The Mist Children

by E. C. Hibbs

  Does it matter? she replied.

  He smiled at her. No, it didn’t. Not at all.

  You will have to go back soon, she added. The reindeer are becoming restless. It is almost time for the people to move on to the summer islands.

  Tuomas’s heart jumped. It’s almost migration?

  He turned to the World Between and looked at the herds. She was right. Many of the animals were already corralled outside the villages. Tuomas imagined himself standing in the middle of them as he had so many times before, a lasso in his hand, eyes darting over the ring of stampeding deer to find one with his mark cut into its ear. In his memory, he caught the musky smell of them; the sound of the tendons clicking in their knees.

  Lumi’s hand appeared on his shoulder, so faint, he barely felt it. He glanced at her.

  You want to dance again? he asked.

  In a moment, she said.

  Tuomas noticed why. A faint light was coming towards her, like a cloud which had somehow formed arms and trailed stars in its wake.

  He recognised it at once. He was the Spirit of Passage: the one who attended all things as they died and delivered them away from the World Between. Practically every day, this entity had approached Lumi with human souls. Tuomas watched as he passed three to her, then disappeared into the night.

  She cradled the shining souls like infants. Tuomas drew close to see, and instantly realised they had come from three children. They were older than that – as old as the first lives which they had lived; yet they rang with youth, still moulded to their last existence.

  Is that all I get? one asked.

  I am afraid so, Lumi replied tenderly. But now you can dance with me, with your ancestors. They are all waiting for you in the Lights.

  As she spoke, she flicked her tail and a faint green glow appeared behind her. In it, Tuomas felt other body-souls drawing close: ones who had been generations of mothers and fathers. Their happiness and love flowed through him as though he had sunk into a cool lake in summer.

  Lumi stroked them and began to separate body-soul from life-soul. The first would stay with her up here, and the second sent back, to give its power to a new-born thing. It could be a tree, or a reindeer, or another person. Nothing was for certain.

  Then she paused in alarm.

  What is it? asked Tuomas, but he felt it as much as she did. The souls were pushing against her. They seemed to be repelling her… no, dragging away from her. Something was trying to rip them out of her grasp.

  The ancestors bristled with fright. Lumi raised her voice.

  Carrying One! Why do you bring me these? The Horse-Riding One calls for them!

  Tuomas frowned at her. The who?

  Lumi didn’t answer. She was too concerned with holding onto the souls. The Spirit of Passage drew himself out of the darkness so he was facing her. He inspected the souls, and Tuomas felt a spark of horror flash between him and Lumi.

  He is not what calls, White Fox One, he said. I am so sorry… I thought you might be able to fight it this time.

  Lumi’s tail stilled for a moment, as though she had been struck. Then she swept it again, more furiously, and behind her, the Lights flared bright red.

  No… she snarled. I will not let them be taken! They stay with me, or they go to the Deathlands… to no place else!

  One of the souls almost escaped her arms. Tuomas flew forward and tried to help her hold onto them. Their glow dazzled him, but then he noticed the brilliant light was marred by patches of black, like soot from a filthy hearth, or water that had lain stagnant and turned into a bog.

  What is that? What’s wrong with it? he cried.

  The Spirit of Passage drew close. They are strong. You cannot fight, White Fox One!

  I will not let go! Lumi shouted.

  A cry suddenly surrounded them. It wasn’t coming from the soul; it wasn’t from anything in the World Above. It echoed from beneath them, deep in the lakes and rivers and the frothing sea… like a little boy, screaming and howling.

  The intensity of it shook Tuomas the most. It was warped by taika into something shockingly powerful.

  Give me my friends! Give them to me!

  Tuomas’s heart beat so fast, it hurt. His own taika twisted inside him like a blade. The tug intensified. Lumi held on firmly, refusing to let go of the souls even as they slipped further away from her.

  Release them, White Fox One! begged the Spirit of Passage. It is too late!

  The Lights raged like wildfire. The ancestors cried out in sorrow.

  Lumi screamed with distress and loosened her grip.

