Ghost and Guardian: Part One: Lord

by Sanan Kolva

  “What in drifters’ bones is this?” she asked.

  “This is Lord Lucian starting a snowball fight.” Devin grinned. “He does this a lot in winter. Wants to make sure everyone has some happy memories of the season. If you want to join, just start tossing snowballs at someone. Even Lord Lucian—he doesn’t mind.”

  “Oh, believe me, if I start throwing snowballs at anyone, he is definitely my target,” Cylin said.

  “I heard that!” Lucian called. “Come on, Cylin! Give me your best shot!”

  “If you start throwing snowballs, you become a target too,” Devin warned. “The rules are that you don’t target non-combatants, you don’t pack a ball so hard that you’ll hurt someone, and if you join the fight, you’re in it until it’s either over or you go upstairs to the trees. And if someone gets hurt or starts crying, the game stops immediately.”

  “Good to know. Thanks.” Cylin scooped snow into a ball, stepped out of shelter, and tossed her missile at Lucian.

  She hit him solidly in the chest. He grinned, and half a dozen snowballs from all directions flew at her as the children welcomed their new target.

  By the time the snowball fight wound down, Cylin lost count of how many times she was hit, or how many she had thrown. Snow matted her gloves and caked her coat. When she stopped moving, the chill seeped through her clothes.

  “All right!” Lucian called. “Everyone, to the bath house! Warm up, then dry off!”

  Cylin paused just outside the bath house. “I don’t have any dry clothes here.”

  Leesa caught her hand. “It’s okay, Cylin! My mama will bring some for you.”

  Cylin cast a look toward the trees and her house, but the warmth of the bath house called to her. Deciding that one way or another, dry clothes would be a worry for later, she headed in.

  Fortunately, Leesa was right, and Myra brought a spare set of clothes for Cylin. One more instance of Forest Town hospitality. She wasn’t certain she would ever get used to it, and she sincerely hoped she never took it for granted.

  Cylin slept deeply that night. She woke before dawn by habit to perform her morning rituals and prayers. Her coat and boots were still damp from the play in the snow, so she pulled on a thick sweater and a jacket and slipped on her regular shoes before stepping outside.

  From her ledge, she looked over the sleeping village. Her breath rose in a cloud, but the cold didn’t bite too fiercely. Almost no one was up this early. Just her, a few forest animals, and someone entering the village common from the forest.

  She froze. The figure wore a heavy coat and a thick hat, and didn’t carry themselves like anyone she recognized.

  Who is that? How did they get here? Did they sneak past the sentries? They should have an escort if they’re a stranger. What if they’re a bandit spy? Dammit, we talked about this! Am I the only one who cares about protecting Forest Town?

  She darted inside, buckled on her pistol belt, and rushed back outside. The stranger crossed the village common and followed the path toward Lucian’s cave. Cylin rushed down the steps. Her feet sank in the snow and she silently cursed that her boots were too wet to wear.

  “Hey you!” she called, running after the stranger. One hand stayed near her gun and she prepared to drop to the snow if the other brandished a weapon.

  The other turned and gave her a charming smile. “Oh, hello. Sorry, am I trespassing?”

  He was slim with slanted amber eyes, a straight nose, and a boyish smile. Cylin guessed him to be seventeen or eighteen years old. He exuded more good cheer than any stranger in the middle of winter reasonably should. And somehow, his feet barely dented the snow, while her steps sank not quite to her ankles.

  “Who are you?” Cylin asked warily. “Why are you here?”

  “My name’s Tammin. I’m looking for someone, and I’m pretty sure they’re somewhere in this forest. Do you live here? Do you know of other people in the area?”

  “Yes, I live here,” Cylin told him. She didn’t want to tell him more than necessary about Forest Town, but neither did she want him to think her alone. “So do other people. And some of them really ought to have noticed you coming, and made sure you had a proper escort.”

  “There’s more people here?” Tammin asked. “Wow. I didn’t expect that, though maybe I should have.” He peered into the trees, then looked up, and his expression brightened. “Oh! The houses are in the trees. That’s smart. Keeps random weirdos from wandering in.”

  “Well, usually it does,” Cylin said, eyeing him. “Come on. People will be waking up by now. You can see if the person you’re looking for is here.”

