The Trevi of Torvain

by Kelly Carr

  All was silent for a few moments as Liana and Elias glared at one another.

  “What language is that?” an unfamiliar voice inquired, breaking the silence.

  Liana suddenly realized that in their anger, they had lapsed into the Aidan language. She turned and found that their mysterious companion had finally regained consciousness. She was sitting up with a frightened and bewildered expression on her face as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings.

  “Who are you?” the stranger asked. “Where am I? What happened?”

  Valeria seized the chance to dispel the tension between Liana and Elias. She crouched down at the young woman’s side. “We can only answer one question at a time,” she said in the Common Tongue. “Which is bothering you the most?”

  The stranger seemed to consider that for a moment. “Who are you?” she repeated finally.

  “I’m Valeria,” Valeria said. “These are my friends: Liana and Elias. We’re travelling to meet the king,” she added with forced cheerfulness.

  The stranger said something in the Torvinian language that Liana didn’t recognize. From the tone, she assumed it was profanity of some sort. The woman attempted to get to her feet. Liana caught her as she stumbled.

  “Calm down, we won’t be arriving tonight. We’re still at least ten days away from Corralis. Now, Valeria has given you our names. Would you do us the honor of returning the favor?”

  The woman’s expression underwent several changes in quick succession, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Liana could see her attempting to formulate a lie. “Sarah. My name is Sarah.”

  “Well then, Sarah,” Liana said, deciding to let the lie pass for the moment, “What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here with us?”

  Sarah paused and considered this. “I ran outside, and…some kind of monster jumped out of the fog right in front of me. I hid under a wagon, but the creature knocked it over and—“ She suddenly felt at her chest where her wounds had been. She frowned in confusion. “There’s no pain! Have I died?”

  Even Elias chuckled at that.

  “No,” Liana said, “I healed you.” She went on to describe the attack and the Genvu and how the soldiers had died.

  Tears ran down Sarah’s cheeks. “They were only there because of me,” she said, guilt written all across her face. “If I hadn’t left home—“ she never finished the thought. At that moment, a wind sprang up, whirling around them, growing faster and wilder as Sarah cried. “What’s happening?” she said, temporarily shocked out of her grief.

  Valeria knelt beside her, perfectly composed, and took Sarah’s hands. “Calm yourself,” she said. “This wind is coming from you.”

  “How is that possible?” Sarah asked over the roaring of the maelstrom around them.

  Liana took control and diverted the wind from the place where they sat.

  “How did you do that?” Sarah said. She only seemed to be becoming more agitated.

  Liana gently laid a hand over the young woman’s eyes. “We’ll explain everything, but I need you to take a few slow, deep breaths.”

  Sarah did as she was instructed, and the gale subsided. When no more than a slight breeze remained, she allowed herself to be led to a seat by the fire, her eyes round as saucers. Valeria brought her some food, and then Liana told their story from the beginning. Elias shared the parts he was most familiar with, and Valeria filled in anything they forgot. It was very late by the time they finished.

  “…so we brought you with us,” Liana concluded. “I really had no idea that such a thing was possible, but all the same, I’m sorry I did it without your permission. I don’t know what the full effects may be, or if it’s possible to reverse them, but if you want, I can try to—“

  “Are you out of your mind?” Sarah interrupted. “Of course I don’t want you to change me back! This is the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to me!” Her face was alight with joy, but after a moment, she grew sober again. “Oh, but if what you say about the Genvu is true, then you’re right, the king must be warned, though I can hardly believe…Well, anyway, I suppose I have no choice now but to accompany you back to Corralis.”

  “At the very least, you need to stay with us long enough to learn how to control your new abilities,” Elias said.

  Sarah groaned and swore under her breath. “Alright then,” she said, resigned.

  They finished their food in a thoughtful silence, and when they were done, Elias insisted they all get some sleep.

