Northern Star

By Madison McDonald

Seventeen-year-old Kai Evergreen became an orphan at the
age of fourteen after loosing her father to the Royal Guard. But
before he died, he told her to find a friend called Luna. Long
after abandoning the search, Kai and her dog Hestia hear that
familiar name in the most unexpected of places. Soon they find
themselves on a journey to reunite a band of murderers - the
Seven Dragons - and help save the world from a sinister evil
threatening the kingdom.
As she joins these wanted criminals, Kai begins to question
everything she thought she was and fears what she might become.
Her journey to find the Seven leads her to discover hidden truths
long buried and a striking power within. To help her nation, Kai
must face herself as well as her past and become something she
never imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098384609

Book preview

Part I:

The Girl and Her Dog

1

Smells evoke the most powerful memories. For me, no matter how many years pass, the smell of burning wood forever flashes across my mind the memory of the night that changed my life forever. From just one trace in the air, I remember it all. It started with the smell and ended in ashes, leaving behind a damaged frame, the skeleton of my childhood.

Everything from that night resurfaces for me when that smell appears—the adrenaline that consumed my very being, the trepidation and the consternation that would mold me into who I am today.

From what I can remember, it was a cool night. I could hear the creatures singing their nightly songs. The forest around my family home came alive as I attempted to go to sleep. I was fourteen, my year of being indifferent and some would say overconfident.

That night no warning signs flared, no whispers breathed across the wind. Everything seemed normal as I sat in my room on my bed reading one of my favorite books, The Tale of Two Stars by Chloe Summers. It told the story of two former knights, Sir Adrian Listeir and Lord Noah Bardol, who rescue a princess and battle an evil witch queen named Malfandrea.

As I reached the part where the knights rush to save Princess Amelada from the troop of trolls, that smell began to clog my nose. I dismissed it at first. Father might’ve started a fire, chilled by the night air. He was known to do that sometimes. However, soon the smell began to build, overwhelming my senses. It was joined by a faint sound of crackling.

Now concerned, I put my book down and began to try to identify the unsettling smell. I opened the door and gasped. Fire climbed the wooden walls, spreading like a spider’s web and crawling at a speed faster than the wind. It rushed toward me.

Father! I shouted. Father, where are you? I didn’t hear a reply until a figure dashed through the flames and into my room.

Eryn Evergreen, from what I can still remember, thundered through the doorway, dressed in his favorite pair of buttoned royal blue pajamas—the ones I had gifted him for his birthday. They had small golden stars that seemed to dance across the outfit’s sleeves and pant legs. But I remember they dulled when compared to the luminance of the raging flames.

Kai! Kai! Are you okay? My father’s eyes, as wild as a caged animal’s behind his rounded, smoke-fogged glasses, found mine. Debris and ash covered his clothes, his brown skin, his hair. His frantic look made him seem every bit the part of the mad scientist he often joked he was. He looked as though he’d stormed through hell. Quickly, he ran to my side and gathered me in his strong arms.

What’s happening? I felt frozen in place. Smoke continued to cloud up the room, making it even harder to breathe. We had to get out of here.

Follow me. We need to leave before the whole house comes down! Without waiting for me to respond, my father took my hand. We rushed to our house’s back door and into the open field beyond.

A small but deep ravine separated the house from the forest. I coughed as my lungs tried to collect as much smoke-free air as possible.

After a few moments of recovery, my father began to speak.

Why must we live in a world with such evil? A world driven by greed and lies? Father gritted his teeth as he released my hand.

I shook my head in confusion. What? Father, what are you talking about?

He spoke in a low voice, talking more to the stars than to me. I’ve helped to do something that would be considered a crime against humanity. They played me like a fool, but of course if I wasn’t one, I would have seen through it. My father didn’t make eye contact with me. It was only a matter of time … they could keep me in the dark for only so long—

He was abruptly cut off by the sound of thunderous hoofbeats toward the front of the house.

You there! A voice boomed.

Stay here! Father told me. He then covered his mouth with his buttoned pajama top and disappeared back into our home.

Father! I whispered.

