Facing the Sun

by Carol Beth Anderson

  Dry leaves crinkled as Tavi and Misty sat under a tree. “Let’s see,” Tavi said.

  Misty took off her right boot and sock, and sure enough, a blister had formed on the bottom of her big toe. Tavi activated her touch gift, and in seconds, the blister was gone.

  Once she had released her magic, Tavi commented, “All those years I spent waiting for my gifts to awaken, just so I could hold my sister’s sweaty foot.” Misty laughed.

  Before continuing on, they performed several tasks that had become routine. While Tavi activated her scent gift to ensure they were still on Narre’s track, Misty watered Miss Mella and gave her a snack. Each girl grabbed an apple from the horse’s pack saddle, and they ate them as they continued down the road.

  Two days earlier when they had begun traveling, it had been rough. Neither Tavi nor Misty were used to walking for hours on end. It didn’t help that Tavi’s nightmares about Narre had prevented her from getting a good night’s sleep before departing. Three hours into the first day, Tavi had been exhausted, and she and Misty both had blisters. A few hours later, they had reached a small town and stopped there for the night. They had made it thirteen miles, and it had felt like twice that many.

  At the inn that evening, it had occurred to Tavi that she could probably heal the blisters, and with a bit of effort, she had learned to restore the skin nearly to its normal state. This skill made the second day much better, but after ten miles they were again exhausted, and Misty’s knee was hurting. Tavi hadn’t learned to heal aching joints, and her attempts were ineffective. After five more miles, they had stopped at a small guesthouse for the night.

  Now it was their third day of travel, and it was going well. While their legs had been stiff when they’d risen that morning, they had loosened up once on the road. Tavi’s blister-healing had improved in speed and effectiveness. The cool autumn air was pleasant for walking, and Tavi’s worries were tempered by optimism.

  “You’ve become quick at activating your gifts,” Misty commented. “I don’t know if you can explain it to someone who isn’t sun-blessed, but what do you do to make your magic work when you’re ready for it?”

  Tavi was happy to describe the process to her sister, explaining the connection between desire and gift activation. “When I first discovered this, I was thinking about how much I wanted one of your pickles!” she said with a laugh.

  “My pickles?” Misty laughed too. “I’ll admit they’re very good pickles, but I never thought they were magical! Is that still what you think about?”

  “Sometimes,” Tavi said.

  “What else works besides pickles?” Misty asked.

  “Oh, I just think about whatever I want at the moment,” Tavi hedged. She was relieved when Misty didn’t inquire further. Ever since her solitary time three days earlier, Tavi had found that the surest way to send magic directly where she wanted it was to think of Tullen. But she wasn’t sure she wanted the teasing that would come if she admitted that. Or would she receive pity rather than teasing? Either way, she preferred to keep her feelings to herself.

  They walked for a while in silence, and Tavi’s thoughts drifted again toward Narre and Reba. Nausea invaded her stomach, and a scene from a recent dream flashed into her mind—Narre crying with large, hulking men standing above her.

  Tavi shook her head. The more she worried, the slower she walked, and that didn’t help her friends a bit. She shifted her thoughts, imagining instead what it might be like when she found Narre and Reba.

  Tavi expected the reunion with Narre to be full of relief and joy. Finding Reba, however, might be different. Tavi wondered if her old friend would even be glad to see them. And if she was indeed ready to go home, would the trip be awkward? For many months, the two hadn’t held a conversation longer than a few sentences. Tavi pondered how she wanted Reba to react. Perhaps she was being too optimistic, but she hoped that after the rescue, their old friendship would be salvaged and repaired.

  It was mid-afternoon when Tavi noticed a mile marker on the road. “We’ve gone sixteen miles today!” she exclaimed. Soon after that, a small town became visible on the horizon, and they were relieved to find the Four Points Inn, which was clean and welcoming.

  Once Miss Mella was settled in a stable, Tavi and Misty rented a room. After freshening up, they walked down to the dining room and ordered a hearty dinner. Every evening Tavi was amazed at how hungry she was after the day’s travel.

