Bridge of Mist and Fog

by Nikki Broadwell

  In early July her grandparents called to let her know that her parents were in Halston. “Where are you, dear? We’ve tried several times to reach you since school let out. The office told us you disappeared from campus and they’ve had no word. They told me to let you know that without summer school you won’t move on.”

  Airy grimaced, slanting a look at Fehin who was sunk into a chair with a blanket over his legs. “I told you the last time I talked to you that I was searching for Fehin. Do you remember that? Well, I found him, and he’s very sick. And since he’s sick because of me I have to help him through it.”

  There was a long silence and then Harold came on the phone. “Airy? What in god’s name are you up to? Where are you? I thought we told you to stay away from him.”

  Airy paused to take a deep breath. “You’re wrong about him, Dad. Just because Brandubh is his father doesn’t mean a damn thing about Fehin. If I hadn’t listened to you this never would have happened. I have to go,” she said, hitting the end call button. Airy sat down heavily in a chair and put her head in her hands. When she began to cry she heard Fehin push out of the chair. A second later he was kneeling next to her.

  “You shouldn’t have to make a choice between me and your family.”

  She wiped her face on her sleeve and looked at him. “There’s no choice here. They put me in this position because they don’t trust me. That’s why I can’t have a relationship with them.”

  Fehin held her gaze for a full minute before heading to sit down. When Airy looked over at him he had his eyes closed, his head resting against the back of the chair as though he’d run a marathon.

  ***

  “Once you’re well again what shall we do?” she asked him during one of their walks. They had paused half way up a rock-strewn hill to rest. They had reached a new elevation today and were surrounded by pines and aspen for the first time. Summer had come and gone and now the hardwoods were turning color again. Wind whispered through the golden aspen leaves, the round leaves shaking oddly. The bark and the leaves had anti-inflammatory properties that she could have used had she known they were here. He was beyond that now, getting stronger every day.

  There was something melancholy about this time of year, she thought, listening to the geese calling as they headed south. Everything was shifting and going to sleep or migrating to warmer climes. Where would they be when it began to snow? She missed her home, her brother and MacCuill, and her friends. She would miss her parents if she weren’t still so mad at them. And there was always Milltown to consider. With Carla’s help they could get back into school if that’s what they decided.

  “I haven’t thought about it, Airy. My brain feels fuzzy, as though I’ve been under water for a long time.”

  “I’m not surprised,” she said, grabbing hold of his hand. “I wish someone would just come and tell us what we’re supposed to be doing. I’ve had no visions and no insights about this supposed bridge. What does it mean?”

  Fehin shook his head, his breath coming in gasps. “This is enough for me,” he said. “If I keep going I’ll sleep all day tomorrow.”

  The next morning after breakfast Airy took off alone, heading to the library. She did this nearly every day while Fehin rested. Here with the dusty leather smell of books and the whispers that came from them, she let her mind float free, asking for help to find what she needed. This had served her well when Fehin had first come out of the hospital—medicinal foods and herbal cures had appeared as though summoned, books she checked out, writing down the recipes before returning them.

  She had some knowledge about this already and spent time researching Stinging Nettle, Burdock and Bell Pollen, all things that could help him with building stamina. And luckily this small town had a good health food store with clerks who knew their business. The only hard part about it was the hordes of beggars hanging around outside the store. Sometimes she ended up giving them the food she’d just purchased, heading back inside for more. Other times she gave them money.

  In the library this particular morning she found an old leather bound book called The Bridge and excitedly pulled it off the shelf. But when she thumbed through it she saw that it was about a certain bridge at a certain time in history and the importance it played in the war. She slid it back and then ran her fingers along the spines, letting her eyes close. When her hand came to a stop she blinked her eyes open, staring at the title that lay beneath her fingers. Mystical Bridges Through Time. She pulled it out and opened it.

  Bridges are connections, she read. These connections can be between lands, or between places either real or in our imagination, or even between peoples. They allow us to cross great divides and speak in a language that is beyond our normal understanding. What is a bridge if not a mystical landscape? Without them we are unable to connect our thoughts or make the leaps of faith that lead to great inventions and discoveries. To build a bridge you have to know what it is you want to connect. A metaphysical bridge is made of mist and fog.

  Airy lifted her eyes from the page. “To build a bridge you have to know what it is you want to connect,” she repeated softly. Mist and fog. What was it that she and Fehin were meant to connect? Corra hadn’t elaborated but something inside her knew the answer. If only she could reach that internal place.

  Whispers followed her back to the motel, the book clutched in her hand. The tree branches leaned toward her, the bright leaves giving off a pungent odor as they let go and swirled, landing at her feet. Among the whispers she heard a higher sound, a chirping that carried with it a warning. Her mind recoiled even though she couldn’t understand what or who was speaking. Was it the birds? Or maybe it was all the little bugs and grubs who were now poised on the edge of their life span. When the cold came they would die. Only one message came through loud and clear. This is up to you and Fehin.

