Adanara couldn't stop peeking at her notes. Nene pretended not to notice, but she was getting on her nerves. They sat on the grass with Nila, at the back of Jiriel's house, observing the absurd and unnatural tree looming over the region.
«That tree is scary to look at it», Nila said. «Really scary»
«The Emissary assured me that it is not the Evil One’s doing»
«It’s still a tree as tall as the sky! You can't see its top!»
«When we first noticed it, Ada was afraid it would fall on our heads»
«Don’t act though. You were scared too»
Nene went back to checking her papers. They had compiled a list of things needed for their journey even if they had no clue what to expect. Jiriel had been no help and Oto hadn't set foot in that forest for more than two years. There were no maps of the area, they didn't know which dangers were waiting there. It was insane to go like that. They had to convince the mayor to organise an expedition or provide them with a guide at the very least.
«What are you doing?», Adanara finally asked.
«I’m checking the list once more»
«Isn't it too long?»
«I think it’s not long enough. Look»
The witch grimaced and turned away. Was her handwriting that repugnant? She checked the paper again and didn't see anything weird about it.
«Are we sure it's a good idea for you to talk on our behalf?»
«Don't worry, I'm used to convincing adults to let me do something they don't approve of»
What was happening to her? Such a statement would have cost her lunch at the monastery. Furthermore, she was an adult too.
«T-thank you, Nene»
«For what?»
«Well, for doing this, for my sister’s sake»
She watched Adanara glancing at her papers yet again. It was just as Nila had said: she was helping a witch. She had told herself a thousand times that their goal was to ensure that Adanara learned to control herself, to not be a threat to those around her, yet doubt still haunted Nene. Was she doing the right thing? Hadn’t it been for the Emissary who guided her, she would have backed away instantly. On the other hand, her life before meeting Jiriel was so different, so… Boring?
«We'll need tents», Adanara said.
«Yes, I already wrote it down»
«Oh, of course. You are so perfect, aren’t you?»
«Does a job done well bother you?»
«Forget it…»
«Ada?», her sister intervened. «Cheer up, you can do it»
Nene couldn't understand what was going on between these two. Adanara looked on the verge of vomiting, while Nila was smiling at her like a doting mother. Finally, the witch turned to her, keeping her eyes locked on the ground.
«Thank you»
«Huh?»
Nene regretted having reacted that way, but it was all too sudden. Adanara blushed and turned her back to her again. She had involuntarily rejected her.
«Fuck it», she muttered.
«No, I mean... Um, you're welcome. We made a promise in front of the mayor, right? He said we are a team»
«Exactly»
Nila caressed her sister's back, who stood there, sulking and staring at the wall.
«The biggest issue is the threat of bandits along the road», Nene explained. «There are only three of us, you don't know how to fight and I... I can't hurt an innocent»
«And you're teeny tiny»
«Yes, I am!», she said through gritted teeth. «I wasn’t the best at sword-fighting, it was obvious I wasn't going to become a Knight!»
«Good», Nila consoled her. «W-we wouldn't be here otherwise»
«I doubt that the mayor will move an army for us»
«We just have to go to him and find out»
----------------------------------------
Sonhir's office didn't smell of smoke that day. They were told that the mayor had gone to the construction site at the southern walls and that he would be back soon. They waited for him in his office. Nene nervously double-checked her papers. A lot depended on her ability to convince the mayor to help them. She felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Nila caressed her and smiled.
«Everything will be fine»
Nene immediately felt lighter. She instinctively glanced at Adanara, who feigned disinterest, as usual. It was the perfect chance to tease her a bit.
«Thank you, Nila. I don't know what I would do, without you»
«Come on, s-stop it», she blushed.
Adanara glared at her. She wanted to say something, but apparently, she wasn't very good with words. Nene gloated.
«If we can get the mayor's approval, let’s go celebrate. There's a beautiful place where I go to do laundry, would you like to see it?»