I tried to go after him, but the flames flared up and grazed my forearm. I can remember the twinge of pain that spread over my skin. I coughed viciously and tried to shield my eyes from the flying embers. The voices around the house became clearer. Are they moving around to the back? No, I decided upon hearing the sound of our door being broken off its hinges. They are going into the burning building!

Father …

As if summoned by my thoughts, my father leaped back through the flames, a brown leather bag swung across his shoulder. There was something inside his clenched first too.

What’s this? I murmured as he quickly handed me the bag and what he had in his hand. It was a crumpled piece of paper. What is this? I repeated, trying to unravel it, but my father stopped me suddenly.

Do not look at it until you are as far away from here as possible! Understand? You must find a friend of mine. Please, Kai. I know it’s a wild goose chase, but I need you to do this! His eyes bored into me like a beggar’s plea. Be my northern star, Kai. Guide the way.

We know you’re here somewhere, Eryn! The foreign voices grew louder. Closer. Overwhelmed by the noise of the burning house, though, I couldn’t identify the speaker’s gender. Only muffled tones met my ears.

Father grabbed my shoulders. You have to go. Now!

Wait, why am I leaving? And who am I looking for? I exclaimed frantically. He took the paper from me and shoved it into my bag.

Go now! His voice raised to an urgent whisper.

Around us the world screamed as birds and other forest life fled; the sky blazed orange, red, yellow, black. Smoke raged, making us cough even more and shield our eyes from stray embers. Soon we couldn’t even see each other clearly.

All I heard was my father repeat, You must go!

I stepped closer, taking him in one last time. The amber in his eyes flared like the flames devouring our house, then quickly they filled with tears. I love you, Kai. I’m sorry it had to come to this. I hope your mother will forgive me. Please, go!

Hey! Stop right there! someone yelled. They sounded so close, mere steps away.

Kai!

Father!

I looked to him. He needed me. But he also needed me to live.

And so, I ran.

I heard my father grunt as an armored hand grasped his shoulder and yanked him to the ground. Then I watched as, in one brisk movement, his attacker slit a blade across his throat.

NO!

I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. I wanted to go to him, to kill every one of the people who wanted to hurt him, us. But somehow, I got myself to move.

Soon I realized I’d wandered too far. In the dark and smoke-riddled air, the lip of the ravine was too hard to see. I felt my heart drop and my arms flail as I tumbled down the shallow gap toward the small stream below.

I screamed as my right knee collided with a sharp stone hidden beneath the water. Small wounds dotted my arms and legs as I dragged myself across the riverbed to the shore. My arm still throbbed from where the fire licked me. The taste of iron swirled inside my mouth.

As I began to climb my way out, trying to ignore the pain of my knee along with everything else, I looked up into darkness. The glint of two armored figures told me whoever had gone after my father was now likely coming after me.

Oy, you! Come here! One pointed at me.

Like a rabbit caught in a wolf’s hunt, I scrambled my way onto the other side of the ravine and ran faster than I ever had in my life. I sprinted into the woods, tearing through bushes and low-hanging branches.

Once I couldn’t hear the voices anymore, I collapsed to the ground. I tossed the bag, which I’d shielded from the fall, somewhere nearby, focusing my attention on my knee. It was swollen and sported a large gash that oozed crimson. And it hurt.

I tore of what remained of my pant leg and tightly wrapped the fabric around the wound.

My father often would tell me that creatures of the night were just as busy as those of the day, but no amount of creature comfort could shake my loneliness or this pain. My body ached with exhaustion too. Blood covered my clothes and caked my skin; my thoughts raced.

I cried among the animals, letting my tears flow in waves—from sorrow to anger to regret. When I felt like I had let it all out, my thoughts shifted to Father’s bag. It rested there in the dirt.

I rubbed my runny nose and my sore red eyes and walked toward it. It looked so perfect, sitting there all peaceful.

Stupid bag. It had caused my father nothing but trouble, forcing him back into the house to get it, and now it was my responsibility. I felt a seething anger toward it. I wanted to chuck it into the stream I’d crawled out of, but I’d settle for a kick instead.