  Sarah went willingly enough, apparently still tired even after a full day of sleep. Liana watched her toss and turn on the rough ground, clearly unaccustomed to sleeping on the road, and wondered what the girl was really hiding…

  Sarah proved to be a cheerful, friendly person and an eager student for anything they would teach her about magic. However, she volunteered no further information about her own circumstances.

  Liana was burning with curiosity to know what could have brought a young woman on her own, dressed as a man, from Corralis to Laketown, pursued by soldiers who would give their lives to save her. She watched Sarah closely over the next few days but learned nothing more than that she was witty and charming. Sometimes she shared a horse with Liana, but she spent most of her time with Valeria, enthusiastically gesturing with her arms so that they were constantly buffeted by the resulting gusts of wind.

  The day after she awoke, she sat Liana down and insisted on evening out the ragged ends of her hair, all that remained of her long, luxurious mane. The end result was not much longer than the pale strands that adorned Valeria’s head.

  Valeria and Sarah assured her that the style suited her, but Liana frowned at her reflection and fervently hoped that her hair would grow back quickly.

  Distracted by her interest in Sarah, it was several days before she returned her thoughts to what she had learned about the Vorshi and the Mother of Magic. As she thought back over everything Elias had told them, she came to focus on the one part of the story she couldn’t afford to ignore: how the problem had been solved.

  If the terrible events of recent weeks were being caused by the Vorshi, then the Mother of Magic hadn’t succeeded in defeating it. But if she hadn’t, then why had her magic been drawn to Liana? Was the only solution to their current difficulties for her to somehow release the magic? What would that leave her? Surely not a Human, but not a Trevi either.

  These thoughts went around and around in Liana’s head. She hardly noticed the scenery around her changing from mountains, to valleys filled with wildflowers, and then to quiet forest. She finally came back to herself when they arrived at the bank of a wide river, rushing past at an alarming rate. She hadn’t even been paying attention to the fact that her horse had stopped until Valeria shook her shoulder. Liana looked up at her and, with an effort, drew her attention back to the matter at hand: getting south as quickly as possible.

  Chapter seven: valeria

  With the sudden addition of Sarah to their party, Valeria began to find the journey south immensely enjoyable. She spent long hours each day tutoring their new friend in Sylph magic and discovered that she picked up anything she was taught very quickly. The Human woman made her laugh, asked endless questions about the Trevi, and told her about all the places she had hoped to go when she left home. She shared no details about her personal history, but Valeria began to form certain suspicions based on the few things her new friend let slip. She kept them to herself, however, and simply enjoyed the pleasure of spending time in the company of a kindred spirit.

  Valeria kept an eye on Liana as they rode along. Her best friend remained quiet day after day and hardly seemed to notice where she was going. When they reached the Calesheen River, she was glad to finally have an opportunity to shake Liana out of her reverie.

  “I’m sorry, Valeria, did you need something?” Liana said, appearing confused.

  “I was hoping you would create a bridge for us,” Valeria said. “The water is too fast for us to ford here.” />
  “Oh, of course.” Liana dismounted and, raising her arms, lifted the riverbed until it created a bridge just a few inches above the rushing water.

  Sarah’s mouth dropped open. This was the first time she had witnessed anything other than Sylph magic.

  “That’s amazing!” she said delightedly.

  Valeria saw Liana smile slightly as they crossed the bridge, but as she allowed it to sink back into the water behind them, the smile faded.

  “When did we leave the road?” she asked.

  “Just after we left the mountains,” Elias replied. “I thought it would be best to avoid any other towns. We drew quite a lot of attention to ourselves at Laketown. Word may spread about our appearance there.”

  “Not to mention,” Valeria said, “that we wouldn’t want to draw any more innocent bystanders into danger if the Genvu should happen to attack again.”

  Liana’s face went pale at the thought, but Elias shook his head. “Creatures of the Vorshi, like the Genvu, aren’t well suited to the warm climate and sunshine of Torvain. The kind of power it takes to create the weather that would shield them from it would take weeks to build if it had to get this far south,” he explained.

