by B. T. Narro
He nodded in agreement.
“How do you know?” Adriya asked.
“My father said where they were going. They should be waiting. I think we’ll find them soon.” Leida seemed to be holding back tears as she smiled.
“That’s great news.” Adriya opened her arms. They hugged each other for a long while.
Desil had some bad news for them, but he remembered what they’d said about him being too controlling. He would wait to see what plan they came up with to deal with Beatrix and Kirnich before offering his own.
“This is a good step,” Desil said. He felt like frowning at the news he might have to deliver, but he tried to show them a congratulatory smile.
Leida saw through it. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. This is good.”
“All right,” Adriya said, “so now we return to the forest and make sure to avoid Beatrix and Kirnich as we look for your father.”
As the three of them started back, Leida and Adriya looked at him as if expecting him to say something.
“What is it?” he asked them.
“That’s what I want to ask you,” Leida replied.
“What are you thinking?” Adriya asked.
He was hoping they would eventually think of the same plan as his, but it didn’t seem as if they would.
“I’m considering a few things,” Desil began slowly as he tried to figure out how best to explain it. “One is that we have no idea what’s in that forest. I’m assuming the Elf with your mother and father is a psychic, so all of us should be safe there once we find each other, but until then we might be in more danger than we realize without Beatrix.”
“Desil, we know what will happen if we bring her and Kirnich to my father. There will be a fight.”
“We know that’s possible,” he corrected her. “But it’s also possible that Beatrix knows more about this island than we do. She mentioned something about dangers in the forest when she asked you to come, Adriya. Not from the animals but from something that could attack at range. I know she made it seem like she was just being careful, but we don’t know her well enough to trust that. I’m sure the king wouldn’t let his daughter come here uninformed. I bet he’s already sent a group here to investigate the same explosions Basen wants to figure out. They could’ve returned with a list of threats that none of us are aware of. And what about all the people who live here? If they find us, they won’t let us leave unless we bring them with us, which we can’t.”
“That’s still not enough reason for us to go back to Beatrix and Kirnich,” Leida concluded.
“What happens if we can’t find your father for days?” Desil pressed.
When neither of them answered, he went on. “Do either of you know how to hunt, track, or forage?”
“I thought you might,” Adriya said.
“I have some skill, but I’m not familiar with the animals or the terrain here. I don’t trust myself to keep us alive if we have to search the forest for a week.”
“A week?” Adriya complained.
“It is a large forest,” Leida allowed. “But I don’t expect my parents to have gone far from the northern side.”
“Not by choice. But something might’ve forced them to move.”
Adriya waived her hand as if to dismiss the thought. “This is all speculation.”
“It’s being cautious,” Desil countered. “If we separate from Beatrix and Kirnich, there’s a decent chance we’ll never find them again. I hate to admit it, but we might need them. Even if we don’t and we do find your parents soon with them in our company, Beatrix and Kirnich can do nothing to force Basen back to Kyrro. They would lose a fight, especially with a psychic on our side. That means they’ll be forced to do what we say because we’ll have the leverage. We could make them stay behind or choose to keep them with us. Returning to them now is the safer option considering all the unknowns.”
Leida and Adriya looked at each other as if expecting the other to say something.
“Remember that your father plans to go to the center of the island to observe an explosion and learn how to create it himself,” Desil continued. “It’s bound to be extremely dangerous. The more people with us, the safer we’ll all be. We almost lost you, Leida, to the enormous Marro. I would feel better if we have two psychics to stop those beasts, in case we’re attacked again.”
Again he waited for them to respond, but neither said a word.
Desil added his final point. “And there’s always the chance Beatrix and Kirnich will still be asleep when we return. They might never know we left, which means it will be even easier to leave during the night in the future because they’ll trust us.”
That seemed to do it, Leida nodding. “He’s right,” she told Adriya.
“They will question us if they are awake when we return,” Adriya said. “They will demand to know where we went and what we figured out.”
“Then we tell them,” Leida said. Desil was glad they’d had the same thought this time. It would be easier to convince Adriya. “Now that we know my parents have gone to the forest and are trying to find us, the sooner we can get to them and the more power we’ll have over Beatrix and Kirnich.”
“Are you sure you want them to know?” Adriya asked. “If we do ever separate, now they’ll know how you and your father can communicate. They’ll find someone else who can watch memories and use them to find Basen.”
“I should be with my father if or when that happens. There will be no more need for the memories.”
Adriya glanced over at Desil. “You’re always planning for the worst. What do you have to say about that?”
“I think Leida’s optimism is correct in this case. I don’t see us leaving this island without her parents.”
Adriya appeared shocked.
“You don’t agree?” Leida asked.
“I do. I only thought Desil wouldn’t.”
“Then it’s settled,” Desil said.
They started to run in hopes of making it back before Beatrix and Kirnich awoke.
Leida asked, “What if the Elf is not a psychic?”
“You said we still might be able to win a fight,” Desil told her. “Because your father can resist psyche.”
