Happiness in Numbers

by Nicole Field

"No."

  "They're not?" Helva said, forgetting to look burdened. Xie corrected xer mistake and bent double again, groaning as if in mighty pain.

  At this point, Letycja was laughing. "You poor city folk, how do you get by? Are you sure you're cut out for farm life?"

  "I might be new to farming, but… I want this. Making a life for myself. With you," Helva said, brushing sandy colored hair from xer eyes. Xie looked Letycja in the eye to show her xie was serious. Letycja's cheeks warmed and she smiled up at Helva. Xie wasn't part of the already existing relationship Letycja had with Dain'la and Kilmeau but Letycja treasured xer just the same.

  Dain'la finished her daisy chain and draped it over her neck. She pulled her staff off her pack to use as a walking stick, then raised a finger. "Perhaps, Helva, you are thinking of the cattle-sheep from giants' territory?"

  Kilmeau's ears swiveled, and he turned to look behind them. "We're in luck; looks like a cart is coming."

  Helva took that opportunity to look extra pathetic.

  The approaching cart was unremarkable in every sense, with two regular horses pulling. The only distinguishing feature was its lack of luggage; the entire flatbed was empty. Several humans and elves trotted beside the cart, and an elf drove the horses. The driver raised a hand in greeting. "We're making good time, it seems," they said.

  Already the cart was starting to pass them, with people eyeing Helva, Dain'la, and Klimeau as they passed.

  Desperate, Letycja called out for them to stop. "Could we hitch a ride, please? At least for a few miles?"

  The driver began to laugh, slowing their horses. "Sure, throw your packs on. We'll be glad to carry them."

  Eager, Helva trotted forward, keeping pace as xie slung one pack into the flatbed.

  "Wait," Dain'la said, her eyes narrowing as the group slowed not quite to a stop. Klimeau was doing his best to remove his pack without jarring his injured arm. He needed help, which another elf offered, unslinging the bag from his back.

  "Thanks," Klimeau said, rolling his shoulders. The elf smiled as she hopped into the cart with his pack. The other people were climbing aboard, securing the packs to the front of the cart.

  Helva tossed xer second pack to one of the humans.

  "Ah, much better!" xie said. Letycja puffed behind xer, waiting for Helva to give her a boost up.

  "Wait," Dain'la said again. An unknown human reached towards Dain'la's pack, but she flinched away. He shrugged at his companions as he hopped aboard. The cart was starting to pick up its pace once more, sly smiles coming from the people in the cart. "Wait!" She swung her staff towards one of the retreating horses, congealing the air around its legs.

  One horse suddenly slowed and the cart lurched to the side. The driver reigned in the unaffected horse in order to get the horses' speeds even on both sides despite the spell. The driver flashed an unrepentant grin back at Dain'la.

  Klimeau glanced from the cart to Dain'la. Dain'la shot him a look. Letycja had stopped in place, a look of disgust on her face while Helva cocked xer head at the horse's uneven gaits. The other group had mounted the cart, and the driver was urging the horses forward despite Dain'la's spell.

  Sweat beaded on Dain'la's brow as she concentrated on keeping the one horse in place. Klimeau sighed, dashing forward and leaping easily onto the cart. He landed in a crouch, wincing in pain as he used his injured arm to catch himself.

  With his hook, Klimeau caught the downward slash of a dagger.

  He twisted and disarmed the human who had attacked him, while kicking back to knock another passenger from the cart.

  Helva opened xer mouth in outrage. "Oh, what, they're thieves?!" Xie stomped on the fallen human in xer hurry to catch up. Sword unsheathed, Helva dashed ahead of the cart, dodging a swing from an elf. Xie pointed xer sword at the slowed horse and glared at the driver. "Stop! Now! Or else!" xie gasped.

  The elven driver reached under their seat and retrieved a wooden pole. They swung it at Helva, throwing xer off balance.

  "You missed!" xie laughed.

  By this point, Klimeau had managed to fling two more people from the cart. Red was soaking through the bandage on his arm and his lips curled back in a grimace. The elven woman who had helped him remove his pack kicked him in the chest, sending Klimeau sprawling.

  Helva, having recovered xer balance, sliced through the reigns of the slowed horse.

