“What is this place?” Tabitha asked, twirling in a circle as she tried to take it all in at once.
“Just a place I like to visit. I usually float down from up above, but I thought you would be more comfortable coming through this way.”
Tabitha dropped down beside the pool and looked at her reflection on its glassy, black surface. “Yeah, much more comfortable, since I can’t float.”
“I could have brought you,” he said confidently. “You are small enough.”
“Hah! Me? Small? And what do you mean you could have brought me?”
“You are tall, I will grant you, but there is hardly anything to you. Yes, I am sure I could have supported us both.”
“I didn’t know fairies could do that,” Tabby said with surprise.
“Most cannot, but, I am larger than the average Etrafarian, and therefore I can carry more weight. You would hardly strain me, I am sure. We could try it on the way out, if you would like.”
Tabby looked away quickly and refocused her attention on the pool. The thought of his arms around her brought a blush to her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if his night vision was good enough to detect it, but she really didn’t want him to laugh at her in that moment. “We’ll see,” she said evasively.
Logan sat down beside her and tipped his head back to look at the stars twinkling overhead.
“So, that thing you saw in the woods—you have no idea what it was?”
“No, but it is not the first time I have seen it, or at least, something like it. I never get close enough to get a very good look. At first I thought it was a bird, but now I am not so sure. It is probably harmless, but I would like to know.”
Tabitha shrugged and dipped her fingers into the water beside her.
“This is a very pretty spot. Do you come here a lot?” she asked, trying to fill the silence.
“I try to.”
“It’s…it’s hard for you…in Etrafa…isn’t it?” Tabitha pretended to be very interested in the ripples her hand was making in the water, but she looked up at him from beneath her lashes, trying desperately to read his expression.
“It is not so bad. Grandmother and I do well together. We prefer to live quietly, just the two of us. I only wish…”
“Wish?”
“Here, let me show you something,” Logan said, changing the subject.
Tabitha resisted for a moment when he took her hand, but then she relaxed, and allowed him to turn her palm up and hold it over the surface of the water. He cupped both of his hands beneath hers, and a small flame burst to life about an inch above her fingers. She startled, but the flame was only warm and did not burn her.
“Now, hold very still and be very quiet…if you can,” he added in a light, teasing voice.
Tabitha was about to offer a stinging retort when something in the water silenced her. Fish were surfacing, swimming right below where the flame danced. They were smaller than the size of her hand and drab in color, except for the flash of bright yellow on their tails and fins. At first there were only a handful, but more joined them. They broke the surface of the water, their mouths open in greedy anticipation. Soon, they were swimming in frenzied circles, splashing raucously.
Tabitha giggled at their funny antics, and they disappeared in a flash.
Logan removed his hands and the fire died. “Candle fish,” he said. "They think the light is fireflies, and they come to feed, but they are shy little things.”
Tabitha’s face was lit with her smile. “Thank you for showing me that.”
Logan looked at her intently with a confused expression upon his face.
“Is something wrong?” Tabitha asked.
“You really do not smile enough, either,” he said and cautiously reached out his hand to shift the veil of hair from her face.
She leaned away from him and swept her hair back, twisting it until it formed a tight bun at the back of her neck. “Hand me that stick, will you?”
“This?” He held up a small, knobby branch.
“Wait,” she said. “Can you tear off the little twigs? Yes, perfect. Thanks.” She reached out, took ahold of the proffered stick, and wove it expertly into her hair to hold it in place.
“Neat trick.”
“Oh, that? Yeah, I’m full of useful little stuff like that.” Tabitha gave him a brief grin. “I like your spot. It’s very peaceful.”
“I think you would be hard-pressed to find many spots on Etrafa that are not peaceful, at least, in their own way.”
“Do you have a lot of places like this? I mean, places you like to go?”
“A few. I…”
She wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned forward slightly, waiting for him to continue.
“I like to sit with the trees. I…I cannot hear them. When I was a little boy I used to think it was because I was not listening hard enough. I thought if I could go someplace where I would not be disturbed, and if I listened very hard, I would finally understand them. I was so jealous of everyone else. They would talk about some bit of news that the trees had passed along, and I would nod and smile, as if I knew what they were talking about. I suppose you think that sounds pretty stupid.”
“I don’t think it sounds stupid at all. All children want to fit in. It’s natural to want to be like everyone else.”
“Grandmother was not fooled. I think she always knew, but she never mentioned it, until one day when she found me with my arms wrapped around the big elm tree by our house. I was crying and begging the tree to talk to me. I was about five, I guess. It is hard to remember all of it, but I do remember that she dried my eyes and brought me into the house. She pulled me onto her lap and rocked me for a long time. She did not make light of it, or tell me not to be sad, she just comforted me and let me cry until there were no more tears to cry. When I was through, she asked if I felt better, and you know what? I did. Even at five, I was old enough to know that all the wishing in the world would not make something so.”
“I’m sorry, Logan.”
