Sael

At the edge of the forest, Sael and Jophiel found themselves staring at a man of about medium height, with brown hair and a scraggly beard. He greeted them with a hearty,

“Hello and good morning!” Sael blinked at him, and so did her mother. When they didn’t immediately reply, he continued, “You two took a while to leave. I was worried I’d have to come in after you. Was the corpse trail direct enough for you?”

“Was that you that did that?” Jophiel asked, bewildered.

“Ah, no, that was Carl. He’s… some sort of cryptid. He’s fairly harmless to people, and when merchants or others pass through his forest, he protects them and tries to guide them out. His trail of bloody breadcrumbs aren’t always the clearest, and sometimes I have to go in and make sure the people don’t get lost.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m Trammarth Mahan. I’m a hunter from Frolis, the nearby town, just over the ridge.” He motioned behind him.

“Umm… how far away are we from the town?” Sael asked.

“About a day’s walk from here. In fact, let’s get you over there and settled up in an inn. I know just the innkeeper, too.” They started walking away from the forest.

“How did you know we were there in the first place?” Sael inquired.

“All the dogs within a hundred miles start acting up whenever Carl finds someone in his forest.”

“And… his name is… Carl?”

“Well, that’s what we call him. He doesn’t actually speak to anyone. In fact, no one has ever seen him, save for his eyes. We just assigned him a name.”

“And he stays in the forest?”

“Oh, no, he travels all over this area; people have seen his eyes in caves and in the grass on dark nights. The forest, though, is an easy place to get lost or get hurt, so when someone enters it, he heads back over there and tries to guide them out.” The two women nodded, a bit tired. He motioned for them to follow him and they did so. “So there are three inns in the city. One of them is a bit heavy on the pocketbook, but provides the best beds you’ve ever had, and the other two are more reasonably priced, but are often crowded.”

“We’ll actually be staying with a family member.” Sael volunteered.

“Really?” Trammarth asked, intensely curious. “Who might that be?”

“Qaspiel Desider.” Jophiel said. “She’s my cousin.”

“No kidding! You’re related to Desi! How about that? Desi is good people. She helped me out of a bind, more than once!”

The trio conversed while they made their way to the town, with Trammarth pointing out landmarks, a henge over here, a series of caves over there, a herd of pigs being shepherded by a dwarf, who stopped by to introduce himself, several mounds of ants, and other things that Sael didn’t really see the importance or relevance of. The more Sael walked, the more she realized what a really chatty person Trammath was. He talked the whole way to the city, from the time they left the forest until the nightfall, and then after. Sael’s whisper had to remind her on multiple occasions not to address this trait, as the man was providing them an escort to safety.

When they reached the city proper, Sael found the town wasn’t a huge city, by any means, but it was still practically a metropolis compared to the waystation that was their last community visit. Frolis hosted many rustic and worn, but well-upkept houses, most of them being multiple stories, indicating that the town was rural, but not devoid of money. The streets were cobblestone, and the occasional manhole cover suggested that there was a working wastewater system, or, at the very least, a draining system for storms. She briefly wondered what kind of storms this city had to warrant that.

“Here’s the place!” Trammarth declared as they approached a three-city house made of polished, reddish wood with a door that was painted grey. “I would stay, but the missus is waiting for me at home. She asked that I be home by dark, and so I’m overdue.” With that, he walked down the street and was gone.

The two women looked at each other, then at the painted door in front of them. Jophiel reached out and knocked on the door. There was some scuffling sounds from inside, then the sound of footsteps, and, opening the door, there stood a middle-aged elavis with frizzy, chocolate brown hair and silver eyes.

“Qaspiel… Hello.” Sael’s mother said softly. Qaspiel’s eyes widened.

“Jophiel? Is it you? Really?”

“It is me, cousin.” The confirmation had scarcely left Jophiel’s mouth–Qaspiel threw her arms around her cousin and both ladies wept.

“I heard Almaz was gone! We had runners spreading the news here two days ago. I thought you were dead!” Jophiel nodded and replied,

“We almost were. We’re… all that’s left.”

“Come in, the both of you!” Qaspiel ushered, throwing open the door wide. “And who might you be?” she asked when Sael walked in.

“She’s my daughter, Sael.” Jophiel replied.

“You have a child?” Qaspiel asked after motioning for them to sit down at a nearby table.

“We have much to speak about, Qas.”

“It’s Desi, now, and yes, it seems we do.”

***

They spoke well into the night. Jophiel and Sael took turns speaking, telling Jophiel of the events that led up to the fall of Almaz. From what Sael could piece together, her mother hadn’t seen Qaspiel since well before she was married. The woman took everything in, silently, except to ask for clarification when she didn’t understand something, or to tell her two visitors to take their time when they started to cry. Sael considered that maybe the crying was excessive, but her Whisper assured her that grieving in such a manner was necessary, and that bottling it up would only lead to further problems down the road. But was it okay, Sael wondered, to be spilling her guts to someone she didn’t know? Her Whisper reminded her that her mother typically made wise decisions, and that Jophiel trusted Qaspiel with no reservations; it might be wise for her to do so, as well.