  "Now!" Helva said, and Dain'la released her hold of the horse. No longer slowed by thick air, the horse's gallop sped up to match its gait. The cart swerved as the horses shrieked, the reigned horse stumbling.

  The fallen thieves lunged at Dain'la, and she erected a force barrier around herself. Back on the cart, Klimeau was scrambling to his feet as the elven woman swung around to kick his injured arm. Dodging her foot, Klimeau dashed past her and sliced through the ropes tethering their packs to the cart.

  Helva, having backed off from the horses, poked at the elven woman with xer sword. The woman yelped, surprised by being attacked from outside the cart, and fell on her bum.

  Klimeau used the opportunity to toss his pack out of the cart, accidentally knocking Helva over in the process. "Shit! Sorry!"

  He was standing to throw the next pack when the driver turned in their seat and jabbed him in the back. Unbalanced, Klimeau tumbled from the cart, the pack still in his arms.

  "Not worth it! Retreat!" the driver called, and the thieves surrounding Dain'la turned and ran. The elven woman in the cart leapt onto the horse whose reigns had been slashed and grabbed the leather straps.

  As the thieves ran past Helva and Klimeau, they reached down towards the packs, but Dain'la sent a bolt of energy towards them and they snatched their hands back. The brigands mounted their cart and steadily sped away.

  Dain'la ran past Helva and knelt at Klimeau's side, her shaking hand going to his neck.

  "I'm alive, love," he hissed. "The arrow wound just opened up."

  Dain'la pressed her hands against his arm to staunch the bleeding, eliciting a yowl from him.

  Puffing, Letycja jogged up to Helva. "Hel, are you alright?!" she asked, out of breath.

  Helva was rubbing xer side, looking cross. "Just bruised, I think."

  Letycja gave a sigh of relief and hurried to Klimeau's side. Helva scowled and picked xerself up, dusting off xer armor. Xie almost opened xer mouth to say something, but Klimeau whimpered as Letycja found a broken rib. Helva shook xer head. Letycja was being practical, fussing over Klimeau who was actually hurt, instead of xerself who wasn't.

  The four gathered together and assessed their losses. Klimeau's broken rib on top of the arrow wound meant he couldn't easily carry a pack, but Letycja's pack was gone, still on the thieves' cart.

  "The map of Soldari I stole from Major Brant and all my herbs were in my pack," Letycja said, hugging her arms around herself, now that Dain'la was tending to Klimeau's wounds. "And most of the seeds."

  Helva planted a kiss on the top of her head. "We still have peas in my pack, Lettie. And we'll gather more herbs."

  "We can't live off snap peas," Letycja said, holding her waterskin up to Klimeau's mouth. "And even if we sell the crop, we won't make enough to support ourselves till next season."

  Dain'la nodded, tying off the new bandage on Klimeau's arm. "We'll make do. Take up jobs until we can afford our own plot of land in Celest City."

  Klimeau shook his head, glum. "I can't do shit until I'm healed," he said, gesturing to his chest and injured arm with his hook. "Can't even bookkeep."

  "We could attach a piece of charcoal to your hook," Helva said.

  He rolled his eyes. "It's not my dominant side, Helva. It'd be a disaster."

  "We'll make do," Dain'la repeated, firm. "Until then, we need to move on before those bandits decide to come back."

  *~*~*

  At a junction between four major roads, a tired village sprawled, its buildings sagging with the years. Neglect had taken its effect on the people as well, their skin hanging loose over their bon
es as they shuffled about their daily business. Multiple storefronts were boarded up, and there was an abundance of wretched coughing.

  Their destination, Celest City, was a full month's travel off one of the main thoroughfares, but the group needed to restock their lost supplies and map. Dain'la kept her hood up and head down. Letycja looked worried, casting glances from one sick person to the next. "Looks like an outbreak of lung-wreck," she said.

  "At least it's not fatal," Helva said, leading the other three.

  "But it's debilitating for weeks if not treated," Klimeau said, voice low. "I don't think these people have the means for treatment."

  "If I had my herbs, I could at least ease the coughing," Letycja said. Helva took her hand and squeezed, and Dain'la put her hand on Letycja's head. "Maybe I could do something?"

  Dain'la interrupted. "Have all of you had lung-wreck already? If not, we should leave."