  “Erm.” Tammin didn’t move. “I’m actually pretty sure that the person I’m looking for is further this way.” He gestured toward Lucian’s cave. “Does anyone live up there?”

  Cylin’s eyes narrowed. “Does the person you’re looking for have a name?”

  “Well, sure. His name’s Lucian. Do you have a name?”

  “You’re looking for Lucian.” She fixed a long look on him. “What’s your business with him?”

  Tammin frowned. “He’s my uncle. Is there some kind of problem?”

  Lucian’s only spoken of two siblings: Dash and Ayliad. If Tammin IS his nephew, which side of the family is he from, and why is he looking for Lucian? “Come with me, Tammin. We’ll give you a place to warm up and something to eat while I check whether Lucian is available.”

  Tammin considered that, then shrugged. “All right. A hot meal does sound pretty good right now. Thanks.”

  Amiably, he followed her back into Forest Town. Cylin knocked on Doctor Kinnel’s door, knowing he was one of the first to rise. When the doctor opened the door, one of his eyebrows rose in surprise at Tammin.

  “A new arrival? Come in.”

  “Tammin, this is Doctor Kinnel. Doctor, this is Tammin. I found him wandering through the village unescorted. He says he’s looking for Lucian.” Cylin ushered Tammin inside.

  “I didn’t actually know other people lived here until my as-of-yet-unnamed escort stopped me,” Tammin added. He pulled off a glove and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Doctor Kinnel shook Tammin’s hand gravely. “And is your name one Lucian would recognize, Tammin?”

  The young man paused and chewed his lip a moment. “He’s more likely to know me by my nickname.” He turned to Cylin. “When you check if he’s available, would you please tell him that Quicksilver is looking for him?”

  Both Doctor Kinnel’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn’t look alarmed by the name. Tammin shed his coat and hat, revealing a mop of silver hair at contrast with his apparent youth. He gestured at it. “It’s always been this color—thus the nickname.”

  “I see.” Cylin eyed him, then looked to Doctor Kinnel.

  The doctor nodded. “Go see if Lucian is up. I’ll see that Tammin gets breakfast.”

  If Tammin means to cause trouble, leaving him alone with our only doctor is a bad idea. But leading him straight to Lucian could be a worse one.

  Still debating the wisdom of letting Tammin out of her sight, Cylin left the infirmary and slogged back through the snow. Snow and ice made the path up to Lucian’s cave treacherous, and she couldn’t climb as fast as she wanted. Finally reaching the mouth of the cave, she stopped to catch her breath before venturing inside.

  Behind the thick hide covering the entrance, the cave was nearly warm, and a pleasant relief from the morning chill. “Lucian, are you up?” Cylin called.

  She waited, and finally heard movement and Lucian’s voice in return. “Cylin? Something wrong? Come in.”

  She found him in one of the rooms, sitting beside a stove. “Morning,” she greeted him. “A young man wandered into the village alone this morning, and said he’s looking for you.”

  Lucian straightened from his casual slouch. “Who?”

  “He gave me the name Tammin, but said you’d be more likely to recognize him by the nickname Quicksilver.”

  Lucian sprang
to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. “What? Quick’s here? Where is he?”

  “Um, I left him with Doctor Kinnel, since I wasn’t sure if he was trouble or not,” Cylin told him. “Though I’m guessing… he isn’t?”

  Lucian chuckled. “Oh, Quick’s always trouble, but not the bad sort. I haven’t seen him since… the war.” He strode for the door. Cylin hurried after him, catching up when Lucian paused to pull on a coat and hat. Excitement radiated from Lucian as he hurried down to the village.

  At the infirmary, Doctor Kinnel and Quicksilver had been joined by Devin, who eyed Quicksilver cautiously. When Lucian entered, Quicksilver jumped to his feet. “Lucian! There you are!”

  “Well hello to you too.” Lucian’s grin grew even wider.

  Quicksilver grabbed Lucian in a fierce hug. “We’ve been worried about you! Had no idea where you were! We didn’t even know for sure that you were alive!”

  Lucian returned the hug. “I’ve been here.”

