by TJ Muir
Cham looked up, about to speak, but was overcome by another wave of nausea.
Jedda waited, no idea what was wrong, or how to help.
“Trying to cross, getting turned around. It was-- disorienting.” Then his fist came to his mouth, as he fought down another wave of nausea. After a moment, he looked up, nodded.
Kirrin nudged Bailey forward. “So, does this mean we are safe now?”
“It means we have found an opening. I know you are tired but we need to press further. Pathways can be fickle, and I'd prefer to take advantage of the wood's generosity while it lasts. But not too much longer, I promise. Just to bring us down off the ridge, and to find a place to camp.”
At least the path was a bit clearer to follow, tending southward, along the slope of the hill, instead of straight down. Jespen shook himself and let out a sigh as he followed the tail in front of him.
It was almost dark when they came to a clearing, at the edge of which stood a small lodge. Real walls and a floor. The sight was almost enough to make Jedda cry. Off to the side was a fenced lean-to for livestock.
He dismounted, and, after the worst pain subsided, tended Jespen as Kirrin had taught him, dragging the saddle from the horse's back, and rubbing him down to remove the sweat marks. The horses all looked grateful for the grain and the shelter Every muscle in Jedda's body ached by the time he was finished. He was looking forward to the tea that Cham brewed.
“So, is this what you were looking for? Hoping for?” Kirrin asked after the horses were staked out to graze.
“Yes.” Cham nodded, a slight movement of his head. “This is a Faenyr camp. They are used by Faenyr who are traveling, or for guests.”
“Guests? Whose guests?” Tattia asked.
“Guests. Such as ourselves,” Cham said.
“Oh.”
Jedda wasn't listening to the conversation. It was full-dark except for the moonlight, but he was standing in front of a Faenyr camp. The more he stared, the stranger it seemed. It was simple, but had a quality that tickled the edge of his senses. It felt welcoming, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just his aching backside imagining it.
Jedda was in awe. Even empty, this was closer than he had ever come to connecting with his heritage. He was part Faenyr. He felt tears stinging as emotions overwhelmed him. Were these his people?
The cabin was a small A-frame, with a wide deck in the front. The light from the twin moons peeked over the tops of the trees, splashing a blue and golden glow across the small clearing.
Jedda wanted to get a closer look at the camp. Kirrin went in ahead of him, lighting several small oil lamps. Inside, the lodge felt spacious and inviting. The front section had padded benches, with drawers underneath. In the center stood a fireplace, with wood stacked in a neat pile-- as though someone had expected them. At each end of the lodge was a loft, overlooking the main area. In the back was a kitchen area, with a hand pump and wide windows that overlooked the lean-to and the horses. The kitchen was stocked with grains and flours, which seemed strange to Jedda.
He went back out and touched the steps, running his fingers along the edges, feeling the textures of wood, thatch, and stucco. His attention was drawn by the long poles of soft amber and deep red.
“That’s bamboo,” Cham said, coming up behind him. “The Faenyr like it for building.”
“Bamboo?” Jedda said, repeating the word- half a question, as he wrapped his hand around one of the poles.
“Yes. It grows very fast and is sturdy. Plus, it can grow as tall as a hundred feet.”
Jedda looked over his shoulder at Cham, disbelieving.
“Truth. There are lodges that use bundles of Bamboo to hold up the roof, so high that you barely see a child at the top.” Cham reached out and touched the bamboo, next to Jedda’s hand. Jedda pulled his hand away. “Let me go and make tea. Are you still feeling sore?”
“Yes. And thank you,” Jedda said as Cham retreated.
Jedda tried to imagine a room with ceilings that high. Even Trey’s lavish estate couldn’t boast that. Da’har Zo’Trey, he corrected himself. Trey was no longer just his friend, but the head of one of the most powerful Ruling Houses in the city. Jedda sighed, trying to let all of that go. Tatak Rhe was no longer an option for him. There was no going back, and that meant letting go of his friends, for his safety, and theirs.