  As they ate and again bemoaned Tavi’s difficulty in healing aching joints, Misty held up a finger to stop her sister from talking. When Tavi grew quiet, she heard it too. Raindrops on the roof.

  Tavi left the windowless dining room and rushed to the inn’s sitting room, which had two windows. Sure enough, large drops of rain were spotting the glass. She dashed out the front door, and as she did so, the rain began to pour, soaking her almost immediately. Within a minute, she reached an intersection of two roads—the one they had been traveling, and another that went north and south. Tavi’s scent gift was active seconds later, but all she could smell was rain and soil. Narre’s scent had washed away.

  “What do you really think of Mama’s sweet potato sandwiches?” Tavi asked.

  Misty’s answer was immediate. “I can barely force them down.” Her eyes grew wide, and she covered her gaping mouth with a hand.

  The girls had arranged to bring their food to their room so Tavi could change into dry clothes. There they had discussed what course of action they should take, with Tavi’s scent gift useless. They had determined that she would need to use her speech gift to ask questions of those who might have seen the missing girls and the two men who were suspected of taking them.

  Tavi had rarely practiced her speech gift. Now they both sat on the bed while Tavi compelled her sister to answer her questions. As she asked questions that Misty might normally have refused to answer, she almost felt guilty at how much fun she was having.

  After answering several more questions with more honesty and less tact than she would ever have willfully chosen, Misty said, “I think your speech gift works just fine.”

  Tavi laughed and released her magic. “My biggest concern is that my mouth will be glowing. Whoever I’m talking to will know I’m using magic.”

  Misty pondered that. “I don’t think it will matter. They’ll answer you regardless. Later they might be angry that they succumbed to your gift, but by then you’ll have answers.”

  Tavi yawned. Looking out the window, she said, “The rain’s stopped. Hopefully we can get some information tomorrow morning and then get back on the road. Let’s go to bed.”

  The next morning, Tavi and Misty went downstairs for breakfast. The inn was owned by an older couple, and the wife was both cook and server. She approached Tavi and Misty to take their order.

  After ordering a large breakfast, Misty introduced herself and chatted with the woman, who was polite but not particularly friendly. When she left for the kitchen, Misty whispered, “You should activate your gift when she brings our food.”

  Twenty minutes later, the woman exited the kitchen holding two plates heaped with eggs, bacon, toast, and chunky applesauce. Tavi saw her coming and was suddenly anxious. Usually she liked to close her eyes when activating her gift, but she was afraid that would seem odd, so she simply looked down. Tavi thought about how much she wanted to eat, but when the breakfast she desired was placed in front of her, it broke her concentration.

  Misty rescued the moment by turning to the woman and gushing about the meal. “How do you make your applesauce? It looks divine!”

  As the woman shared her applesauce secrets, Tavi again bowed her head. Now that she had food, she could close her eyes as if giving thanks to Sava. In a moment, her mouth was warm with magic. She urged more of it into her mouth, wanting to be sure it was effective.

  “I have a question,” Tavi said when Misty’s conversation with the owner had died down. “We know a group who was traveling this way; they would have been here about three days ago. It
was two men and two young women.” She described the two men based on what the owner of the Oren pub had told her and Misty on their way out of town, and then she described Reba and Narre. An arrow of anxiety entered Tavi’s throat as she asked the all-important question: “Did you see them?”

  The woman answered readily. “Two men came through here, looking as you described, a few days back. They stopped for food but did not stay. There were not any girls with them.”

  No girls. Tavi’s breath left her lungs. But she held onto her gift and managed to say, “Please tell us everything you remember about the men.”

  It took little time for the woman to disclose all she recalled. The men had driven an enclosed wagon, which they had tied to the furthest post from the inn. One of them had come in, ordered food that would keep well on the road, and left. Soon after, the second man had entered and asked if he could purchase a pillow. While this request was strange, he had offered eight chips for it, far more than a new pillow would cost. The owner had sold it to him. The wagon had then left.

  “How much food did they purchase?” Tavi asked.