  She turned away, unable to watch the souls disappear. Tuomas spun on the spot, hands to his chest as he struggled to keep control. The shrieks grew gradually quieter, and then vanished, as though they hadn’t been there at all.

  Beside him, Lumi lay shaking in the weightless dark. The Lights slowed to a faint watery dance, but their edges still glowed a fierce red.

  Tuomas trembled. It felt like time had slowed to a complete standstill. The air was dense and dark, with a murkiness he had never sensed before.

  Lumi? What just happened? he asked, quietly, in case his own stream of thoughts could somehow tempt the thing to come back.

  Something I always wish I will never see again, she replied, not looking at him.

  Her tone sent a shiver through him. It was like splinters working into his muscles.

  He glanced between her and the Spirit of Passage, but both appeared just as upset as the other, so he turned to look at the World Between. There was no sign of the souls anywhere. They had completely disappeared.

  But then he noticed something which hadn’t been there before. A thick white mist had spread across one of the lakes near Poro. Some of the other lakes and streams were covered with it too, and it was slowly snaking down the frozen Mustafjord towards Akerfjorden.

  Lumi! he cried. What is that?

  The fright in his voice got her attention. She shot to his side and peered over his shoulder. Her tail froze in mid-air.

  She grabbed his wrists. Her thin fingers clutched him so tightly, he thought she might break his bones.

  What is it? he asked again. Is it dangerous?

  Yes! Stay here! she pleaded. You cannot risk it!

  I need to go and warn them! Tuomas insisted, trying to pull his hands free. Lumi, let go of me! You’re hurting me!

  Lumi tightened her grip. Her eyes were fierce. It wasn’t a girl who was holding him anymore; it was a mountain.

  I forbid it! she snapped. Stay here! Please! Listen to me!

  He hesitated. In a heartbeat, he was on the ice again at the start of his quest, terrified of her, protected only by a magical circle as thin as her own patience. In the face before him now, he saw the danger; felt the power of thousands of years in the hands crushing his wrists. Back when he had first met her, she could have ripped his soul out if she’d wanted.

  She still could.

  But he was just as powerful as her, just as old. He had stopped her Lights in the past; he was the only one able to counter her.

  He tasted lingonberries. The aromas of flowers lingered in his nose; summer warmth on his skin, spreading like fire, burning…

  He pushed back. The taika bloomed out from his chest so violently, he lost control of it. Lumi’s eyes flashed with panic. For the smallest moment, her grip loosened.

  Stop it! she cried. You have forgotten… You do not understand! Stay here! Tuomas, no!

  Before she could say another word, Tuomas wrenched himself out of her grasp.

  She tried to pull at him, but he forced her away, and then he was spinning and cartwheeling through the air. Stars whirled, falling and rising as he plummeted downwards. There was a faint tug as he slipped through the invisible barrier between the Worlds.

  Something tore, like fabric wrenched in two directions.

  He became heavier. He drew icy breath into his lungs. Then he slammed down on his back and gasped, all the wind knocked out of him. Gravity pre
ssed on him; his muscles ached as though he had run for miles. It was so strange to be held to the earth, unable to spin and twist like before. The ground was hard and cold – had he landed on a rock? No, it was too smooth for that. Ice.

  He opened his eyes. The crisp air stung them; it was denser here than in the sky. It felt like he was underwater, with pressure on him from all angles, trying to push his skin in on itself. Tiny icicles formed on his lashes as he blinked.

  He wiggled his fingers and rolled his ankles, then looked around. He was in the middle of a huge expanse of frozen water. Two steep cliffs stood on either side; their rocky flanks rendered white by a thick blanket of snow.

  He was on the Mustafjord, just outside Akerfjorden. Exactly the same place as where he’d stood to leave the World Between.

  Then he glanced over his shoulder and gasped with fright. The mist was still billowing down the fjord like an avalanche, coming straight towards the village – and straight towards him.

  Chapter Two

  Tuomas struggled to his feet but immediately slipped. The ice grazed his chin. Feeling for blood and finding none, he started to crawl towards the bank. He took a deep breath and forced it out in a shout.