Slowly standing up, I limped over to it. As much as it stung to apply pressure to my injured knee, I drew back my other leg to punt it. But I stopped suddenly when the bag moved.

I shrieked, losing my balance and falling onto my butt. I suppressed the urge to scream again as the pain thundered through my knee. I stayed still, drawing in deep breaths until I could bear the pain when I moved. Swiftly, I grabbed a nearby stick for help and then used it to nudge the bag a few times. But nothing happened. I shrugged and slowly reached for the bag again. But when I did, it moved again! This cycle repeated for a while until I mustered enough courage to open it.

To my surprise, a small brown dog’s head greeted me. He was very much alive, staring at me with deep brown eyes that connected to my soul. We never had a dog, so I was in utter shock that one was inside this bag. Where did Father get you?

When the little dog’s eyes met mine, suddenly I felt a wave of calmness wash over me. I grabbed the dog and cradled it in my bruised arms. Its body was frail and small, yet it had survived the fall and our escape into the woods, so I knew he had a strong will.

I felt the urge to do everything I could to protect this dog, to make sure we’d survive the unknown fate ahead of us.

I decided to name him Hestia, meaning hearth. Since both Hestia and I were saved from the fire that took my home, it seemed appropriate. Plus, the name sounded cool. Hestia was male, but that didn’t alter my decision.

Besides Hestia being in the bag, there was also the note Father had given me. I opened it and scanned its short contents:

Luna’s

I squinted at my father’s familiar handwriting. The word meant nothing to me. Was it a location? A person? He’d mentioned finding a friend …

Based on Father’s instructions, I knew that I needed to find this Luna’s, no matter the cost or who it was. My father called me his northern star, the light of his life. From now on, I would be that northern star for him. I would do what he asked, find Luna, and to make sure Hestia and I survived.

Together, the dog and I began our journey, leaving the smell of smoke behind and following an unknown star …

2

Three years later …

Sitting on the train as it left Opa’s station, I tried to fight off the exhaustion that warred inside my body. My eyelids threatened to close with every blink. My bones ached. I hadn’t slept last night. The nightmares were getting worse.

Hestia, on the other hand, seemed perfectly well rested. He was bouncing of the walls and racing through the train’s aisles, disturbing the other passengers, who cast uncertain looks our way.

I couldn’t have cared less, but it was starting to get rather irritating.

Can you sit still for one second? I hissed.

What? I’m excited! We’re traveling to a different region, and in style. Hestia finally rested his bottom in the seat next to me.

Well, just keep quiet!

Hestia had started to gain the ability to communicate with me about a year ago. One day, he just opened his mouth and said hello. It shocked me, since no other animals I knew could communicate with people. I couldn’t explain why it was happening, what magic spell he was under to make this possible, but the more he talked the less I questioned. Still, sometimes I wondered if I was just imagining it.

I rested my chin on my palm and leaned against the train window with a sigh.

The ticket for this train cost a small fortune. I could have spent the money on a new dagger, or anything else, really, but when the country’s most famous food festival, only held every ten years, came to a nearby town, I vowed to do anything to see it—including coughing up the money for this train ride to Celeste.

As luck would have it, the money came easily. I had just finished delivering a special package to a customer who’d paid quite nicely. Best of all, I’d only had to use half of it for my ticket and Hestia as personal cargo. I had been taking jobs as a smuggler for, I would admit, some shady people. But money was money, and it was now helping us get to Celeste, a region in the North division.

The country we lived in was called Finrea. It was divided into four divisions: the North, South, East, and West. The smaller parts of each division were called regions. They each had their own colors and flags to represent their lands. Nivah, the capital, had a flag that represented Finrea as a whole. (I actually had a house in Nivah, but I preferred to travel for work.)

Governors ran the divisions’ different regions. Together they were known as the Fourteen Governors. Finrea might have been a monarchy officially, but the governors helped keep the country’s designated regions in check.

I had heard that Celeste was a region known for its sweet tooth. It had stellar desserts, and an entire street of bakeries. The saying went that Celeste’s cakes were gifts from the stars themselves. When the food festival arrived, Celeste transformed into a true haven for sugary sweets—stalls filled to the brim with all sorts of wildly decorated pastries, cakes, and breads. I too had a major sweet tooth but had never been to Celeste’s famous festival, so this would be worth the price of the ticket.