  The woman replied, “Enough to feed the two of them for four or five days, at least.”

  “And did you see which road they took on their way out?” It was a crucial question, and Tavi’s heart beat faster as she asked it.

  “They went north,” the woman responded.

  Relief filled Tavi—they knew which direction to go. “Thank you,” she said with a nod. Misty echoed the statement, and as the woman left, Tavi released her magic. The woman turned back, giving the sisters a suspicious look, but she entered the kitchen without talking to them any further.

  Tavi and Misty packed their things after breakfast. They settled up with the woman’s husband on their way out. Once they had paid, he gave Tavi a stern look. “My wife tells me you are speech-blessed,” he said. “What was the purpose of using your gift as you conversed with her?”

  Tavi used the excuse she and Misty had already discussed. “My gift activates when I’m hungry,” she said. “It helps me choose my words wisely. I’m sorry if it made your wife uncomfortable.” She forced herself to smile. The owner accepted the response, but he looked skeptical. Tavi and Misty exited, picked up Miss Mella from the stables, and made their way to the northbound road.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  I would give up all my possessions and even my magic to see you once more. Why will you not answer me?

  -From Savala’s Collected Letters, Volume 1

  The dirt road was covered in a thin layer of mud, thanks to the rain. Tavi and Misty realized their skirts were getting dirty and would soon grow heavy with mud, so they tied the hems of their dresses into loose knots above their knees, leaving just their shin-length slips hanging down. Doubtless it looked ridiculous, but they didn’t care.

  Walking in the mud didn’t seem so bad at first, but after an hour, the sisters were already feeling tired. They stopped for a rest, groaning at their dirty shoes and Miss Mella’s muddy hooves. After cleaning her up and wiping the soles of their boots on tree trunks, they continued walking.

  “No blisters yet today?” Tavi asked.

  “No,” Misty said. “I wore two pairs of socks, and it seems to be helping.”

  “Good.” Tavi looked up at the sky, which was still dreary. She hoped it didn’t rain on them. Her mind turned to Narre. Had she stayed dry in the rain? Was she warm? At this thought, Tavi shivered, flipping up the collar of her coat. It was the first day they’d needed coats; the storm had ushered in cooler weather.

  They stopped at the top of a hill for an early lunch. The grass off the road was still wet, so Misty doubled a blanket before setting out a small picnic on it. When they tried sitting, the dampness soaked through onto their skirts and legs. “Guess if you can eat standing up, we can too, Miss Mella,” Misty said as she and Tavi stood, both groaning as if their joints had aged decades in the previous three days.

  Tavi ate dry bread and sausage in silence. She was already tired of their travel food. If she felt like this on day four, what would it be like in a week or a month? So much of this trip was unknown—how long they would be gone, the weather, where they would stay each night, and, above all, Narre and Reba’s location, situation, and safety. The uncertainty irritated Tavi, like an insect bite that wouldn’t stop itching.

  Without speaking, she and Misty prepared to resume their trek. They wrapped up their food and repacked it on Miss Mella’s strong back. The sisters trudged to the road, and Tavi turned Miss Mella north. Before they could take two steps, however, Misty grabbed Tavi’s arm. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing down the slope they had ascended before lunch.

  Tavi squinted and saw what Misty was pointing at. It appeared to be another traveler, coming their way. “Let’s get going,” Tavi said. “I don’t want company right now.”

  Misty didn’t move. “Doesn’t it seem like they’re traveling quickly?” she asked. “Could it be an animal?”

  Looking more closely, Tavi’s lip curled in confusion. “You’re right; whoever it is, they’re fast,” she agreed. “But I don’t think a wild animal would be using the road.”

  They continued to watch, and a moment later, Tavi gasped. She thrust the pack horse’s lead into her sister’s hand before sprinting down the hill. The gap closed quickly thanks to the other traveler’s speed.

  Tavi was soon forced to slow to a walk due to sobs she couldn’t repress. When she was close enough to see details, she cried even harder—it wasn’t one person, but two. She halted, her emotion choking her, as the other two travelers covered the last few feet.