“Yes, but I don’t see us completely overpowering them as we might if we had our own psychic. Someone might die, probably one of them, but still…”
“I wouldn’t want that, either,” Desil agreed. “Let’s hope I’m right about the Elf.”
He didn’t see how he could be wrong. The Elves in Merejic were known for their psyche. Their leader must’ve sent one of them to accompany Basen and Alabell so they too could find out how to produce these explosions. In order to use their ship, Basen would’ve had to agree.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Unfortunately, Beatrix was awake when Desil returned with Leida and Adriya, though Kirnich seemed to be in a deep slumber as he sat against a tree with his chin resting on his collar. He sprung up when Beatrix jumped to her feet.
“Stay there,” Beatrix demanded of the three of them.
Kirnich came to Beatrix’s side while drawing his sword.
Desil didn’t understand the aggression. “We decided to come back,” he informed them.
“Which one of you was it?” Beatrix demanded.
The three of them glanced at each other.
“Was what?” Adriya asked in return.
“Who came back to kill me?” Beatrix specified.
“None of us,” Desil said. “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?”
“Of course it was no dream!” She drew her dagger as she stepped forward.
Fearing she’d gone mad, Desil put his arms out and stepped back, pushing Adriya and Leida along with him. He worried Adriya would take out her weapon, but fortunately she didn’t.
“We have no idea what you’re talking about,” Leida said. “Question us with psyche if you must.”
“I am. Now you, Adriya. What do you know about someone trying t
o kill me?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
Kirnich edged forward. “Well?”
Beatrix put her dagger away. “It wasn’t any of them.”
“Then who the bastial hell was it?” Kirnich asked.
“I don’t know,” Beatrix muttered as she glanced around. “All of you give me light. Look for someone watching us.”
Desil and the others made light and directed it in beams. They scanned their surroundings, but there were many trees, and the darkness was powerful. The bastial energy only gave sight to a single spot at a time, the rest of the deep forest remaining shrouded.
“What did you see exactly?” Desil asked her.
“Nothing. I heard someone coming. I felt they were about to kill me, but they ran when I awoke.”
“You didn’t see anything?”
“The fire was almost out, so no. Leida, would your father or anyone with him—”
“Certainly not,” she interrupted.
Beatrix squinted at her for a moment. “Fine. Kirnich and I will figure it out.” She crossed her arms. “Now tell me why you came back.”
“You’re going to be pleased to hear that we’ve decided to stay with you,” Leida announced.
“So you’ve come to your senses, at least for now. But when do you plan to separate?”
“Probably not until this is done. We need each other. That is, so long as you vow to keep all of us as safe as you would Kirnich. No matter the situation.”
Beatrix leaned her head back. “Now I understand. You discovered something that makes you think you’ll have leverage over us once we meet with your father. What is it?”
Leida glanced at Desil. He shrugged. “No point in keeping anything hidden from them anymore.”
Leida nodded and told Beatrix, “He and my mother have an Elf with them who must be a psychic, and I’ve been communicating with my father through memories. Do you know what that means?”
A moment of shock registered on her face. “Memories?” Her brow furrowed. “Has Basen mentioned anything about this to my father?”
“I have no idea. I figured you would know more than I do about their discussions.”
“Then I doubt it,” Beatrix said. “Communicating through memories…what does that mean?”
“We can leave messages for each other.”
Both Beatrix and Kirnich let out a long “aaaah.”
“I knew it was something like that,” Beatrix said. “Tell me everything about this ability.”
Leida laughed nervously. “That’s all I’m going to say. We’re already cooperating with complete honesty, and there’s something better we should be doing with our time right now.”
“Fine. You can have your secrets for now. I assume you retrieved a message from your father when you left tonight. What is it?”
“He’s somewhere in this forest,” Leida said. “We’re only a day behind. He’s going to wait wherever he is for us, so it’s time to find him.”
“There’s no point in searching now while the forest is this dark,” Kirnich said. “We’ll end up lost with tracks all over that we could confuse for your father’s in the morning. It’s better to stay here and look for signs of his group when there’s light.” He sat back down against his tree, then reached over and pulled his blanket around him.
*****
They got up at sunrise and searched the forest for hours. They stayed near the northern perimeter half the time, Kirnich claiming to pick up a track only to lose it later. They spent a while covering one set of footprints that would stop suddenly and make no sense to the large warrior.
“It’s as if he took flight!” Kirnich complained. “Maybe a Marro got him.”
“Not between these trees,” Desil was quick to comment as he heard Leida gasp. “They are too dense for the Marros to spread their wings, especially near the treetops.”
“These could be his tracks.” Kirnich pointed to the scattered depressions of the dirt. “But I can’t find the rest of them.”
“Then let’s stop wasting our time with this one,” Beatrix said. “You said there’s only one set anyway. It’s probably not Leida’s father, because he’s with a group.”
“It could be the person who wants to kill you.”
“We don’t have time to chase him any longer.”