«Oh… s-sure. I'll bring some snacks»
«Nila, you promised to help me... mend my socks...», the witch protested.
«You can do it on your own, y-you're a grown-up now»
Nila also seemed to enjoy teasing her sister. Her jealousy was so evident that it almost looked as if her ears were smoking. She crossed her arms and looked out the window.
«Where's the mayor?»
«Ada, w-we were joking. Also, we can mend socks later»
«Get married already!»
Talking about such topics made Nene feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, as much as she was undoubtedly attracted to Nila, she had never considered such a thing. Her head began spinning at the sheer thought. She didn't even know what she was doing, she just knew she was happy being around her. Suddenly she felt curious to know what Nila thought about it and foolishly hoped she would respond to her sister's statement.
«Thank you, I-I knew you would understand. Your approval means a lot to me»
Both Adanara and Nene stared at Nila in shock. She burst out laughing, making the witch seethe with anger.
«I hate you!»
«Love you»
Nene stood stiff like stone. It was just a joke, so why was her heart pounding? She felt like an idiot. Nila wasn’t being serious. She was somewhat more mature than her and extremely pretty. Why would she ever get into a silly, bigoted girl?
«Nene?», she called her.
«Huh?»
«Sorry, I didn't mean to»
«What?»
Nila caressed her cheek. Only then did Nene realise she was on the verge of tears. Her face must have been a mess. She wished to disappear, but she couldn't move.
«In any case, let's go to t-that place you were talking about. Just the two of us»
«Okay…»
«Here he comes!», Adanara announced.
Sonhir's screams coming from the corridor were a bad omen. He was in a terrible mood and was taking it out on his assistant.
«... as if that wasn't enough, the street is still full of rubbish! Nobody ever cleans up their shit! Those musicians assembled and dismantled the stage in a couple of hours, perhaps we should hire them instead!»
«Volunteers came late this morning»
«They're still drunk from the festival! Bloody idiots!»
The mayor slammed the door of his office. He looked surprised when he found the three of them waiting for him. The assistant behind him turned pale, as if he had tried to warn him he had visitors, but the mayor hadn’t given him a chance to.
«Oh… ‘morning», he said.
«Hello»
«I'm leaving!», the young man declared and ran away.
Sonhir sat down at his desk looking exhausted. He sighed deeply, picked up a bottle from the ground and poured its contents into a small wooden cup. He poured three more and held them out to them.
«Here»
«No, thanks»
The mayor glared at Nene. She didn't dare say one more word. She walked over to the desk and picked up the stinky drink. People in Kumhar took that habit very seriously, so she made an effort to avoid angering their host any further.
«Sorry about the scene... Bad day...»
«Don't tell me», Adanara agreed.
«Things never go smoothly... It doesn't matter, what brings you here?»
Nila put a hand on Nene's back. She took one last look at her papers and stepped forward.
«We have compiled the short list you asked for»
«Already? Lemme have a look»
She handed him the list. He squinted his eyes and after a few lines, he made a surprised and not at all reassuring face.
«We believe that better understanding the Evil One can help us in our research. As you know, Adanara was once... a Fury, so we intend to go and meet an expert on the matter who lives far away to ask for advice»
«An expedition? Is that why you need all this absurd stuff?»
Nene faltered. Sonhir was not happy with their requests, was it possible to convince him? Nila motioned her to continue.
«Exactly. Although the treatment has yielded good results, there are areas where it needs improvement. Pranav recovered, but not without consequences»
«Yeah… We're about the same age, we used to mess around together as kids. Now he looks like a geezer»
«We hope that with the help of that expert, we could better understand the nature of the plague. It would also allow Adanara to avoid causing nightmares or further problems beyond her control on accident»
«Sure, I understand. It's a lotta stuff, though. It will take me some time to gather all of it»
«No need to hurry»
It was far too simple. Nene looked triumphantly at the sisters. It was then that Sonhir snapped his fingers and called her attention.
«And tell me... Where are you headed?»
