“But—” Tabitha started, but she was interrupted by a sudden flurry of activity.
The Etrafarians were busy bringing in the sails in preparation for their arrival at the docks. The tree seemed to almost tremble in anticipation as they grew nearer to the shore, and the fairies began to sing. Brint didn't understand the words, but it was obviously a joyful, lively, happy tune.
A shadow passed overhead, drawing their attention as Brin flew above them. Brint could see that the tear in his wing was still quite large. The ocean winds were not enough to keep him aloft as they usually did, and he was forced to beat his wings much more frequently than normal to maintain his altitude. When he was close enough to shore, he descended in an awkward dive, followed by a half-dozen stumbling steps.
The ship slid into its empty mooring at the docks, and they came to a gliding stop, though Brint couldn’t guess how they had accomplished it having used no anchors to slow them down.
Tabitha, Holly, and Brint had to wait for a walkway to be extended so they could disembark, but the Etrafarians had already floated over the side, and they were being greeted by a small gathering of friends and family.
Brint extended his hand to help Holly step from the ship. She offered him a grateful smile for his courtesy and began the descent down the gangway. He moved to follow her, but a sharp rap to the back of his head had him wheeling around. His sister’s angry glare said it all. He winced, as much from her look of displeasure as from the pain, and belatedly offered his hand to her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
“No you’re not,” she shot back, but she took his hand anyway, and stepped from the ship.
“Who’s that?” Brint asked Tabby. He nodded farther up the beach where the dragon had landed.
There was an Etrafarian woman talking to Brin. Maj had seen its share of Etrafarian visitors over the years, especially females, but Brint didn’t recognize the woman. She was small, even for an Etrafarian. The sun had lowered enough that she was able to pull the hood of her cape back and away from her face, exposing her hair, which was a rather startling shade of red. She had threaded some white flowers into the strands. It was strange the way she had them arranged, as if they'd been randomly applied to the tresses rather than with any real thought of aesthetics, but it was still becoming in a wild and natural sort of way.
“How would I know? Looks like a fairy to me,” Tabitha said dismissively.
Brint rolled his eyes at his sister, but she had already turned away from him to observe an approaching group of stern-faced fairies, who looked like they weren't used to spending a lot of time smiling. He saw that Aesri had moved to intercept them, and she didn’t look all that happy to see them either.
“So, you have done it,” a tallish male said, staring Aesri down. “We instructed you to leave things be, but Aesri knows best and will have her way.”
“Aodh, it does not have to be this way,” Aesri said, placing a hand on his arm.
“Why must you always challenge us, Aesri? It seems that you delight in going your own way. Just once, would it be too much to ask that your voice be in concert with the rest of us?” Aodh furrowed his brow and shook his head in exasperation.
“Perhaps, someday, if the council speaks from sense and caution rather than ignorance and fear, then, yes, I may, indeed, agree, but as it is…” Aesri smiled faintly, trying to show she was joking. “Aodh, they are here now. Is it such a bad thing? They are only children. Can we not welcome them?”
His stiff posture relaxed a little, and he shook his head again, but this time there was a softening around his eyes. “You know their presence will not be welcomed by everyone,” he said quietly.
Aesri leaned slightly closer to him and gave him a conspiratorial smile. “My presence is not welcomed by everyone either, but I daresay they shall survive the experience. Let me introduce you.”
Aesri removed her hand from his sleeve and motioned for them to come closer. “Children,” Aesri said, stressing the word. “This is Aodh. He is one of the ruling council of Etrafa. He has come to welcome you to our fair island.
“Aodh, may I introduce Tabitha and Brint. These are the children of Darius and Dearra, to whom we owe so much.”
Tabby gave a tiny nod in the direction of the man, but nothing more. Brint knew she was already uncomfortable, and to have her presence so openly disdained probably pricked at her like a burr beneath the saddle.
