The Twisted Tale of Saffron Schmidt Read online

  Hanna nickered in response, pricking her ears forward at Henry.

  Saffron opened the gate and let Hanna through. The mare waltzed in and allowed her son to snuffle through her mane before they indulged in a mutual scratching session of each other’s backs.

  Sighing in contentment, Saffron closed the gate and leaned on it, watching the two horses in blissful peace. Twilight insects started buzzing through the air and the humidity of the summer sun had lessened now sunset bathed Sehrstadt in a beautiful orange glow. A cool breeze slid through the forest, kissing Saffron’s skin with such a light touch, she shivered.

  With a growling stomach, Saffron headed indoors, grateful for another day in Sehrstadt.

  Chapter Three

  “Good news, Saffron!” Anna said, bursting through her daughter’s bedroom door a few mornings later. “Herr Schulz has approved you going on the next supply trip.”

  Saffron sprang upright, her blonde hair flying all over the place. “Really? Oh, Mama! Thank you so much!”

  “Hurry,” Anna said, shooing her daughter out of bed. “It’s today and the cart leaves in thirty minutes.”

  Shrieking in delight, Saffron jumped out of bed and hurried to her wardrobe. Flicking through her various dresses, she pulled out her favourite—a sky blue knee length cotton dress. She grabbed her pair of black leather shoes and in less than ten minutes, burst into the kitchen, her freckled round face lit up in joy.

  Anna took one look at her daughter and then glanced at her husband, a silent message exchanging between the husband and wife.

  “What?” Saffron said, noticing the look. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, sweetie,” Anna said, stepping forwards to hug her eldest child. “You just look so grown up.” She fiddled with the two plaits Saffron had braided her blonde hair into. “I love your hair like this. You look so pretty.”

  Saffron looked at her father who gave a simple nod of his head. She knew her father was very much the strong, silent type. Never one to share too much emotion or pay many compliments, if any at all.

  “They’re waiting at the town hall,” Anna said, handing Saffron a white riding hood. “This will help shield you from the sun. You’re so pale and you know how easily you burn.”

  Saffron nodded and slipped the long white cloak over her shoulders, letting it cover her completely.

  “Mama!”

  Nikolas, Saffron’s younger brother, screamed for his mother’s attention. He was such a mama’s boy and demanded all of her attention more or less all of the time. Anna rushed to his bedroom to fetch him before he shouted the house down.

  “Help me harness the mare before you go, Saffron, please,” said Walter, standing from the kitchen table. He tossed her a warm crusty bread roll. “Don’t forget your breakfast.”

  Saffron caught the small round bun and bit into it, loving the soft warmth that filled her mouth. “These are so good, Mama. I could live off these for a month.”

  Anna grinned as she wandered back into the kitchen, cradling the attention grabbing three-year-old on her hip. Walter ruffled Nikolas’ hair before motioning for Saffron to head outside.

  “I’ll drag the cart out whilst you fetch the mare,” Walter said, striding off towards the barn.

  Saffron rushed down to the paddock, surveying the forest background beyond. A quiver of excitement ran up and down her spine as she revelled in the fact she would be adventuring through the thick trees in a matter of minutes.

  Hanna stood waiting at the gate, more than used to the morning routine she had lived for the past sixteen years. Saffron led her up to the waiting cart, chatting to the placid horse excitedly about the day ahead of her.

  As Saffron closed the last few strides towards the cart, Walter rushed forwards, snatching Hanna’s lead rope from his daughter’s hands.

  “Stop delaying my day for the sake of your own silly fantasies,” Walter said, his tone sharp and cutting.

  “I can walk and talk, Papa,” Saffron replied, giggling.

  “The mare can’t understand you, Saffron. Stop wasting your breath.”

  Saffron shook her head as she picked up Hanna’s bridle. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure her father was otherwise distracted, Saffron placed a small piece of her warm bread roll over the cold metal bit she was about to slide into Hanna’s mouth.