  “Hello? Paavo! Henrik!”

  His voice cracked as he used it. He stood up again and staggered forward. His legs flew in all directions like a new-born deer. The cold bit at him; the wind channelled through the fjord and sliced down his neck. He had never felt so relieved to be fully clothed.

  He looked over his shoulder. The mist was getting closer. On the surface, it looked no different than any sea mist which might have swept in, but the way it moved unnerved him. It was coming fast – too fast.

  “Hello!” he cried again, stronger this time. “Anybody?”

  He noticed a stirring among the huts. Doors opened and the silhouettes of curious people poked outside.

  Then the mist caught up with him and swallowed him whole. He coughed as he breathed it in and he stumbled onto all fours. The village faded to a faint outline, then disappeared altogether.

  “Henrik!” Tuomas yelled again. The echo surrounded him; everywhere he looked, he saw only a thick grey wall. When he extended his hand, he could barely make out his own fingers. It was denser than any fog he had encountered before. He felt as though he were underwater; the tendrils curled around his legs and wormed down to his lungs. His heart fluttered; his taika quivered, like something was plucking at it.

  There was a sudden slithering noise somewhere behind him, as though an entire shoal of fish had somehow found itself on the surface of the ice. It cut through him and for a horrible moment, his vision failed and was encased in darkness. It pulled and sucked at him, right down to his souls.

  He panicked and sprinted as fast as he could, hoping it was in the right direction.

  “Henrik!” he cried.

  “Tuomas!”

  He skidded to a halt. “Paavo? Is that you?”

  “Yes, where are you?”

  “I’m here!”

  “Follow my voice! This way!”

  Tuomas focused on it and ran. A silhouette emerged from the cloud. They saw each other at the same time and bolted forwards. Paavo flung his arms out and caught Tuomas as he stumbled, almost toppling both of them.

  “Are you alright?” Paavo asked.

  “I’m fine!” Tuomas replied. “Come on, we need to go!”

  The slithering grew louder. Paavo snatched Tuomas by the front of his coat and began bundling him across the ice. After several awfully slow moments, the village swam back into view. A sizeable crowd had formed on the bank, many people coughing and sputtering as the mist swept between the huts. Henrik, the old mage, was standing in front of them all, a drum in his hands.

  As soon as Tuomas and Paavo were past him, he drew his arm in a line across the entire width of the fjord and hit the drum with an antler hammer.

  A protective line flew up and the topmost layer of snow shot into the air. Tuomas felt the energy rise until it formed a great invisible wall, hugging the ground and all it touched. It wasn’t a complete circle; there wasn’t enough time to spin one of those, but it still held. The mist on the other side pooled against it and formed a thick grey block. The vapour which had reached the village slowly broke off from it, hanging in the air like a low cloud.

  Paavo immediately pulled Tuomas into a crushing hug. Tuomas gasped for breath as his brother showered his head with kisses.

  “I’m so glad to see you!” Paavo cried. “You have no idea… Are you sure you’re not hurt? Are you cold?”

  “I’m fine,” Tuomas insisted. “I’m happy to see you too. Paavo, let go, I’m alright!”

  He squirmed free and squinted through the barrier. He could still hear the slithering.

  “What is that?” he asked in an undertone. “Can you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Paavo frowned.

  Tuomas stared at him, then at Henrik, but nobody else seemed aware of it. He held his breath, not daring to tear his eyes from the mist. But then the strange sound receded as if it had never been there.

  The village leaders hurried forward. Maiken was only wearing a single layer and hadn’t even tied her shoes closed. Anssi walked close to the barrier and went to touch it, but Henrik quickly shouted a warning.

  “Leave it be! Shields and circles are always weaker on the inside.”

  Anssi lowered his hand. “Will it hold?”

  “Not forever,” Henrik admitted, “but it will do for now.”

  Sisu turned to look at Tuomas. “Did you bring that mist with you?”

