Ariel sat as still as she could in a chair in the kitchen, keeping her grumbling to a minimum as Serina fussed over her hair, brushing it until it was just so. Her hands were folded in her lap against the soft material of a black dress.
“You have such pretty hair, like your mother’s,” Serina said.
“I’d pick dad’s if I had the choice. I can’t really get dreads right. At least it doesn’t take a lot of fixing.”
“It really doesn’t. You look so good already. I’ll be done in a moment. I just can’t help it.”
“It’s fine,” Ariel said, blushing. She’d found herself anxious about what to wear for the video call. It was a silly thing. She’d just be walking down to Darius’ office, and talking with her folks. Even if her travel clothes were ruined in the fight with the Black Hand guys, they wouldn’t be surprised to see that. She’d burned through quite a few outfits over the years with her… antics. Still, Lailah had felt her anxiety - obviously. Ariel awoke to several of the girl’s old outfits hung up on the door and, on a whim, she’d picked the dress out for today. This change provoked Serina’s incessant mothering. Ariel didn’t argue. It gave her time to think - for what little good that was doing her.
Finally, when the woman let go of her, it was about time. Ariel turned to Serina, giving a curt nod.
“Uhh… thanks. For everything.”
Serina looked like she was going to say something mushy, so Ariel swept a quick turn and walked into the office. The call was all set up, and she just had to press a single button on the blue hardlight panel to connect on her side.
Her mom showed up first, hair in tight braid not drawing attention away from her bloodshot eyes. Not just from exhaustion. She was crying. Her dad stumbled into view a moment later, looking much the same - he never was good with technology. Or anxiety. Like Ariel, they were both dressed in their Sunday best for the occassion. Her mom had stopped talking mid-sentence - they were arguing about something. But now, they were there in the room, projected to life size. She almost thought she could reach out and hug them. And they were staring at her, almost disbelieving.
“Finally found time to tell your old mother you’re alive?” Emilia said. The sentence started off angry, causing Ariel to cringe back. But her voice broke somewhere in the middle, and she reached out reflexively, longingly, as her daughter drew back. Ariel stood where she was, looking down. What can I even say?
Darin put a hand on his wife’s shoulder, and their eyes met. She nodded, and he turned to Ariel.
“I’m sorry, Ari-girl. I messed up again, didn’t I?”
In that moment, Ariel thought of the night she’d left home.
*Three weeks ago
*
In the late evening, a house of oak and cedar build gave off weak candlelight. The Beskytes didn’t have to live this way - since the countersuit, they had the means for some modern conveniences. But funds were held tightly for important things like school, and sometimes Christmas - at least, until recently. Besides, this was how they’d always lived.
A single candle lit a family meeting, called by the oldest - now only - child. She drummed her fingers impatiently on the cedar table’s smooth surface as her dad finished washing his hands and finally came to the table, then placed her hands in her lap and sat stiffly upright.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m here,” he said. Ariel rolled her eyes, but her mother shook her head.
“Ariel,” Emilia began, her voice soft, “what did you want to talk about? Is it about Isaac?”
“Don’t talk like a counselor,” Ariel answered derisively, then forced a cough and fixed her posture. “We’ve had time for that. Now we need to figure out a plan.”
“A… plan?” her mother asked, head tilted. Her father crossed his arms, but didn’t answer. “We’ve hired the investigators - we can’t afford any more. They said they would call with an update Monday.”
“Damn the investigators,” she said, exasperated. “You said you talked to the mayor, right? What did she say?”
“They can’t help - their guards are busy watching the walls, and we can’t afford to split them off for a lengthy search.”
“Of course that bitch would say that,” Ariel said. “And the capital?”
“Sheila is doing her best,” her mother answered, a glare of reprimand on her face, “and she’s called, but we haven’t heard back yet.”
Ariel let out a long sigh. “It’s fine. I’m just confirming what we already know. If we can’t depend on anyone else, then I’ll bring him back myself.”
Her mom coughed. “Excuse me? Y-you… you can’t be serious. We don’t even know if it’s safe here. But out there - you’ve seen yourself how dangerous it is!” Emilia said, her voice getting increasingly urgent.
Ariel, swallowing her emotions, took a breath and looked her mother right in the eyes.
“Patience only helps when you’re waiting for something. Tell me, mom, who else in the world is going to bring Issac back? When everyone else in this little hellhole is too afraid of magic to power a damn lightbulb, let alone do anything worth a damn?”
Her mother saw the resolve in her expression. It’s the same look she had when she said she would be going to the local fighting tournament, no matter what. Back then, things had been simple. It was a matter of pride, of fun. Ariel ached for that time. She’d never made it to that tournament - things had gone to hell before then. This time, she wasn’t backing down.
