Bridge of Mist and Fog

by Nikki Broadwell

  Carla laughed. “Remember how you said you’d stay one night?”

  Airy tried to smile. “Thanks for everything, Carla. I’ll keep in touch.”

  “You still have your computers, don’t you?”

  “I sold mine to buy drugs,” Fehin said. “But Airy has hers.”

  “Just e-mail once in a while.”

  “What route should we take?” Airy asked.

  “Take whatever one calls to you. And don’t be surprised when Fehin has magic again. I see a change in him.”

  Fehin smiled and then reached out to give her a hug. “I hardly know how to thank you,” he said. “Without you, I’d…”

  “Fehin, I met you when you were seven years old. I always had faith in you. Sometimes we have to go through terrible things to find out what we’re made of.”

  Fehin started the car as Airy got into the passenger seat. His eyebrows came together as he moved the gearshift into D1 and took his foot off the brake. He briefly glanced at Airy before putting his foot on the gas. A moment later they were rolling down the street.

  45

  “Are you hungry?” Airy held out the bag of sandwiches Carla had supplied. They’d already reached the border between Massachusetts and New York and were heading south toward Route 40. Airy was navigating using a small flashlight she’d found in the glove box to read the map.

  Fehin held out his hand and took the sandwich she handed him. “I’m not even tired,” he said, glancing her way.

  “Me neither. I love the night. There’s something exciting about it.”

  Fehin grinned. “Maybe it’s because we’re making a new start. I feel better than I have for over a year.”

  “No more Wolf,” she said.

  Fehin swiveled toward her for a second and then returned his eyes to the road. “I used to chant that when I was a little boy after they put him away.”

  “It just came to me. Sometimes I feel so connected it’s like we’re one person.”

  “Can you read my thoughts?”

  “Sometimes, but it’s more about feelings. I can feel you here.” She placed her hand on her belly.

  “Sure it’s not just sex?”

  “This is different and it’s there all the time, not just when we’re…you know.”

  Fehin laughed. “Are you afraid of the word? Sex sex sex.”

  “Stop it! I don’t consider what we do sex.”

  “Really? And what would you call it?”

  “It’s deeper, Fehin. I feel like we go somewhere else, like we’re in another world. It isn’t just physical, you know.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “I know what you mean. It’s so much more than what I experienced when…” His voice drifted off and he glanced over at her with a worried expression.

  “I don’t care about that. You were someone else then.” Airy stared out the window. “There’s no place to camp around here. I was hoping we could camp. What is it with all these mud lots and sick looking cattle? And it stinks.”

  Fehin grimaced. “We have to get further west. Wait until you see Wyoming.”

  “You’ve been there?”

  “I was all over the place, Airy.”

  “I hoped we’d discover it together.”

  “There’s still a lot of wild out there even if the animals are gone. I didn’t go everywhere. Why don’t you get some rest? You’ll need to drive pretty soon.”

  When Fehin announced an hour later that he needed a break, Airy drove for a few hours. Her nervousness left her as the car moved smoothly down the nearly deserted road. It was sometime near dawn when they decided to stop. By this time they both needed some sleep in a real bed instead of sitting up in a car. It wasn’t hard to find a motel. They undressed and took a shower together and then fell into bed, asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

  ***

  “Where are we?” Airy asked. She was bent over the map, frowning. They’d found a small diner close to the motel and we’re having their first real meal since leaving Carla’s. It was late afternoon and they planned to get on the road as soon as rush hour was over.

  Fehin took the map from her and perused it. Finally he put his finger in a spot. “We’re here,” he said, showing her.

  “Terra Haute? Doesn’t that mean high ground?”

  Fehin shrugged. “Maybe it’s high in comparison to something else. Do you want to go see the Wabash River before we leave? I read about it in my history class. A bunch of battles were fought around it.”

  “I like that name. French again, right?”

  “I think it originally came from an Indian word but I don’t remember.”

  ***

  Airy examined the bare trees along the riverbank. They looked like naked people to her, their arms held out as they reached for the sky. Soon they would be dressed again and birds would build hidden nests under their leafy protection. The river moved soundlessly behind them and when a heron flew noisily out of the bushes Airy jumped in surprise, watching it lift into the air. “Let’s camp.”

  “You want to stay here overnight?”

  Airy nodded and then headed toward where they’d parked the car to get the gear.

  They set up the tent and made a fire, watching the flames grow smaller as night descended. “I love this,” Airy said, reaching for Fehin’s hand. “It reminds me of the Otherworld. We even saw a heron. I thought they were all gone.”

  “I’m sure there’s some wildlife left. It just isn’t enough to keep the different species going. I think this was a rare occurrence meant for our eyes.” He smiled and then turned back to stare at the flames. “We have to know what’s lost in order to find it again.”

  “That’s kind of profound,” Airy said, turning to look at him. “I feel like this bridge thing is very close to the surface of my mind. It’s like if I just close my eyes I’ll see the solution.”

  “So close your eyes.”

  Airy made a derisive sound in the back of her throat. “It isn’t that simple and besides…”

  “I know. I don’t have magic.” Fehin said, defeated.