  “Did you say that?” she asked sharply, stopping in front of the oak she was walking by. But all was silent now, as though that one sentence said it all. Her ring caught her eye and when she glanced down it was radiating, as if a light had been turned on inside it, but when she took it off to take a closer look it was once again the normal luminescent pearly gray.

  This stone had been handed down through multiple generations and her Scottish grandmother had regaled her with stories of how its surface had contained a map when Finna first traveled through the Otherworld. Finna had been pregnant with Airy’s mother at the time. Later Maeve had worn the stone as a necklace and although Airy didn’t know the details, she knew the moonstone had assisted her mother in some way during her fight to save the Otherworld.

  When her mother had it set into a ring and presented it to Airy just before her sixteenth birthday she hadn’t mentioned any magical properties or even hinted at the possibility. From what Airy had been told the stone had completed its task long ago. She must have imagined it, she decided, slipping it back on her finger.

  31

  Fehin waited for Airy to return, watching for her through the picture window. From this second story room he had a good view up and down the street. He was becoming restless and bored, signs that he was on the mend. The daily walks had strengthened him and he was ready to leave this motel—for good. But where to go was a problem. He and Airy hadn’t discussed the future and he knew she had avoided certain topics until he regained his strength. And even though he was physically stronger there was something working inside him that required attention—something he didn’t want to look at. The idea of getting on with his life and whatever destiny they shared had no meaning now.

  He spied her before she lifted her gaze, the halo of bright hair standing out against the gray day. It was nearly the color of the leaves on the sugar maples. He watched her move along the sidewalk, his heart feeling a small jolt of longing. It had been three months since he’d left the hospital and they’d been together for all of it, but there was a distance between them that he couldn’t make sense of. It was as though his brush with death had changed him in ways he was on
ly now discovering. All he knew was that he couldn’t afford to open himself up to her the way he had in the past. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, feeling a lot older than his seventeen years.

  Her gaze met his before she climbed the stairs, her smile and wave warming him. He opened the door and waited, trying not to shiver from the cold air. Colorado was not a good place to spend the winter.

  She walked inside and took off her heavy wool coat. “Wow, it’s cold today. I hate to think how cold it will be in a month!”

  “That’s something I want to talk to you about. I’m ready to get out of here.”

  Airy looked up from where she was taking off her boots. “Where do you want to go?”

  Fehin shook his head. “I haven’t gotten that far. But the cold isn’t good for me, I know that.”

  Airy turned back to her unlaced boots, slipping them off and then moving toward the loveseat. She sat down and curled her long legs under her. “So, somewhere warm,” she said. “Oh, I found a very interesting book. I think it might answer some of our questions.” She stood to get her pack, digging inside.

  Fehin took the book she held out. “Looks intriguing,” he said, reading the title. “You think the bridge thing is important?”

  She headed back to the couch. “Don’t you?”

  “I don’t know. No one mentioned it before I came to Milltown. I like the idea of it though.”

  “If we’re leaving soon I should go to the bank.” Airy looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned to regard him where he stood next to the window. “I wish I knew how to drive. We could get a car.”

  “We don’t want the problems that come with a car. Buses and trains are fine for now. And Airy, I think we need to make a plan.”

  “Do you want to go back to school? I’m afraid what might happen to my money if I decide not to. After that the last conversation they could have cut me off.” Her gaze met his. “Carla said we could live with her but why would we if we aren’t enrolled in school?”

  Fehin watched the wind moving through the tree branches and the cascading colors as the leaves spun and floated downward. A storm was brewing. He shook his head. “School won’t help us right now. We got what we needed from it. And with your parents and grandparents against our relationship it would only hinder whatever we’re supposed to be doing.”

  Airy grimaced. “I seriously hate them all right now.”

  “Don’t say that, Airy. They love you. They just don’t understand.”

  “Of all people, my parents should understand, Fehin. They’ve completely closed their minds. To be honest it really isn’t like them.”

  “Maybe there’s magic at work.”

  “You mean your brother?”

  Fehin turned to look at her, wishing things were the way they had been before the incident with Wolf. He missed the way he’d felt about her then. Now it was like an invisible wall stood between them. “Possibly. We’ve been out of circulation for quite a while. We need to find out any news about him—where he is. Maybe Gunnar knows.”

  And that thought led his mind to Thule. He was suddenly aware that a large part of him wanted to go home and forget all about Airy and whatever destiny they shared. He didn’t trust her like he had before. What had happened between them had not yet been repaired and until it was, he didn’t have the will to continue.

  “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”

  He looked up, a flush coming into his cheeks. “I miss home,” he admitted.

  “Well, I don’t,” she said, unfolding her legs and heading into the kitchen. “I’ll make us something to eat and then maybe we can talk about our next move?”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Fehin said, turning away to stare out the window again. The wind had subsided and in its place fat white flakes were floating out of the sky. He had to get out of here soon.

  While they were eating the soup Airy prepared there was a soft whoosh of air and a second later Gunnar was standing in the middle of the room. Beside him Kafir looked stunned and dazed. When the sailor saw Fehin he leapt forward and folded the boy into his arms. “Odin’s ghost, boy, I didn’t know how much I missed you! Thank all the gods you’re all right! Your mother has been so worried!”