The Shooting Star Festival got its name from the special star showers that occurred over Celeste every ten years. For that reason, stars became the festival’s main theme. The star showers lasted for nearly the entire month of the festival. It was a sight to behold, or so I had always heard. Now, I was excited to check it out for myself, as well as sample some of Celeste’s famous star cakes.

Hestia only knew we were going to Celeste for the festival, but I had recently gained some info on a possible target that I also wanted to visit. The evening before, I had heard that a strange building had been moving from region to region under cover of night.

Quite odd, actually.

They called it the moving tavern because it never stayed in one place for too long. It would disappear once it gained too much attention, leaving no trace. The rumors agreed that Celeste was its next stop.

As I am not a person to drop everything simply because of a rumor, it intrigued me. I wanted to see the tavern for myself, and if possible put a few of its tempting trinkets into my pockets to sell for good coin later. However, doing so would also mean putting a stop in my plans to pass over to Nivah and spend a few days at home.

But before trying to find this pub, I had a festival to enjoy.

I watched out the window as the trees passed by in a blur of green.

Cakes, cakes, cakes! Hestia barked cheerfully.

Someone’s excited. I tilted my head slightly toward him.

Well, people do say when you eat a star cake you’re tasting heaven in one bite, Hestia replied eagerly. Also, food is everything.

That is true. I cracked a small smile.

I don’t know what I would do without Hestia. He is one of my best friends.

Finally, the train reached Celeste. We filed out along with the other impatient passengers and into the train station.

Celeste wasn’t as big as I thought it would be, but it was crowded because of the festival. Guards dominated every part of this festival—standing at every corner, near every junction, and close to every market stall. Each one wore armor striped in Celeste’s regional colors: light yellow, purple, and white. I took note of where each guard stood, of course.

Eventually, we strode through decorations people were setting up and past some of the more accomplished bakers’ stalls. The aromas of different desserts descended on us like angels from heaven. Hestia began to drool; I had to stop myself from drooling too.

It soon became clear I couldn’t be satisfied with just smells; I needed something sweet. Dreams of Celeste’s star cakes filled my head as my eyes settled on a nearby shop. As I pushed through the doorway, a tiny bell rang overhead.

Welcome to Star Drop! The best star cakes in Celeste are sold here. How can I help you? a man behind the counter asked. His wide smile said please buy my food.

I walked to the counter, considering the generous selection displayed there. Cakes of various colors, sizes, and beauty waited behind the glass.

A star cake named the Moonflower caught my eye. Baked with berries of the Senra flower, a plant that only grew in the moon’s light, its peculiar flavor was said to appeal to even the fussiest eaters. This cake had pure white fluffy icing covering its dark purple top and was finished off with a generous helping of golden sprinkles.

My stomach growled; skipping breakfast wasn’t the smartest idea.

Ah! the baker said. This kind of star cake is only baked during the Shooting Star Festival. It’s an excellent choice!

I nodded, smiling, my decision made. I quickly ordered, adding a vanilla star cake for Hestia. Since the shop was beginning to get crowded, I hastily paid for our treats, and we headed out into the streets.

Within moments, I was enjoying my divine star cake—I’d cry over how good it was if I wasn’t in public. Hestia had devoured his in almost one bite. He then tried to snag some of mine.

Back of! I raised my Moonflower out of his reach.

I just want a bite! Standing on his hind legs, he leaped several times at my star cake.

I pushed him of me, pointed at him, and said the forbidden words: Bad dog! Bad dog!

Hestia halted, crouched against the ground, whimpering, then he whined, No! I’m a good dog. I promise!

I raised a brow. Are you? He nodded.

I tapped my chin as if in thought. Okay, fine. You’re a good boy.

I rubbed Hestia’s head, messing up his fur. He wagged his tail and barked in response. I made a small smile and closed my eyes to blink. As I did so, I felt a force of wind whoosh past me.

Wait.