  If her father caught her pandering to the horse’s wants, he would lash her for sure. Saffron was more sympathetic to the fact that Hanna liked something warm to help her tolerate the coldness of the bit until it warmed to her mouth. It was a trick she’d learned from her friend’s father who trained the community’s animals.

  Saffron buckled up the bridle in double quick time, smirking to herself at Hanna’s twinkling eyes as she sucked on the piece of warm bread. Her father would just assume she was fiddling with the bit.

  “Whatever ideals you hold in that head of yours, Saffron, get rid of them now. The City is nothing like you’re going to expect.”

  Saffron pursed her lips. “Yes, Papa.”

  “Get on your way, before you miss the cart.”

  Not needing to be told twice, Saffron ran towards the town centre, past various different houses and families, all going about their morning routines.

  In the very heart of Sehrstadt stood a large stone fountain, its three simply decorated tiers cascading water in a peaceful stream. Several wooden benches were dotted around the focal point, enabling Sehrstadt’s residents to sit and relax in the middle of their town. Situated all around the fountain, in a U-shaped formation, were all of the shops. Thirty-metre-wide passageways gave ample room for horses and carts to pass between the shops and the seating area in the middle.

  At the apex of the U sat the town hall, its circular spire protruding several feet above the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. No exact religion existed in Sehrstadt, but the town hall was a communal place of many faces, including a place of worship for anyone who wished to indulge.

  Saffron caught sight of the two draught horses attached to a huge wagon. Several adults were already sat in the open back, and a couple of older children too. Running faster, Saffron lifted her arm and waved.

  “I’m here,” she yelled.

  One of the adults, Frau Mueller, smiled at her and moved up on the bench, patting the space beside her. Saffron slowed to a walk and made a beeline for the horses, taking a moment to say hello and give them a quick pat.

  When Herr Wagner and Herr Bauer climbed up into the driver positions, Saffron scurried to the back, accepting a hand up from one of the older children to climb into the wagon. She had barely sat down before the horses were urged forwards, lurching the old wooden cart forwards sharply.

  Saffron resisted the urge to squeal in excitement.

  “You might want to pull your hood up, dear,” Frau Mueller said, a warm smile playing out on her thin lips. “You don’t want to get sun stroke.” She patted the top of her head and flicked up her own hood on her white riding cloak.

  “Thanks,” Saffron said, pulling her hood over her head.

  Looking behind her, Saffron soaked in the sight of her beloved birthplace. Whilst she felt apprehensive and excited for experiencing the City for the first time, she still couldn’t fathom how anyone could want to leave such a serene town.

  She spotted her father trotting Hanna towards his forge on the outskirts of the town. Because of the size of his workshop and the dangerousness of his activities inside, the forge sat back from the main town square, a good quarter of a mile away to stop any young, curious minds from accidentally wandering in.

  Saffron scanned the treeline, her mind drifting back to the new book sat on her bookshelf. As she looked at the dense forest surrounding her town, she once again envisioned a dainty green fairy appearing before her, telling her things no one else could hear. She wondered how Wilhelm must have felt, being at the epicentre of something so amazing and paranormal.

  All of a sudden, Saffron’s world darkened, making her heart jump into her
mouth. She whirled around to see the wagon had entered the forest. Glancing ahead, she could see a well-worn trail stretching straight in front of them, its sandy yellow base a stark contrast to the deep greens and browns of the forest surrounding it.

  “You’re going to love the City,” said Mia Fischer.

  Saffron turned her attention to the sixteen-year-old brunette. “What’s it like?”

  “It’s amazing,” Mia replied, her brown eyes lighting up with joy. “Everything is so busy, so bright and colourful, there’s so much going on. It’s impossible to take it all in at once. The buildings, the people, the cars—”

  “Cars?”

  Mia grinned. “Horses are old technology to them. They’re nothing more than pets now. They have these machines, called cars, that they drive to get them places. They go really fast and they’re really strange looking but in a really cool way. You’ll learn about them in class this year.”