“He’ll… they’ll bring him back, somehow. Once things quiet down. Right? Honey, they’ll definitely-”
She turned to her husband, tearing up, her mask of calm breaking. The man’s head was in his hands, fingers mingled in his cornrows, as he stared down at the table, as if it might have some answer. Then, he straightened up.
“You’re wrong, Ari-girl. There is someone. I’m going to find Issac.”
Ariel caught her breath.
“Darin! You can’t possibly mean that. You wouldn’t make it past the Ylven woods, and besides that, how would you know where to find him?”
“Emilia, you’re supposed to have more faith in your man,” he said, arms crossed. He got up from his seat, suddenly feeling lighter. He paced to far window, looking out at the moon. “I’m not as crafty as our daughter, but I’ve been in a few scraps in my day. Before ‘common sense’ got to me, I used to be a spitfire like her. I’ll have to brush the dust off my magic… and as for tracking, I have some ideas.” He turned back to his wife and daughter and gave a thin smile. “Besides, my birthday’s coming up, and our boy said he had a really special gift for me this year, so I have to know what it is. He’s always so thoughtful about that stuff, y’know?
Darin’s gaze returned to the world beyond, but not before Ariel saw the tears in his eyes. Ariel, in turn, stared down at her hands. Isaac did have a special gift. She’d seen it - a cheap but beautiful runic necklace. He’d purchased the simple steel pendant, but the runes took hours upon slow hours of precisely etching into the metal while carefully keeping a spell going. He’d picked up her propensity for trouble in those later days. All that painstaking, careful work was for a song - one grandma had used to sing for them all - exactly as it sounded in Isaac’s memory. Ariel smiled, but in that moment reality crashed down on her. The day Isaac was taken. The power she’d seen - her dad wouldn’t stand a chance.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“I’m going to bring back our son, so I need you to trust me,” Darin finished.
Emilia rose to join him at the window, holding his arm possessively, avoiding the places his hands and arms were dotted with burn scars. “You mean it, don’t you? You always say that when you’re about to do something dangerous.”
“If I’ve done it before, it means if lived to tell the tale. Once I get back , you should tell Isaac those stories.”
Ariel bit her lip.
“I-I will,” Emilia said, her voice shaking. “You’ll need some things. Aris should have a blade good enough for handling wild animals, you have the shotgun, and I should be able to get you some potions in a day or two.”
“I won’t need them. I’ll leave at dawn. It’s been too long already.” He turned back to the table where Ariel sat, still stunned. “Thanks for waking me up, Ariel. I don’t know what came over me.”
And even then, she could still hear the fear he tried so hard to keep out of his voice. She had been so prepared to criticize her dad for that fear. That was her strategy - to walk into the meeting calm and collected, and when they shot her idea down, retaliate by pointing out their cowardice. But it backfired. Her father wasn’t a coward. And now he was going to die in the woods, alone.
Emilia scrambled around throughout that evening, getting odds and ends that Darin would need on the road from neighbors. Ariel and her father packed his travelsack all that time, silent. Once Emilia returned, it was time to sleep - he would leave in the morning.
Laying in her bed, Ariel thought the whole thing over. Can he really do this? Maybe I should leave it to him. Mom got a good job as a teacher, so she can handle things here. As for him…
That thought didn’t last long. Ariel could escape most danger with the speed lightning gave her. But her dad? From what little she could glean, he’d left magic behind for a lot of reasons - one of them being, his wasn’t stable. He’d been nervous even talking about it. Conserving enough power to get away might be beyond him, and if it was…
Mom’s right. The Black Hand’s been showing up more and more. There’s no telling if any of the roads are safe anymore - and if he runs into a bad fight - he won’t make it out.
With that, her decision was made.
Well before the first light, a note was left on that hardwood table, and a teenage girl shouldered her father’s bag and walked out into the night.
***
When Ariel didn’t say anything, Darin just repeated himself.
“I’m sorry,” he said, but she interrupted him at the same time, saying the same thing. Because her parents weren’t alone in it anymore - they were all crying.
“No,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Ariel pounded her fists against her legs, frustrated. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I didn’t mean to leave you behind like that. I just… I don’t know.”
The unreality of the illusions was forgotten as her family came over to comfort her. It was almost as if they were really there, as far as she felt. She could almost feel them holding her. That moment went on for a long time, and she didn’t want to let it end. Ariel was used to always forcing her way forward. This time, she didn’t know the way.
“So,” Emilia eventually asked, standing back and folding her hands, “what comes next? Can you come home?”
“They said the roads are still dangerous,” Ariel said. “Anyone who needs to travel is hiring a lot of guards, and even that’s not a sure thing.”
“Are you saying it’s not an option?” Darin said.
“They… said a teleporter is coming. That could bring me back,” Ariel admitted.
Darin frowned at the emptiness in her voice, and waited. He could tell, it seemed, that she had more to say.
