by Amy Neftzger
“They do seem harmless for now,” she said.
“Speak for yourself,” Maggie replied. Kelsey had forgotten that Maggie couldn’t hear anything that Roland had said, so she took a moment to relay his explanation and assurance that it was simply a group of misguided admirers.
“That’s how they see your invisible friend?” Maggie asked as she gestured towards the group. Kelsey wanted to reply that at least they saw Roland, but thought it better to leave that point alone.
“Yes. People see Roland differently based on their perception.”
“Do you see him the same way as those people down there?”
“No.”
“What does he look like? What do you see?”
“A fox.”
“A silver fox?”
“A red one. He’s very elegant looking with fine fur.” Roland smiled as Kelsey described him.
“Does the king see him as a fox, too?” Maggie’s question startled Kelsey. She had taken it for granted that the king saw Roland the same way that she did, and it had never occurred to her to ask the king what image he saw when he looked at Roland. Kelsey turned to Roland for an answer.
“Does he?” she asked him. He nodded in response. Kelsey turned to Maggie and responded to her question. “Yes, the king sees him as a fox also.”
“And does he walk on two legs or four?”
Kelsey was getting tired of the questions. It seemed silly to be explaining what was standing right in front of them, but she tried to remain patient. After all, she was talking with Maggie as Roland had requested earlier. This was a conversation.
“He walks on two legs, but he’s carrying a wooden staff that he sometimes brings on journeys. He’s about the same height as me and wearing a cloak, a hat with a plume, and sunglasses. He always wears sunglasses when he’s out in public because a lot of people go crazy or freak out when they look directly into the eyes of Death. I’ve seen them do it.”
“But he doesn’t bother you, and you can look into his eyes without fear.” Maggie spoke in a reflective manner as she tried to understand the traveling companion that she couldn’t see.
“I’m a hunter and a soldier. Death doesn’t scare me.” Kelsey explained. “Besides, we’re friends.”
Maggie turned to look at an area to Kelsey’s right.
“Mr. Roland, It’s very nice to meet you.” She spoke loudly and slowly, as if to a deaf or mentally impaired individual. Roland let out something that resembled a chuckle. It wasn’t exactly a laugh. It was more of an amused grunt.
“He’s not deaf and he’s standing to my left,” Kelsey replied with irritation. Then, just to spite Maggie she added, “And he’s laughing at you!”
“You shouldn’t have told her that,” Roland said quietly.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have laughed,” Kelsey retorted.
“True,” he agreed. “But that was barely a chuckle. When I laugh in earnest, you’ll know it. And you’ll never forget it, either.”
“That’s OK,” Maggie said dismissively. “He can laugh whenever he wants. I would always rather make people laugh than cry, so it doesn’t bother me. I just wanted to say hello and that I’m sorry I didn’t believe he was real. But he must be real if you keep talking to him and these strange people are following him like they worship him.”
“Tell her that she’s forgiven and that I’m very pleased to meet her,” Roland said quickly before Kelsey could instigate any more trouble.
“He forgives you and says that he’s pleased to meet you,” Kelsey said to Maggie. “So now we can move on.”
“Not just yet,” said Roland.
“Shouldn’t we get moving with these freaks right behind us?” Kelsey said. “They may be harmless, but they could still compromise the mission.”
“There’s a message from the king,” he answered. Kelsey looked around. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. All she saw were the same old birds that were there all the time. She glanced all around and tried to find one that looked regal, but none stood out among the others.
“Where?” she asked.
“Listen.”
Kelsey tried. She stood very still and closed her eyes, but all she could hear were sounds like “chirp, chirp twirp!”
“I don’t hear anything special,” she replied.
“Focus.” Roland replied.
So Kelsey tried again. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze against her face. She thought she heard a few faint whispers from the reapers, the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees behind them, and a few birds making cawing sounds.
“Nothing,” she said.
