by Ellias Quinn
“Hey, stay focused.”
Her eyes snapped to the man in front of her. Short strands of dark brown hair hung around his face, with the rest fastened back in a tail. He had a skulking demeanor and a prowling walk. Matil was beginning to realize that in the back-ways of the city, there were two types of Ranycht who survived: birds of prey and scavengers. This man was a scavenger, and he would teach her how to become like him.
“Sorry.” She bit her lip nervously. For the first time since coming here, she had hope, and she couldn’t afford to let it slip away. “I’m listening.”
“Before we get started with the pointy objects,” the man said, “you’ll learn how to fight.”
“Don’t I need a weapon to fight with?”
“Everything is a weapon, Manners, remember that.” He held out his hands. “These are some of your most important tools. With ‘em, you can eat food, handle your money, hold a dagger, and give someone a North Side Kiss.” He punched one hand into the other.
Matil nodded and looked down at her own small hands.
The man continued, “Feet and wings are important, too. They get you where you need to be. And feet, along with the rest of the legs? Great weapons. Now, you never wanna root down like a tree. Be ready to go in any direction. Which brings me to eyes and ears. Eyes need to watch, ears need to hear. If those two are on full alert, no one can sneak up on you. You see each opening for attack and escape and can act on ‘em. Now tell me the tools you got.”
“Uh, hands,” she said. “Feet…wings. Eyes and ears.”
He looked pleased. “And of course you can use your whole body in a fight. We’ll get to that later. I wanna focus on how to feel, see, hear, and move when you’re scrapping.” He laughed. “For all this trouble, you better save my life someday.”
Chapter 6
The Exiles
The rain had stopped by morning and the plants were an invigorated green. Rays of sunlight stretched between the leaves. Matil noticed Khelya sitting on one side of the hut’s opening, keeping watch on the forest.
Matil yawned and then stopped midway when she remembered her dream. That man…
Her dreams were memories from her old life, resurfacing while she slept. At first she had only guessed so, but one fateful night confirmed it. She had seen Crell, her orange-eyed childhood friend, in the flesh. She had met the alva she used to be, Nychta. And she had heard the Book of Myrkhar speak in her mind, its voice deeper than a well.
Pursue your revenge however you see fit, but it will not be complete. Not until you have summoned and harnessed the full power of Myrkhar and the Saikyr.
Matil hated recalling those words, yet she latched on to them. They told her what to race against.
This is only the beginning.
“Whazzer breakfast?” Dask said. He had sat up from his blankets with green eyes half-closed and black hair fanned out around his head.
Matil held back her laughter. Now she felt better. “A delicious meal of dried apple chunks and dried meat.”
“…Yum.” He rubbed his eyes. “Do we still have water, or is that dried, too?”
She passed him a waterskin.
Now that the three of them were awake, they ate before leaving the shelter. A different guard was posted on the stump. The other Eletsol scouts milled around the camp a few lengths away. Ansi caught sight of the outsiders and began flying over to them.
“Dask’s leafy friend doesn’t look too happy,” Khelya said.
“He looks the same as he did yesterday,” Matil said. “Do you think he’s ever happy?”
“Probably not.” Dask smiled at the approaching Eletsol. “Hey there, how’s it going?”
“I thought about what you said.” Ansi landed and lowered his voice. “And I have an idea to show my sister’s true nature. The problem is that my alva don’t know me well. Amongst my clan, I am…restrained.”
“Sour,” Khelya muttered.
“Sour?” Ansi said. “Have you eaten something sour?”
Dask nodded quickly. “Apples. We ate sour apples.” He stepped in front of Khelya. “So, you’re not exactly a full moon in your clan, huh? Don’t worry. I knew a guy who was very good at his job, and he told me, ‘Apply charisma, build trust.’ You just need to become charming. How about it?”
Ansi looked dubious.
“We’ll give you a few tips,” Dask went on, “train you a little until we can get outta here safely.”
