by Bryant Reil
At the counter, itself covered in merchandise, sat a middle-aged giant with shaggy brown hair that circled the bald portion atop his head. He peered up as Kyla and Heff approached down the creaking stairs.
“Name?” He plopped open a heavy tome and dipped a feather in a well of ink.
“Kyla Nim. This is Heff.”
“You have come from Equinox?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Enjoy your stay in Varis.”
The giant pinched a brochure between his massive fingers and handed it to Kyla. It highlighted Varis' many attractions. Kyla had received one from her last visit but lost it. It was a cartoonish representation of the town, with points of interest marked with colorful images. Kyla couldn’t help but peruse it. Varis operated with tourism in mind, but on Kyla's last visit she hadn't noticed many visitors. She assumed this was due in part to the town’s powerful stench, as many of the city’s inhabitants kept livestock.
Kyla thought to ask a question before leaving. “Do you know someone by the name of Inga?”
The giant shook his head. “Should I?”
“Oh. No. I guess not. She's a friend of mine. She ran into trouble up near Alfheim and I just want to know if she's okay. She runs a mammoth caravan.”
“I don't know the name.”
Kyla nodded and proceeded along the walkway toward the door. She turned to Heff. “If she's here we might be able to catch a ride. If not, I'm going to track her down.”
Heff snorted.
***
Titania left Aethelwyne on the throne. The girl was too eager to take the seat. She didn’t yet understand the gravity of being a Queen, but the judgments for the day were complete and she could receive any messengers that happened by.
The Seer’s Tower, located in the Elvish quarter, was stout compared to the surrounding buildings, though its periwinkle hue made it stand out more than its plain white neighbors. The Curtain of Oss, a magical field that surrounded the Tower, peeled aside as she approached. Like King Oberon, her thoughts were prohibited from being probed.
She flew straight to High Seer Imel’s window. He was leaning out, fumbling to hang a pot of purple flowers from a metal hook on the outside wall. That looked terribly unsafe, hovering a hundred feet over the road, but she hated to nag and determined not to mention it.
“Majesty!” Imel waved the Queen through the window. “Please, remain in your fairy form.”
“Thank you.” Imel had a golden swing that hung from his ceiling, just for her visits. She perched herself upon it and flapped her wings to give herself a gentle sway.
Imel, a tall man with pale gray skin and four arms, was dressed in long white robes trimmed in lavender. Next to his bed were a dirty plate and half-empty glass of wine, and an open book placed face-down on the floor.
“Having a lazy day?” As a fairy, Titania wasn’t ailed by aging as many of the world’s other creatures. It saddened her to see Imel, once a young and energetic young man, diminish into aged fatigue. Still, he seemed content puttering about his house and watering his flowers. Titania would be happy to retire him, if he weren’t so vital.
“Taking some time to catch up on my reading, Your Majesty,” he smiled. “Seers Pois and Zandali are taking interrogations today. Biscuits? I’ve made some for the fairies in the park. Morning dew on rose petals, steamed over peppermint.”
“Call me Titania, Imel. You aren’t on duty. And yes, please. I’ll take one.”
A rose petal, at fairy-size, was rather large and took two hands to eat, so Titania kept herself balanced on her perch with her wings as she ate. Most fairies enjoyed rose petals drizzled with dew, but few had the patience to steam them. It was a rare treat. Titania and Oberon had a chef, so enjoyed them more often than common folk.
“A lot of questions, and no answers,” the High Seer said as he sat on the side of his bed. “Our agents haven’t brought me many people to work with, but I can’t figure out who might know what happened to Erebus. Bremnos and Elial Ciana both have memories of a young elf girl who was trying to devise her own plan to stop Erebus. It seemed foolish, but I felt we should pursue every lead.”
“Kyla Nim. Yes, I’m aware of her. I wanted her questioned from the beginning.”
“I didn’t realize, Your Majesty, and so apologize for the delay. I have now sent for her, but it seems she has taken a patron for the term and is not at Equinox.”