  Liana shivered. “All the same, it was a good plan to get away from the main road.” She lapsed back into silence, her face sinking back into the grim expression she had worn for several days.

  At last, Valeria got fed up. She cast a gust of wind at her friend, so strong that it nearly blew her off her horse. Liana looked over at Sarah sharply, before realizing that it was Valeria who was responsible.

  “What was that for?” Liana snapped.

  “Just trying to get your attention,” Valeria said. “You’ve hardly spoken in days! I’ve never known you to be so quiet.”

  “I’ve just been thinking, that’s all,” Liana said, waving a hand as if it wasn’t important.

  “I know you, Liana. Even when you’re worried or upset, you always share your thoughts, at least with Elias, and you haven’t been speaking to him either.”

  “I don’t want to burden either of you with my worries,” Liana said. Valeria cast another gust of wind at her. Liana brushed it away and glared at her. “Stop that!”

  “I’m your friend, you idiot. You would listen to my worries without hesitation. Why would you think I can’t handle yours?”

  “Has it ever occurred to you that my worries might be heavier to bear than most people’s?” Liana said shortly. “Every minute of every day from the time I was three years old, I have carried the weight of the hopes and expectations of everyone in the Erean Forest. They’ve made me responsible for the safety and happiness of all of them. The lives of every Trevi who died at the festival are on my conscience. Even now, the lives of all those who are left are in my hands. I have to save them, whatever the cost.”

  “Now think what it must mean to me that five nights ago I learned that this journey may ultimately be useless, that perhaps the only way for me to save the Trevi will be to release all my magic to balance out the Vorshi. And what will that do to me? Why is this even a problem? The Mother of Magic said she wouldn’t take physical form again unless she had defeated the Vorshi. Why didn’t she keep her word?” Liana wiped away tears of frustration and anger.

  Valeria’s mouth hung open at this uncharacteristic outburst from her friend. Sarah’s eyes were wide, and even Elias looked shocked. To everyone’s surprise, he came over to her and took her hand.

  “I don’t know why things turned out the way they did,” he said, "but I will do everything in my power to stop this before you ever have to make that choice.”

  “Hear, hear,” Valeria agreed. “We’re not there yet, Liana. We haven’t even talked to the king. Don’t lose hope now.”

  Sarah said nothing. Valeria knew she was still unsure where she stood in the division between Human and Trevi, but she nodded her head encouragingly.

  “Thank you,” Liana said. “You’re right. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

  Valeria patted her shoulder, and together they rode on. Liana remained quiet, but her expression eased at the reminder that her friends were with her, no matter what.

  Chapter eight: sarah

  A day later, the travellers found that their southward journey had led them back to the main road. Their arrival happened to coincide with that of a small party of people going in the opposite direction.

  The Torvinians greeted them cheerfully and, when asked, informed them that they were less than a two-day ride from the capital if they kept to the road. Sarah’s heart sank at this news. She had known that their journey would end soon, but the last two weeks had been the most enjoyable of her life. She had never had friends who treated her like one of their own, and every day she learned something new about magic or the Trevi.

  One thing weighed on her, however. She hadn’t yet confided the truth to them. She sometimes wondered if Valeria might have figured it out, but if she had, she seemed content to wait for Sarah to share it when she was ready.

  In an effort to keep her thoughts from her own worries, she turned them towards those of another and began considering Liana’s concerns about the future. The following evening, she went to sit next to her new friend by the fireside when they stopped for the night.

  “I’ve been thinking about everything you told me,” she said, “and I believe I’ve thought of two things that may give you some hope.”

  “What are they?” Liana said skeptically.

  “Well, as we spoke to those travellers back there, I was reminded that, according to Elias, the reason the Mother of Magic created the forest was to protect the Trevi. He said that the influence of the Vorshi had turned Humans violent and barbaric. Did those people, or any of the other Humans you’ve encountered on your journey, fit that description?”

  “Well…no. I suppose not,” Liana admitted.

