Leena Likitalo: The Five Daughters of the Moon

“Drink it,” the witch said. “No trick hide honey.”

Alina still hesitated. She tasted just a little. A timid smile spread across her face, and it warmed my heart to such degree I couldn’t even remember how it felt to be cold. “Tastes like summer.”

It was then that the guards grew impatient. Captain Janlav—for who else would dare—knocked on the door. The knob turned, but the door wouldn’t budge.

“Men. Always in haste.” The witch glared sideways at the door. To us she said, “Stop feeding little one potions. No shadow ever harm me.”

The door rattled as if a thunder were about to roll in. The witch tossed a loose end of her shawl over her shoulder. It was then that I realized it wasn’t made of fabric, but a shadow of a cat. Scribs, you must believe me, this is what I saw with my very own eyes.

The door flung open, and Captain Janlav stumbled in. Noticing that we all were by the table, that we couldn’t have possibly unlocked the door for him, he muttered, “So it was only stuck.”

Then he noticed Alina, sitting on the table’s edge, dangling her feet in the air. His gaze brightened and his foul mood practically leaked out of his body. “The little one is up?”

Alina set the cup down next to her. She smiled at Captain Janlav as if he were our brother, not a soldier overseeing our imprisonment. Captain Janlav strode to her and tousled her gray-brown hair. He was so glad to see her well that he didn’t notice the whispered conversation that occurred between Celestia and the witch.

Scribs, again, I wasn’t eavesdropping, but this is what they said to each other.

“You.” The witch grabbed Celestia’s arm. She pressed a small leather pouch into her hand. “Unwanted it be now. But later may be none.”

“A deal is a deal,” Celestia replied, pursing her hand against the witch’s. “Regardless of the cost.”

And Scribs, that was it. Celestia’s end of the bargain.

Coldness entered the cottage in the shape of a snowy gust. The guards peered in, one after another, but didn’t dare to enter. Captain Janlav must have told them to wait outside.

“We should return to the train now,” Captain Janlav said. He must have been afraid of the witch, to a degree at least, for he avoided addressing her.

I wanted to protest and say that we really could stay longer, but I didn’t. We had to act smart. The witch couldn’t help us. She’d said as much. Now that Alina was well, we should obey the guards meekly, so that when the time came to put Celestia’s plan into action, they wouldn’t see it coming.

“Piggyback?” Alina asked, of all things!

Captain Janlav actually laughed. Elise swayed, as if this one sound had been a key to a lock that she’d thought forever rusted shut. He turned his back to our little sister and said, “Hop on then.”

He didn’t need to urge my sisters and me out. Celestia went first, because she’s the eldest. I followed Elise. Merile came after me with her rats. Not one of us glanced back. Not even me, though I was tempted. Beard held the rear, seemingly relieved that we hadn’t attempted to flee. The witch didn’t call after us, didn’t dash out of her cottage at the last moment, nothing like that. Why would she have?

We retraced our footprints to the train. I don’t know how much time we’d spent in the witch’s cottage, but the blue moment had come to an end and the world had turned black and white. Though I kept glancing up, I couldn’t see even a trace of the Moon. But then, just as we were about to board the train, I caught the thinnest sliver of brightness, and from this I knew that our father hadn’t abandoned us, but was looking after us from the sky.

Captain Janlav led us through the day carriage into our cabins. The rest of the guards remained out, to smoke their last cigarettes, I guess. My sisters and I kissed Alina good night, not exactly eager to part from her.

“I’m fine,” she said, time after time. She even giggled. Whatever magic the witch had unleashed on her seemed to work better than any of Nurse Nookes’s potions.

We retreated into our cabins. Captain Janlav locked the doors. I lay on my bed for a long time, fully dressed, absolutely sure I could never fall asleep. After a while, the train lurched into motion. It must have taken some time and effort to reheat the engine. I closed my eyes for a moment, only to wake up come morning.

A timid knock announced the arrival of the silent servant. I felt tempted to ignore it, but that would have meant missing the opportunity to wash. I quickly got up and smoothed my skirts. There was no smoothing my hair from the tangled braids—incidents of this sort are what separate me from Elise.

“Come in,” I said.

The guard accompanying the servant unlocked the door. The servant offered me a pitcher of lukewarm water through the barely wide enough crack. I accepted it with whatever gratitude I could muster up.

I washed my face and hands sluggishly. Risking Merile’s snarky remarks, I decided not to wash further. The morning was too chilly for me to care to undress.

I sat down on my bed to wait for the guards to escort us to the day carriage. I reached for the nightstand’s drawer to retrieve you, Scribs. Then I remembered that I’d left you in the day carriage, stashed under the divan’s pillow. I imagined in horror what would happen if the servant or guards had happened upon you. One thought only eased my mind. This particular silent servant isn’t keen on cleaning.

Another knock came from the door. I bounced up, eager to retrieve you, Scribs.

When I exited my cabin, Captain Janlav had already roused Elise. He waited by Celestia’s door, the one closest to the day carriage. Merile appeared soon after, with her rats. Even Alina made it out of her cabin before Celestia. Boy ushered her up the corridor, toward us. She ran, squealing.

“What’s taking Celestia this long,” Merile said aloud, the very thing that I, too, wondered.

I thought of the witch then, of the deal she’d struck with Celestia. What if Captain Janlav were to open the door, only to find our eldest sister missing? The Moon bless me for thinking of this even in passing, but what if her plan was to escape alone? No doubt she’d send someone to rescue us later. I’m almost sure of that.

“Celestia,” Captain Janlav called through her cabin’s door. When he received no reply, he cupped his palm against his ear and held it against the panel. “Everyone is waiting for you.”

He tapped his right foot a good ten times. A flicker of suspicion crossed his face as he retreated a step and very unceremoniously pulled open the door.

I couldn’t take it anymore then, and neither could Elise. We darted after him, into the cabin. Oh, Scribs, it was horrible and horribly embarrassing!

Celestia lay on her bed, wrapped in a stained sheet. A most terrifying case of wretched days must have crept upon her during the night. For she’d bled all over the sheet and the mattress and her dress. Sometimes I get feverish during mine and suffer from cramps. But my sister’s face… color had fled her cheeks, and a cold sheen of sweat clung to her forehead.

“By the wretched days,” I muttered under my breath for the benefit of Captain Janlav, for he couldn’t possibly fathom the extent of the bloody horror that women faced monthly.

“Uh-oh…” Captain Janlav actually blushed and stepped aside to let Elise and me pass. He moved to block the entrance. The Moon bless him for that.

“Close the door, will you?” Elise snapped, kneeling before Celestia. Our sister’s embarrassment needed no further witnesses. “And ask the servant to bring water and towels.”

I didn’t quite know what to do. Luckily, Elise was in much better control of herself. She checked Celestia’s forehead for temperature. “Can you hear us, Celestia?”