“Mother. The fernen have been insistent that something is amiss. Enfla has been pestering me about the arrival of the team from Lemonholm as a harbinger, and today she is becoming more alarmed, but she refuses to explain herself. I need for you to speak with them.”
My human fingers felt all too smooth as they rubbed my temple, only in part due to Beatrice’s request. Why did these creatures require so much sleep? My body was sluggish after last night’s ceaseless pondering, and I had no idea how to improve my situation outside of requesting a proper resting place. Doing my best to ignore any feelings of stiffness, I followed Beatrice down the river, towards where the fernen were setting up their new encampment.
“I mean, that’s not so much to ask for, is it?” Enno asked. “Let’s just get Bess to make a bed or something out of wax.”
“I feel it would be a waste of time and resources. My comfort is secondary to the hive’s productivity.”
Despite my insistence, I sighed with some relief as Enno called Bess to begin work on a wax platform outside of our quarters for me to sleep on, sure to be an improvement over the rocks and ashy dirt.
“Your comfort is productivity. Can’t be walking around and stuff when your body feels like crap. Sleep is important.”
“Hm. Must be why you took advantage of weekends to do little else but sleep. If that is true, why did your bosses and teachers not allow for more time to sleep? Perhaps this is another advantage of bees, and we can even sleep more efficiently than humans can.”
“You are actually one hundred percent correct, Queen! In fact, I think I’ll take a little nap right now.”
“Sleeping efficiently is a skill,” a new voice interrupted. “Some people even make Locks to improving sleep, and it’s a tiny part of the mercenary toolkit. Maybe you should make a Lock to put you and Enno to sleep forever, Queenie.”
I ignored Yelah’s voice and continued walking. There was far less leeway in discussing matters with the girl when Enno was awake, even more so when I had to focus on moving around and such. Thankfully, Enno did enjoy his rest. Not that he had much time for it now.
As if on cue, I felt he had eaten a certain amount, and with a nudge from my Mind, he began to lay more eggs. At the same time, he created a barrier outside of his room and molded it into various shapes. Once it formed an invisible sword, a massive creation he called a Zweihänder of his old world, he moved it about, at first slowly, then with increasing ferocity. It was a simple, less efficient application of our Mind, and one unsuited for frantic combat, but it was good practice. The fact he could do so while sitting in our quarters puking out egg after egg was a testament. His practice in my body before we had split had turned him into a formidable force, even if he did not acknowledge it. Myself, on the other hand…
While we walked further from the central hive, and, crucially, as we left the dome, and into fernen territory, I was careful not to release my Mind too freely. Then I lifted a nearby stone.
Beatrice stumbled as the stone blasted into the air, eliciting whoops and shouts of concern from the fernen hiding nearby, watching us. Enno’s concentration hitched, and the sword paused for the briefest moment before it continued its dance. I could feel him turn to me. This was the worst part.
“Eh. Bit much. Good thing you left the dome first.”
I growled in frustration, which caused my face to contort into a grimace. This was also an unusual sensation, considering bees did not communicate with their faces. It felt at times that the frustratingly fleshy front of my face constantly betrayed me, projecting my thoughts as if it were my Mind broadcasting them directly. How did humans manage controlling such an unruly thing? And then that apparently wasn’t enough, as Grehn so often liked to point out that my stiff arms and rigid body mannerisms made me appear even more unconvincing. Bees were so much simpler. If we needed to communicate, all we needed was our pheromones, or our Minds, or a quick and precise dance. Humans made no sense.
“To be fair, I don’t think humans get all the intricacies either. I mean, not like it came naturally to me, either. You kinda just have to learn, and you’re in an unusual position to start learning. Oh, and by the way, that talk about bees being simpler is a crock of shit. I don’t think I’ve watched Ben dance a single time and understood what the hell he was talking about.”
“You have had the privilege of having your Mind to communicate with the bees. Do you know how much context you have missed without being capable of comprehending our children's dances or pheromones? I think even with the Link you have grasped a tiny fraction of their true selves.”
A thud echoed somewhere behind me, reminding me of the stone I’d sent flying. Ah, of course. Something much worse than communication. Sounds of hustle and bustle neared, so I reigned in my Mind as much as I could manage, trying to draw from the lessons Enno took with Feltan, with mixed results. Small children still panicked, taking their play elsewhere. Some fernen relaxing in hammocks fell from place and others doing work stared for a moment before collecting themselves and continuing their tasks.