His question hit like a boulder. There was something evil in his voice, in his look: the mayor had smelled something fishy and wasn’t going to let her get away with it.
«Um… to… to the…»
«What's the matter with you, kiddo? Have you lost your silver tongue?»
«To the… big tree in the forest»
The man slammed a fist on the table. The quill rattled and almost fell to the ground. Nene winced.
«To the tree, huh?»
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
«Jiriel told us that the expert lives there», Nila intervened.
Sonhir turned bright red. His nostrils dilated, he was about to explode like an old teapot. He drank his cup in one gulp, stepped around the desk and came face to face with Nene.
«Was it Jiriel’s idea?!»
«Uh… Yes… sir»
«That IDIOT!!! I'll pluck her feathers! Where is she?! Where is she?!»
«She's not with us. The Emissary... had other commitments»
She avoided mentioning that Jiriel had refused to accompany them, pretending she had to repair the roof. Given the mayor’s reaction, it was the best course of action.
«She's been obsessed with forest fairies for years... YEARS! I've already told her a million times that I don't have time to chase fairy tales! And you», he pointed a finger at Nene. «You still don't get it? You revere her as if she were a goddess, but she’s a screwball, I’m telling you! One day or another she’ll get you killed to chase her fantasies!»
The man sat down again. He was panting loudly. Nene was paralyzed. She had never witnessed such an outburst. Nila approached the mayor and looked at his face.
«It's not good for you to get upset like that», she told him. «C-calm down a bit, please»
He covered his eyes with one hand and took several deep breaths. He didn't look good. His breathing was irregular, he was sweaty and purple. He retrieved the pipe from a drawer, but Nila delicately took it from his hand.
«That’s n-not good either. Nor drinking»
«Open the window, please»
Adanara obeyed. The mayor leaned back in his chair. He rested for a few moments before speaking again.
«Sorry, I... It happens to me every now and then. I should stay calmer, I know...»
«My sister knows what she’s talking about, you should listen»
«Are you a doctor?»
«I s-studied with an herbalist. Your breathing is.... g-getting all fired up might hurt you»
«You're right. When I was young I had quite the figure, you know? My mother spent more time scolding me and pulling me down from trees than anything else»
«I'm sorry if I caused you any distress», Nene said.
Sonhir looked back at their list and sighed. He handed the papers to Nene with a dejected look.
«There is a hut, beyond the north gate, on the right. Two hunters live there. Talk to them»
«I don't understand. Can they... get us all these things?»
«No. But I hope they can persuade you from going into the forest. Now, leave me alone...»
«Let me help you», Nila insisted. «Ada, y-you take care of that, please»
«Fine. Come on, nun. Let's go to the hunters»
«Take care of yourself, sir», Nene said.
Having entrusted the mayor to Nila's care, the odd duo followed his instructions. The two of them didn't exchange a word. Without Nila around, Nene and Adanara couldn't communicate. Nene led the way. She knew the path well, as she went there every morning to forage Oo. There weren't many buildings outside the walls, so it couldn't be that hard to find the hunters Sonhir had spoken of.
«Slow down», Adanara told her. «Are you sure it’s here?»
«Pretty sure. I visit one of their neighbours every day»
They went through the northern gate. The change of landscape left her breathless every time: the seemingly endless forest contrasted strongly with the urban environment of Kumhar, and the rough buildings, stables, farms and fields surrounding the city reminded her of the countryside around the Capital.
«Hi Nene», the old chicken farmer greeted her.
«Good morning ma'am», she replied.
The old lady was lazily distributing birdseed in the small enclosure of her farm. Her grey, curly hair fell out from her straw hat. Her linen tunic was dirty with mud and her tiny frame looked fragile, too fragile to take care of the farm by herself. The chickens were running out of the coops and rushing at the food. The old woman struggled to walk straight in that mess of feathers and clucks.
«Who’s your friend?»
«She is… um»
«Name’s Adanara», she said.