“Where is she?”
“That’s the thing. Neither Elial nor Anh-Bul seems to know. I have someone asking about for her location, but even the identity of her patron is a mystery.”
“It should be in her school record. They wouldn’t let her take a patron without proper vetting.”
“They did, it seems. Perhaps an error. I suspect not.”
Titania nodded. “Keep an eye open. I don’t think she’s a danger, but I suspect she knows something. Have Anh-Bul notify me as soon as she returns.”
“I will, Your Majesty. Is there anything else?”
“No, I—look, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’m just terrified that flower pot is going to fall. I don’t like it hanging from your window like that. It’s your tower, so do as you will, but it’s making me nervous.”
Imel smiled. “Ah. Just giving it some sun. I shall bring it inside shortly.”
The Queen’s heart raced as she forced her thoughts to her final question. “Imel – I know I asked yesterday – but you haven’t found another way yet, have you?”
She didn’t need to specify. Imel knew what she meant. He heaved a sigh, his long face drooping even longer.
“No, Your Majesty. And I haven’t stopped looking. If I don’t see something soon, it may become too late to change plans.”
Titania nodded. She feared as much. She thanked Imel with a nod and flew out the window.
***
There were no signs of a battle in Varis, though Kyla had seen the columns of Erebus’ followers marching toward it. Likely even Erebus’ Avowed hadn’t stood much chance against a town full of giants.
There were fewer people on the streets since Kyla’s prior visit. This made it easier to navigate as she needn’t worry about getting trampled by a careless pedestrian or one of their many beasts. Still, giants left deep tracks and the ground was wet with mud and slush, so eventually an impatient Heff picked her up and carried her piggy-back.
At the stable, there were no mammoths in the pen and no sign of Inga outside. “Take me to the window,” she ordered, sounding perhaps too bossy for Heff’s liking as he responded with a snort. He lumbered over to the window, which was too high even for him, but like many of the buildings in town there was scaffolding to allow regular-sized folk to look through shop windows. Kyla scrambled up and peered inside. There were no lights on, but the sun was sufficient to illuminate the interior. Mammoth tacking and howdahs lay along the far wall, and to the left was a counter covered in supplies. Yet it was empty of life, and Kyla couldn't tell if it was closed, or perhaps Inga was away with her caravan.
There was the sucking sound of a foot pulling out of the mud. Kyla turned her head to see a red-bearded giant rounding the corner two buildings away.
“Hey!” she waved. “Do you know where Inga is?”
The giant looked at her but didn't respond, so Kyla pointed at the door. “When does it open?”
The red-bearded giant responded in his native tongue, which Kyla couldn't understand.
“He says no one has been here in weeks,” Heff called up.
“You speak giant? How many languages do you know?”
“Enough.”
“Ask him if he knows where Inga is. The blond giantess who works here.”
Heff asked, and the giant grunted his response.
“He doesn't know,” Heff translated.
Kyla bit her lip. Two people missing because of her last trip to Alfheim. She climbed down to street level and walked around the building. On one side, by the empty mammoth pens, was a broken board
large enough for Kyla to squeeze through.
“Keep an eye out!” she called to Heff. “I'm going inside!”
The room was darker from floor level, so Kyla fished her light orb from her bag and tapped it on. She wasn't a tracker, by any means, but there was a thin layer of dust on the floor which revealed a fresh set of footprints. They were small – not much larger than her own – and the same shape as the foot of an elf. Someone had been here, and recently. A refugee, perhaps, seeking shelter? Or perhaps one of Erebus' disciples, hiding out after his Master disappeared?
There was a clang, and the sound of someone scurrying.
“Heff!” Kyla called. “Get in here!”
There was a loud crunch. It sounded like Heff was trying to get through with his axe, but the giant-sized door resisted. Kyla, deciding she didn’t want to be trapped in here with a stranger, ran back to the hole in the wall.