I opened my eyes and whipped my head toward my Moonflower-occupied hand. It was gone!

I turned back to Hestia, my eyes as cold and sharp as steel. He was in the process of licking white icing of his guilty lips. He stopped when he noticed me looking at him. He smiled sheepishly.

My eyes flared but eventually they cooled back to their light brown. I couldn’t be mad at my best friend forever.

I sighed and said, It was good while it lasted.

Hestia resumed licking the icing of his lips until I added, I think you can try to sleep outside tonight. Then he went quiet for a while.

We explored the rest of the festival and what it had to offer. I, of course, bought some more sweets. I offered Hestia some, but he refused.

As we walked, we came across the slums of Celeste. Every city had a slum of some sort, usually easy to find because of its darker buildings and varied street life. Celeste’s slums seemed to have all sorts of people huddled together talking among themselves, their clothes torn and covered in dirt. The area smelled awful, though not the worst I’d smelled.

Dressed in my fine clothing, I stuck out like a sore thumb. My dark blue tunic, made from Arona silk spiders, wrapped around my torso. I wore a white undershirt, and a tunic covered one of my shoulders. Black pants hugged my lower half nicely. My leather boots gleamed with a polished shine and clicked as I walked across the stone path. Father’s bag was slung over my shoulder. A black cape swung behind me, copying my movements like a shadow. My dark curly brown hair sat in a messy low bun, a sign that I was too lazy to make an actual hairstyle. My light brown skin glowed in the sun’s rays. My favorite dagger sat strapped to my right thigh, within easy reach.

Wearing this much tailored fabric, however, I was a walking target. Even Hestia sported an expensive collar around his neck. The collar itself was made of leather, but the little piece that bore his name was pure gold. (I would sometimes spend money on fashion rather than food.)

My hand traced over my dagger as Hestia and I made our way through the area. The people of the slums watched us like animals, but I could understand why. When I first lived alone, I found myself in a place like this quite often. Whenever someone of nobility passed by, I couldn’t peel my eyes of them. They were gods, living a life I could never hope to live.

However, dressed like a noble now, if any of them lunged for me, my clothes, or Hestia, my dagger would go through their throat. Desperation ruled people of the slums; that’s what made them dangerous. I picked up the pace, wondering how long it’d take to get through this section.

My eyes kept searching the shadows for a reason to draw my blade. Then they came across a woman slumped against a wall. Her head faced the ground; her hands and feet were spread out against the floor. She looked like some kind of ragdoll, carelessly discarded. Her pale skin showed signs of bruising, and dirt covered her cheeks. Her honey gold hair was matted to her head. I spied hints of dried blood on her clothes.

Normally, I would have kept walking, but something compelled me to stop.

I approached the woman, but she didn’t even flinch. I knelt before her and sniffed the air. She smelled revolting. I swallowed, trying to hide any hint of my disgust. The woman remained silent, and I looked back to Hestia. He stood close enough to help but far enough to get a head start if the woman did anything requiring us to run. His nose wrinkled, signaling he couldn’t handle the smell. Weak.

Are you alright? I asked.

After a moment more of silence, the woman’s head slowly rose. Ice blue eyes stared into my soul. They glared at me, yet they held no emotion; they were just hollow and empty. Kindness had left those eyes long ago, and now only dread and horror remained. But the thing was, my eyes had lost their kindness too, so it was like looking into a mirror.

The woman’s eyes explored my clothes slowly. When she spoke, her voice was raspy, like a key scraping against a lock. What is someone of your status doing here in this graveyard? Come to see what it’s like to be poor? Her tongue was sharp. For a person of poverty, she spoke quite well. She sounded educated.

Well, I started, I’m a visitor, and I seem to have made a wrong turn here. I saw you and thought I’d help you out. Not a complete lie.

The woman didn’t look convinced, but she said, I see.

What is your name? I asked.

I don’t remember. It has been a long time since I heard it. The woman blinked slowly, too slowly.

As I reached for my back pocket, the woman’s eyes widened.

I caught a glimpse of her reaction. Calm down, I huffed. I pulled out a piece of expensive chocolate I had bought earlier. It was wrapped in cream-colored paper held together by a sticker that read: Angel’s Gold.