The bamboo felt warm under his hand, distracting him from his gloomy thoughts. He continued his exploration, going outside. Having made a complete circuit of the area, he came back to the front. There was a fire pit off to the side, with large carved logs circling it.
He went and sat down on one of the logs, looking at the camp. He shifted his awareness, curious what it looked like if he used his heightened senses, and magic. A sharp breath left his lips as he became aware of the life force of everything around him, from the fire pit to the bamboo, to the trees, and rocks surrounding them. Everything had a soft sheen, a glow stronger than he had ever seen in Tatak Rhe. And it was more than that. It all seemed to fit together, balanced. It was right. Every piece of everything belonged exactly where it was, and made the whole camp area flow. The logical part of his brain argued that these things were all just objects. But his senses, and magic were telling him otherwise. Whatever it was, Jedda found it soothing. He sat back and watched the world around him. It was the first time he felt contented away from the city.
When the night chill began to creep into his bones, Jedda went back inside the cabin, filled now with the soft light of candles and lanterns as well as the warm glow from the fireplace. Cham brought him a steaming cup. He could smell the herbs, mint, and honey Cham added to help with the pain. Kirrin and Tattia joined them, pouring themselves some of the tea. Jedda realized he wasn’t the only one feeling sore.
Cham added a considerable amount of brandy into his own cup, yawning.
Jedda found his friend's worn expression worrisome. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Cham took a swig from his brandy, then looked up. “Crossing the border can be tricky. The land itself becomes slippery, so it takes extra effort trying to--” He paused, taking another drink. “I had to use a good bit of magic to holding everyone together and keep the land in place.”
“Is that usual?”
“Not usual, but it might just be that this is an unfamiliar area to me.”
Jedda decided to drop the issue, seeing how tired Cham was.
“We should be safe here for a while. The woods seem to welcome us, for now. A few important rules. First, do not cut standing wood. Standing dead wood is okay, but respect the life force of the forest. If you are unsure whether it is safe to use, ask me. Do not take this advice lightly. The forest can change its mind about our guesting here.” Cham looked at each of them in turn, making eye contact.
Heads nodded in understanding. It occurred to Jedda they should treat this place as someone’s home, even if they never saw their host.
“Second. Do not stray out of sight of the camp. It is easy to lose your way, get turned around,” Cham explained. “You may think you know where you are and become confident. Do not. This is not a good place in which to become lost, the landscape can change at will.”
Jedda recalled their previous experiences. “Like with the other trails?”
“Precisely. Just so,” Cham said, nodding.
Cham disappeared into the back area of the cabin, which was a small kitchen area for food storage and cooking. Before long, Jedda smelled pungent herbs wafting through the room, making him hungry. Dinner was a vegetable stew, filled with barley and sesame oil, giving it a nutty flavor. After that, it was more tea, sweetened with honey.
“Where are the Faenyr?” Jedda asked, sipping on a second cup of tea.. “I mean, how close is this camp to where they are? Their village, or city?”
Cham shrugged. “This is not an area I am very familiar with. This is not my forest. That was why it was difficult to gain access.”
“You were raised with the Faenyr,” Jedda said, but it came out
more like a question, an opening. Cham was a half-breed, like himself. Jedda hoped to learn anything about these mysterious people.
Cham shook his head. “Not these Faenyr. My family is from further west-- a village called Tikka.
But to answer the original question - the location of any local Faenyr. Answering that is slightly difficult, without being sure where in the forest we are. The distance we travelled south is unknown. Treyu would be southwest from here, Treyene would be the closest significant Faenyr settlement. Jynwyn, which is more like a small city, and a few other villages are in this region, as well as several that are unknown to us, certainly.”
“Will we be able to see Treyene from here?”
“Unlikely. But in the morning, it should be easier to determine our location.”
Kirrin got up to tend the fire. Jedda looked from him to Tattia. Definite tension between them, still. Four days of riding had not thawed the chill. He turned his attention back towards the fire. It felt good to just relax. There was no need to go to bed; they would not be waking before morning or rushing off anywhere. For the first time in many years, Jedda had nowhere to go.