Someone else had the same plan. They spotted each other just in time to avoid smacking heads. The other figure was a woman, taller than Kyla, though not by much, and a bit thin for her height. Her hair and clothes were caked in mud. She and Kyla made another attempt at the exit, only getting in each other’s way, and each time Kyla tried to circle around, the other girl followed. Either the other girl was trying to block her, or simply made the same poor choices.
“Heff!” she called. “There’s someone in here!”
“No!” pleaded a mousy voice. “Don't hurt me!”
Kyla stopped. There was no danger here. The girl looked like Eunoe, fair and pretty and ageless, though her face and hands bore the lines and callouses of difficult labor. A nymph of some sort, though in a poor state. Her eyes were gray and cast down at the floor. She looked about to cry. Her hair, grimy as it was, had a few clean spots the color of straw with red highlights.
There was another smack at the door from Heff's axe, which made the girl jump and whimper.
“Hold it, Heff! Stop for a minute!”
There was a loud snort from outside, and some muttering, but the pounding stopped.
Kyla turned to the woman. “Who are you?”
The woman’s eyes darted to a far corner of the room. She said nothing.
“I'm Kyla. I'm not going to hurt you. You startled me, is all. I'm looking for someone who works here. Her name's Inga. She's blond, and she's a giant. Kind of a beefy build. Do you know where she is?”
She looked at Kyla, but still said nothing.
“I have a friend outside who was just trying to protect me. He won't hurt you either. What's your name?”
There was a pause, but finally the woman spoke. “Hajar.”
“Hajar? Is that your name? Do you understand me, or are you speaking some other language?”
“My name is Hajar. I don't know your friend.”
“You haven't seen anybody in here lately? Or some mammoths out back?”
The woman shook her head.
“Oh. Um...is there something I can help you with? Do you want something to eat? I have some mushrooms in my bag.” Kyla drew out a handful of small mushrooms.
Hajar looked at Kyla, and carefully extended a hand. Then she snatched the mushrooms and threw them in her mouth.
“Are you a refugee?” Kyla asked.
Hajar looked confused.
Was she dim? Kyla needed to be clearer. “Did you lose your house in the attacks?”
“Attacks?” Hajar mumbled as she chewed. “No. I live in the forest. I have to go.”
The woman looked down, tilted her head, picked something up, and slid it on her finger. Kyla looked down at her own hand. Dunkin's ring, too big for her finger, must have fallen off as she had been trying for the exit.
“Oh, that's mine. I dropped it when—”
“It's mine!” Hajar scrambled through the hole. Kyla grabbed her by the collar, but Hajar kicked back. Kyla stumbled to the floor and by the time she scrambled to the hole in the wall and stuck her head out, Hajar was gone.
“Heff!” she called. The great minotaur lumbered around the corner, axe ready to swing. “Did you see someone run out of here just now?”
“No. I was watching the door.”
“Oh. There was a girl in here. She stole my ring!”
Chapter Five
The Leshy You Know
Inga's trail was easy to follow. Years of travel by mammoths and giants packed the ground so nothing grew on it. The road was lined with trees of mixed sorts, both deciduous and coniferous. The spruces and firs were especially lovely right now, as the birches and maples were still asleep.
It was a much longer trip on foot. Last time Kyla had made the journey relaxing on the back of a mammoth. She was accustomed to long walks, but Heff’s strides forced Kyla to trot or fall behind.
Breathless, Kyla gasped as she spoke. “I can’t believe she took my ring!”
The minotaur, his axe in one hand and a large sack of clothes flung over the other, turned his head. “Stop worrying about it.”
“But what are we going to do about the Digan chief if he gets mad?”
“Your breath would be better spent on travel than chatter.”
Kyla stopped running and leaned forward, placing her hands over her knees for support as she gulped in air. “I just need to rest for a minute. And have a snack.” She allowed herself a few seconds of focused breathing before opening her bag. “Oh, yeah,” she frowned. “I gave that girl my mushrooms. Oh, I have some carrots. Want one?”
There was a snap from the trees on the opposite side of the trail. Heff dropped his bags and whirled around, raising his axe.