  Helva and Letycja nodded, murmuring that they had, and Klimeau laughed without humor. "It spread through the troops like wildfire," he said. "And subsequently their servants. Of course we've all had it."

  Dain'la raised her head enough to glare at Klimeau. "I was just making sure."

  Letycja held up her free hand. "We all had different experiences, dears. New Gevdin and United Gevdin experienced lung-wreck differently."

  "Yes, New Gevdin only treated their soldiers," Klimeau said, curling his lip. "Non-humans were an afterthought."

  "And it wasn't fair," Letycja agreed. "But it's in the past." She squeezed Helva's hand, which had gotten clammy and warm.

  The four remained quiet as they came to the crossroads. Finally, Dain'la said, "We should split up. Klim and I will look for a place to stay, and the two of you can find a new map, maybe some provisions too." They parted ways. Letycja and Helva headed towards a lackluster marketplace, the vendors too demoralized to hawk their wares.

  Dain'la and Klimeau went towards the taverns and bars likely attached to inns. When they'd made some distance, Dain'la told Kilmeau, "You're too hard on xer."

  Klimeau's tail twitched, a sign of irritation. "Xie's a human. Xie fought for New Gevdin. And you and I don't know xer all that well yet."

  Dain'la took his hand and nodded. "Lettie loves xer. And I love and trust Lettie's judgment." They passed a clothing shop that had seen better days, the cloth on display faded. "As do you."

  "I just…" Klimeau struggled to find the words.

  "You're jealous?" Dain'la asked, her keen eyes finding Klimeau's. "As am I. As is Helva, most likely. We all love Lettie."

  A tired youth trotted by, a bucket of water sloshing on their feet.

  Klimeau's ears flattened, and he said, "It's hard, is all. You know how long it took for me to trust you, when Letycja fell for you."

  "Exactly," Dain'la said, a rueful smile on her lips. "Be patient and maybe we'll fall for xer as well."

  Klimeau grunted and looked away. Dain'la noted, however, how his shoulders relaxed slightly as he stared into the distance. There was fear in his gaze, but also hope, and he squeezed her fingers for strength.

  *~*~*

  On the opposite side of town, Helva worried at a loose rivet in xer armor. Letycja shooed xer hand away. "You'll make it fall off." Then, after a pause, Letycja said, "Don't worry about Klim. He takes a while to come around to new people."

  "I know," xie said, fingers twisting a leather strap from one of the two packs xie carried. "My people weren't kind to him. Or anyone like him… or you."

  Letycja pointed to a trading post, and the two headed over. "I've known him most my life. He likes you, likes fighting beside you," she said. She smiled, pulling a crude map from a pile on the counter. "I don't think he's admitted it to himself, yet. How much for this?"

  While Letycja paid for the map, Helva paced outside the shop, wrapping and unwrapping xer fingers with the strap. A weak coughing fit startled xer, given xie'd thought xie was alone. A pile of rags wedged between a crate and a building shook.

  Helva crouched down, moving aside some soiled scraps.

  Letycja started. "Hel, what are you—?"

  Helva waved Letycja over. "It's a child," xie said, worry on xer face. Xie untied xer waterskin and held it out to the emaciated creature. With help, the child took a long, desperate drink.

  Letycja crouched beside them. "Are you lost?" Shrinking away, the kid shook their head, tangled hair falling over their sunken eyes. "Do you have someone to take care of you?" Letycja asked, reaching out.

  The child flinched away, but otherwise didn't respond. They began coughing again, the sound exhausted to the point where they seemed unable to muster up the strength to produce anything productive. Helva removed xer packs and dug out a dried biscuit, which the child snatched from xer hands.

  "Why don't you get the others and ask around about the child?" Helva said. "I'll stay here."

  *~*~*

  The four were gathered around the little girl, who still refused to say anything. Dain'la guessed the child was somewhere between four and six, but it was hard to tell when she clearly hadn't eaten well in a long time, if ever.

  "A shopkeeper said she's from the outskirts of town. Back the way we came," Klimeau said.

  Letycja stood. "Well, let's get her home, then."

  "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Helva asked, glancing back at the child. Xie crouched beside her. "Is 'she' right for you?"

  After a contemplative pause, the child nodded.