  Airy moved closer and put her hand on his cheek. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Fehin pulled away and stood up. “Let’s get some rest. We have a long way to go.”

  It was the middle of the night when Airy woke to voices outside the tent. A moment later a flashlight beamed through the tent flap and a man’s voice said. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  By this time Fehin was awake. He pushed Airy back and pulled on his jeans. A minute later she was alone in the tent.

  “What is the problem?” she heard him ask.

  “For one thing you’re on private land. We got a call from the owner complaining about someone camping down here. They saw your campfire.”

  “I didn’t know we couldn’t stay here,” Fehin replied.

  “It’s posted right by that gate you walked through. You didn’t see the ‘no trespassing’ sign?”

  “No, we didn’t.”

  “You’d better show me some ID,” one of the cops said. “And you and your girlfriend pack up. We’ll meet you out by your car.”

  “You don’t have ID,” Airy whispered, once he was inside again.

  “I know that,” he hissed. “Maybe if you show him your passport he’ll be satisfied.

  “I don’t think so, Fehin.”

  “So what do you suggest?”

  Airy stared into space. “Can you carry the camping gear? I’ll take the computer and other stuff.”

  “You think we should just ditch Carla’s car?”

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  “Shit,” he said, shoving things quickly into his pack. “Move out and I’ll take the tent down.”

  Airy stood by the river, her eyes trained on where they’d left the car. The two cops were there waiting, she could hear them talking.

  A few minutes later Fehin joined her, laden down with all the camping gear as well as his pack. “Let’s go.”

&nbs
p; They took off running, heading south along the riverbank. By the time they stopped again there were no roads in sight. “Do you think we lost them?” Airy asked, leaning over to catch her breath.

  “I don’t know, but I’ll tell you I’m going to miss that damn car. This gear is heavy.”

  “I’m just glad you had the forethought to unpack the important stuff. We could be without my phone, my computer and all our food, not to mention my passport. The books, on the other hand, are heavy. Are you sure you want to lug them around?”

  “I was afraid someone might break in and steal all our stuff. I guess I could part with the books but I really like ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ and the Carlos Castaneda ones about mysticism. And you still haven’t read the one that Gunnar gave me.”

  “I told you a long time ago that I don’t need to read it to understand. That’s not how I get my information. Besides, you’ve told me just about everything that’s in it. What’s the Zen one about?”

  Fehin turned. “I found that book in a dumpster when I was living on the street. It helped me through a very bleak time. It’s hard to explain what it’s about, Airy. It’s a philosophy of life and has to do with embracing it, I guess.”

  They walked along the edge of the river for about an hour before a road came into view. “Are you up for hitchhiking?” Fehin asked.

  “What choice do we have?”

  ***

  A couple took pity on them sometime before dawn and drove them as far as they were going, dropping them off along a narrow highway that led away from the main thoroughfare. Airy was exhausted and when she glanced at Fehin his eyes looked sunken and red-rimmed. It was nearly noon and they hadn’t slept or had anything to eat since the night before.

  Airy sighed heavily and took her phone out, punching in numbers. When Carla answered she explained about being rousted in the middle of the night and why they’d done what they did. “We’re somewhere in Illinois,” Airy told her. “We left the car in Terra Haute.”

  “We’re in Champaign,” Fehin added, frowning at the map.

  “Champaign, Illinois,” Airy amended, looking at a sign along the highway. She put it on speaker so he could hear.

  “Listen, Airy,” Carla said, “I have a friend who lives not too far from Terra Haute. She can get it out of impound—I’ll say it was stolen. She’ll keep it at her house until you two pick it up.”

  Fehin shook his head and Airy took it off speaker and then held it away from her. “What do you want to do?” she whispered.

  “We’re too far to go back now. Let’s just push on.”

  “Push on to where?”

  Fehin grinned and then waved his hands in the air and a second later a tiny scene materialized in front of them. There were snow-capped mountains and valleys, and tiny houses dotting the hillsides.

  “Oh my gods! You have magic again!” Airy pressed the phone to her ear. “Fehin’s magic came back!” she shrieked.

  “I knew it wouldn’t be long. So, you don’t think you need the car now? Is that it?”

  “Fehin seems to think we’re too far away. He doesn’t want to go back.”

  There was a long silence and then Carla said, “Tell you what. My friend will pick it up and keep it at her house. That way if you need it you can come back for it. I’ll text you her address and phone.”

  “But don’t you want it?”

  “I bought a used mini.”

  “How’s Fan?”

  “She misses you. Give Fehin a hug for me, Airy. I miss you both so much. Be safe.”

  Airy put her phone away and danced around Fehin. “How long have you known?”

  “Just happened,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her close. “I told you I was feeling better.” And then he kissed her.

  ***

  “Why isn’t there any place to camp?” They had taken off the main road and headed into town and then searched for somewhere to pitch their tent but all they found were RV parks with sites right next to each other and lots of people, kids and dogs. There were fences everywhere and very little grass.

  “I can fix that,” Fehin said. “But we need to find some green space where no one will happen along.”

  “Lead on, lord and master,” Airy said, teasing.