“It may be some time until it’s safe.” Ansi strolled toward the shelter. “The forces of this territory’s tribe appear much weakened.”
“My advice? Leave Kirra and his guys here, go home – bringing us with you so we can get supplies, of course – and be a man.”
“A dead man. My sister would take my head for abandoning this mission.” Ansi poked one of the rocks in the shelter wall. “How do these stay in place?”
“I dunno,” Khelya said, eyeing him uncharitably.
Ansi poked a different rock. This time the shelter wobbled and all the stones crashed down. He fluttered away with a yelp.
“Look at ‘im, knockin’ down our stuff!” Khelya’s voice sounded upset but, to Matil’s confusion, she seemed to be hiding a smirk.
Dask sighed and put his fingers together. “That took us a while to build, Mr. the Smart.”
“You mean it took me a while to build,” Khelya said.
Ansi stomped up to them indignantly. “I didn’t knock it down. I only touched it and—”
“We still helped build it,” Dask told Khelya.
“You are the most irritating foreigners I’ve ever met.” Ansi put up a hand. “Give me your teachings now and I will see if you speak rightly or wrongly.”
“I’d love to,” Dask said, “but if we’re not getting anything in return…”
Matil tugged on his sleeve. “Let’s just help. We might be able to do something for his clan.” She cupped her hands and whispered, “And we’ll get on his good side.”
“You make a decent point. All right, sir prince, first things first.” Dask stepped on top of a fallen rock, using his wings to balance. “You gotta have the right outlook. That means—”
“Ansi!” a woman snapped.
Ansi spun around. The woman headed from the camp toward the group, flapping her daisy petal-like wings. She was followed by a retinue of Eletsol, each one with a painted white stripe down the left side of their face. They wore robes like Ansi and the scouts, but strips of bright cloth hung from the armholes and tied together at the wrists to make slashed sleeves.
“Tain- Tain Fridda!” Ansi said, bowing his head and raising his palms to her.
Fridda had a wide physique and wore a loose, sleeveless white dress. Silky, ash-blonde hair ran limply down her head, and her eyebrows arched in surliness. At Fridda’s command, two men broke away from the retinue and stood on either side of Ansi. Kirra hovered nearby, looking pleased with Ansi’s misfortune. Four men came and surrounded the outsiders.
Fridda addressed Ansi with clipped, abrasive words. Ansi then spoke quietly. One of his responses caused Fridda’s features to curdle with venom. She flew into a rant that jabbed at Matil’s ears like a prickly twig. Ansi’s eyes remained downcast while the group of Eletsol stared at him in varying shades of disgust. Kirra spoke up from time to time. At last, Fridda gestured violently at Ansi and the outsiders.
Matil’s face pinched with worry. Maybe imprisonment wasn’t so bad. It was better than being crushed to death by a flower – which was what Fridda’s gestures seemed to convey. One of the men used his staff to prod Ansi to stand with the outsiders. Matil tensed up.
Ansi lifted his head. “Follow the soldiers.”
“What’s going on?” Dask said.
“We are banished,” he said in a monotone. “I’m sure you’re glad of it.”
Matil stared at him.
“You too?”
“Kirra told my sister I was too lenient with you three, and he was able to convince my sister that I was plotting against her. Fair enough, I suppose.”
Fridda began to leave.
“Wait!” Matil said. “What about our beetles and our packs? We have to take them with us.”
“Tain Fridda,” Ansi called, and then he said something in a gentle tone. Wistfulness grew in his voice as he spoke.
Fridda neither turned around nor unfolded her arms. After a moment, she said something to Kirra. His smug expression turned to annoyance, but he gave the guard a command. The guard untied the beetles and brought them to the group. Two other Eletsol rummaged through the rubble of the shelter, found the supply packs, and threw them on Dewdrop’s and Olnar’s shells. Two of the men guarding the outsiders took the beetles’ reins.
The Taina led the outsiders far away from the camp. At last they stopped and, after a chorus of rude noises directed toward Ansi, vanished into the forest. A tiny rock launched from the undergrowth and pelted Khelya’s arm.
