Messenger in the Mist by Aubrie Dionne Page B

weeds rose around them, brushing Star’s legs as she urged Windracer on and searched the murky waters around them. Anything that had fallen in would have sunk by now, becoming part of the sludge. Even if Tia had made it off her horse and hid in the water, she would have been mortally injured, losing a lot of blood. If she fell unconscious, she would have surely drowned.
    But still Star looked for her, scanning the mossy cattails for an article of clothing, an arm or the top of Tia’s gray-haired head. She tried not to be spooked by the way the grass clung to her legs, as if the marsh reached out to take her in, or the mist flowing along the water’s edge, promising to bring those spindly legs with it. It was the thought of Tia’s limp body, floating in the bog like a dead jellyfish, that disturbed her most of all.
    Looking up for the first time, Star realized she’d searched in the wrong direction. Above her head, in the forsaken arms of a dead oak tree, hung a white letter bag much like her own.
    Star gasped, cursing under her breath. Tia had not made it to the water’s edge. She’d been carried away, off her horse and into the misty sky. The letter bag likely fell off her shoulder in mid-flight, the leather handle catching in the knotted branches.
    Reaching up with her long sword, Star cut the handle of the bag, dislodging it from the scraggly tree. It fell, taking brittle branches with it on its way down, but the front flap stayed secure and the letters remained inside, unscathed. Star caught the pack before it fell into the depths of the bog.
    Her gaze darting swiftly around her, Star secured the second bag to her back and urged Windracer back onto the path. Two letter packs would slow her down. With a quick decision, she threw off her metal helmet and a bag of food rations. The letters were more important.
    They took off into the mist. Faced with graphic evidence of her fellow carrier’s demise, Star’s stomach lurched. She had never seen so much blood. Suddenly, Star realized that Tia, as much as she had despised her, was not the true enemy. The case of the Elyndra was far more serious than a string of harsh words or the loss of a job.
    In that moment, Star found a purpose much bigger than any other she’d ever strived for, much more important than any letter she’d ever delivered. Star was going to fight for the freedom of all of her countrymen. She was going to find the source of the Elyndra and kill them all.
    Angered by their cruel disregard for human life, Star dared them to attack her again. She cursed the sky above with all manner of words, swinging her sword at the mist as if it, too, was a culprit. But none of the beasts descended. The mist held empty wishes for her revenge.
    Guards lowered the drawbridge to Ravencliff and Star rode across it. She glanced back over her shoulder but saw nothing. At least she was no longer afraid.
    * * * *
    Star sat in her room at the Overflow Tavern with the two letter bags on either side. Her first thought was to match each letter with its copy, making sure the Interkingdom Carriers informed every sender of the accident and each writer had a chance to recreate another letter in its place. Tia’s letters were soggy from being in the rain for so long, but the writing could still be read. Star could deliver both copies, just in case the sender had left out important correspondence the second time.
    Of course, the head collector’s files were accurate, and each letter had its copy. She was almost done sorting when she saw an unapproved letter addressed to Fallon Leer.
    It stood out from the pile like a red flag rising against stone, the heavy parchment stamped with the iconic seal. Star dug into her bag and found she had a newer version of the same letter. Zetta had smuggled it through the collectors with success twice.
    Suddenly, Star realized why Zetta had chosen Tia to ride out in her place. Star had questioned the first smuggled letter. She had given voice to the