Eventually Kirnich found more tracks, this time belonging to a group of at least two. Desil could feel Leida’s excitement as she stayed closer to Kirnich while he tracked, as if silently trying to hurry him. She knelt and looked at everything on the ground that he did, as well as investigated the same broken branches or ruffled leaves of shrubbery.
Desil had learned a fair amount of tracking as well, but he would say nothing about it unless he saw something Kirnich missed.
“Wait!” Leida yelled.
“What?” Kirnich asked.
“A memory.”
“Good,” Beatrix said. “Now what do you do with it?”
“I watch it. Give me a moment.” She stepped forward and closed her eyes.
Her hands came up as if to block something coming at her. Slowly, they came down. Her shoulders relaxed. Her body jerked, then her head dipped.
Desil didn’t want anyone knowing that he could do the same as Leida and her father. He couldn’t think of any specific reason to keep it secret, just that he would gain nothing by revealing it, and that was enough.
Leida took a long while. Everyone waited as she swayed and took many deep breaths, except Kirnich, who investigated the ground and the nearby trees.
“Something happened here,” he said. The warrior pointed at the smooth dirt ahead of them. “And someone covered their tracks. There’s another set of tracks going northeast, but I think they show people heading here instead of going away.” He showed a guilty look at Beatrix. “I haven’t tracked in a long time.”
“It shouldn’t be taking this long,” Adriya commented, staring with concern at Leida.
“Leida?” Beatrix whispered and began to reach toward her.
“Don’t,” Desil warned. “There’s no way for her to experience the memory from where she left off if she’s disrupted. Only from the beginning.” He wasn’t sure how true this was, as he had never been interrupted that way, but he didn’t want to risk it.
Eventually Leida began to hum as she stretched her neck forward, possibly intent on hearing or seeing something. Her eyes squeezed shut tighter.
“What can you feel from psyche, Beatrix?” Desil asked.
“Nothing. It’s as if she’s asleep.”
Leida groaned.
“Desil.” Adriya leaned beside his ear. “I’m starting to worry.”
“You think I should go in?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
Desil walked in front of Leida and turned to face her. He knew he wouldn’t be able to connect with her in Basen’s memory, but he couldn’t help himself from trying. If she wasn’t in pain, she seemed at least to be in discomfort.
Desil was transported into the forest without feeling a shift. The image was hazy, this memory weaker than others, not that Desil understood why. It was through Basen’s perspective like the last, as he walked behind his wife and the Elf.
“Leida, I’m leaving another memory in a different place,” Basen said. “This is the third, but it’s only important for you to find one of them so you can find us. We’re going south to look for food, but we plan to return to the northern edge when we can. Part of me hopes you never came. This place is worse than Captain Mmzaza made it seem.”
Basen lifted his arms in front of his eyes to show a few deep cuts and scratches all over him. His wife’s cloak was torn, and there was a gash down the side of the Elf’s neck that only showed itself when his long hair wasn’t swaying in front of it.
“The Marros seem to be as smart as they are powerful,” Basen continued. Desil could feel the headmaster’s fear as if it were his own. “They’re willing to risk their lives to keep inhabitants away, but I don’t know why t
hey’re so protective. The settlement of humans should still be to the south, if Mmzaza’s account of this place is accurate, but your mother and I wouldn’t go there unless it was the only way to survive. I don’t see them letting us leave, so don’t expect to find us there. I wouldn’t want you or the people you brought going there, either. The Kanoans will figure out you have a ship.”
Alabell scowled at Leida’s father. “You shouldn’t have told anyone to come.”
“Your mother and I still disagree, as you can see. We’ll be fine, though. We have caregelow if we suffer grave injuries. We plan to wait in this forest for your group until we can wait no longer. At least this forest seems safe from the Marros. That Elf you see is Rhylayan. Alabell and I have begun calling him Rhy. Fatholl, the leader of the Elves, forced us to bring him. It was the only way they would take us here. Fatholl clearly is interested in obtaining the same weapon as we are.” Basen paused and let out his breath. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Rhy grumbled something in Elvish.
“I don’t speak his language, but I know what he’s saying. We wouldn’t have made it this far without him. It’s true. And I’m sure you know, Rhy, that my wife and I had planned to separate from you the first chance we got.”
“You would be fools to do that. Dead fools.”
Basen glanced over at his wife’s back. She turned around and nodded to him.
“We know he’s right, Leida,” Basen grumbled. “Which is why we have to work with him and suffer the consequences of Fatholl at a later time. Fernan is not going to be happy if he finds out. But Elves have no interest in war with humans, isn’t that right, Rhy?”
“No interest in anything with humans,” the Elf said without turning around. His accent made each sentence feel like a tiny song.
A fog had grown over the image, making it more difficult to make out details.
“It’s getting to that point, Leida,” Basen said. “I’ll end the memory here and start another soon.”
“I sense many people ahead,” the Elf said in a hushed voice.
Alabell spun around to face Basen. “It couldn’t be Leida’s group yet.”