“What are we doing?” Maggie asked apprehensively. Kelsey had already forgotten that Maggie couldn't hear Roland.
“I’m trying to hear a message from the king,” Kelsey replied. “But I don’t know where to listen. There are little noises everywhere.”
“There will always be noises. Your job is to discern the message amid the confusion. It’s good practice for resisting the sorcerer,” Roland said with encouragement.
“How so?”
“Noise and confusion both distract and distort perceptions. Once you learn to focus and tune out the noise, you have developed some of the discipline needed to tune out the confusing messages that distort perception.”
“How do I focus? I’m not very good at being quiet.”
“You’ll get better with practice. Start by taking a deep breath and closing your eyes.” Kelsey did as she was told. Roland didn’t speak again, so she took another deep breath, feeling the warm afternoon air filling her lungs.
“Now focus your ears in different directions and identify the individual sounds coming from each source. Cover your left ear with your left hand, and cup your right hand to your right ear. Slowly turn around as you focus on what you hear with your right ear. It takes patience. Eventually, one of the sounds will begin to make sense to you.”
Kelsey tried again to listen. Mostly, she could hear the wind. She concentrated and then turned her body slowly as she identified different noises. She could hear birds, but the sounds they were making were normal and unintelligible bird songs. After she had turned in a complete circle, she stood still and spoke quietly to Roland.
“I don’t hear anything that sounds like language. None of the birds is saying anything important,” Kelsey said with her eyes still shut tight and her hand cupped to her ear. “It’s all gibberish.”
“What about the one calling your name?” Maggie asked. Kelsey’s eyes popped open, and she stared at Maggie, who had been engaged in the same exercise.
“What the —?!” Kelsey exclaimed in anger. Just when she was warming up to her, Maggie had to show off like this.
“Relax,” Roland said calmly. “There is no reason why Maggie can’t learn along with you. She may be able to help you.”
“I thought this was my lesson,” Kelsey said in protest.
“Knowledge does not belong to anyone. It simply exists for those who choose to see it. Like wisdom and beauty. When you attempt to cage these things, you only wind up putting yourself in bondage.”
“One lesson at a time,” Kelsey retorted sharply. So far this quest had gone nothing like the way she had hoped it would. In fact, it was making her feel embarrassed and inadequate. She inhaled the warm afternoon air again to help calm her nerves, and then she addressed Maggie. “Where’s the bird you heard calling my name?”
“Over there,” Maggie pointed. “That raven.”
“That one?” Kelsey asked with confusion in her voice. She turned to Roland. “Doesn't that bird belong to the sorcerer?”
“No,” he answered. “That may be why you couldn’t hear it. Be very careful with your assumptions.”
“But I saw a bird turn into a crow when it changed sides and left the king to join the sorcerer in the battle.”
“Birds and people may change their appearances, especially when they make changes in their beliefs. But never assume that you can tell which side
anyone is on by simply looking at them. Many of the most depraved characters have a beautiful and clean outer appearance. And some of the most beautiful creatures appear dark on the outside. Look past what you see with your eyes and listen. Focus on the voice of the raven and listen.”
Kelsey looked up at the raven sitting on a low branch a short distance away. She could see the bird clearly against the blue sky as she watched its beak open and close.
“Caw caw ... caw caw ... caw caw ...,” the bird called. Kelsey closed her eyes and cupped her right hand to her ear to listen more closely. “Caw caw ... caw caw ... caw caw ...” the bird continued to speak in rhythmic couplets. Kelsey covered her left ear with her left hand and tried to block out all other noises. “Caw-key … caw-see ... Kel-sey,” the bird called. Kelsey continued to listen until every couplet sounded like her name and less like a caw.
“I can hear it!” she exclaimed. She opened her eyes and smiled at Roland. He nodded back affirmatively. She looked over at Maggie who was also grinning back at her.
“I knew you could do it,” Maggie said with encouragement. As she finished speaking, the raven flew down and landed on the path in front of them. The bird’s head bobbed as it strutted a few steps closer.