When all to say had been said, Qaspiel instructed them to wash up and go to bed. She led them to the washroom, and then to their rooms. Sael declined her room and Qaspiel moved them to a room that had two beds. It looked like the entire house was empty. There were four or five bedrooms in the whole house, but no one else seemed to live with her. She thought it strange, but as soon as she crawled onto the mattress, she ceased to ponder anything else until the morning.

***

Daylight filtered in through the windows. Sael stirred and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor with a thunk, the impact waking her up. The hardwood floor was warm, but still colder than the air. You should head downstairs to the common area and attempt to make yourself useful; working for your keep is not only noble, but will put you in your host’s good graces. Solid advice, Sael thought to herself, but there was an issue: she had no real skills. At least none practical for rural living.

She stood up and looked to the nightstand on the other side of the bed; there was a fresh set of clothing. Bland and mundane, but a fresh set, nonetheless. On the far side of the room, a basin of water with a mirror on the wall above it sat, with two fresh cloths on the dresser next to it. Sael was fairly sure none of these things, save the dresser and the nightstands had been there the night before. Qaspiel must have come in either early in the morning or late the night previous and placed them there. Your host is making marked efforts to be considerate. Keep this in mind as you interact with her.

She washed her face, wincing slightly as she looked in the mirror. Her face didn’t hurt anymore, but the bruises on her face were yellow and quite visible. Maybe they’d go away, soon. She turned and observed her mother, who was still asleep on the other bed. After some short deliberation, she decided not to wake her mother, and instead head downstairs to greet her host.

She walked down the stairs, running her hand down the smooth and textured bannister. Her steps didn’t echo in this house. It was a thought that caught in her mind, and she spent a moment mull it about. At her home, her steps echoed. There was a lot of empty space there. All the surfaces were polished to a shine, bannisters included. The living and walking space here was smaller, and there were millions of little tiny imperfections that absorbed any echo- splinters, rugs, and curtains, all within a house that was significantly smaller than she was used to. And the result was that she felt naked. A lack of echoes meant that she was out in public, where such imperfections were commonplace. She grimaced. She wasn’t home, she didn’t have a home, and she wondered if she would ever feel that feeling of “home” again. Give your surroundings a chance. Most places aren’t like your previous home. Regardless, you might be staying here for the rest of your life, or you could only be here for a day, so make the best of it.

At the bottom of the stairs, her host spotted her from the kitchen. Come to think of it, Sael could smell a delicious smell cooking.

“Have a seat in the dining room! I’ll be right there!” Go on, be polite! Sael silently nodded and made her way to the table, pulled a chair out, and had a seat. She stared at the table for a while. It was rough, not polished. Like everything else in the house.

A clink of ceramic against wood snapped her out of her thoughts as Qaspiel set down a plate of biscuits, a pot of coffee, and three mugs in the center of the table that seemed to Sael to be too small. Her Whisper chided her again.

"Well, good morning to you, Sael.” Qaspiel said, sitting down in a chair on another side of the table. “We didn’t get a chance to speak much last night; you were exhausted and barely coherent. I can’t imagine you’re terribly coherent right now, though, so here–” she poured some coffee for Sael and passed her the mug, “--drink up and then we’ll talk.” Sael sipped at her coffee, which was a little hot, but she didn’t pay the heat any heed.

“Miss Qaspiel–”

“Desi is fine.”

“Miss Desi–”

“Just Desi, please. We’re family. I know you don’t know me yet, but that is how it is, as you will soon come to realize.”

“It’s just that, Desi. My mother and I just show up at your door, we come in, sleep in one of your beds, and now we’re eating your food. That kind of goodwill only lasts so long, family or no. We have some coin and can pay you for at least a littl–”

“I’ll have none of that. You’re equating people in need with moochers. I know your mother. You two are in need, but I don’t think either of you plan on mooching off of me. Besides, this lets me reconnect with my family in a way that I didn’t think was possible anymore. Now, look, you do have some merit, thinking that you can’t get something for nothing, but not in the way you think. I’ve got room in the house, and it doesn’t cost me anything for you to live here, so the only thing I’ll ask from you and your mother is that you pick up respectable jobs to help pay for the food you consume–I know some people that will hire you in a heartbeat on my word. Our town isn’t beholden to any king, the mayor taxes foodstuffs and tobacco for the town, and he taxes imports to pay the sheriff. The upkeep of the town is taken care of by a committee of volunteers who do bake sales and fundraisers, like if a bridge needs repair or something; we’re a small enough community that it’s a viable option.