«Adanara… such an unusual name, like Nene's… oh, aren’t you…»
The old lady walked up to the edge of the fence that enclosed the pen. She motioned to come closer and spoke in a low voice.
«Aren't you the Holy Witch?»
«Oh... Yeah, they call me that...», Adanara answered, uncomfortable.
«Oh, oh, oh, how lucky to have you. Well done girl, keep it up. Spirits are generous to those who help others»
«Of course. I will, gladly»
«Ma'am, we are looking for two hunters, do they happen to live there?»
Nene pointed to the cabin beyond the farm. The old lady turned very slowly, then nodded.
«Yes, they're bad apples these two! Be careful! Sometimes at night, I hear them singing or arguing. I bet they're troublemakers»
«Understood. Thank you, ma'am»
«You're welcome. Tell sweet Oto to come and see me»
They went around the chicken pen, walking through the mud. Whoever lived there hadn't bothered to pound the dirt leading to their property. The log cabin had a front porch supported by two large beams, from which several pieces of dried meat were hung. The rest of the slum was dilapidated, standing up by a miracle, and smelled of blood.
«Won’t you come?»
Adanara stayed behind and wasn't budging. She stood still staring at that gloomy house, as if scared.
«What if granny is right?»
«Tilde is very old, perhaps she just can't stand noise»
«Do you have your sword?»
«Always. Why?»
She exhibited the sheath hidden under her cloak. The witch finally made up her mind and approached.
«Better be safe»
Nene knocked on the door. It was all too quiet, unsettlingly so. She hadn't thought much about the old farmer's words, but Adanara's fear was contagious, and she began to worry as well.
«Knock again»
She obeyed. A thud came from inside as if someone or something had tripped to the floor. The sound of footsteps gave both of them goosebumps. Finally, the door opened. A young man with long, dirty dark hair plastered to his face, greeted them. He was wearing only a tunic and was drenched in sweat.
«Who are you?», he grumbled. «What do you want?»
«Hello. Erm... The mayor told us that you... know the forest nearby very well»
«Yes, of course. Goodbye»
The man slammed the door. Adanara sulked and knocked again, every trace of fear gone.
«Open up! You asshole, open up!»
The man reappeared, looking angry. He was eating a piece of stale bread and gave the witch a challenging stare.
«You come and bother me at my place, and I’m the arsehole?»
«Please», Nene interjected. «The mayor sent us. We're going towards that giant tree, and we need information»
The hunter sighed. He stepped aside and motioned them to enter. Adanara didn't take a step, so Nene was forced to go in first. Inside, the smell was even more pungent, a mixture of alcohol, sweat and death. The place was extremely bare, a single room with a low table, some mats on the floor and little more, mostly empty bottles scattered around.
«Sokom, we’ve guests!»
«Coming!»
A voice came from behind a door leading to the back. The man sat on the ground while gnawing on his crust of bread.
«Make yourself comfortable», he said, spreading his hands.
Nene imitated him. Adanara, however, stood still. She seemed uncomfortable and Nene couldn't help but feel a bit happy seeing her struggle. A second, bald man appeared from the back door. He wore a blood-stained apron and was sweatier than the first. He was holding a bottle and some ceramic cups.
«Guests? Been a while. Vodka?»
Having learned that in Kumhar the offer of a drink was always a rhetorical question, they nodded in unison. Sokom poured drinks for everyone, then sat next to his buddy and stared at Adanara.
«Have we met before?»
«Come on, don't you remember? She was with the mayor on stage»
«Oh, the Holy Witch! Such an honour!», he said ironically. «I would have put my shirt in my pants if I had known»
The man stood up and tucked his filthy apron into his breeches, causing the other guy to laugh like a little kid. Adanara clicked her tongue before taking a sip.
«I didn't ask for that nickname», she grumbled.
«Come on, that’s enough»
«Fine, fine»
The two men were rough, but they didn't look like the dangerous sort as Tilde had suggested. Nene breathed a sigh of relief. Nonetheless, the smell was terrible and she couldn't wait to leave, so she tried to get straight to the point.