Other than my interruption, though, the fernen seemed to continue their efforts to move back into the forest with the vigor only a displaced society could muster. Enno had done great work dealing with them too, even allowing them to come close in proximity, relatively at least, to the central hive. They were preparing to resettle just outside the dome, which would place them squarely within the border of a potential second dome. Not that such a project was feasible just yet. Once, they had controlled large swaths of the forest, multiple tiny settlements spread about of anywhere between a single fernen to a dozen. It was not like the humans or us bees who enjoyed centralizing ourselves in a single place and living together. The fernen lived more spread apart, with perhaps family and a friend or two. Now, though, Enno had encouraged Feltan to take a different course. One Feltan had already been leaning towards. I found the young Lowchief directing a pair of fernen carrying massive boulders on their shoulders to a spot where others were piling similar stones, in a shape resembling a large, low building. Enfla was beside him, as expected, but unexpectedly, his other two companions, Follo and Elofan, flanked him as well. They noticed my and Beatrice’s approach, nodded at the pair carrying the boulders, and jogged over to us.
Enno noted they were building close to the river, and that there were smaller such stone structure cropping around it. He also made note of the beginnings of what seemed like a farm, and patches of land far darker and more moist than the surrounding land. On the other hand, I focused completely on the four approaching us. Feltan seemed weary, a look in his eyes I saw often that Enno glossed over. I decided to give him credit and attribute it to the mossy fur always hanging over the fernen’s eyes. Despite this, he always projected confidence, standing taller compared to other fernen despite having a shorter stature than most, his body being almost emblematic of the squat fernen body type. As always, he carried his staff, conscious not to use it as a cane, instead implying its use as a weapon by doing the four-legged fernen run with his other arm. He would be a worthy replacement for his father. And Enfla would be a worthy partner, not that I would state such a thing. But she kept pace with him easily, always making sure never to fall too far behind or go too far ahead. Her glare was cool, easily mistaken for aggression. A simple yet effective tool to intimidate while making one feel insecure about being intimidated in the first place. The other two were far less subtle. Follo was truly like a beast, bearing down with his massive arms thumping the ground like thunder and a scowl showing his teeth. What was also clear, though, was his loyalty. Not to Feltan, as implied, but to himself. Which is perhaps why Feltan trusted him as a close friend so dearly. While rash, he held an unflinching character that even Feltan or Enfla had not managed to control, unlike other fernen who bowed before them both without a second thought. No surprise, then, to see him running at the forefront, ahead of his supposed ruler. I was most surprised to see Elofan there, the only fernen that had fought alongside the bees. She was typically performing her own experiments in the forest, directing her little task force of what Enno called ‘druids.’ She was initially unremarkable as far as fernen went, perhaps a touch larger than Feltan but not as massive as Follo, not as aggressive or intimidating, no leadership qualities in her composure. What her posture exuded in spades was competence, something we had witnessed first - perhaps second - hand.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Her own staff was far more decorated and unusual compared to Feltan’s, Enno made sure to note, but what I saw was a friend. It was thanks to her that the fernen tolerated us, and the reason the four most important fernen, the ones barreling at me right now, trusted us more than the average fernen did. Perhaps because Elofan only trusted herself, much as Follo did. But she did so because she knew only she could bring others to succeed. It was much different for Follo to know that he could break any problem before him, but it was another thing entirely to be able to bring others to break the problem for you because it is beneath you. No wonder her Ability was what it was. She was our natural in with the fernen leadership, and hopefully would allow us not to require Linkers to control them. Keeping the four of them on our side would be crucial, especially with Enfla’s constant gibbering about the arrival of the Lemonholm squadron.
“Lowchief,” I said as they reached us, going so far as to nod my head in acknowledgment. It was a show of respect small enough to appease a lesser ruler such as Feltan, but any sign of acknowledgment would be taken with reverence.
“The cleanup has gone well. I can see you have even healed patches of the ground with river water. Our cooperation is bearing fruit, then. I hope our bees have been suitable partners in the Revitalization project.”
“Highqueen,” he responded, standing straight on both legs and bowing deeply even before he skid to a stop in front of me.
“Of course they have. Your so-called Revitalization is coming along. Much ash in this area has been washed by rain and by the teams of fernen and bees working around the clock. The salted earth is another concern, but some of the techniques your bees have introduced have promise, despite the communication issues. You might see some areas we are preparing to seed, though whether such attempts will prove successful remains to be seen. I am confident that with our continued partnership should allow the forest to be reborn soon.”
The fernen were quite formal when it came to the pair of rulers, but other authorities were not quite so well respected. Few fernen expressed their formality when Enno appeared, and their trepidation and disgust with my existence meant they mostly tried to ignore me entirely. These four and Feltan’s father were an exception. They always respected Enno, and although I could feel their discomfort with my existence, they always provided me with grace. I hadn’t missed the searching look Feltan cast at my face before his bow, trying to discern which he would be dealing with. It seemed he still was not convinced Enno and I were stuck in our respective bodies, because dealing with Enno was completely different from dealing with me.
“If I may, Highqueen,” Enfla said hurriedly. “There are urgent matters to discuss, as I am sure your Aide has mentioned.”
“Indeed.” I said before I could catch myself. The Vulch had screeched at the same moment I tried to speak.
