by Jada Fisher
On the off chance this is Shandi or Dorrick, then I guess you’ll have to retrace your steps and come find us. Sorry for that hassle. I hope all of you are alive, safe, and well. Sorry about the house. Wasn’t much I could do on that front. Lucky that I wasn’t killed.
When I come back, we can all rebuild it together. After we beat Bishta of course.
Best wishes, Tuni.
Once she was finished, Tuni found an intact side table and left the page there underneath the inkwell. It was below the window and thus had a lot of light. She hoped that would draw Gayla’s attention, assuming she did show up.
With that done, Tuni took a long breath and did a slow spin as she scanned what remained of the hut. The back wall was still intact, so there was something to come home to, but there was a lot of work to be done to patch up the roof and rebuild the walls and whatnot. It wouldn’t be easy, but when everything was settled and the world was back to normal, she had no doubt they could have a home again.
When she stepped outside, it was dark again. The stormy skies looked even more ominous than before. Not a pleasant day, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop them. At least it would be cooler and not as humid.
Not until after the storm when the sun came out at full blast and then everything was like a sweathouse. Then and only then would she suffocate to death from the thickness of the air.
That could come later.
She caught Asoka inspecting her withered hand, and again a painful pang of guilt lurched inside her, making her step faulter. The mer didn’t notice her though, as involved as she was in her own thoughts.
“I’m ready,” Tuni said as she cleared her throat.
Asoka flinched, obviously taken by surprise, but she tried to play it off and pretend nothing happened. She hid her hand behind her back and smiled at Tuni. “Hope it was heartfelt and let all of your emotions out.” She pushed against her staff and rose.
“Oh yeah, it was a real tear-jerker. Worthy of the greatest poets and playwrights.”
The mermaid nodded, still sporting her smirk, though Tuni could deduce the confusion from her gaze. Clearly, she didn’t know what a poet or playwright was. The mer must not have had written entertainment. Then again, Tuni didn’t have much of it, so she didn’t blame her.
Tuni shouldered her pack more firmly and jerked her head westward. “Okay, now are we ready?”
“After you, wildling. This is your turf, after all.”
It was, and Tuni was glad to be home. She just wished she could actually enjoy this time back, be able to bask in the glory of the wilds and show it off to her mer friend, show her the beauty and all the incredible plants and creatures. They were alike in their love of nature, and she hoped one day they could enjoy this place together.
But that would have to wait a bit longer. They’d make it through this and make it back here and have the time to explore to their hearts’ content. Tuni had to believe that. It was the only thing keeping her going.
So, without further delay, she led the way, hobbled but determined, past the battered magical battlefield, which was thankfully empty of dark sages, and pushed west in search of her friends.
10
Tuni
They could have made better time, if not for the Sage of the Dark. Shandi had left a map of the location of the Al-Sevaran workers’ camp they went when she left the note, but in all the fighting with Bishta and her servants, the map had been torn asunder, so Tuni and Asoka were walking blindly to their destination.
Well, not totally blind. Tuni remembered the general location. It was a valley east of the main mountain range that cut the wilds in half. That left a swath of miles and miles that the location could be, so it would take some time to find it, but she trusted that she and Asoka would manage alright on their own. Not ideal, but what else could they do?
They made slow progress, what with Tuni’s injury. The journey was hell. Every step hurt, making her breathing ragged, and it didn’t get better as the day went on. Sure, she learned to deal with it, but it was still uncomfortable, and she refused all of Asoka’s attempts at help. She’d done enough with her magic to save her life. That was enough for Tuni. The mermaid needed to conserve herself. She wasn’t in top shape either.
The first day came to an end and they made camp against a small stream that fed into a pond. Asoka, very enthusiastically, shifted into her full mer form and went diving for fish. She said it was to get them food—which she did—but Tuni had a feeling it was more therapeutic than just that. It had been a while since the mer had been able to stretch her fins and feel the cool waters of the deep against her scales.
Of course, this was just a simple pond and not the ocean, but it was something, and it was deep enough for Asoka to have plenty of room.
She surfaced after almost ten minutes with a jaw filled with a large, red-scaled fish. Her pointy canines sank into the scales, and she smiled as she approached. Her own glimmering scales trailed down her body. As always, Tuni averted her gaze to give her some privacy. She knew Asoka wasn’t naked, but it was too similar.
Once ‘Soka had dried off and had her meager skirt back on, she descaled her catch and roasted it over the fire.
“You know, we mer often just eat our catches raw. Don’t even bother with the fire.”
“No offense, but that sounds awful.”
Asoka laughed. “We only do that if we’re really hungry, or if we’re impatient and want a quick snack. We do usually cook our food.”
“Good. I was about to have some very judgmental thoughts about your people.”
“Oh? You’ve never eaten raw meat before?” she demanded, hands on her hips.
Tuni flushed and looked at the fire. “Well, I mean, I have, but I didn’t enjoy it, and I certainly don’t seek it out as a viable food option. Raw meat can be bad for humans.”
Asoka snorted and sat beside her. She shook her head. “Humans, such weak bodies. Amazing that you have such power and influence over the world.”