  Saffron felt an ache setting into her cheeks from her wide, excited grin. “I can’t wait. Can you show me around?”

  “Sure. I mean, only as much as we’re allowed. We go to specific places and then come straight back. We won’t be there much more than an hour or two.”

  Saffron nodded.

  The rhythmic beat of the trotting horses took them through the deepest parts of the forest. It took Saffron several minutes to realise that the thud-thud from the draught horses hooves was the only sound around them.

  Frowning, she turned to Mia and said, “Why can’t I hear any birds? Or anything for that matter?”

  Mia’s eyes widened and she quickly glanced at Frau Mueller. Her mouth opened, but she said nothing.

  “Wildlife doesn’t come this close to the City trails,” Frau Mueller replied. “The forest spirits give them borders to keep within, to keep them safe.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the City people are cruel, Saffron. That’s why the forest spirits protect our borders so much. City people are like a tidal wave of destruction and death. They don’t appreciate nature in all its finest beauty. All they see is money. If they ever came across our lands, they would wipe out our town in a matter of days and the forest with it.”

  Saffron gasped. “And do what with it?”

  “Either build some of their ugly, modern buildings or compete against each other for rights to the land. Land like ours is prime for so many things, it would be worth a fortune to them.”

  “But they must know where we come from?” Saffron motioned over her clothes and at the cart. “They must know something about our town, surely?”

  Frau Mueller sighed. “They have tried many times to follow us back, even gone so far as putting some of their little gadgets on our cart to track our movements, but the forest spirits always protect us, so their efforts have always failed.”

  Saffron’s heart started beating harder, pumping spurts of adrenaline into her bloodstream. “So we really do owe everything to Adala?”

  Frau Mueller nodded, her angular face lighting up with happiness. “She protects us well with her powers and her community of fairies.”

  “When is the next Offering again?”

  “Four years.”

  Saffron’s heart somersaulted. “I’ll be seventeen in four years...”

  Mia reached forwards and wrapped her small hand around Saffron’s forearm. “You’re so lucky! At least you have a chance of being chosen. I’ll be twenty by then. I love the City, but I don’t want to live in it. I’m going to be nothing more than a permanent resident of Sehrstadt.”

  “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” said Frau Mueller. “We all have a purpose, a role to play, in order to keep our community thriving. Everything happens for a reason, Mia. Sometimes it just takes a while for the reason to make itself known.”

  Mia nodded and looked down at the battered wooden floor of the wagon. Saffron smiled at Frau Mueller and continued to gaze around her, soaking in the dense trees empty of anything but wood and dirt.

  The horses suddenly jolted to a stop, neighing and stamping their feet. The wagon lurched forwards, sending all the passengers flying from their seats. Herr Wagner cracked his whip over the horse’s rumps as Herr Bauer shouted at them to move on. Both refused to move, fidgeting on the spot and snorting in fear.

  A burst of adrenaline pulsed through Saffron’s body. Before she knew what she was doing, she jumped down from the back of the wagon and rushed to the horses.

  “Saffron Schmidt!” yelled Herr Wagner. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back in the wagon immediately!”

  Frau Mueller and Mia both shouted for her to return but Saffron stood her ground, more focused on calming the agitated horses.

  “Shhhh,” she said, sliding her hand along the thick neck of the grey stallion who had fathered Henry. “Easy, boy.”

  Scanning the environment around her, Saffron tried to pinpoint something in the treeline that seemed off, that might be the cause of freaking the horses out. Not seeing anything obvious, she stepped out in front of the horses, walking the path they were refusing to continue down.

  “Saffron Schmidt!” Herr Wagner shouted, his voice trembling. “Return to this wagon immediately or I will report you to Herr Schulz.”