  “No,” Tuomas replied quietly so nobody would overhear. “I saw it coming, that’s why I came back.”

  He glanced around at the crowd to make sure they weren’t listening. The children were spluttering; parents gathered them in their arms and slapped their backs. They seemed happy to see him, but there was a dark wariness in their eyes which took him by surprise. Several were whispering to their neighbours. Even with the distance between them, Tuomas caught some of their words.

  “He’s back…”

  “He fell out of the sky…”

  “Son of the Sun…”

  Tuomas took a deep breath to quash a wave of unease. He could forgive their alarm at the mist, but people he had grown up with were now regarding him as though he were a complete stranger.

  Mihka watched from the side. His hair was still a shock of white – Tuomas supposed that if it was going to turn back to its original colour, it would have done it by now. Considering what had happened to him, it was a small price to pay for insulting Lumi.

  Then he realised someone was missing. There was no sign of Lilja.

  Before he could say anything, a figure burst from the throng and flew at him, almost knocking him to the ground. He looked down at a head of shiny black hair.

  “Elin? What are you still doing here?”

  “I stayed to wait for you,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “I had to – I was the only one who knew where you’d gone!”

  “Luckily,” Paavo added. The relief on his face slowly transformed into anger.

  Henrik struck the drum a second time to strengthen the barrier.

  “It should be fine until we leave,” he said to the leaders. “But I don’t think we should take any chances. We should set out as soon as possible. We were going to go in a few days anyway. And now we don’t have to wait any longer,” he added, throwing a pointed glance at Tuomas.

  “Alright,” said Maiken, then raised her voice to address everyone. “Go put some layers on and meet us at the central fire pit.”

  “What is that?” a man called, pointing at the mist.

  “The barrier is just a precaution, Jukka,” Henrik replied. “If all that streamed into the village, we wouldn’t be able to see a thing.”

  His voice was quiet, but deep, and carried a respect and assurance that settled even Tuomas’s mind. Slowly, the crowd dispersed and returned to their huts. The vapour clung to them
as they moved, but their footsteps were sound from years of walking the same paths between the shelters.

  When they were alone, Henrik hobbled to Tuomas and began checking him over.

  “I’m fine,” Tuomas insisted.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” Henrik snapped. He rolled back his eyelids and held two fingers to his wrist to check his heart rate. Finally, he let go and nodded.

  “I’m sorry for waking everyone,” Tuomas said.

  “Oh, you’ll be sorrier than that by the time I’m done with you,” Paavo snarled. He grabbed a handful of Tuomas’s coat and hauled him up the bank. Elin hurried behind them, her eyes wide.

  When they reached one of the outer huts, Paavo elbowed the door open and pushed Tuomas inside. He tripped over a reindeer skin on the floor and fell.

  “What were you thinking?” Paavo hissed. “How was I to know what had happened or when you were coming back, huh? You just disappeared! I woke up one morning and you were gone!”

  Tuomas held up his hands. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know… how long was I up there?”

  “Nearly a month,” Elin said quietly from the corner.

  He stared at her. “What?”

  “Exactly!” Paavo continued. He knelt in front of Tuomas. “Listen, do you remember how upset you were when you thought you’d lost me? Well, how do you think I felt when you vanished with no warning? My first thought was that a wolf had gotten to you, just like Father! If it hadn’t been for Elin, I wouldn’t have known where you were! And even she couldn’t tell me how long you’d be up there! You’d already been away for the entire Long Dark… I was worried sick!”

  His eyes blazed with angry tears. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again, do you hear me, Tuomas? I don’t care that you’re a mage or the Son of the Sun or anything at all, except the fact that you’re my brother! No matter how old you get, I am your brother. Your family. Do you understand?”

  Tuomas bit his lip and nodded. “I’m sorry. Really, I’m so sorry.”

  Paavo ground his teeth in frustration and strode across the hearth. His shoe knocked a log as he passed and it tumbled into the embers with a flurry of sparks. Elin scrambled out of the way as he snatched his coat off one of the roof beams and stormed outside.