  Letycja helped the girl up, who was around the same height as her. "We'll get you back to your parents, okay?" she said, holding the girl's hand. The child rigidly took her hand back, eyeing Letycja and the others warily.

  Helva hovered close, concern on xer face as they made their way through the streets.

  At the edge of town was a shack of dubious quality. The walls bowed and the roof was thatched with rotting hay. A young teen was stacking gathered sticks along one wall, a toddler strapped to her back. Both appeared in need of a hearty meal.

  "Excuse me, do you know this child?" Letycja asked.

  The teen turned and started at the sight of the ragged girl. "Shae," she said, before her face crumpled with conflict. "I'll get ma."

  A bony woman came to the doorway, a baby on her hip. When her eyes fell upon Shae, her face went stony. "Ah. Well. Thank you for bringing it back," she said in a monotone.

  "'It?'" Dain'la asked, her eyes narrowing.

  "She," the woman said, absently correcting herself, brow knitting. "Don't just stand there," she snapped at Shae. "Go fetch some water. Good day," she said to the group already turning away.

  Shae hobbled over to a bucket. Her feet were blistered and shoeless, and Helva dashed forward to help.

  "I said good day," the woman said from the doorway. She regarded Helva with flinty eyes.

  "She's sick," Helva said. "She should rest."

  The teen inched away, towards the forest. The toddler on her back burst out, "Shae-Shae!"

  The teen hushed the child and turned so they couldn't see Shae, but the mother snapped, "No, Shae is gone."

  Shae was crouching, staring at her feet, her hands over her ears.

  Helva put xer body between the woman and child, while Klimeau crept closer. "What do you mean, 'Shae is gone'?" Helva asked. "She's right here."

  "That is a changeling," was the contemptuous response.

  Raising her eyebrows, Dain'la glanced at Shae who was now rocking slightly. "All I see is a sick child," she said.

  "Look, I was Shae's mother. I'd know if that was my daughter or not."

  Letycja gasped at her cruel words. "How can you say that?"

  Where Shae rocked with her hands over her ears, she began feebly coughing again.

  "She never cried as a babe." As if on cue, the baby on her hip began squalling. Raising her voice, the mother continued, "Never smiled, or babbled. I didn't realize she'd been switched until this one came along." She bounced the baby until they settled. "She was the only baby who didn't cry. That's not norma
l."

  Helva shook xer head. "That doesn't mean she's not your daughter."

  "The fae still steal the children from time to time," the woman said flatly. "I know the signs. Now be on your way."

  Elves and dark elves were said to be distant relatives of the fae, a people who had left this plane of existence centuries ago. Being a dark elf herself and knowing the prejudices associated with her people to this day, Dain'la's mouth twisted in distaste.

  Helva clenched xer fist. "What are you going to do with her?"

  The mother marched forward and poked Helva in the chest. "Get off my property, missy, and mind your own business."

  Helva stared hard at the woman, and with effort restrained xerself from saying anything.

  Klimeau, who had circled around, loomed close, his ears flat against his head. "That child," he said, "shouldn't be mistreated, fae or not."

  The mother quailed slightly under his glare, but stood her ground. "I don't expect people like you," she said, eyes flicking between Klimeau and Dain'la, "to understand. I've children to feed; I'm not wasting hard earned food on a changeling. It can go back where it came from and bring back the real Shae. If she's still alive."

  Letycja was sitting beside Shae at this point, humming to help drown out the argument.

  And so Dain'la stepped forward, planting the end of her staff in the ground before herself, resolutely staring the woman down. "The fae do not steal children," she said. "The fae do not exist here any longer. They left. Because of people like you."

  Wincing, Helva nodded. "She's your daughter."

  Klimeau lashed his tail back and forth, agitation growing. "You're going to let her die, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

  The woman was beginning to waver, a hint of fear now present in her eyes.

  The teenage daughter returned with an armload of sticks, but she kept her gaze averted while the toddler on her back wailed for Shae.

  "Get inside," the mother said, handing the baby to the teen.

  Dropping the sticks, she hurried her siblings inside.

  "I have to do this," the woman said, voice low. "If things weren't so lean, I'd take care of it. But I have my family to think of."

  Klimeau growled. "She is your family."