“Ow!” She scowled.
“Are you hurt?” Matil said.
Khelya rubbed at her arm. “Not really, it’s just…just…”
Dask went over to Olnar and began setting the beetle up to take two passengers.
To help, Matil transferred some supplies from Olnar to Dewdrop. “How are you, girl?” She rubbed Dewdrop’s shell, and the beetle bumped her head against Matil’s legs. “Did the rain scare you? Oh, you weren’t scared at all.”
“I’ve just had enough of Eletsol,” Khelya blurted. “They’re like those kids in school who went around in a group and picked on the other students.”
Matil, Dask, and Ansi looked at her blankly.
Ansi then looked away with a sniff. “I don’t do such things.”
“Yeah?” said Khelya. “Well, you’re the one who ruins everyone’s fun on purpose.”
“Your Obrigi is very disrespectful,” he said.
Khelya kicked at the ground. “I’m not their Obrigi.”
“That’s the spirit,” said Dask. “Anyway, thanks for getting our things back to us, Ansi.”
Ansi shook his head. “I didn’t expect Fridda to grant my request, but she still cares for her brother. The good memories of my youth counted for something in the end. You, outsiders. Where will you go?”
Matil stood up straighter. She knew what he believed. “To find Mr. Korsen.”
“Ah.” Ansi glanced at each of them. “Do you realize how dangerous it is?”
“We figured there was some danger involved,” Dask said. “‘Specially now that we’ve experienced Eletsol hospitality.”
“If you go directly toward the Watcher’s land from here, you will be made into slaves or dinner by tomorrow evening at the latest.”
Dask froze for a moment and then turned to Matil and Khelya. “Well, ladies, looks like we’ve got a lost cause on our hands. Let’s give up. There’s gotta be another way to do this.”
“But—” Matil and Khelya began at the same time.
“Give up if you’d like,” Ansi said. “But I can guide you to the Watcher through the clans’ territories. I’m offering my service, like you did for me.”
“Yeah, and look at how that turned out,” Dask said.
Matil coiled Dewdrop’s reins around her hand, remembering the gigantic eye they had seen and the laughter they had heard down by the southern border. “Ansi says that Mr. Korsen exists. Please, Dask, let’s go find out.” She looked down. “Or if you’d like to leave for Nychtfal, we could…split up and meet somewhere afterward—”
“We’re going, we’re going.” He shook his head. “I guess Ansi’ll keep us safe.”
Khelya shot Ansi a look. “Do we have to go with ‘im?”
Ansi folded his arms and returned the look.
“Yes, we do,” Dask said. “I dunno about you, but I’m not keen on either slavery or cannibalism.”
“Which way are we going?” Matil said.
“We’ll travel due north for a time,” Ansi said.
Dask flared his wings. “I’ll find out which direction’s north.”
“That is north.” Ansi pointed.
“Oh.” Dask’s wings flopped back into place. “See, Khel, this guy’ll make it easy for us.” He hopped onto Olnar and patted the saddlebags.
Matil’s sensitive ears picked up Khelya’s mumbled response, but she hoped that Ansi’s smaller Eletsol ears had not. She climbed over Dewdrop’s shell into the saddle and watched their new companion from the corner of her eye.
He had turned back toward his homeland. For an Eletsol he was tall, yet at the moment he stooped with his head lowered. It made Matil think of the dreams she had of her life before, especially the dreams about her family’s house near the ground. Why did alva have to leave their homes so quickly and on such bad terms? She blinked. Did she…remember something?
No. Of course not.
“Take us away, flower boy,” Dask said.
Ansi glared. “Very well, bird boy.”
They proceeded with caution, watching the forest around them, and then slowly they settled into the rhythm of travel. Khelya walked and Matil rode Dewdrop with most of their supplies. Dask and Ansi rode back-to-back on Olnar.
“Matil.” Khelya motioned with her transparent hand, a gesture that Matil nearly missed.