He was more than aware of the tension beginning to build, and he stepped forward quickly to grasp the man’s arm in a friendly greeting. “Aodh, we are so very happy to be here!” he said effusively. Before Aodh could focus too much on the glowering expression of his sister he spoke again, perhaps a little more loudly than was strictly necessary, but it did the trick. Aodh gave him his full attention.
“I’ve always wanted to see Etrafa, and I've discovered that no sooner had I stepped foot on your lovely shores than I found myself completely swept away by the beauty of the place. I have heard how the men seldom stray from home, and I admit that I didn’t understand why that should be, but no more. I think even my sister will not be able to resist the charms of Etrafa for long, isn’t that right, Tabby?” Brint looked into her eyes, silently pleading for her to back down.
“My brother is correct, of course,” Tabitha conceded. “Even this small glimpse of Etrafa is breathtaking.”
Aodh nodded to Tabitha, accepting her words of praise, willing to overlook the cool way she had initially greeted him. He spoke to Aesri, but his eyes never wavered from Brint’s face. “Tá sé seo ar cheann i gcroílár dair. Tá sé an déantóir na síochána.”
Aesri nodded. “He is that.”
Brint tipped his head, sure he was missing something important, but Aodh’s tone was gentle, and Aesri was smiling, so Brint wasn’t concerned. He had hoped to smooth any ruffled feathers, and since it seemed as if he'd been successful, he didn’t want to risk being thought rude by asking impertinent questions. If Aodh had wanted him to know what was being said, he would have spoken in the common tongue.
Aesri beckoned to Holly. She moved forward slowly, with hesitant, halting steps. Her eyes flitted from one Etrafarian face to the next. The air around her chilled slightly as her nerves overwhelmed her hold on her magic. Two of the Etrafarians behind Aodh made sour faces of disgust as one might to a puppy that had messed on the floor. Holly flushed pink, stood up straighter, as if willing herself to draw her magic back under control, and the air temperature returned to normal.
“Aodh, this is Holly, daughter of our sister, Carly, and Weapons Master of Maj, Daniel.” Aesri beamed at Holly.
Aodh’s smile slipped. “This is the cine measctha you told us about?”
Aesri scowled at him. “You know I do not like that term.”
“What did he call me?” Holly asked.
Aodh inclined his head. “My apologies, Holly. Cine measctha means mixed breed. I intended no offense by it, but it is best if you know now that others will. It is a term we use when speaking of someone who is not wholly Etrafarian. When I say it, I mean it as a descriptor, like tall or short, dark or fair. Some of my brothers and sisters, however, will use the words with more venom.”
“Are we going to spend all day talking on the beach?” Brin interjected, joining them. The red-haired female with him said nothing, but she watched everything with keen interest, glancing up at the dragon from time to time, as if trying to read his expression.
“Brin’du Drak’Tir is correct. We should be moving on. There are many who are eager to greet our guests,” Aesri said with a nod.
“And many who are not,” whispered one of the Etrafarians, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Brin narrowed his eyes at the impertinent fairy, and the man took an involuntary step back.
“I’ll see you there,” Brin said.
“You’re not coming with us?” Tabitha asked, a note of worry lacing her voice.
“It's too narrow for me to walk the path with you. I’
ll fly on ahead and meet you in the clearing by the Great Tree.”
Tabitha nodded, accepting Brin’s promise to see her later.
Their luggage was already being loaded into carts pulled by tiny ponies with thick, shaggy manes, and stubby, tufted tails. There were bells on their harnesses, but when the ponies moved, the bells made a kind of rustling sound, much like the sound the wind makes when it passes through the leaves of a tree.
Aesri shepherded her charges in the direction of a well-worn trail, the branches of the trees arching gracefully overhead, giving the path the illusion of being covered with a domed roof, though it still allowed some light to filter through in most spots along the way. Here and there, trees appeared to glow with a light of their own, but it was probably a trick of the sun as it wended its way through the canopy above them. Birds flittered noisily along the branches. Brint thought they almost looked as though they were watching the procession with interest. Every once in a while, one of the Etrafarians whistled up to a bird, and it whistled back before darting out of sight.
