by Chris Africa
"Can't you and Xander do this faster with magic?" he asked.
"Don't whine, Andrev. It is unbecoming. We don't use our magic for trivial purposes." Jam had the whole upper half of her body inside a cupboard, with cups and plates stacked on the counter beside her. "Anyway, I've done that. Every use of magic requires thorough concentration and uses your physical energy. It is a faster but much more exhausting method of cleaning. And afterward, you will recover for at least two days before performing any spells again."
"So? I've chosen a pile of books downstairs to fill my time."
"When you are that magically exhausted, you can do nothing but eat and sleep. In fact, wizards have become so incapacitated they could not eat and starved to death," Jam said. "Do you know what can happen when you sleep for days to recover your magical energy?"
Andrev stretched to reach a spot far in front of him and realized it was time to move the table.
"Well, three impertinent young people and an elven thief could burst through a portal with an army of Dalatois fighters, as you and your friends did last fall." Jam's voice was muffled, but she sounded amused. "Just for example, I mean. And none of us would have any defenses against it. And we would all die."
Andrev pulled hard on the heavy wooden table, and it groaned across the stones. "That's an exaggeration, don't you think?" His eyes burned from dust, and it plastered his sweaty face.
Jam emerged from the cupboard, her own face red and moist with sweat. "Not at all. Some of you nearly died even despite the capabilities of Xander, Nita, and me. You may want to wash. I believe someone has come calling for you." She pointed toward the doorway where Granny herself stood leaning on a cane.
"I'm glad to know you are familiar with the manual art of cleaning," Granny said. "My house has an amazing layer of grime."
16: Nita
They left the big cat lying at the edge of the clearing, its bandaged leg covered in Chassy's stocking. To her credit, Shyrea had not struggled much under Nita's hold. Sitting around the campfire with her companions, Nita glanced back over her shoulder at the beautiful animal, only visible by the glow of her eyes.
Chassy will never see his stocking again, she thought.
She should give it a name, this magic. Even Xander, who seemed to be an expert in these things, called it "silver magic." Godsilver was well-known as a powerful magic conduit, but he admitted he'd never met anyone with it embedded in their skin. The silver crept over more of her body every time she maxed out her potential. "But I'm not sure anyone alive has ever seen such an accumulation of this substance with a single wizard or sorceress," he had warned. "You must be on your guard. Certain people would imprison you to study you, or they would kill you out of fear."
The fire crackled cheerily, and Nita welcomed the waves of heat coming off it. Despite the warm spring, nights would be chilly for a few weeks yet. Thankfully, the tea William brought was warming her inside and out.
"Chassy, how long have you been able to talk to animals?" William asked.
"Just today. At first, I didn't even realize what was happening. I heard noises and thought someone was following us."
"Do you hear others?" Cherise asked.
"No, I never thought to try. Anyway, one was enough. It's not the same as listening to a person talk. It's all these sounds in your head, and I have to focus hard to figure out what they mean. It gives me a headache. I'm not even sure I said the word 'cougar' properly." Chassy poured himself more tea and grinned as he glanced over at Shyrea. "Though she told me I did."
"Maybe this is your own power revealing itself. With practice, it won't be so exhausting." Nita recalled the results of Chassy's failed attempts at magic over the winter, and she shuddered to think of him continuing his independent training. This seemed more appropriate for him.
"Understanding animals? What good is that?"
"You can make friends with them. Maybe they will pass messages or warn you of danger. I can think of a lot of times I wished I was an animal myself, so I could reach something high in a tree or fit into a tiny space," she said.
William nodded. "This is true, Chassy. Even in the city, there are rats and raccoons who may prove useful to obtain information when you need it."
"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves," Chassy said. "So far, I can hear only this animal. Maybe it's Shyrea who has the special ability and not me."
That was also true, Nita realized. "You should invite Shyrea to join us at the fire tonight. It will be cold, maybe even frost on the ground by morning. I bet you we could carry her over if she can't walk."