She pulled on the reins, slowing Dewdrop’s pace. She and Khelya fell behind the others.
“Let’s say the Elders are gone…for good,” the Obrigi said quietly. “Shouldn’t it make Ansi sad?”
“He could be wrong,” Matil said. “We don’t know yet.”
“But he acts like he doesn’t care!”
She reached out to pat Khelya on the arm. “He’s had all his life to get used to it, whether or not it’s true. Let’s just ask Mr. Korsen and find out.”
It was past noon when they stopped to rest and let the beetles crawl over nearby plants in search of a meal. Ansi concentrated on a pair of green strawberries, which turned plump and red as he moved his hands in quick little gestures. They sliced pieces off of the newly-ripened strawberries and started to eat.
“Where’d you learn how to speak Alvishu?” Dask seemed glad to talk to another man for a change and had been chatting with Ansi since they left.
“When I was young,” Ansi said, “I stayed in Vangara City with King Eldos of the Nervoda.”
He whistled. “Fancy, aren’t ya?”
“I am the chief’s son.”
“You’ve been to Vangara City?” Matil asked excitedly. “Dask told me that it’s underwater.” Dask had once described the Nervoda home, Lake Vangara. Despite his impression that Nervoda in general were “snoozy water-bugs”, he had grudging respect for those that lived under the lake.
“U-underwater…” Khelya shuddered. “Alva can’t live underwater!”
Ansi rolled his eyes. “They use their magic.” He spat out a seed. “It is very interesting to live with water all around and fish flying by. Once, I was nearly eaten by an eel.”
“Huh,” Dask said. “Gotta agree with Khel on this one. Sounds terrifying.”
They set out again and, while they traveled, Dask reminded Khelya to teach him how to snap his fingers. Once he got the hang of it, he wouldn’t stop snapping. Khelya and Ansi soon grew annoyed, but Matil was having too much fun encouraging him. A few snapping wars later, even Dask had to admit that it was getting old.
Ansi monitored the forest constantly to make sure he knew where they were. “A new tree,” he said as they skirted a ramble of tree roots.
“New?” Khelya squinted at the tree’s rough bark. “Looks like it’s been here a good long time.”
“It is certainly new. See? There is no moss and no ivy. One of the reasons outsider maps are so pathetic is that the clan
s often change the forest.”
Matil blinked. “Change the forest?”
“Kal. I mean—yes. Sometimes we grow things and move them around. Because of territory disputes, building projects, festivals, or just…for the fun of it.” Ansi’s mouth lifted in a small smile. “That tree was not here when I visited this area two weeks ago. The Ivainen clan is a vassal of the Takkamakaini—ah, the Taina clan. We let them stay among the tree branches while we live nearer the ground. I suspect that they grew the tree over many days in order to build a new village. It must have taken all of their magicians. I am impressed, but they should know better than to do so without permission. Maat Enna will have a shout at their chief, I think.”
Later on, the group was thrown into alarm at shrieks coming from the undergrowth. Ansi spoke quickly in his own language, drawing a few fur-cloak-wearing Eletsol out of the forest. Their hostility was calmed by Ansi’s words. After they left, Dask asked who they were.
“They are from a small clan,” Ansi said. “I’ve visited them before to mark territory lines. I acted very stern with them that day, but later I was more generous with territory than they expected. Their leaders became my friends.”
“Hm, I see why they call you ‘the Smart’,” Dask said.
Night rolled in and the four of them built a little campfire in a patch of red clover. Khelya tied the plants back to keep them from catching sparks. For dinner, the group had watery clover blossom soup with slices of mushroom – except Khelya, who filled her stomach with the raw pinkish blossoms. There were bilberry shrubs close by, so they finished up by picking and eating the tart blue berries.
“Let’s set up watch,” Dask said, wiping the purple juice from his hands on a clover leaf. “Khelya goes first, so we don’t have to try waking her up in the middle of the night. Matil, second watch?”