They progressed slowly, with Aesri stopping often to point something out to the group: another path that diverged from the main one; a healing plant Tabitha might be interested in; and trees—lots and lots of trees. The way she talked about them, it was like she was introducing people rather than plants. At first, Brint thought she was telling them the types of trees, but after she had used a different word for three or four that he was certain were exactly the same, Brint realized she was actually calling the trees by their names. There were many trees he recognized, of course, like elm, maple, oak, and birch, but there were dozens more that were completely new to him. All he could do was shake his head in wonder. He'd never remember them all, but it seemed important to Aesri, so he listened politely, and smiled when she did.
Up ahead the trees thinned. Brint could see an area of open space, but it wasn’t until he got closer that he really saw. There it was, in all its glory: The Great Tree. All around it, as far as Brint could see, the ground swelled in gently rolling hills covered with green grass, tussocks of feathery, yellow grass, and springy ground ivy dotted with small blue blossoms. Some of the hills were larger than others. Some of them seemed to stand alone, while others blended into the one next to it at odd angles. Farther away, closer to the trunk of the tree, the ground rose in a stair-like pattern, reaching upwards in a lazy crescent that stretched to the lowest branch on the tree, where a platform had been constructed.
When they got closer to one of the mounds, Brint saw that what he had first mistaken for holes in the ground were doors and windows instead. When they were closed, they were almost indistinguishable from the rest of the mound.
As they drew nearer, faces began to appear in the openings. Etrafarians emerged from over the tops of hills and from behind trees. Some of them looked wary, but many more smiled in welcome. They lined the path leading toward the tree and whispered amongst themselves, mostly in their own tongue.
As they walked, Brint picked up their names sprinkled amongst the Etrafarian words, and there were two words that were repeated with unusual frequency, especially when people were looking in his direction. “Darach Croí,” they said, again and again. Brint wondered if the words had something to do with his height or appearance in some way, and he made a mental note to ask Aesri when he had a chance.
They came to a stop, and Aesri floated upward several feet, so she'd be better seen. “Brothers and sisters, these are the children from Maj I have told you about,” she said in a clear, ringing voice. “I hope you will make them welcome.”
There was a flurry of whispers, some of which sounded less than friendly, and Brint wondered if perhaps they had made a mistake in coming to Etrafa. But whether for good or ill, come they had.
Chapter 5
Tabitha endured the endless introductions with as much patience as she could muster. She smiled until it felt as if her face would crack under the strain, and her head might be in danger of rolling completely off her shoulders if she had to nod one more time. She could see Brin, and she longed to be able to escape to his side, if only for the comfort of his familiar presence, but he stayed back from the crowd, and she didn’t get a chance to speak with him again. She noticed that the fairy who had been speaking with him on the beach was once again by his side, and the two of them had their heads close together, as if in important, private conversation.
The day was waning quickly, and Tabitha wanted nothing more than to be shown to her bed. Honestly, she felt like once she was there she might not come out again. Why, oh, why had she ever allowed herself to be convinced to come on this miserable trip? It was obvious they weren’t wanted, and some of their hosts even viewed them with outright contempt.
Aesri led them out from the center of the community. The gently domed hills that served as Etrafarian dwellings grew fewer and farther between. The light was nearly gone, and all around her were sudden flashes of red, yellow, and green. Fireflies were beginning their nightly dance. The hum of insects was a constant drone that filled her ears and made her head buzz in time with their song.
They came to a door that was made from an unfamiliar wood. There was no decoration, but the natural grain of the wood swirled and blended, and she thought she could make out animal images looking back at her. Aesri knocked softly, and the door opened almost at once. They were greeted by a lovely woman, which wasn’t saying much, as it seemed to Tabitha that all Etrafarians were lovely. This woman was softly rounded, with a warm and inviting smile, but there was something about her eyes that made Tabby think this lady had seen more than her share of sadness and trial. She wore a smile on her lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Good evening, Meeshe,” Aesri greeted the woman. "I have brought your house guests."