Chassy turned to look at the great cat for a few seconds. "She is grateful for our offer, but she will try to come here on her own. Even though it will be slow and painful, she does not want humans to touch her again. She said we should move closer together and give her a clear space."
Nita scooted closer to Cherise, and William squeezed in on Nita's other side. Chassy sat beside Cherise, but his face wore a frown. They should have thought of this before; even around a fire, it was much warmer when you huddled up with your friends.
Shyrea slunk forward, eyes alert. She hobbled on three legs, holding the right rear leg at an angle. Twice, she settled on the ground for a few minutes as though resting. At last, she took her place on the other side of the fire.
This was almost the perfect evening, Nita thought, looking up at William. The contrast in their height was much greater now, and she could smell his earthy scent. Her body tingled and then shivered.
"Are you cold? Here, let's do this—" and before she could insist she was okay, he wrapped his arm around her, so she was inside his cloak pressed up against his body. He was warm and firm, and in that moment, she wanted to kiss him. She had the ridiculous urge to put her hand on his chest. Or his stomach. Thank goodness no one could see her face right now! She knew she should move away, but it seemed like her body wouldn't obey her mind.
"We should hunt in the morning and bring her some food and water," William suggested. "When the body is healing, it needs even more energy than usual, and we cannot give her all of our provisions."
"I'll help you. It will take a lot of birds and rabbits to feed such a large animal," Cherise said.
"I shall welcome your company," William said.
Chassy stayed silent; everyone knew he was no hunter.
"So I think we've all been wondering, last summer when you disappeared, how did Martu capture you?" Chassy asked.
"Two sailors invited me to see their ship, to decide if we would like passage with them. But when we got to the ship, they knocked me on the head. I woke up in the cave where Cherise found me." William frowned. "I have fixed their faces in my mind. They had better hope I never see them again. To work for one such as Martu, Chaosbringer!"
"Only consider, William, that not everyone works for Martu by choice. He may have held their families for ransom or extorted them with some secret or past transgression," Cherise said.
"Cherise, they kidnapped him!" Nita felt shocked that anyone could defend kidnappers. She turned toward Cherise, and William's arm fell away.
His voice softened. "You are indeed an empathetic soul, Cherise. They may have been under some duress, but these were rougher than they needed to be, laughing and unapologetic. I will not forget their faces or their actions, should we meet again."
"What happened to your wagon full of secret things?" Chassy wondered.
William threw back his head and laughed, his perfect teeth shining in the darkness. "For your information, there was but one secret thing in my wagon—that parchment. Where is that brother of yours, Nita?"
Nita shrugged. She trusted William but didn't think it was her place to tell Andrev's story. "Andrev did his own thing this summer. He's only interested in books. Chassy and I are traveling to Lyesfare to help people, including the members of your crew who were captured. We heard Gnarkvetch's influence is strong, and he is hideously cruel to the people."
"That sounds like Andrev," Willia
m said. "I know we weren't close friends, but I hope to see him again someday. He is full of unusual knowledge he picks up in those books and has a keen mind besides."
It was by now full dark, and Shyrea slept peacefully. The stocking and the fire appeared to bring her much comfort. Last summer, that same stocking had healed Chassy's foot in less than a day. Nita hoped it would work as well for Shyrea. She yawned.
"I can't argue with that," William said. "I'm for bed. Cherise, we're up with the dawn."
"Shouldn't someone stay awake to watch?" Nita recalled last summer when bandits attacked them multiple times on their way through the Blackwood.
"You are welcome to stay awake and watch, but these woods are safe for travelers. Besides, I believe the cat will be the first to notice anything out of place and warn us." William raised an eyebrow to Chassy. "Just an assumption."
Chassy glanced over at Shyrea and nodded.
The ground was hard and cold, recalling unpleasant memories of last summer. But her back was to a fire, and friends surrounded her. Nita fell asleep and dreamed of a world where all the animals talked in plain language and wore Waet silk stockings as they capered around a fire. William pulled her into a close dance, his golden hair loose on his shoulders, his perfect teeth smiling down at her. Chassy stared at them in disapproval, and she didn't care.