  Fehin embraced the man who’d been like a father to him, Kafir’s warmth taking away some of the cold that never seemed to go away. “This is Airy,” he said, after they pulled apart, gesturing toward where she stood by the couch.

  “Airy,” Kafir repeated, regarding her with a warm smile. “I guess I have you to thank for my son’s return to health.”

  Airy seemed embarrassed, a nervous smile making its way tentatively across her lips. “I was also the cause of his illness,” she admitted, looking down.

  “From what I hear you were bullied into it.”

  Kafir turned to Fehin. “Your mother wants to see you, Fehin. You being ill has been very hard on her.”

  “I shouldn’t have told her,” Gunnar said, speaking for the first time.

  Fehin glanced toward the druid. “She would have known anyway.”

  Gunnar’s mouth quirked. He nodded. “I often forget about Gertrude’s psychic abilities.”

  When Fehin saw his mother in his mind’s eyes, his heart felt squeezed. He had a feeling that the men’s abrupt appearance signaled something they weren’t saying. “I’m coming home with you,” he announced.

  “But Fehin…” Airy said, moving toward him. “We have our…”

  Fehin put his hand up. “All of that can wait. Maybe you should come along too.” Fehin glanced toward the druid who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. “Is that possible?” he asked him.

  Gunnar slid his eyes sideways and then shrugged. “Not the best idea

  I’ve heard, but I suppose it’s possible.”

  Airy looked worried and uncertain. “This doesn’t seem….”

  “Doesn’t seem what?” Fehin asked, irritated. “I almost died, Airy. I have a right to go and see my mother.”

  “I didn’t say you shouldn’t, Fehin. But now that you’re feeling better, we…”

  Fehin ignored her and went into the kitchen area. He fiddled around with the coffee pot listening to the silence coming from the living room. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Does anyone want coffee?” he finally asked.

  “No thanks,” Kafir answered. “If I don’t leave soon, I’ll be old before my time.”

  “Will you come back for us, Gunnar?” Fehin asked, turning.

  “You can meet me in San Diego,” he said. “Skidbladnir will be waiting.”

  “But when?”

  “Just get there as soon as you can.” The druid took hold of Kafir’s shoulder and then they both disappeared.

  Fehin watched the spot where they’d been and then turned to see Airy staring at him. “What?” he asked, belligerent.

  Airy shook her head and turned away, heading into the bathroom. He’d invited her along. What was the problem?

  32

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Airy said, trying to get Fehin to look at her. He seemed remote and had been for weeks. He was different since the illness and she didn’t know him anymore.

  “And what would you suggest? I’m worried, Airy. Something’s not right back there.”

  “Is that it or are you projecting because you want to go home so badly? What if we can’t return? I feel like we’re supposed to be doing this, whatever it is, sooner rather than later. Have you noticed how bad things are? There are more and more people on the streets every day.”

  “Of course I’ve noticed. Have you even bothered to open the book Gunnar gave me? It’s all explained in there. Why don’t you go out in the snow and commune with the trees--maybe they’ll tell you what to do.”

  Airy stared at him. “That was mean and uncalled for, Fehin. I don’t have to read a book to know what’s going on. All I have to do is open my eyes. Do you even like me anymore?”

  When Fehin’s eyes met hers she saw a d
eep anguish and sadness. He seemed to be struggling with something but if he didn’t tell her what it was she couldn’t help him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, turning away again. “I have to get out of here soon. The cold is seeping into my bones. It’s making me crazy.”

  “No cold weather on Thule?” Airy said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “No, I made Thule temperate all year long. It’s a wonderful place. You’ll see.”

  If I go, Airy thought to herself. But her options were limited. She would either have to stick with Fehin, wait for him to come back, or do this bridge thing on her own. Either that or go back to school. “I think the bridge is us. We have to forge a connection between humans and nature—people hardly notice what’s around them anymore, not that I blame them, and the government keeps passing laws that take away more and more of the wild places. The family farms are gone, replaced with those companies that poison everything around to grow their crops. The trees and plants and bugs and animals are suffering because no one cares.”

  Fehin turned from his perusal of the falling snow. “What government? You mean the corporations? And how do you propose to do that? Start a cult?”

  “I don’t even know what a cult is.”

  Fehin made a derisive sound. “It’s a group of people who believe something and go to great lengths to protect it and get others to believe. It’s usually religious. We’d be the cult leaders. We could call ourselves the nature lovers.”

  “That sounds good,” Airy said, not realizing that Fehin was being facetious.

  “Airy, we’d have followers, weirdos who trek around with us and expect us to know what we’re doing. We’d have to feed them and take care of them.”

  “I don’t mind the idea of followers. We need to get people interested in our cause. Maybe some of the people who are out of work would come with us.”

  Fehin shook his head and sighed. “I don’t think this is what Corra meant by a bridge. It has to be more metaphysical than what you’re proposing. You need to quiet your over-active mind and meditate on it.”