Here. I held out the chocolate. Take it. The woman looked at the brown morsel, then at me. She then reached for it and began to devour it. My brow lifted.

The woman only took a breath when the chocolate was gone. She sighed. Thank you. I haven’t eaten in days.

I could tell. I had gotten used to the smell by now. I smiled, and the woman smiled back, although it didn’t reach her eyes.

The woman adjusted her position against the wall. I squatted on the floor, placing the ends of my cape in my lap. I motioned Hestia over. He approached slowly, his ears perked.

It’s fine, I told him softly, and he moved closer to the woman. The woman smiled and reached for Hestia, but he avoided her touch.

Hestia! I scolded.

It’s fine, said the woman. I smell and look awful. The woman released a low chuckle; I couldn’t help but laugh as well. So, will you answer my question?

Well, I came here because I heard that a certain tavern was in town. I need to find it, I said.

A tavern? The woman’s blond hair shifted on her face. I think I’ve heard of one passing through here. I heard the ale is delicious. She looked at the ground.

Did you catch a name, by chance?

Luna’s, I think, the woman said, her voice almost a whisper.

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. My heart stopped. My pulse beat faster. I exchanged a look with Hestia. Luna’s?

It couldn’t be …

Luna’s was a dream. The quest for the owner of that illusive title had died long ago. At first, it had been a mission. We’d traveled the world, Hestia and me, following any whiff of adventure. But all roads eventually led to nothing.

Now, having exhausted almost all leads and settling more and more deeply into the life Hestia and I led, I’d lost the will to keep looking. We also moved around a lot—it’s hard to stay in the same place if you work for the black market—which made it hard to continue the search.

The woman nodded. I think Luna’s is the name.

Do you happen to know where it is located? I laced my fingers as calmly as I could.

The woman turned to her side and called, Hey, where is Luna’s?

Someone yelled back, It’s right by the outskirts of the woods, that large open area, not too far from the gate. You’ll need a carriage to get there!

Perfect.

I looked toward the sky and said a few words of thanks to anyone that was listening. I also noticed it was becoming nightfall. I should get there fast.

Well. I stood up, releasing the cape behind me and drawing the hood over my face. Thank you for the info. Also … I reached into my other pocket and pulled out a small pouch of coins. I handed it to the woman, who stared at me, slack jawed.

Someone like you doesn’t need to be here. I meant it. From the look of you … I placed the pouch directly in the woman’s lap. You and I don’t fall too far from the same tree.

I pivoted, my cape swooshing. I took a step, and the woman called after me, My name is Iris.

Kai, I answered, but I did not turn around.

Luna’s was real.

3

Hestia and I hurried back to the festival grounds to rent a carriage. Luckily, despite the late hour, some vendors were still open for service. I told the driver we hired to take us to Luna’s, then regretted not telling him exactly where to go. But the man seemed to know already. News travels fast!

Crammed next to Hestia in the small space, I tried to relax. This is it. We are going to see what Father wanted me to find.

To calm myself, I tried resting my head against the carriage’s only window and silently counted the people we passed.

That was a really nice thing you did for that lady, Hestia said after a while.

I smirked and shrugged. Whatever.

You’ve gone soft, Hestia teased.

Nah, I’m still the same person I’ve always been, I answered.

Mean and stubborn. Hestia’s ears twitched.

I was going to say mature and blunt, but okay. I frowned and began to tap my thigh.

What’s wrong? Hestia rested on the soft seat, his head balanced against the curtained doorway we’d entered earlier.

I’m nervous, I admitted. I wasn’t the type to get cold feet, but recently I’d been having nightmares about that night. Everything seemed so vivid. Now here I was, about to visit the place my father shared with me in his last breath. The idea made me uneasy.

It’ll be alright, Hestia reassured.

I hope so.

Suddenly, the carriage jerked to a halt. I opened the door before the driver could hop down, allowing Hestia to jump out too.

I tipped the driver and watched as he scrambled back to his seat and swiftly reanimated the horses with a flick of his reins. Within seconds, he had moved far down the road to wherever he’d spend the rest of the night.