“Probably because we breed fast and are greedy as hell. And hey, us wildlings are just minding our business out here. We get along with tree folk, spirits, and creatures alike.” As if to prove her point, a small blue sprite with a smiling face bobbed out of the water and bounced along her arms. She giggled as it went from her to Asoka, who smiled in turn.
Then it returned to the water. On the other edge of the pond was a slender woman made of water. A waterkin, a true water spirit. They usually didn’t show themselves to humans but seeing Asoka as a mer must have made her comfortable. The fact that fish legs was the Sage of the Seas probably helped too.
Asoka waved at her. “I saw her underwater. Said she didn’t mind my swimming and fishing there so long as I didn’t make a frequent habit of it.”
“Shame, this is a nice spot.”
The mermaid stayed smiling. “She said no frequent visits, but I’m sure we could come visit every once in a while.”
“We?”
Asoka frowned. “You wouldn’t want to come with me?”
“No, of course I would! I just mean—” She stopped herself. What she meant was that soon, assuming they beat Bishta and set the world back to rights, Asoka would have to go off being the Sage of the Seas. Tuni worked for Gayla and didn’t want to lose that opportunity, even though she was sure Gayla would let her go with the mermaid sage.
And of course, there was the issue of the impending immortality that Asoka had. Tuni would grow older and older while Asoka stayed young and beautiful for the rest of her life. Then Tuni would pass, and Asoka would be alone.
They hadn’t talked about that. Hell, she didn’t even like to think about it, and she wondered not for the first time, if this had crossed her friend’s mind.
But Tuni didn’t have the energy or want to have this conversation now. Truthfully, she didn’t want the hurt that would come from it, so she offered a simple smile and shrugged.
“Never mind. Don’t worry about.” She focused on the cooking fish, which sme
lled more delectable by the second. She could feel Asoka’s gaze burn into her, questions hanging on the tip of her tongue, but the mermaid didn’t voice those questions, instead opting to respect Tuni’s wish for silence. The wilding was glad.
Once they ate their dinner, they said little the rest of the night. Ordinarily, Tuni would have been all for staying up well past sunset, but she was exhausted, and her body ached all over. She was tempted to take a bath in that pond, but her eyes were too tired, and she’d rather just go to sleep. Asoka kept looking at her with concern. Part of it was probably for her injuries, but Tuni could tell she was wondering about her silence and worsening demeanor the rest of the evening.
She should have reassured the mermaid, but Asoka fell asleep before she could try to clear the air. Asoka hadn’t done anything wrong, after all.
But that would wait until the morning, so Tuni laid her head down as the fire was naught but embers and closed her eyes. She soon drifted into a fitful sleep.
The next morning, they continued on. Asoka was back to her smiling self and didn’t ask at all about the night before, and Tuni was glad for it. She was in a much better mood too. A few curious and less than savory dreams involving some weird shenanigans with spirits and her old friends and monsters, but otherwise she felt good. Still a bit sore, and still in pain when she stood and stretched, but better. She could probably manage to walk the whole day without wanting to fall over.
After a hearty breakfast of eggs she’d poached from a nest—still so sorry!—they started west again. Tuni paused and looked back for the waterkin or any of the sprites, but there were none. A shame. Maybe they could come back one day. She loved to converse with spirits. They had such a different way of thinking and expressing themselves from the regular sentient races of the world. It was always a unique conversation.
Well, maybe when everything was all over.
This morning, her and Asoka truly got on a lot better. They were both in good spirits, despite the threats following them, despite everything. They joked and laughed and sang, and it was just the things she used to do with Telli when they’d walked through the woods and it made her chest heave with equal bits joy and nostalgia.
Truly, Asoka was the person she needed most in her life. Incredible how she’d only known the mermaid for a few weeks, yet they were thick as thieves. She felt like she had known Asoka her entire life.
Eventually, their mirth had to be reined in as they were brought back to reality. The clamor of words could be heard ahead. Tuni instinctively reached for her bow, only for her hand to pass through empty air. Oh yeah, it broke. No way to defend herself aside from the blood-stained knife that she’d forgotten to clean. Of course, with her injury, pulling back the string of a bow would have been really painful on her wound. So it didn’t really matter one way or another. Besides, Asoka could defend her if need be.
But there was no need.
They stumbled forward through a thick wall of trees and into a small community. It was a tree folk village, and with a start, Tuni realized she’d been there before. The houses in the trees, the shape of the mushrooms, it was all familiar, more or less. This was the home of her tree folk friend Taska, whom she used to play with years ago. It had been quite some time since she’d been here, but she remembered the fun they’d had.
She hadn’t recognized the way to it because she’d never actually traveled on foot here. Taska had always shsalited her and her friends there. It was easier than walking for a whole day. They were kids after all, and the wilds, though familiar, were still a dangerous place.
But things were different here now. There were new trees springing from where others had burned. Much of the grass was blackened, and many of the surviving homes were charred from smoke and flame.
