commented.
“Yes,” I mused. “And how close we are to failing.”
I hoped the water sprite would be able to give us a lead. Winter was setting upon us, and after this one, there would be only one more before Emma’s prophecy came true. I had vowed to Emma I would let her go if the time came, that I would not interfere if this war caused her death.
And yet I had also promised myself I would do everything I could to avoid that fate. I promised Emma I would go on to rule without her, if the gods warranted her death. Didn’t mean I would allow her to pass from my arms without a good fight.
We came to the well. It was decently kept, a round stone monument that was covered with dead ivy, which had passed from the onsetting cold. I peered inside. The water wasn’t yet frozen, but in a few more nightfalls, it would be. The water spirit would cease to appear after the water in the well froze over, so we were just in time to summon her.
I placed the deer head on the ground, then pulled a gold coin out of my pocket. I tossed it into the well, and I heard the coin land with a soft splash. Arthur and I stood beside the well, waiting.
A few moments later, the sprite emerged from the well, perching on the stone edge. She was beautiful— skin blue and translucent, with shimmering scales that reflected the moonlight. A ribbed fin ran from the top of her head all the way down her back. Her fingers were webbed, and instead of feet, she had two fanned fins attached to each leg.
I had seen her many times before, though not in many years. She appeared as flawless as she ever had, and hadn’t changed since I was a boy.
“What is it you ask in exchange for the coin?” the water sprite asked, batting her long eyelashes. “A trinket, a bauble?”
“We’ve come to ask for information on the Spring Princess,” I said.
The water sprite’s eyes flashed. “I do not give such knowledge willingly without payment.”
She spoke as if the knowledge was a secret. I tossed the deer’s head. The sprite caught it, clutching it to her chest. Blood from the head splayed over her scales. She dipped back into the well, diving in an arc.
I heard another splash before the sprite reappeared, pulling herself onto the edge of the well once more. Her mouth was ringed with blood.
“Payment has been received,” the sprite said. “What is it you wish to know?”
“The Spring Princess lives on an island somewhere in Edinmyre. We need to sail to it, so we may make a bargain with her,” I said.
“A dangerous thing, making a bargain with the Spring Princess.”
“Even so. Do you know how to get to this island?”
The water sprite turned over her palm and wiggled her fingers. A few droplets of water rose from her palm, shimmering in the air and turning in place.
“The Spring Princess’s island can only be found by sailing on the Sea of Stars,” the water sprite began. “You must leave from the shores of Ithriel at twilight, and sail west. From there, you will discover the Spring Princess’s domain.”
“Is there more you can tell us?” I demanded. That didn’t seem like enough.
“The Elves were friends of the Spring Princess, and therefore, disguised her island at her request. Their power enabled the island to move from one place to another within the Sea of Stars, bouncing from this place to that, never in the same location twice. The cycle repeats each day, with the island moving to a new spot every sunrise.” The sprite blinked at us.
“Then how are we supposed to find it?” I kept my voice even, though frustration welled inside of me. How could we find an island that moved?
“With fae power. To get to the island itself, you mustbelieveyou are going the right direction, and therefore, you are. Your intention will guide the way.”
“Illusion magic. Of course,” Arthur murmured.
It was the same way we’d found the gate that had led us to the Alicorn Court. “Is there anything more?”
“No. That is all I can tell you, for that is all I, and the water, knows. Go to Ithriel, and sail upon the Sea of Stars. Believe that you will arrive at your destination by dawn, and you will.”
The water sprite turned to jump back into her well. “I wish you well upon your journey. I hope your offering is sufficient for the Spring Princess, for if not, it will bring your doom.”
She dove back into the well, and I turned to Arthur. “I haven’t heard of Ithriel. Do you know it?”
“Somewhat. It is an old Elven settlement, from when the Elves lived among us in Edinmyre millennia ago,” Arthur said. “The city is long gone, but I’m sure the beach is still there.”