Cham took out a small lap harp, the source of the mysterious music. He played several tunes, soft and lilting, blending with the quiet of the night. The music seemed to help Cham, whose color improved as he played. Jedda felt better inside walls and soon found himself nodding off. After a while he gave up trying to stay awake and stumbled up to his bed.
It was late morning before he woke up, which was normal time for him. Life in Tatak Rhe was filled with late nights, carousing with friends, and sleeping until lunchtime. His body was feeling the effects of the enforced fitness training. He lay in bed for a while and wondered how his friends were. Trey would probably be fending off the council. And Diya? He had no idea what she might be doing. He wondered if she had forgotten him. She could be fickle that way. How would he feel if she had found someone else already?
He shook himself and flung back the blanket, then sat up, swinging his feet over the side of his bed. He stretched, testing legs and muscles. His body felt better than he expected. Across from him, the other bed was already made. A neat pile of gear was tucked below it. Kirrin’s. His own pack was by his feet, a towel and soap on top. Hint taken. He grabbed his kit and headed down the narrow stairs.
Kirrin was in the common area, sweeping up, and looked up when Jedda came down. Jedda just lifted the soap so Kirrin could see it.
Kirrin nodded. “This way,” he said, leading Jedda to the back of the cabin where there was a shower stall outside.
Jedda stepped out onto the deck and stopped dead. In the daylight, the camp was breathtaking. Nestled into the forest, the trees surrounding them were numerous, and varied, from trunks of silvery white crowned with deep red foliage, to trees with dappled gray bark and a yellow-green leaf that glowed radiant in the sun, all interspersed with sweeping pines. The trees spread all the way down to the valley where the plains opened up below.
Tattia came up behind him from behind the cabin. “Beautiful, isn’t it? It seems that this lodge has been set up to take care of its guests. There are enough wild foods growing nearby to feed us all quite well. They’re just starting to come up, but there’s plenty of nettle, burdock, wild artichoke, hazelnuts, butternuts, a variety of mushrooms, and even wild garlic, and birch conks for making tea. There are also some berry bushes, and fruit trees, but not much in season this early.”
“You know a lot about plants,” Jedda said.
“We kept a garden at the inn. And my mother used to take me wildcrafting as a child.” She pointed, as she spoke. “See that? That’s hazelnut. No nuts yet though.”
Jedda nodded.
Tattia walked towards the bushes and Jedda followed. He was curious. He remembered Cham’s warning as he followed Tattia from tree, to shrub, to plant. He made sure to keep the lodge in sight as he walked around, despite being stiff and sore. He felt like this was the safest place he had felt since leaving the cottage he had share with Kirrin. The last thing he wanted to do was put that at risk.
Chapter Five
A week went by faster than Jedda would have imagined. For the first few days he felt restless. He was used to having people around and social distractions. Now it was just the four of them, and nothing to do except tend to daily needs. He spent a lot of time carving or splitting wood just to keep busy.
One day as he was sitting by the fire pit with his knife in hand, he noticed Kirrin and Cham together, working out, or practice fighting. He went over to watch. Kirrin was teaching Cham how to wrestle. He didn’t even know Kirrin knew how to wrestle.
The two of them stopped after a while, both reaching for towels to wipe away the sweat.
“Care for a round?” Kirrin asked Jedda.
“Me? Umm… I’m not much of a fighter,” he said, shrinking back.
“Actually, it would seem that learning some basic skill may serve,” Cham said. “Your mentor is an extremely adept wrestler and teacher.”
Jedda looked back and forth between the two of them, praying for a distraction or anything that would get him out of this. The two of them just stood there, waiting, expectant.
Jedda heaved a big sigh. He got up and walked into the circle where they had been practicing.
“Okay. First, some basics,” Kirrin started. “If you can avoid a fight, do so. If you can’t, make sure you get the advantage. And remember, in most fights, it isn’t about rules or being polite. It’s about ending the fight as fast as possible. Now for starters, it helps to know how to fight dirty. Nothing is sacred in a fight for your life. Understand?”
Jedda just nodded.