«Do you know how to get to the tree?»
The two exchanged a puzzled look. Finally, the first man sighed.
«They’re going down there», he explained.
Sokom instantly darkened. He drank the vodka in one gulp and poured himself some more.
«Yes, as you can see», the other guy said. «It's not our favourite topic. Thanks for your visit, it was a pleasure»
«But... please. What in the world…»
«I'll tell you», Sokom said.
«Come on, don't force yourself»
«It’s ok, Vulaj»
«Please», Nene urged.
«There is... there is a camp in the forest, far to the northeast, it’s a four-day walk. We used it during summer when the animals move away from the city. We would spend weeks down there hunting before returning home. It happened a year ago»
The man drank again. The memory seemed to haunt him, and Nene became anxious. That situation reminded her of sister Liaria's horror stories. She had grown up terrified of monsters that populated the outside world and feared she was about to encounter one.
«I was following the trail of a wild boar when I heard screams in the bush. I ran to take a look, thinking that some other hunter was in trouble... Instead, in a clearing beyond the falls, there were men on horseback. They wore metal armour and carried blades and long weapons»
«Knights?!», Adanara asked.
«I doubt there are any Knights of the Church around here»
«I don't know who they were, I watched them from afar. They had prisoners with them. They were tied and kneeling on the ground and... they killed them all»
«That day», the other one intervened. «Many hunters have returned to camp telling similar stories. Some found traces of fights, human corpses, horses and… more. We fled during the night. Since then, no one has gone hunting in the forest»
«So that’s why Oto always heads south»
«You know Oto? Good for him, the forest is dangerous. I don't know who those knights were, or what they were fighting against»
«Can you tell me more about the prisoners? About the creatures the knights were facing?»
The two exchanged a look. Adanara kicked her on the leg, telling her to stop. Nene was sorry to insist, but she needed more detailed information.
«They call us crazy when we talk about it», Vulaj complained.
«We won't tell anyone. I will believe you, I promise»
«No deal. When we told the mayor, he believed the knights' part, and forbade everyone from entering the forest, but he didn't take us seriously about the rest. He said one weirdo in town is enough»
«Are you talking about Jiriel?», Adanara deduced.
«Yeah. Only she listened, but said she couldn't do anything about it»
«Have you... seen fairies?!»
Nene spoke without thinking. The two men looked terrified all of a sudden. She tried to correct the shot, hoping that Adanara would help her.
«We are going to the tree to look for a sorceress. Maybe fairies are our lead»
«Yup. Jiriel told us»
«Well... you already know everything, then»
«If the knights don't kill you, the fairies will... I thought it was just some nonsense spread by old folks»
«Can you explain?»
«There are stories of fairies who help lost travellers find their way home, others of monsters who devour children or of spirits who haunt you at night»
«Old Tilde, for example, really believes it. When we were kids she always scared us with her bullshit»
Nene stood up. Their account was too much to process at the moment, she needed more time to think. Ideally, she would have consulted the Citadel's library for information, but with that possibility denied, the closest thing she had was the Emissary.
«Do you have any advice for us? There must be a way to get there»
«Don't. You’ll get yourself killed»
«The path is marked by signs left by our ancestors. It's impossible to follow them if you don't know the area»
«So we need a guide»
«Don't even think about it. No one would ever accept, you're wasting your time!»
«Perhaps you could… follow the ruins halfway through, but then you'd still need to search the signs from then»
«Which ruins?»
«The one at the south gate. The workers harvest them for materials for the walls. There’s an underground tunnel there. It leads to the camp»
«Stop it, I don't want their blood on my hands!»
«Nene, I think that's enough», the witch said.