17: Chassy
William and Cherise went out to hunt for food for Shyrea at the break of dawn, leaving Chassy to yawn by the fire with a groggy Nita.
"Maybe we should go back to sleep and let them wake us when they return from hunting," Nita joked.
"I'm glad we're awake," Chassy said. "We haven't talked in a while."
Nita adjusted her pack behind her so she was partially sitting up, but she appeared ready to fall asleep. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I know you think I'm jealous of William, but I don't trust that guy. Vari told me that William is a nobleman. She said she knows him and we should be careful."
Nita's face clouded over. "Vari is a rock. Who cares about that anyway? Maybe he's ashamed of his background, and he doesn't like to discuss it. If this is what you want to talk about, I'm going back to sleep."
She rolled over and closed her eyes. With no evidence that William had done anything wrong, Chassy was relying on a feeling. Maybe he was a little jealous.
He leaned back and stared up at the trees until William and Cherise returned carrying a deer slung on a heavy branch. Shyrea's thoughts echoed Chassy's amazement at their hunting skill and Cherise's strength. She was a head shorter than William, but she held up her end of the branch with no effort.
"We could roast that on a spit and eat well for a month!" Nita said. "Chassy, you said she had two hungry cubs. Can we help her bring them here? Otherwise, how will she feed them?"
Chassy smiled and nodded his head to one side where the cubs were peeking out of the grass. Shyrea gave a throaty yowl, and they bounded across the clearing to join her. They romped across her belly, and she set about licking them. Nita clapped her hands and laughed at their antics.
"We can just leave it here, close to Shyrea," Chassy said. "They'll have everything they need."
"We'd best be off," William said. "We have a few days to walk before we arrive."
Chassy shouldered his pack and followed William. He marveled at how trees could be so varied. The Waet groves back home felt warm and ancient, and they were so large their silvery leaves spread shade everywhere. Fine, ragged grass grew underneath, though you could sit under one and read a book if you liked, as plenty of light filtered through. The Blackwood had been pitch dark, moldy-smelling, and damp, with never a hint of sunlight. Here in Stonecrop Forest, spring burst from every stick and stone. Tiny green leaves sprouted from each tree branch, pansies peeked out among the rocks, and the earth smelled fresh under his feet.
He looked at Nita, who was grinning up at William like a fool, and his cheery disposition dimmed. The man had disappeared for months, with little information about why or how, and she acted like that was normal.
Chassy felt the moment he lost his connection to Shyrea. Whether they had moved out of range or she had intentionally broken contact, he could not tell.
William pulled out a map and pointed out their destination. "Still two days of walking."
"It looks as big as Sunoa."
"It's bigger than Sunoa. This map isn't to scale. When we get closer to Lyesfare, Nita will want to make sure her hood covers her face. This city is unfriendly to folks associated with magic."
Chassy nodded. The Wizards of the True Faith, if they had an actual training ground for their army here, would be out in full force.
"Then we should finish this rescue business as fast as possible," Chassy said. "Nita can't stay in disguise for days, and we're all carrying enchanted items that could get us in trouble."
It's too bad, as he would have loved a few days to explore a new city. He realized that Gnarkvetch and his followers didn't scare him, despite all the warnings and talk of a resistance.
"What's so terrible about this Gnarkvetch guy, anyway? Does he eat people?"
Chassy was trying to lighten the mood, but William raised an eyebrow.
"Gnarkvetch is no joke, Chassy. He imprisons anyone who refuses his commands. He curses wizards to prevent them from using their powers. Visitors to Lyesfare report he kills those who try to influence others against him."
"I bet Nita could take him out," Chassy said. "Have you seen what she can do with her hand?" He meant it as a compliment, but Nita's face wore a stern look.