“I failed. I tried to convince Dar- I mean, Mr. Stalwart, to solve the problem, but it was way bigger than I could even get my head around. Everyone over here is trying their best, and still nothing changes. I’ve been trying to train with Dave, but I haven’t been able to do anything either.”
Darin quirked an eyebrow. “Dave, the old butler?”
“Yeah,” Ariel said, dragging the word out. “You know him?”
“We met once. I was impressed, I’ll leave it at that,” Darin said, stroking his chin.
“You’ve got some scheme cooking, don’t you?” Emilia asked hesitantly. “It was a stupid idea that started all this, I’ll remind you.”
“I don’t know,” Darin admitted. “Darius - that is, Governor Stalwart - has already done so much for us, and all of them have a lot to focus on. It’d be rude to ask for more.”
A fourth person flickered into the room - Darius himself, startling everyone. He held up a hand to forestall objections.
“I haven’t heard anything, or recorded a log” he said. “I just programmed in a couple of keywords that would notify me if I was spoken of. Is there anything I can help with?”
Ariel wasn’t sure she believed him about not keeping logs - but that was fine, honestly. This was his house, and apparently folks hadn’t always been kind to his family. If he was anal about keeping footage, that wasn’t really surprising.
“It’s…” Darin hesitated. “I mean, I think we can probably manage. I just wanted to thank you for keeping her safe, and…”
Emilia sighed. “You were going to ask him to keep Ariel a while longer, weren’t you? I guess it does make some sense… she’s probably safer there than she is in Oakheart.” She turned from her husband to Darius, who had an unreadable expression.
“I thought you’d anxious to have her back as soon as possible,” Darius said, “especially because of what happened under my watch.”
“I’d love to have my daughter back home again,” Emilia started, “but that’s selfish of me. It’s not safe here, just like it’s not safe on the roads - not when they’ve taken an interest in her. That’s not your fault, it’s just how it is. And besides that - well, to be honest, I doubt she’d even be able to focus in school. I want my daughter to be okay, not just here.” Emilia bowed her head deferentially. “Please, Mr. Stalwart, allow my daughter to stay a little bit longer. I don’t know what she’s learning from your house staff, but I know that look in Darin’s eye. It’s important - and maybe it’ll help her stay safe.”
Darius looked taken aback, then straightened his posture. “There was never a question of ‘if’. Darin saved my life. I failed you once with your son, and again with your daughter.” The governor clenched his fist, and for just a moment, there was something regal about him, like a heroic general out of a history book. “There will not be a third time. She will remain until such a time as you all agree it’s time to return.”
Darin scratched his head nervously. “That’s incredibly generous. But we should probably ask her, no?”
Darius palmed his forehead. “My mistake, I’m between meetings at work and trying to rush things.” He turned to Ariel. “Ariel, what do you want to do?”
Ariel stared blankly at him. Her father saving the governor’s life was news to her. She knew that they were friends, and that was the extent of it. Shaking that off, she had to consider the question, but not for long. She was overwhelmed by the surprise support from her parents - which, she supposed, shouldn’t have been a surprise. But she’d done enough crying for today.
“You’ll have to give me some chores to do. I get antsy when I don’t have enough work to fill my time, and when I’m antsy I yell at innocent housewives.”
“You do what?” her mom asked, making Ariel laugh awkwardly. Darius sighed in a way that made it clear he’d heard about said ‘innocent housewife’ already.
“Just chores, then?” he said with a wry smile. “Oh, that can be arranged.”
Darius confirmed a couple of specifics about how best to contact the couple in the future, set up a call in a week’s time, received profuse thanks, then returned to work. From there, the family had the opportunity to talk about smaller things for a while - including Ariel giving a much-abridged accounting of her trip so far. Eventually, the conversation wound down, and she knew with a sinking sense of loneliness that it was time for her parents to get back to work.
“Alright, alright, I’ve got things to do,” Ariel said dismissively.
“Make sure to listen to Dave carefully,” Darin said, ignoring her attitude. “I mean it. Whatever he says. He’s the kind of man that doesn’t waste time - or words.”
“Yeah, okay, I got it.”
“Remember to be courteous to the Stalwart family,” Emilia said. “Offer to help with meals and wash dishes, make your bed , and thank them for all their kindness. Do not let me hear about you abusing Ms. Stalwart. Am I clear, young lady?”
Ariel felt a flash of annoyance and pushed it down. Her mom was right. “Yeah,” she said, scratching her head. “I’ll do that, mom. I’m sorry. I messed up.”
Emilia arched her eyebrows at the sincerity, then nodded. Then, her hard expression broke. “I’ll see you soon, Ariel. I love you.”
“Yeah, mom, I’ll see you soon.”
Darin just gave her a smile, said, “make us proud,” and the transmission ended. That wasn’t fair. Her dad was not allowed to flex on her with the cool guy exit. Stupid jerk…
Shaking her head, Ariel left the room and went upstairs to get changed. No time for moping. She had a spell to learn.