“It's probably just a moose,” Kyla said between bites.
Heff growled. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. Always be wary in enemy territory.”
“This isn't really enemy territory, is it? Though I guess I did run into Dunkin and Linkin along this trail. Dunkin’s the guy we dug up to get the ring, if you didn’t know. I never found out what happened to Linkin.”
“All territory is enemy territory.”
Kyla watched as Heff marched into the trees. As he disappeared, she looked around. Aside from Heff’s heavy footsteps, the forest was silent. No birds or squirrels out, and the dryads were probably all hibernating in their trees.
Then there was a soft voice, barely audible. It was a woman singing a beautiful melody. Kyla couldn't make out the words, and as it grew louder she realized it was in an unfamiliar language. Kyla’s anxiety for Lug and Inga, her sore feet, her fatigue, all melted away. Peace filled her, so that she wanted to lie down and bask in it. Curiosity, however, bade her to seek the source. As she stepped into the line of trees at the side of the path, a beautiful but care-worn woman appeared from behind a small shrub.
“Hey!” Kyla’s peace melted away as the singing stopped. “Hajar! You took my ring!”
Hajar turned to run. Kyla looked back for Heff, but he was still hidden in the trees on the other side of the road. She turned back to Hajar. “Give me my ring!”
Hajar stopped and waited but said nothing.
Kyla shouted over her shoulder. “Wait here, Heff! I found the girl that took my ring!” And Kyla charged after her.
The girl took off again, expertly maneuvering through the branches and brush.
“Get back here! I'm not going to hurt you!”
Kyla held up her arms to block her face from the branches as she whipped through the trees. She was afraid she would get lost in the forest, but as soon as she thought Hajar had gotten away, she would spot her in the distance, waiting. And each time Kyla got close, Hajar would scamper ahead.
“Where are you going? Please stop…I’ve been running all day!”
Soon they came to a clearing. It was green and flowered, as though summer had hit this small patch of the forest a few months early. In the center a large hut of tree trunks and branches packed with mud jutted like a wart from the idyllic landscape. Hajar stopped in front of it. Her head was only just high enough to reach the door-latch.
Kyla trotted up and scowled.
“Okay, I'm here. Where's my ring?”
Hajar crossed her arms. “I hid it.”
“Why? How?”
“I tucked it in a hiding place while I was running.”
“Why did you take it? Give it back!”
“It's mine now.”
“No, it isn't. You stole it!”
“It is not elf magic in that ring.”
“No, I got it from a friend.” She paused. “Well, a friend helped me dig it up. Look, I need it back. Wait – how do you know it's magic?”
“I can see it. Purple, swirling, ancient magic.”
“Really! Are you a wizard?”
“No. I’ve never been taught to use magic. But I can see it.”
“Oh! Neat.” Kyla stomped her foot on the ground. “I need it back. And my friend back there is probably looking for me.”
“He'll never find the clearing.”
“He's an expert soldier. And a tracker.” That was a lie, as far as Kyla knew.
“It is warded. Only me and Mokosh can find it.”
“Mokosh?”
“Yes. This is Mokosh's home.”
“I thought this place looked a bit big for you. Is he a giant?”
“He is a leshy. Come inside and meet him.”
Kyla had never heard of a leshy. The hut was not near as tall as the homes in Varis, so if Mokosh was indeed a giant he was a small one, yet still a formidable size. The hut would be too large even for Heff. Hajar opened the door and peered inside before beckoning Kyla, who crossed her arms and stood her ground.
“Fine, wait here,” Hajar said, and she slipped through the door. There was a loud growl. She ran back outside, her face twisted in fear, and the door swung wide behind her. A large, hairy man followed with heavy footsteps and a deep voice.
“Why do you wake me?” he shouted. He then saw Kyla, who backed away.
Hajar pointed at her. “See? I have brought you someone new. She is young and strong.”
Kyla started to run and shrieked for help. The hairy man caught up to her in two long strides, picked her up, and examined her face. “I need no one else. Especially no elf.”