“Knee, side, throat, eyes, crotch. Five quick attack areas. Throw sand. Can’t see, can’t fight. Can’t breathe? Same thing. Jab to the throat.” Kirrin gave quick demonstrations to illustrate each action as he spoke, stopping his hands a hair from hitting Cham each time. A quick kick towards the side of Cham’s knee. “Crack the knee. Can’t stand.”
Kirrin walked Jedda through several fight basics, using Cham to demonstrate some things, and letting Jedda practice them while he watched.
“You’ll likely be smaller than most attackers. You’re not that big, don’t weigh as much. But you’re lean, and you’re quick. We’ll teach you how to use that to gain the advantage.”
Jedda was soaked and panting before the Nibbin was halfway across the sky. He bent over, trying to catch his breath, rubbing his arm where Cham had just twisted it.
“I definitely should have learned how to play polarity,” he gasped. “At least then I would have spent more time running around.”
“So, perhaps it is time to get into better shape,” Cham declared.
“Right now it is time to get less sweaty,” Jedda said.
With that, he headed into the cabin to get a clean shirt, and grab his soap. He had taken his shirt off as soon as he started to sweat, but he still preferred to wash it and keep it clean.
By the time he came back out, behind the cabin where the shower was, Kirrin was already wrapping up in a towel. Jedda had never noticed how lean and muscular Kirrin was.
Jedda luxuriated in the feel of hot water and clean soap. He was halfway through lathering himself up when Cham joined him.
“Soap?” he asked, sounding casual, reaching around Jedda for the soap, making Jedda uncomfortable.
Jedda opened his hand, letting Cham take the soap. He busied himself scrubbing his hair, but he couldn’t help but notice Cham’s warm body right next to his. Jedda wasn’t sure where he stood, or what Cham might want from this relationship. He was also worried about someone walking in on them. What if Kirrin came back for something and found them together like this?
Jedda busied himself with washing his hair, keeping a polite space between them. Cham reached across the shower, picking up Jedda’s soap. Jedda looked over from the corner of his eye, pretending not to notice. Cham didn’t seem to be paying Jedda any attention at all. Jedda rinsed the
soap out of his hair and left, cringing at the silence and the cold air as he dashed back into the warmth of the cabin.
SOFT BREAK
Jedda woke up, sure he had slept late. But the light was all wrong. The sun wasn’t shining yet and the room was dim and grey. He looked out the window, expecting rain, and saw thick fog instead.. He leaned closer, wiping the glass with his hand so he could get a better look outside. Everything was grey, and white, as if all the world had been covered in ashes. The branches of the trees bowed over under the weight of it..
He gasped as the realization hit him. Snow! That white stuff was snow. He hurried into his clothes, and ran downstairs, pulling his sweater over his head, nearly tripping over his own feet in his eagerness
Tattia, who had been busily chopping wood, gaped at Jedda as he went flying past her, and out the front door. She rushed after him. “Are you okay?”
But Jedda was staring at the sky, arms outstretched as snowflakes fell on his face. “It’s cold. And wet.”
Tattia snorted. “Have you never seen snow before?”
Jedda opened his mouth to reply and a snowflake fell in. It tasted like winter. He opened his mouth wider.
Tattia began to laugh, a deep belly laugh unlike anything he had heard from her. “By the gods, you haven’t!” She howled. “Look at you!”
Jedda was too busy catching snow to answer. A sudden impact on his shoulder jolted him. He spun around, bare feet slipping on the wet ground, to see Tattia, still chortling, scoop another handful of snow up and fling it at his face. He dodged sideways, only to have her hit his leg with another handful.
Cham poked his head out of the cabin. “I heard a commotion, what--”
Tattia spun around and hit him in the face with snow.
Cham shook his head and dove for the ground. For a second Jedda thought he was hurt, but before he could react, Cham popped back up, armed with two handfuls of snow--One for Tattia, and the other he tossed at Jedda, hitting his nose! Icy cold wetness stung his face, but it felt wonderful.
Tattia laughed harder and ran further out into the yard, dodging another blow from Cham.