The cool evening breeze blew through my hair, kissed my tan skin. I gazed ahead at the building that was my fate.

As the stranger from the slums had said, the tavern sat near some woods, occupying an untouched area a few feet before the start of the treeline. It seemed larger than any tavern I’d ever been in. A makeshift bramble path led up to a small staircase before its door. Floating lights danced behind its windows. A small wooden sign flapped in the breeze. Luna’s, it read.

The building certainly looked out of place, which is probably why it attracted attention.

A rather interesting place for a building, don’t you think? Somehow, Hestia always managed to say what I was thinking.

Indeed. I pulled my cape’s hood further over my face.

We made our way down the dirt path toward Luna’s entrance. The closer we got, the faster my heartbeat drummed in my chest.

I could tell that the tavern was still open because of its glowing lights and the faint smell of baked bread that came from it.

Now, standing before the building, I took a good look at it. It wasn’t as large as I had first thought, but a good size. Its mostly wooden exterior gave it a cozy feeling. An awning sheltered the front door.

My boots squeaked against the moaning stairs as I climbed them. There before the door, I drew in a breath—Here goes nothing—and unlatched it.

Confusion stamped across my face as I entered. How … ?

Inside, the place was huge. High ceilings with chandeliers swung overhead, polished stone flooring complimented the wooden walls. Several wooden tables filled the dining area. A staircase near where I stood led upstairs. There was also a lounging area with some sofas.

But no customer in sight.

Whoa, Hestia started. He’d been right at my heels but had pushed his way ahead while I took in the atmosphere. This is amazing! He walked further inside. I stepped further in too, closing the door behind us.

Why is this place empty? The rumors made it seem like the moving tavern drew a crowd wherever it was.

I examined everything around us; maybe a clue would pop up.

Wandering nearer the bar, I admired the long line of liquor bottles stacked on the shelf behind it. This place could supply a whole army!

I also couldn’t ignore the intricately carved glasses piled on either end of the bar. If I sold just one of them, it could pay for our train tickets to Nivah. I searched around for any sign of the barman.

And spied a small bell dangling not far away.

I looked to Hestia. Should I ring it?

Why not? He rose onto his back legs, putting his front paws on the counter.

I tapped the bell swiftly, the ding echoing throughout the deserted tavern. I looked around but didn’t see anyone coming to our aid. No workers or anyone.

Odd as well …

Maybe no one is here. Hestia went back to all fours.

Maybe. A bit of my heart sank. If we had come earlier maybe—

A large crash rattled from behind a door by the counter, shattering my thoughts. It sounded like pans hitting the stone floor. Hestia and I flinched at the sudden noise, then listened. A muffled voice angrily grunted, snarled, and finally cursed.

Unsure of what to do, I rang the bell again. This time, no noise sounded. All grew lethally quiet.

Are they okay? Hestia shifted his ears, trying to detect something.

The silence started to make me uneasy. What if that person is hurt?

I began to make my way toward the back door when a voice said, Can I help you? I jumped backward, nearly drawing my dagger.

A woman stood before me. Long auburn hair swung down her sides. Her fair skin appeared to glow. Her eyes, a deep hazel brown, seemed soft and intrigued. She was quite beautiful.

She cocked her head toward me and repeated, Can I help you?

Well, I straightened, clearing my throat and placing my hands on my hips in what I hoped was a commanding stance, you can help me, yes.

Well, what will it be? The woman gestured to the ale on the bar.

Um, I’m not really here to drink. (Although my throat did feel a little dry.)

What is it then? The woman’s eyes met mine. She seemed just as confused as I was.

We’re looking for someone, Hestia answered.

Whoa, a talking dog? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of those! The woman grabbed Hestia and rubbed him all over.

Hestia yelped. Hey! Watch it, lady!

Who is this woman? And she’s seen talking animals before? I’d never talked to any other animal except Hestia. I didn’t think others could!

What’s its name? the woman asked.

It? Hestia gritted his teeth.

Hestia, I answered. Wait, you’ve seen other talking animals?

"Aww, that’s a pretty name for a pretty