William shook his head. "It's not like that. His powerful wizard companions surround him with suppression devices that would nullify even Nita's powerful silver. Gnarkvetch himself wears an enchanted medallion as a shield against physical and mystical attacks, in case he becomes separated from his guards. And if that weren't bad enough, he is a hypocrite who uses spells at will. Remember that he studied at Xillith and has practiced his craft for nearly two centuries. Even without all the protections around him, he would capture Nita before she had the opportunity to retaliate."
A sound fluttered in Chassy's head, and he glanced around to see if Shyrea or her cubs had returned. Nita, William, and Cherise continued walking and talking about Gnarkvetch, but Chassy had his eyes trained on the surrounding brush. The fluttering grew stronger, and Chassy realized it sounded like a bird struggling to get free. He veered to the left to get closer. A moment later, he saw a tiny brown bird with his leg caught in a snare. When the bird saw him, he fluttered frantically, until Chassy sent a calming thought.
"I'm here to help," he soothed, and the bird settled down. The finch had settled here hours ago with his flock to eat beetles, and he was unlucky enough to set his foot in the trap. Fortunately, the snare had trapped his leg but did not injure him.
His friends doubled back as he freed the finch. The bird flitted off with a thankful beep-beep.
They looked at him, waiting for an explanation. "Yes, I heard him. Sort of. He wasn't making sounds. It was more like I felt his little wings flapping."
"So it is your power and not Shyrea's!" Nita said.
"Hearing animals is my power?" The idea underwhelmed him. "Where does the 'power' part come in? So far, I'm finding and saving trapped and injured creatures. As nice as that is, I don't understand how it will help me in a fight with Gnarkvetch or bandits."
"Okay, call it your 'ability,' then. I'm sure you can find a way to use it if you try."
He couldn't disagree with her. To improve a thing, you must do the thing. That's what Pookana had told him, and the old healer was right about everything. He didn't know how to practice this new skill, so he opened his ears and listened.
"Are you ready to move, Chassy?" William broke into his reverie.
"Yes, sorry. I'm trying to practice as Nita suggested. If you don't mind, I'll walk behind you, so I can focus on hearing animals."
Nita hugged him. "You can do this, Chassy."
"Don't get lo
st looking for critters," Cherise joked. "Next time, be sure to call out when you stop because we might not notice if you get sidetracked."
Chassy nodded. The others resumed walking. Once they were out of hearing distance—but still close—Chassy concentrated on the sounds and smells he hadn't been noticing. The wind sighed through the grass. Insects buzzed. It smelled of growing things. A snake slithered through the baby grass, but he heard only a slight swish. He couldn't see it, though, so the listening must be working.
Another bird passed above the trees overhead, and he opened his ears as he looked up. Friend. The word came to his mind, and he hoped he wasn't imagining it. He reached out to learn more, but the hawk was far too busy hunting to be bothered, even by a friend.
A moment later, excitement flooded him, and chittering started. There's food, food! It's over here. It's a buried nut. I could dig it out! It would be tasty. No, that's wrong. Here. Here. No, here. There it is. I will dig. I will find it! A nut!
Chassy was looking down at a little brown field mouse digging around in the soil when he felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped.
"You're falling a little far behind, don't you—? Oh!" Nita jumped back, looking startled and with her hands up in front of her.
"What? I'm sorry, I was following this little… What? What's wrong?"
"Your face!" Nita pulled off her pack and rummaged around, handing him her silver mirror. Cherise and William exchanged worried looks.
There, clear as day, he could see his own face. Which at this moment meant a nose drawn out to a dark point flanked by beady black eyes, light brown fur, and wispy whiskers. The face of a field mouse.
18: Andrev
Spring cleaning at Granny's house was as awful as Xander's, except Jam had served him meat and cakes. Granny made a pot of porridge, with fruit and yogurt, which they ate for every meal. By the end of the first day, he'd had enough of both porridge and spring cleaning. After a week of scrubbing and gruel, he thought he might plan his escape.