  Quicksilver stepped back. “You’ve been here a while. I can tell. But you weren’t easy to find. I had no idea even where to start looking, and I couldn’t just set off with no direction.” He dropped into a chair and swallowed a gulp of tea.

  “So how did you find me now?” Lucian pulled another chair and sat.

  “Well, I--” Quicksilver stopped, glancing to Cylin, Devin, and Doctor Kinnel. “Um.”

  Lucian frowned and followed his gaze, puzzled. Then his expression cleared with understanding. “You can answer honestly, Quick. Everyone in the room knows we’re elves. Or at least they know I’m an elf, and have probably guessed that you are too.”

  “Really?” Quicksilver’s expression became surprised. “You mean you actually found a group of humans who both believe you’re an elf and don’t think we’re responsible for the end of the world? You have all the luck.”

  “Not luck,” Doctor Kinnel said. “People who can’t respect Lord Lucian or his rules don’t stay here. Now, regardless of that, you found your way here somehow.”

  Quicksilver nodded. He still looked uncomfortable, but said, “I followed my arm.”

  “Ah.” Lucian nodded as if that made perfect sense.

  Before any of the humans could ask for clarification, Quicksilver turned to them. “So, magic has a ‘feel’ to it that’s individual to each elf. Like, before I even got in sight of this forest, I knew it was Lucian’s doing. Some elves are better than others at picking apart the details of who did what when. That’s not my strength. I can just pick out a few people I know, and not from long distances. But a few months ago, I felt this immense burst of magic.”

  Lucian cocked his head to one side. “The Guardian?”

  Quicksilver nodded. “Don’t know what you or the Guardian were doing, but to me, it felt like in addition to whatever was going on, the Guardian also decided to reach out, shake me, and yell ‘Get over here already!’” Quicksilver rubbed his left arm. “Lucian, do they know about the Guardian?”

  “A little,” Lucian answered. “Quicksilver is my nephew. He has the Tree magic as well, though it’s not manifested in any particular way.”

  “Yep, I’m a Sapling,” Quicksilver said. “According to the Guardian, at least, who likes assigning names to all the other people who carry Tree magic.” He pushed up his left sleeve to reveal either a birthmark or a tattoo of vines winding up his arm. “This is where that magic… ‘lives,’ for lack of a better term. So, I just had to follow the Guardian’s tug, and that led me here.”

  Devin still eyed Quicksilver warily. “You said ‘we’ earlier. Who came with you?”

  “No one. I was really hoping to find Lucian before winter hit, because travel in winter is a stupid idea, and I know how stubborn he can be. And I know that he’s going to want to take off as soon as I say I’ve been helping Eria take care of Chance.”

  Lucian burst to his feet. “Where’s Chance?”

  Quicksilver flinched slightly. “A couple months’ travel from here in good weather, Lucian. He’s comatose. Eria’s caring for him.”

  “Eria” wasn’t a name Cylin knew, but a glance to Devin didn’t indicate any strong negative associations. Lucian barely seemed to hear Quicksilver’s response. His eyes narrowed and he stepped toward Quicksilver, looming over him. “Where’s Chance?”

  Quicksilver jumped to his feet. “He’s nearly three months away! You cannot leave now to find him.”

  “Why not?” Lucian growled.

  “Because if we leave right now, in the middle of winter, we will die, Lucian. All right? We’ll die. I don’t care how strong your magic is, or how stubborn you are, winter out there will kill you!” Quicksilver stepped back, putting the chair between himself and Lucian.

  “And Chance is out there.” Lucian’s gaze never left Quicksilver.

  “Chance is comatose. He’s not ‘out’ anywhere. He’s lying on a bed, in shelter, with plenty of food, water, and heat, under the extremely competent care of his daughter the healer. Chance is as fine as he can possibly be, Lucian!”

  Lucian closed his eyes and slowly let out his breath. “Chance is safe?”

  “Chance is safe.” Quicksilver cast a look around the room. “And from the looks of things, you’re safe too, and you have people who are going to worry about you and might object a little to you taking off without warning or explanation.”

  “I need to find Chance. That’s explanation,” Lucian countered.

  Quicksilver’s jaw tightened. “Did you not hear the ‘leave now and we will die’ part?”