“However, she had to collect me as a translator, as it is unclear what your concerns are. We have had many a discussion on your fears, but perhaps you have come upon something more concrete?”
She paused for a moment. My human senses were insufficient, by I couldn’t reign my Mind in completely, after all. It felt her eyes move, analyzing a way to gain an advantage over me. Not that there was anything to gain or lose in this conversation, but it was only natural. I had just slighted her, after all, implying that my important self had been reduced to nothing more than a simple translator, that my trusted Aide had to be reduced to a simple messenger, and that her beliefs were inconclusive at best, and outlandish at worst. Beatrice’s Mind buzzed in excitement at the simple interaction, pausing only for a moment to discern if I had also been slighting her. I hadn’t, and she realized I hadn’t and allowed herself to be consumed by the thrilling bout. But, because she is Beatrice, she took it as one anyway, and decided to improve next time, uncovering more information and sending a more suitable bee to be the one collecting a translator for when this next occurred.
“Are you also living in a fantasy world, Queen? Not every conversation is some kind of chess match. I got along just fine without this kind of wackery.”
“And that is precisely why we are such great partners, my dear Enno. Your boundless doltery and my sophistication make us wholly vexing and difficult to deal with. Our incredible power did not hurt your chances, either. The only thing more frightening to the intelligent than the talented is the unpredictable.”
“Highqueen,” Enfla said carefully. “When Elofan and the other warriors arrived from Lemonholm, I knew that what I felt was no fluke. And I am now sure. There shall be five arrivals.”
I said nothing, instead tilting my head at her, encouraging her to continue. She did.
“There are two lines, it can be said, in the forest. The river and the wind. They are both influenced by the mountain range to the east. The river flows down from the mountain, one of the forest’s two veins that grant it life. And the wind blows into the mountain range’s westernmost edges in the north and south, drying the air on the other side and pushing gentle breezes towards the forest. So it has been for generations. They meet in the forest.”
“I do not see what these natural phenomena have to do with anything.”
“It is symbolic. When there are tides turning in the forest, it means something is disturbing these natural flows. The fernen have observed that in the forest, it is always five occurrences. One for each direction of the two veins of the east, west, north and south, and one for where they meet. You are the middle one, and you show what is to come. You are an arrival of a new ruler in the forest, the other side of yourself finally arriving in the outside world. From the north, arrived the squadron from Lemonholm. The north always comes second, then the east, then the west, and finally the south. The north and the south are always the biggest, most tumultuous events, winds of change, if you will. Conversely, the east and west are events that cause the events the converge and flow in odd and twisted ways, connecting them like the river connects the forest.”
My arms crossed in front of me. Damn this body’s instinctive reactions. Enfla noticed, and her glare grew more pronounced.
“What this means is that the squadron from the north brings a change we cannot comprehend. Elofan can corroborate this.”
She looked at Elofan, who seemed like she was regretting her decision to be here. She had been very chatty about what had happened in Lemonholm, including supporting Beelzebub and Ben and being a confidant for Grehn and Vlugh. But if there was something she was concerned about, we didn’t know it.
Finally, she spoke.
“I am going to assassinate the Highqueen.”
Beatrice immediately burst toward Elofan, stinger extended. She wasn’t a warrior, but she would die before the queen came to harm. Before she reached the patch of green fur on Elofan’s neck, I gave a sharp command.
“Stop.”
Beatrice stopped immediately, and nearly flew out of her own skin to leap between Elofan and I. The pause gave her enough time to realize, however, what I had realized without the overpowering desire to protect the queen clouding my judgement. Elofan hadn’t moved, hadn’t even flared her Mind in any capacity. Her statement was a test of some kind.
I kept my arms crossed, and my eyebrow twitched in annoyance. What were these games the fernen were playing? If warriors had been here, Elofan could be full of holes right now, or at the very least an all-out brawl would have broken out.
“Explain.”
Enfla spoke for Elofan. “Apologies, but it had to be said. You have not heard these words, correct? Then our fears are true. Something tumultuous did indeed arrive from the north. Elofan discussed with us the unusual events surrounding the human mercenary Vlugh during the battle of Lemonholm, something I am sure you witnessed. We have grown wary the longer Vlugh discloses nothing. There was no choice but to conduct a test, since he refuses to meet with anyone outside of the ones with whom he traveled in Lemonholm, and it could not be performed with Ben or Beelzebub, as he knows they are loyal to you. She entrusted him with a secret. One he seems to have kept quite well.”
Realization dawned on me. “Elofan told him those words. And we didn’t know.”
“What the fuck?” Enno said with a start. “Hold on. No, he’s Linked. That isn’t possible. Is it possible? Oh man, not this shit again.”
“Ah,” Enfla said. “Also, we believe that the eastern arrival has occurred. The river seems to be drying up. Which is quite concerning.”
I stared at her in disbelief. My face probably spoke for itself.
“Indeed.”