Her house guests?
“I thought we were staying with you, Aunt Aesri!” Tabitha blurted out.
“Tabitha, be still. There is not enough space for all of you to be comfortable in my house. You and Holly will stay with Meeshe. I can assure you that you will be well looked after. Meeshe is more…understanding of strangers than some others. Brint will stay with me.”
Meeshe looked mildly surprised for a moment. “Darach Croi will not be joining us? That is a shame. I thought he and Logan would get on well together.”
Brint had been lost in his own thoughts, but hearing the words Darach Croi drew his attention back, and he cocked his head slightly. “What was that? What did you say?”
Meeshe chuckled. “Darach Croi, my young friend. The name ran ahead of you as you made your way to our city, and it is what most have already started to call you. Brint, you see, is so very similar to Brin, and when your other name became known to us, it seemed logical for us to call you by it.”
Aesri was nodding in agreement. “Brint, when you were speaking to Aodh on the beach, he recognized your quiet strength and diplomacy. You have a wise and loyal heart. Those qualities are most associated with the oak tree. In Etrafarian culture, we feel a close affinity to the oak. Because we are children of the Great Tree, Rah has given us the ability to speak with all trees, at least, after a fashion, and the oak tree holds a special place with us. Darach Croi means Oak Heart. The name is not given lightly, and I assure you it is meant with all respect. I hope you are not offended.”
“It suits him,” Holly said. “He always has been steady and true.”
“You think so?” Brint asked.
Holly nodded eagerly, and Brint looked to his sister for her approval.
“I like it,” Tabby said, “very manly.”
“Now you’re teasing me,” he said with a grin, “but I think I like it, too.”
“Grandmother, are you going to let them in, or will they be sleeping outside?”
The voice came from somewhere within the dwelling. It surprised Tabitha, not because she couldn't see who had spoken, but because of the tone. Etrafarians had soothing, melodic voices, but this voice was much deeper, and even a little harsh.
/>
Meeshe quirked an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. “I was just getting to that, Logan. You could give your old Grandmother a little respect, you know.”
The laughter that came to Tabitha’s ears was brief, but its warmth was infectious, and Tabitha caught herself smiling a little in response.
Logan moved to stand beside his Grandmother, placed his arm about her waist, and planted a kiss on top of her head.
He seemed very tall at first glance, but a closer look told her it was only because he was standing beside his much shorter grandmother. He was almost the same height as Tabitha herself, maybe a hair’s breadth shorter, but no more. His hair was light brown with coppery highlights which were more noticeable when he turned his head and they were lit by the firelight emanating from the room behind him. He had fair skin, like the rest of the Etrafarians, but his eyes were different. The fairies had cat-like eyes that were very sensitive to bright light. Their pupils tended to be elongated, and when in the direct sunlight, they reduced to mere slits. Logan’s pupils were round, like her own, but the color was pure fairy. The green was so vivid!
“What are you staring at?” Logan snapped at her.
Brint elbowed her gently when she failed to respond.
“You’re so tall!” Tabitha said, without thinking.
“I am shorter than you,” Logan answered peevishly.
Tabby knew what it was to feel too tall, as she was the tallest female on Maj, with the exception of her Aunt Zuzu. She was taller even than many of the men. It must have been so much worse for this man, who was obviously of mixed parentage, living amongst Etrafarians. They weren’t exactly known for their tolerance when it came to that sort of thing.
Aesri cleared her throat. “I guess I will leave you to get to know one another. Brint and I will see you in the morning. Come along, Darach Croi. Tomorrow will be here before we know it.”
Brint leaned closer to Tabby and whispered, “Try to behave.”
Prophecy (The Destiny Series Book 4) Page 4