  Saffron ignored him. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, a wave of goosebumps coating her body from head to toe. In the blink of an eye, all of her senses seemed to be on high alert. Her eyes darted from tree to tree, her ears concentrated on every little noise, and her nose tried to pick out any scent different to that of the fresh forest.

  Step by step, Saffron soon found herself several hundred yards in front of the horses. Her fellow townsfolk had long since fell into silence, leaving the brave young girl alone to face whatever was spooking the horses.

  Out of nowhere, a violent gust of ice-cold wind blew through the forest, nearly knocking Saffron off her feet.

  “Safffffronnnn...”

  Saffron froze, her limbs paralysed with fear. She fought an internal war to reason with herself as to what she had just heard. Convincing herself it was nothing more than the rustle of the branches and leaves, and her mind playing tricks on her, she bolted back to the horses, her heart pounding against her ribs.

  Looking at the adults sat on the wagon, each one of them had paled to a sickly white colour. The wind disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the small group in utter shock for a good minute or more.

  The horses calmed, finally standing still and chomping on their bits as they awaited their next instruction. Saffron snapped out of her daze and rushed to the back of the cart. She reached a hand up, and when no hand came to offer her help, she shouted, “Mia!”

  Mia jumped, the sound of her name breaking whatever spell had been cast over her. “Sorry,” she said, smiling. “Lost in my own daydreams there.”

  Saffron scrambled up into the back of the wagon and took her seat next to Frau Mueller. “Did you hear that?” Saffron asked.

  “What’s that, dear?” Frau Mueller replied.

  “The wind...it said my name...”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Frau Mueller said, clapping her hands together. “The way the trees rustle does funny things to the mind.”

  The horses sprang into an active trot, pulling everyone back into reality. Silence fell over the startled residents as they headed towards the bright lights of BlauPferd.

  Chapter Four

  They left the forest and meandered along small and twisty hard grey lanes. Saffron was amazed by the solid surface that wasn’t mud or dirt.

  “What is that?” she asked, pointing at the country road they were trotting along.

  “Tarmac,” Frau Mueller said. “They dig up the land and lay this tarmac for their cars to drive on. They’re called roads, but these are very small ones.”

  Saffron was both sad and surprised. She couldn’t believe that people could scar Mother Nature to such an extent, but she was also taken aback by what the City people could do with machines and technology. r />
  The winding tight roads merged into a large spaghetti network of huge, fast vehicles. Saffron stared at all the vehicles, mesmerised by them and their passengers inside. She couldn’t wait to learn about the City in class.

  Their wagon stayed straight, heading down an open highway right into the heart of a heaving metropolis. People stopped and stared as the horses and cart trundled along the hectic roads, holding up angry, frustrated citizens, all commanded by time. Whilst the City people were used to these monthly visits, it didn’t make them any more patient or welcoming when their daily routines were interrupted.

  Several cars sped by, loud ear-piercing noises blaring from them.

  “What was that?” Saffron said, rubbing her ears.

  “Horns,” Frau Mueller said. “Now you’ve got your Sehrstadt book, you’ll be learning about City life this term with Frau Hood. She will explain all the terminology, technology, and everything else.”

  Saffron couldn’t help but gawp at everything around her. She felt like a toddler being introduced to a mountain of toys for the first time. Soaking in as much as she could, she missed when the wagon came to a stand still in the middle of a bustling city centre.

  “Come on,” Mia said, tugging at Saffron’s arm.

  Saffron realised they’d stopped and said, “How many shops do they need?”

  Mia grinned. “They have two or three, sometimes even more, that sell the same things. It’s bizarre.”

  Saffron jumped down from the cart and allowed Mia to take her along the smoothly paved streets. Some people bumped into her, too busy going about their day to worry about the strangely dressed young girls. Others gave them both scornful looks, disgusted at their choice of clothes.

  “I’m going to show you the library,” Mia said. “You’ll love it.”

  Glancing back at the horses and cart, Saffron tried to get her bearings as Mia led her down past a red brick building with a picture of a black horse on a green background over the big front doors.