  Tullen stopped, his grin threatening to break his cheeks. Sall jumped off his back, brushing himself off and adjusting the small pack he carried. In another moment, strong arms were around Tavi. She felt her feet leave the ground, and she barely got her arms around Tullen’s neck before she was spinning, spinning, spinning across the road, her legs flying behind her, Tullen’s gifted feet moving at impossible speeds.

  When the movement stopped and she was back on the ground, Tavi realized her cries had turned to laughter. Tullen’s voice joined hers, their mirth loud and uncontrollable. After the constant worry and grief of the past several days, it was as if something hard and dark had broken open in Tavi. All was not well, not even close, but for that moment, she could smile.

  In time, Tavi and Tullen both caught their breath. “Apparently you’re glad to see each other,” Sall said. “Shall we walk up the hill to Misty?”

  Tullen’s arm went around Tavi’s shoulders, and he squeezed (in a very brotherly manner, she reflected ruefully.) Sall then accepted Tavi’s warm hug, and the three of them walked toward Misty. Tullen smirked at Tavi. “I admire your bold wardrobe choice,” he said, his eyes on her tied-up skirt.

  Tavi shrugged. “When you’re a world traveler, you do what’s necessary.”

  As they walked up the hill, Tullen and Sall refused to answer Tavi’s questions. “Let’s wait until we’re all together,” Sall insisted. Tavi didn’t complain. She basked in the moment and the closeness of her friends.

  As they neared Misty, her sardonic voice reached them. “Sure, Tavi, I’d love to hold onto Miss Mella for you while you race down the hill!”

  Tavi laughed. “Thank you, Misty!”

  In another minute, Misty was exchanging hugs with Tullen and Sall. Questions flew from both sides. Misty broke in. “Hold on,” she said. “We’ve got hours to walk and talk. Why don’t we update you on our journey so far, and then you can tell us how you both came to be here?”

  They all agreed, though Tavi was reluctant to wait for answers. She and Misty described their trip so far. As they shared what they had learned from the woman at the inn, they were all reminded of the reason for their travel, and the celebratory atmosphere waned.

  “We’re going to find her,” Misty said. She looked at Sall, who nodded.

  Tavi had so many questions. She could tell Sall might not be ready to talk yet,
so she turned to Tullen. “How did you even know to come? And how did you find us?”

  “I’ll take the second question first,” Tullen said. “We knew you’d gone east, and we hoped you’d stayed on the main road. That took us to the Four Points Inn, but the owners refused to tell us whether or not you’d been there.”

  “In other words, we wouldn’t have found out anything without your speech gift,” Misty told Tavi with a proud smile.

  Tullen continued, “Thankfully, another guest heard our questions and told us you had just left this morning. We set off to find you. Since I was carrying Sall, we made good time. We tried the eastbound road first. When we’d gone far enough to be quite sure you weren’t there, we returned to the inn. By then, I needed to rest; my magic was almost depleted. We ate, then tried the northbound road. And here you are.”

  That brought a small smile to Tavi’s face. “Tullen, how did you even know to come? And Sall, why did you change your mind?”

  “Sall, why don’t you go first?” Tullen suggested.

  Sall nodded slowly. “There is something you need to know about my family,” he said. “I wish I’d told you a long time ago, Tavi.” He went on to tell them about his mother, with just enough detail to convey the seriousness of her condition.

  “Oh, Sall,” Tavi said. “I had no idea. I just thought—oh, never mind.”

  “It’s all right, you can say it,” Sall said.

  “I thought your mother wasn’t very welcoming,” she admitted. “You never invited us in, so . . . I’m sorry. I should have asked you why.”

  “I wouldn’t have told you,” Sall said. “I finally told Narre everything, just a few weeks ago.” He looked away, swallowing, before he continued, his voice strained. “I wanted so badly to come with you, Tavi. I’ve spent so long caring for my mother and my brothers, I saw no way to leave them.”

  Misty asked, “What changed?”