“Do not be sorry for me, Tabitha. I reconciled myself to my differences long ago. What about you? Tell me something about yourself.”
“There's not much to tell. There's nothing special about me. I could tell you some stories about Brint—he was always doing something that had the adults talking. My brother is—”
“I did not ask about your brother. I asked about you.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say. I never go anywhere or do anything.”
“It must get pretty boring sitting in your room, not moving all day,” he teased.
She thought for a moment and said, “I like to go for walks.” She looked up at him, and he nodded for her to go on. “I spend a lot of time with Brin. I like to hear his stories. I would say that most of my time is spent in the woods, where I collect the plants I need for my medicines. Some only grow on certain parts of the island, or only at specific times of year, and there is one mushroom that I can only get every seven years.”
“It must take a lot of patience and skill. Who teaches you?”
“There are other healers. They all help me with my studies. My grandmother was very gifted when it came to medicine. Fortunately, she kept extensive journals, documenting what was good for this ailment or that, how to treat an infection, the best way to pull a tooth—I’ve experimented a little, too.”
“Your mother and father must be very proud. Here, on Etrafa, healers are held in very high regard.”
Tabby sniffed and rolled her eyes.
“Did I say something funny?”
“My mother would prefer I learn to fight. She doesn’t mind that I'm interested in the healing arts, she just thinks I should be pursuing other talents as well. What she really means is that she would like me to be more like her.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“What?” She hoped he was joking, but his expression said he was quite serious.
“I do not know your mother personally, but Aesri says she is quite an e
xtraordinary woman. A little hot-tempered perhaps, but by all accounts, she is a skilled swordswoman, intelligent, kind, brave, and loyal to a fault. Maybe the sword thing is not for you, but would you not want to possess some of those other traits?”
“Well, yes but—”
“Tabitha, you can be like your mother without being her.”
They were silent for a few minutes before Logan spoke again. “You must get a lot of practice on Maj. I imagine people are always coming to you for help.”
Tabby flushed with pride. She was well thought of on the island, and what he said was true. Even Ann, who was the chief healer on Maj, frequently asked Tabitha for her thoughts on the best course of treatment. Ann still knew more, but Tabby was learning quickly.
She gave him a small nod.
“Tell me about your most challenging patient.”
“You don’t really want to know all this.”
“I am asking, am I not? Therefore, it stands to reason I am interested, but if you do not wish to tell me…”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just not used to anyone asking, I guess. As for my most challenging patient, that would have been Reo.”
“That does not sound like a Maj name,” Logan remarked.
“It is a Breken word. It means ally. Reo was my father’s wolf.”
“Interesting choice for a pet,” Logan said.
“Reo wasn’t a pet; he was Father’s friend. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him. He was there at the end of the Great War. If it weren’t for him, my parents might have been killed by Jacob the Traitor.”
“Ah! I do know this wolf! The Etrafarians call him Scath. It means shadow.”
“But, Reo was white. Why would they name him Shadow?”
“He was not named for his color, but for the silent way he was said to shadow after those he protected.”
“He used to shadow Brint and I, too,” Tabby said, smiling at the memory. “I used to think he was spying on me for my father. He had a way of looking at you that made you think he knew exactly what you were up to. He would smile that wolfy grin of his and his tongue would hang out of his mouth. I swear, sometimes I could almost hear him laugh. Anyway, he got sick one day, when I was nine. He was laying in front of the fire in the Great Hall and wouldn’t get up when we called him to come and play. I tried everything, absolutely everything, I could think of. All the healers did. I spent every waking moment pouring over Grandmother’s journals for something that might help, but it wasn’t to be. I knew he was old, and I was only a child, but I felt so responsible, like if I'd only tried harder I could have saved him. That wasn’t even the worst part of it, though. The worst part was Father. He picked Reo up and carried him in his arms outside the keep. All alone, he dug a hole, lowered Reo into it, and covered him over with earth. When it was done, he walked into the forest without saying a word to anyone. He was gone a full week. I was terrified that something had happened to him, but Mother said Father was grieving his friend in his own way, and he would come home when he was ready. She was right, of course. When he returned, he was back to his old self. Still, every once in a while, I'd catch him sliding a piece of meat from his plate and holding it down by his knee until he remembered Reo wasn’t there anymore. It didn’t happen more than a few times, but when it did, it broke my heart to see the flash of pain mar his features.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. It had been so long since she'd even thought about Reo, she wasn’t sure why the memory should be so strong now. Maybe it was the fact that she was so far from home.
Logan reached out to wipe away the tear. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, taking comfort from his simple act of compassion.
“Tabitha!” came the great, booming voice of Brin from the rocks above.
Tabby and Logan jumped to their feet and looked up until they saw the glaring eyes of one very annoyed dragon.
“Brin,” Tabby squeaked. “What are you doing here?”
“One might ask you the same question, young lady. What do you think you are doing traipsing around in the middle of the night?”
“It is my fault, Brin’du Drak’Tir. When I found she had followed me, I should have taken her back immediately. I will take her home now.”