“Caaaaaaaw. Caw caw ... caw caw caw caw ... caw caw,” said the raven.
“I didn’t understand a word,” Kelsey said shaking her head. The raven repeated the message more slowly and Kelsey shook her head again.
“He said something about meatballs and spaghetti,” Maggie said in a helpful tone.
“Not quite,” Roland replied. “Keep listening.”
Kelsey crouched down on one knee to get closer to the raven’s height. The bird turned its head to one side and Kelsey gazed into its eye as it spoke.
“Reapings. Meatball is spanking in care of your soul,” Kelsey translated.
“Closer,” Roland said.
“I told you it was something about meatballs,” Maggie said proudly.
“Not ‘meatballs.’ The bird is saying ‘Megan.’” Roland explained.
They listened for several more iterations of the message. Kelsey and Maggie both concentrated on the bird and focused carefully on his vocalizations as he spoke the phrase several more times.
“Meetings — not reaping, and staking — not spanking!” Maggie exclaimed as soon as she understood. Kelsey glanced over at Roland, who shook his head to indicate that the translation was still incorrect.
“Closer, though,” he replied.
“The bird is saying Megan’s name,” Kelsey informed Maggie. She and Maggie both concentrated and listened again as the bird spoke.
“Greetings. Megan is taking good care of your soul,” Maggie finally said as she stood upright.
Kelsey turned to Roland who nodded that the translation was correct. Kelsey repeated the bird’s speech and said the phrase aloud as she reflected on the sounds the bird had made and how they translated into human speech. After about a minute, she turned to Roland. “What does that mean?”
“What it sounds like it means: Megan is taking very good care of your soul.”
“My soul?” Kelsey asked in confusion. “How did she get it, and why isn’t my soul with me? Am I hearing you correctly? Or is this part of the sorcerer’s spell? Is the spell confusing my hearing?”
“You heard me. Didn’t you read the contract you signed before you left?”
“Read it? It was, like, 30 pages or more! Of course I didn’t read it. I was preparing for a quest and didn’t have time for that!”
“Read what?” Maggie asked.
“The contract,” Kelsey replied.
“You probably should have read it,” Maggie said with conviction as she shook her head solemnly.
“It’s not as if Megan isn’t trustworthy,” Roland said helpfully.
“That’s not the point. She has my soul!” Kelsey exclaimed. She threw her arms up in the air and dropped them again as she cursed.
“Not all of it. She only has a piece. You still have most of it.”
“That’s still not the point. She shouldn’t have any of it without my permission.”
“But you did give her permission when you signed the contract,” Roland explained. He cocked his head to one side and stared back at Kelsey with a confused expression on his face. His rust colored fur fluttered in the breeze as he waited for her to respond.
Kelsey looked around in exasperation. Her whole situation felt absurd. She saw the raven sitting in front of her with feathers so black that they reflected a deep shade of blue in the sunlight. Death was at her side, and his fans were off in the distance, talking among themselves, excited to be so near their idol. Then there was Maggie, who seemed to have a natural ability to talk with the birds. Finally there was the fact that she had accidentally sold off a piece of her soul. That last bit of information was what pushed her over the edge.
“I can’t believe this,” Kelsey said.
“I believe it,” Maggie said with conviction. “Contracts are binding.”
Kelsey took a step backward and put her hand on her forehead. The concept was dizzying, and she was upset with herself for not reading the document that she had carelessly signed. She had been too interested in getting started on the quest to pay attention. She had also trusted Megan. They were supposed to be friends. But friends don’t steal each others’ souls.