“What I’m saying is that we’ve got a good thing going, so I’m in a good position to help you and it will require very little of you to stay in my good graces. No mooching necessary.” She smiled with a kind smile that Sael found hard to doubt.

“What kind of jobs did you have in mind?” Sael asked, grabbing a biscuit.

“Well,” Desi leaned her head back, “there’s an eatery that would hire you as a waitress or a dishwasher or something. The library would probably take you or your mother on; you both are likely better educated than most people here. The local pig farmer could probably use a hand.”

“The dwarf?”

“That’s the one. Onfreth. Nice fellow. I used to stand in for him, keeping the pigs in his place when he needed to run errands, so he’s fond of me. I’ve got a few other people that owe me favors, too, though. I’ll know more by tonight.”

“So what will we do for today?”

“Lay about. Recuperate.” Sael raised an eyebrow at this. “No, really, you two have been traveling on foot for, what, five days?”

“Something like that.”

“Mmmm, what’s more, with practically no supplies. You two made that trip with the odds against you, and with great strain on your bodies. You two are going to rest while I make preparations. I’ve got some food in the pantry, and we’ll all collaborate at supper.”

Sael and Desi both ate in silence for a few minutes, until Jophiel came down and joined them. Sael’s mother, despite having gotten a bit of extra sleep, had sizable bags under her golden eyes.

“Thank you again for taking us in, Desi.” Jophiel said as she took a seat.

“Think nothing of it, dear cousin.” Desi waved her hand. “We’re family. As I was telling your daughter, your living expenses will be minimal, save for food. Three mouths are considerably more than one, as appetite increases with company.”

Jophiel nodded. “Employment. I shall start searching for a job after breakfast.”

“No. Stay in the house. I want you and Sael to take it easy, today. I’ll bring back some prospects today and you can take your pick tomorrow.”

“You have connections, then? You needn’t spend the goodwill of others on us.”

“It’s nothing, Jo. But, since you are here, let us speak of loftier ambitions.”

Jophiel turned her head from the plate of biscuits to her cousin. “You want House Desider.”

“Or House Erus, in honor of your late husband. Besides, it’s only right that those with golden eyes lead the House. I only wish to be part of the family again.”

Jophiel pursed her lips. “I agree that we do need to have this conversation. But, considering the circumstances, can we postpone this discussion until another day? I… need some time. I still need to erect a memorial marker of some sort. I haven’t yet said my goodbyes to Zachariel and Muriel.” Desi put her hand on Jophiel’s shoulder.

“Of course. I’m sorry, that was inconsiderate of me to press you. I have a back yard if you wish to use that, and the area to the south of the town is fair game, too, if you wish to go there and do that. The market in the center of town has material to purchase; there’s spending money in the jar in the top left kitchen cabinet if you need it to make your purchases. But, whatever you do, don’t push yourself.”

***

After Desi left, Sael did not rest, but instead accompanied her mother around the town as Jophiel made her purchases. Many people walked pets around the town; mostly dogs, with a few cats. Everyone she met there at the town were unbelievably kind, and, surprisingly, not terribly intrusive, only introducing themselves and asking for the two women’s names, if they were dog or cat people, and, of course, if they were related to Desi, on account of their eyes; the majority of the town was human and dwarven.

Since it was daylight, Sael got to take a look at the landscape surrounding the town with more attention than she was able to give the evening before: the town was a single small plateau amongst several grassy, rolling hills, rich with flowers of various sorts, with the forest off in one direction behind a large hill that obscured most of it, and several caves on the opposite side that were the beginnings of the hilly region’s transformation into a mountainous region. All in all, it was a beautiful place, if a bit warm.

Jophiel bought a shovel, a hammer, nails, wood, stone, some cheap flowers and a knife; the dwarf who sold her the stone was kind enough to offer to haul the stone to the house while they continued their shopping, leaving his market stall empty. No one touched the stall while he was away and Sael couldn’t help but feel that it was a good sign that the dwarf didn’t have to worry about his stall, nor the money he might lose in his absence. She smiled, which was a rarity in the past few days.

The smile was broken a couple hours later, though, as she helped her mother build the marker in Desi’s back yard. She and her mother both cried as they etched their loved ones’ names into the wood they planted in the yard, and they held each other after they placed the flowers on the rocks. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t near enough, in their minds, in their hearts, what they did compared to what they wanted: there should have been a marble wall with the names of every person who lost their life in Almaz, there should have been incense sticks with wisps of smoke dissipating in the wind, there should have been a mass of people gathered together to mourn, but instead, there was a small stone altar with a small wooden marker that had just enough room for two names, and two nearly broken people who had almost nothing, trying to keep themselves and keep each other together. It would have to be enough.

As mother held daughter, and tears stained the shoulders of their new clothes, their weeping was accentuated by the howling of every single dog in and near the town.