After thanking the two hunters, they left the hut and set back for the manor. They had to report what they had learned to Nila and develop a plan with Jiriel. Once again, Nene's first assignment was proving to be extremely complex and dangerous. Without the support of the Church, entering a territory populated by monsters was suicide. Without an army, exploring a potential war zone was equally foolish. They lacked a guide, an escort, a map…
«I think we should give up», Adanara said. «Jiriel says I need a teacher, but I feel fine»
«For how long, tho?»
«Are you witch hunting again?»
«No! I… I mean… what would happen if… the Evil One comes back for you? Think about it, you are the only person other than Pranav who has ever been healed from damnation. We don't know what could happen in the future»
«You think that since it's already managed to fool me once, it's more likely it'll come back?!»
«Hasn't it already? When you were imprisoned»
«Yes…», she admitted. «I heard its voice again»
«We need a definitive solution. According to the Emissary, her friend can help us, and I believe her»
«I'm not inclined to blindly believe in angels»
They traversed the main street of the city, cleaned by volunteers. There were no longer any traces of the revelry of the previous days, everything was back to normal. Perhaps reporting that good news to the mayor would have softened him. They reached the manor. The guards didn't even stop them, as they were by then familiar faces. They were not welcomed inside by the assistant, so Nene knocked on the door of the mayor's office.
«Who’s there?»
«It’s Nene, sir»
«Come forth»
They found the mayor and Nila sitting at the desk, looking intently at a wooden tablet with signs engraved on it. On top of the tablet were miniatures depicting various animals, and Nene recognized some of them from the card game she had been taught at the tavern.
«Oh, hello», Nila said. «What’s new?»
«You still wanna go?», Sonhir asked.
After they had reported what they had learned from the two hunters, the mayor grinned with satisfaction. He picked up the tabletop game from his desk and sat back, looking at them defiantly.
«All's well that ends well. Let's never talk about that tree and that haunted forest again»
«W-we have to go anyway, Ada. For your sake»
«What?!»
«I agree», Nene added. «Sir, I understand that it is risky, but... believe me, the Church is in a constant fight against the Evil One. It is a threat to everyone, anything that can counter it is precious. It could save many lives»
«Look, it's too risky. You could do a lot for my people by staying here. You wanna risk your life by chasing fairies?»
«The Emissary claims it's the right thing to do»
«Jiriel talks nonsense!», Sonhir protested.
«She was right about me», Adanara said.
The mayor stood up grumbling. He started pacing nervously back and forth. His gaze fell several times on the pipe, but each time it met Nila's, who shook her head in disapproval. They seemed to have bonded in their absence, and Sonhir was listening to her advice.
«It pains me to admit it, but the few times Jiriel has managed to put together a thought, she's always got it right. I'm just worried for your life and my people’s. I don't wanna lose anybody, you understand?»
«Are you saying that... we should go alone?»
«I can't force anyone to accompany you. I can ask the guards captain to round up volunteers but don't expect they’ll jump at the chance. To be honest, I'm really against it»
«We'll go by ourselves if we had to», Nila said. «W-we can find the way. It's impossible not to see that tree»
«Forget about the ruins», the mayor added. «There were some collapses, and some workers heard eerie noises from down there. A poor girl has disappeared»
«Can you at least spare us some provisions?»
«There is a shortage of hay this year. I'll see what I can do...»
«Thank you»
«Please think again»
Adanara sought comfort from her sister. Nila took her hand and accompanied her out of the office. All that was left to do was to talk to Jiriel. Nene turned one last time to the genuinely worried mayor. It brought a smile to her face, knowing that someone cared about her safety.
«We'll be back. You tasked us with protecting your city from the Furies, and I will»
«You better be! Be careful»
The journey, although relatively short, was looking extremely dangerous. They had to cross an unknown forest, populated by raiding knights, wild animals, servants of the Evil One and perhaps even more. All to find a supposed friend of the Emissary who seemed capable of teaching Adanara to be an actual witch. Nene was not thrilled at the prospect of risking her life for that reason, but she would have followed the Emissary's directive no matter what. She had already doubted her once, wrongfully so.
One thing was certain: she could trust Jiriel more than the Church.