  Sarah nodded her satisfaction on that point. “Alright, and what about the Mother of Magic being able to sense the Vorshi saturating the air everywhere she went? Can you feel anything like that?”

  Liana shook her head. “No.” She hesitated, however, and then continued. “I don’t feel it constantly, but I felt it once, at Laketown. I’m sure of it. It was in the fog and the rain, just like Elias said. It felt like magic, but the most powerful magic I’ve ever felt, and twisted all wrong.”

  This revelation momentarily shook both Sarah and Valeria, who had moved closer to listen, but after a minute they recovered.

  “But in Elias’ story, the Vorshi was everywhere,” Valeria said. “Perhaps the Mother of Magic managed to at least weaken it. Maybe she thought she had defeated it, thought it was safe to return.”

  “Even if the power isn’t completely gone, maybe we can stop it before it gains too much strength,” Sarah said. “It doesn’t have to end the way it did last time.” She smiled encouragingly.

  Liana raised an eyebrow, her face relaxing into an amused smile. “So it’s ‘we,’ is it? Decided that you’re more Trevi than Human, have you?”

  “No,” Sarah held her head high with a determined expression on her face. “I am both and neither. I have a Human past and a Trevi future, so I’ve decided I won’t choose a side.”

  “Very wise,” Elias said thoughtfully.

  “Thank you,” Sarah said. “I hope I can use this perspective to help any other Humans you choose to change.”

  Liana, Valeria, and Elias all looked taken aback by this suggestion.

  “Change more?” Liana said, as though the idea had never crossed her mind.

  “Well of course,” Sarah said, equally surprised that she hadn’t considered it. “Surely you see the potential? Changing any soldiers the king gives you into Trevi would give them an extra edge in fighting the Genvu. Not to mention, if you want to truly bring the Trevi out of the Erean forest, having the ability to change any Humans who wished it into Trevi would do wonders at preventing any conflicts over jealousy of your power.”

  “Whoa, hold on,” Liana s
aid. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself. One problem at a time. First, we have to get the soldiers and ask if they want to be changed. Even then, I’ve only done this once and by accident. Who’s to say I can do it again?”

  Sarah shrugged. “Just things I’ve thought about, that’s all.”

  They sat in silence for a while, each contemplating the problems and possibilities presented by a future in which the Trevi were no longer confined to the forest. Finally, Elias spoke up.

  “I also have a grain of hope to offer you, Liana,” he said.

  Liana raised her eyebrows, inviting him to continue.

  “This ‘Queen Katya’ that was mentioned by the man, Ruslan, we still don’t know in what way she’s involved. Perhaps the Vorshi has chosen to take a physical form, just as the Mother did, or maybe this woman is somehow manipulating it. Either way, it could make the Vorshi easier to defeat. If she’s simply a madwoman attempting to wield power she doesn’t understand, the king of Torvain ought to be able to help us get rid of her. Perhaps this journey isn’t the fool’s errand I thought it was, after all,” he said, thoughtfully.

  Liana actually laughed. “Well that’s the most positive thing I’ve heard from you in weeks,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Elias gave a crooked sort of smile, and with that, he, Liana, and Valeria lay down to sleep, each looking a little more hopeful. Sarah remained awake, however, frowning into the fire. She had her doubts that the king would be as helpful as they were giving him credit for…

  Chapter nine: liana

  Having avoided Human contact for most of their journey, Liana hadn’t seen enough of the way people lived to be prepared for her first sight of the capital city.

  In the Erean forest, everyone grew their houses from trees or found convenient caves in the mountains. No one bothered much about where they built. There was plenty of room, and no one was ever in a hurry to get from one place to another, so distance wasn’t a problem.

  Humans appeared to pack as much as they possibly could into a small space, and all of it was at ground level. The closest thing she had to compare it to was Laketown, but the city of Corralis was at least five times that size. Liana was in awe at the sheer scope of it. She had never imagined so many people could live in such a small area.