Tuni jolted, putting two and two together. Could this have been the village that had been attacked by Al-Sevara, the one that Shandi and Dorrick had gone to help? Looking around, there was no sign of her friends, and the tree folk were fewer than she remembered. Many carried themselves in exhausted, defeated manners. Some were wounded, others sharpened weapons and made arrows.
This was very much not like the village she remembered.
It didn’t take long for them to be spotted. A call went up throughout the village, and the tree folk sprang into action, ready for a fight, but that soon lessened when they realized that it was just a couple of battered girls.
Still, a crowd quickly formed around them. It was a bit overwhelming, if Tuni was to be honest.
A large tree folk male with dark, barky skin stepped forward. His long mossy hair trailed down his back like a tail and his yellow eyes were like old egg yolks. In his grip was a fine wooden bow with an arrow already nocked. He didn’t raise it at them, but the threat was there all the same.
I miss my bow, she thought randomly.
“What is your business here?” he asked in a deep voice. His accent was thick, and she could tell he wasn’t used to regular wildling speak.
Tuni took a deep breath. You can do this. You can play the diplomat. Releasing her breath, she took a shaky crutched step forward and did her best to hide her discomfort.
“We apologize for coming here uninvited.” She paused and placed a hand over her chest. “My name is Tuni, I am a servant of Gayla the Green, Sage of the Earth and matron of these wilds. And this is my friend, Asoka the…” Tuni stopped and looked at her friend. “Oh, you don’t have a title yet, do you?”
But Asoka smiled graciously and dipped her head in a humble bow, seemingly more prepared for this than Tuni would have thought. “Asoka the Aqua, Sage of the Seas. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Tuni grinned. Well done, fish legs.
A rush of whispers surged through the assembled tree folk. Maybe it was the coral staff, or maybe it was a certain aura that sages gave off, but they seemed to accept their claim.
The male in charge nodded reverently. “I can sense the power in you, Madam Sage. It is a privilege to play host to you. I only wish you’d come to us in better times and circumstances.”
Asoka nodded. “Yes, that’s partly why we’re here.” She looked at Tuni and gave her the floor.
“We’re led to believe that my friends Shandi and Dorrick recently came here to help you deal with the growing Al-Sevaran problem. They wouldn’t happen to be here, would they?”
The way the whole village looked at one another with sadness and worry told her that her friends were not there, but she now had sudden fear that perhaps they had been killed. Her heart slammed to a halt in her chest. If they were dead… Tuni didn’t know what to do. She needed their help, but more than that, she just wanted to see them safe, to laugh with them and speak with them and hug them, even Dorrick.
A tree folk girl about their age stepped forward. She was a pretty thing, with eyes like amber that looked at Tuni with equal parts hope and worry. She had moss-like hair, like everyone else, but hers was more lustrous and combed, and her skin was more vibrant than most tree folk, being a healthy golden brown. Almost a human color.
Little yellow flowers bloomed between her toes. Tuni would have giggled, finding that to be absolutely adorable, but that sort of response wasn’t appropriate at the moment.
“You are friends with the idiot knight?” she asked. Her voice had a pretty lilt to it, and Tuni could tell she probably sounded wonderful when she sang. Idiot knight? Oh, Tuni was going to like her.
She nodded. “We’re friends, more or less. Is he here?”
The girl dropped her gaze to her flowered toes. “I’m afraid that he was captured, along with Shandi.”
Tuni’s ears twitched, and her shoulders sagged. “Captured? How? Did the humans attack again?”
“No, we attacked them,” said the large male.
He recounted what happened, from Dorrick and Shandi showing up in the nick of time to save their village from the flames, how Dorrick had fought his own friends to save them and used some magical winds to extinguish the flames. Then he and Sha
ndi together had rallied them to strike back at the Al-Sevarans and how they’d gone to the camp and attacked. The attack had been going well, until sudden reinforcements of knights on horseback had shown up and forced them to retreat.
When they were finished, Tuni eased herself onto a charred tree stump and chewed on the information. The good news was her friends were probably alive, for now, though who knew if the city folk might execute them. And more good news, Dorrick seemed to have really come into his role as a steward of the wilds. Tuni would need to give him a nice wet kiss on the cheek.
The bad news, they were being held at a heavily-armed camp. Getting them back would not be easy. They had Asoka’s magic, but Tuni was still worried about her overdoing it and hurting herself. She glanced at the withered hand, which Asoka did her best to hide from the tree folk.
There was also the issue of Bishta. It seemed she had the ability to track them, so she feared the dark sage could show up at any moment.
Unfortunately, unless there was some spell that Asoka could retrieve from her distant sagely memories that could somehow block Bishta from finding them, there wasn’t much else they could do aside from always being on alert. But that was a fight she and Asoka would have to wage. She didn’t want to draw the tree folk into that mess. Bishta struck her as someone that would have no qualms with killing anyone in her way, even innocent bystanders.
“You want to get them back, don’t you?” asked the tree folk girl. There was a way she seemed so concerned about Dorrick that made Tuni curious. A crush perhaps? Maybe they knew each other? Unlikely, but Dorrick had been helped in the past by a tree folk girl, so maybe this was her. Tuni couldn’t remember the name he’d given and this one hadn’t said hers yet.