“Wait! We weren’t doing anything wrong!” Tabitha protested. “He can’t—”
“Hold on to me,” Logan ordered, not allowing her to finish.
Logan wrapped his arms around her, and she threw her arms around his neck in response, more out of blind panic than anything else—fairy magic always made her a little uncomfortable. There was a moment when Tabitha thought they might not get off the ground, but then her toes were leaving the earth, and her grip around Logan’s neck intensified.
He smirked at her, “I will not let you fall, Tabitha.”
“I’m not worried,” she said, holding on even more tightly than before.
They were already to the top, and she felt a pang of disappointment that it was over so quickly. It had been terrifying, true, but exhilarating as well. When he released her, her legs wobbled a little bit, and she had to force herself to let go of his neck.
“If you are quite through,” Brin said haughtily, “I will follow you back from above. Logan, no side trips; do you hear me?”
Logan nodded, and he led Tabitha down a steep path and back into the woods. Brin circled overhead as they made their way to Meeshe’s house and continued to circle until they were both safely back inside.
Chapter 9
Tabitha and Logan’s relationship shifted somewhat after that night by the pool. There wasn’t anything specific that Tabby could put her finger on, but it seemed…easier. She found herself smiling and laughing more as she remembered his words to her. She discovered that when she laughed and smiled, he was more likely than not to respond with a smile of his own. She liked to see him happy, although she couldn’t explain to herself why. She continued to study medicine at Meeshe’s side, and Logan continued to watch her while she worked, and Holly continued to watch Logan.
Tabby had concluded that Holly had a crush on Logan, but he didn’t seem to pay much attention to her, treating her with a kind of cool courtesy, and nothing more. As she and Logan seemed to be friends now, Tabitha considered how she felt about Holly’s obvious interest. Whenever she gave it serious thought, a hard ball of lead formed in the pit of her stomach. Tabitha chalked it up to feeling that the two of them would not make a good couple. No, not a good couple, at all.
***
The day of the mid-summer festival had arrived, and they were all going, much to Tabitha’s displeasure. Meeshe didn’t seem excited about it either, and she went about her preparations dutifully, as a chore to be completed before moving on to more pleasant endeavors. Logan, on the other hand, was grouchier and even more taciturn than usual, answering even the simplest of questions with short, hostile, barking responses. After the last confrontation at the Great Tree, Tabby thought they should stay home, but Aesri said it would be considered incredibly disrespectful if they did not go.
The fairies were dressed in shades of blue, red, brown, and white, all indicative of the powers they held. Tabitha even thought she'd glimpsed an Etrafarian who was wearing more than one color, but they were gone so quickly, she couldn’t be positive.
The fairies that were too young to levitate congregated upon the platform at the lowest branch of the tree, giggling and whispering excitedly. The adults of the community were still on the ground, except for the few who were lighting lanterns in the boughs of the tree.
“Stay close to me and Grandmother,” Logan said to the girls, who nodded in agreement. “And, try not to touch anything.”
“Where's Brint?” Tabitha asked.
“Not to worry,” Meeshe said. “Aesri will bring Darach Croi to join us shortly. She had some final preparations to make, and she probably asked him to help.”
The tree was fairly bursting with decorations and lights. The spots where the branches had completely withered
and died were almost hidden from view beneath lavish garlands of flowers. As they drew nearer, Tabitha saw the crack in the trunk of the tree—it was clear to see why the Etrafarians were so distressed. At its base, the crack seemed wide enough for her to stand in, and it traveled up and up the height of the tree until she could no longer see it.
“Meeshe?” Holly said. “May I ask a question? It’s about Rah and the tree. I don’t want to be rude or anything, but…”
“Of course, dear. This is your heritage as well. You may ask me anything you like.”
Holly looked nervously about, making sure no one was within earshot. It probably embarrassed her that she was so woefully ignorant about her fairy roots.
“Well, you call yourselves children of the Great Tree, but you say Rah is your father, your creator. Are you children of the tree, or children of Rah? I don’t understand.”
Tabitha picked up her pace. She had wondered that very same thing, but had never felt it was her place to ask, and she was anxious to hear the answer. She had always been uneasy around the Etrafarians who came to Maj. They seemed so foreign and strange, but now that she'd been with them awhile, she was feeling a little more disposed to try and appreciate them and their culture. Some of them were actually really nice. There was Aunt Aesri, of course, and Meeshe had shown her so many new and wonderful things. Then there was Logan. He wasn’t so bad, either. In Meeshe’s home, Tabitha had heard story after story about Rah, but it was never done in a way that seemed preachy or pushy, more like listening to someone tell tales about a beloved family member. Meeshe only wanted to share the joy she felt with anyone who was willing to listen.
Meeshe gave Holly a soft smile. “Has that been troubling you, child? The answer is very simple. I know that you Maj do not worship any god, but try to assume for a moment that there is one, true God. Now, He would be the creator of all things, would He not?”
Prophecy (The Destiny Series Book 4) Page 7