  Fehin laughed. “Follow me, M’lady.”

  He led into woods on the outskirts of town and then told her to wait. “I want to surprise you,” he told her before heading away.

  Airy glanced around, making sure there were no signs that said ‘no trespassing’.” She took her heavy pack off and lowered it to the ground. Fehin having his powers back had changed things and she wasn’t sure she liked it. He had suddenly taken charge of their lives. And he hadn’t consulted her before he did so. She was staring into the distance toward a road a few miles away when he appeared next to her.

  “Come along, M’lady,” he said, bowing and holding his arm out.

  She went ahead of him down a narrow path coming upon a scene out of a storybook. In front of her was a small stone cottage. Smoke angled out of the chimney and she could smell bread baking. There were flowerboxes in the windows filled with red geraniums. “How…?

  Fehin hurried ahead and opened the door, gesturing again as though she were a noblewoman and he her servant.

  The inside was one big room with a four-poster double bed covered in an old-fashioned quilt against one wall. A wide fireplace with an iron arm to hang pots stood catty-cornered with logs burning merrily. A loaf of crusty bread waited on the rustic wooden table and close to the far wall was a claw foot tub big enough for the two of them. Next to that was a real honest to goodness toilet complete with water inside the bowl. “Is this real or will it disappear as soon as I’ve taken off all my clothes?” she asked, walking over to the tub.

  “It should stay. I haven’t ever done anything quite like this before but I figured if I could conjure an island I could manage a small house. And this presented itself in a vision that included you, but we were definitely somewhere in the distant past—hence the ‘m’lady’. I added the tub and toilet since I thought it would be nice to have modern amenities to go along with our love nest.” Fehin grinned. “In my vision you had longer hair and you were bigger on top.” He laughed, holding his hands away from his chest to illustrate what he meant.

  “You had a vision with me but I didn’t look like me? What about you?”

  Fehin shook his head. “You weren’t that different—maybe just older and more filled out? Or maybe you were pregnant. I didn’t see myself but I felt like some incredible wizard or something. I know I was powerful.”

  “Pregnant?” Airy stared at him puzzled and then went over to try out the faucets in the tub.

  “Why don’t you take a bath?” Fehin suggested. “I have something I need to do.”

  Airy turned the knobs, surprised when hot water gushed out. “Like what?” she asked, peeling off her jeans.

  “I have to talk to Gunnar. It’s been too long.”

  Airy stopped undressing. “In here?”

  Fehin laughed. “I’m going outside. Don’t worry, I won’t bring him in.”

  Airy faced the tub and took off the rest of her clothes. “What if someone’s walking through the woods and sees this house? Won’t they wonder how it got here? Or did you put some kind of invisibility shield up?” There was no answer and when she turned Fehin was gone.

  Airy lowered into the steaming water, allowing herself to sink under the surface. The warmth loosened her sore muscles untying the knots in her neck and back. After that she washed with the luxurious sweet-smelling soap she found resting in the wire basket hanging over the tub’s curved porcelain edge. When she had enough she unplugged the stopper and stepped out, reaching for the thick towel hanging by a peg on the wall. Fehin had thought of everything.

  She dried and pulled on her nightshirt and then went to the kitchen to cut herself a piece of bread. Fehin had not returned and she wondered what was keeping him. The idea of snuggli
ng together under the quilt called to her.

  As she munched on the bread a vision went through her mind and in it she saw a person who looked like Fehin but wasn’t. He was taller and his hair was longer, dressed in a loose tunic and trousers, a dark wool cloak thrown over his shoulders. He was standing in the open doorway of this very house or one similar. She followed his gaze to her belly, her hand moving to rest on the bulge that pushed against the fabric of her loose dress. Pregnant? Where was this coming from? Obviously it was not this reality or timeline. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. It was then that she registered the absence. She and Fehin were no longer connected.

  46

  “What have you done?” The druid’s eyes were black with anger, a color Fehin had never seen them.

  “What are you talking about? I just got my magic back today.”

  “I’m talking about Wolf. His death has caused pandemonium in the future. Loki has unleashed his wrath on everything, including Thule.”

  “Wolf was about to…”

  “I don’t care what he was about to do, Fehin. It was not your place to kill him. That pleasure was to be left to the gods. Do you remember me saying Wolf was part of it?”

  “Yes, but I…”

  “You will accompany me now.”

  Fehin turned toward the little house. “Airy’s in there, she…”

  “You had a job to do here and so far all you’ve managed is this?” Gunnar scoffed, staring at Fehin’s creation. He shook his head and took Fehin by the arm and in the next second layers upon layers of dense colors whirled by them.

  Fehin plugged his ears as a high-pitched sound screeched against them. When they stopped again they were on a beach that looked scoured, driftwood and detritus covering it from one side to the other.

  “This is what is left of Thule,” Gunnar said.

  Fehin felt a wave of shock. His beautiful island destroyed? There was not a person, a house, a tree or an animal left. A piercing pain entered his heart, nearly doubling him over. “My mother? Kafir?”

  “They’re safe for now. Loki has spared them, but until you rectify this mess there will be no rest from his anger.”