Kelsey’s mind rapidly considered the options. Was it possible that Megan was working for the sorcerer? Yes, it could be possible. She could be a double agent. But then Kelsey had traveled with her before and didn’t think it was true. Roland also wasn’t as concerned as Kelsey thought he should be. Surely, with all of his knowledge, Roland would be able to determine Megan’s true character. If Megan was dishonest, Roland would know, and Kelsey trusted Roland to tell her the truth. So, if Megan wasn’t dishonest, and Roland trusted her, then perhaps there was a reason for taking a piece of someone’s soul. There had to be a very good explanation, and the only one that Kelsey could think of would be to help the other person stay alive.
“I suppose that if I get mortally wounded in battle, it would be a good idea to have a piece of my soul in reserve. You know, like keep it safe somewhere else so that you could bring me back to life,” Kelsey reasoned aloud.
“It doesn’t work that way,” said Roland.
“How does it work?”
“If I tell you how it works, it may not work at all. So for now you’ll just have to trust me.”
“What is he saying?”Maggie asked after a few minutes of silence in which Kelsey had been thinking.
“Nothing. No one is talking,” Kelsey answered. “He said that I have to trust him.”
“Then I think you should,” said Maggie.
“Why?” Kelsey asked in a challenging tone.
“Because you can see him, and you know who he is.”
“She raises a good point.” Roland nodded with approval as he spoke.
“It’s just so creepy,” said Kelsey.
“Reality can sometimes be creepy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you,” Roland replied. As Kelsey sighed in resignation, Roland turned to the bird and said something that Kelsey couldn’t understand, and the bird flew off.
“Am I going to learn how to answer the birds, also?” Kelsey asked as she watched the bird soar into the bright sky. Understanding them was useful, but communication needed to go back and forth for it to be fully of use.
“Yes, but not today. You’ve learned enough for one day.”
“My brain feels so full, it hurts,” Kelsey replied in agreement as she reached her hand up to her temple and rubbed the skin gently.
“Mine too,” said Maggie.
Chapter
Six
Moss Grows On You
His hair was white, but he had a very long green beard the color of moss, and he smelled of earth. It wasn’t a dirty smell, as if something were rotting. Instead, it was a rich smell that reminded Nicholas of the forest. It had the sce
nt of both new and old things that intermixed in the present air. The fragrance seemed relevant, but Nicholas couldn't explain why.
“Hello, Sir,” Nicholas said politely.
“How much time do we have?” Moss asked.
“I don’t know,” Nicholas replied, since he wasn’t sure how long his lessons were scheduled to last.
“Then I’ll need to teach you to tell time,” Moss concluded. “Have you ever seen a clock before?”
Megan winked at Nicholas and then slowly drew a circle in the air. Nicholas understood why she had said that genius was circular, but he still wasn’t sure that Moss was a genius. But he was certainly odd.
“I’ve seen a clock, sir,” Nicholas answered.
“Good. Then telling time won’t be quite so foreign to you.”
Moss rapidly made his way across the room to an old clock and brought it back to where Nicholas was standing. The old man set the clock down on the table and told Nicholas to study the hands. Nicholas first glanced at Megan and then at Moss before turning his attention to the walnut clock that stood before him. He watched a small pendulum erratically swaying from side to side as it settled into a regular rhythm. Then he looked at the hands, which were shaped like little gloves with the palms turned outward and fingers held stiffly together.
“How many hands are there?” Moss asked as he tapped a pencil on the back of a chair.
“Two,” Nicholas quickly replied.
“Look again,” Moss insisted as he stopped the tapping motion. Nicholas glanced at Megan, who motioned for him to follow directions.
Nicholas stared at the face of the clock, and as he did, the hands turned to wings. They were long slender wings that stretched out elegantly in a slight curve as they moved slowly around in circles. Then they faded from his sight.
“How many hands are there?” Moss asked again.
“None,” Nicholas replied as he stared at the face of the clock with no hands on it. He blinked forcefully a few times, as if attempting to wake himself up. He was certain there were hands or wings on the clock only a few moments ago. Now there was nothing but a smooth round disk with numbers around the edges. There wasn’t even a notch in the center for attaching the hands.