  The trouble, Cylin realized, was that Quicksilver was trying to argue with logic, and logic was clearly the last thing Lucian cared to hear. She stepped in front of Lucian and planted her hands on her hips. “What do you think’s going to happen to Chance if you freeze or starve somewhere before you reach him, Lucian? You think he’d just wake up and be okay? Or would he blame himself for you doing something so stupid?”

  Lucian stopped and gave her a hard look.

  Cylin met his gaze and held her ground.

  He scowled at her. “What? Should I do nothing? Pretend I don’t finally have a way to find him?”

  “You should make actual plans, Lucian. Like how to get there with all your fingers and toes, and how to make sure Forest Town can survive for months without you,” she retorted.

  Devin glanced aside. “Assuming you come back here at all.”

  That finally snapped Lucian firmly back to the present. “Of course I’ll come back.”

  “Why would you?” Devin said. “You’ll have Chance and the rest of your people. You won’t need some crippled human hanging around.” His tone was hard, bitter, and he refused to meet Lucian’s eyes.

  “This is my home and you are my friend, not ‘some cripple’,” Lucian said. “I will come back, and I’ll bring Chance, Eria, and anyone else we find.”

  Quicksilver watched Devin. “Lucian, I’m sure that sounded good in your head, but I don’t think it’s quite as reassuring as you think it is.”

  Devin’s afraid that Lucian will leave forever.

  “I won’t abandon anyone, Devin. Not Chance, not you, and not Forest Town,” Lucian promised.

  “And if bone men or bandits attack while you’re gone?” Devin demanded.

  “Then you’ll deal with them without me. Isn’t that what Cylin has been teaching the last couple months?”

  Is this why he was so quick to take up the idea of me teaching people to protect themselves? How long has Lucian been planning his departure?

  Devin’s jaw tightened and he still didn’t meet Lucian’s gaze. “Fine. You’re going to go find Chance. Guess that’s all that really matters anyway.” He turned and limped out of the infirmary without another word.

  Silence filled the room in his absence. Quicksilver finally broke it. “Hey, Lucian, I don’t know anything about that guy, or any of his history, but I’m pretty sure that somehow, in some way, you just fucked up.”

  Lucian cast him a glare. “Thank you so
much for that astute observation, Quicksilver.”

  Cylin waited, but Lucian didn’t move. “So. Are you going to talk to Devin or not?”

  “Most people like a little space when they’re upset,” Lucian said.

  “Yeah, well, most people aren’t thinking they’re a temporary replacement for your real friends, either.”

  “Devin is not a ‘temporary replacement’ for anyone!”

  Cylin didn’t blink. “Not me you have to convince, Lucian.”

  His jaw tightened. Without a word, Lucian left the room in a storm cloud of frustration and anger.

  Quicksilver watched him go. “Wow. Uncanny. He looked just like his father right then.”

  Doctor Kinnel cleared his throat. “Cylin, it appears that Quicksilver will be staying in Forest Town for the winter. Would you mind showing him around?”

  Cylin cast the doctor a look. “Yeah, I kind of would mind right now.”

  “I can look around on my own,” Quicksilver offered. “As long as no one’s going to shoot at me.”

  Doctor Kinnel gave Cylin a pointed look. She heaved a sigh. “Fine.”

  As they stepped outside, Quicksilver spoke in a quiet, apologetic voice. “I really didn’t mean to make trouble.”

  “Well, you’ve succeeded pretty well in doing so,” Cylin told him.

  “I didn’t expect to find Lucian living with humans. Are Cilvi, Tash, and Sun here as well?”

  “Who?” She eyed Quicksilver.

  “Cilvi is Lucian’s wife. Tash is a close friend of his, and Sun is Tash’s wife.” He paused and closed his eyes a moment. “But I guess you asking the question answers mine.”

  “Lucian told me that Cilvi died. The other names I don’t know,” Cylin said.

  Quicksilver’s face pinched. “If they were here, I’m sure you’d know. Since they aren’t... they’re probably dead.” He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I knew it was possible, but all of them...”

  They walked a little way. Quicksilver looked up to the trees and finally broke the silence with an obvious change of subject. “So... how many people live here?”