Avandor's Gift

“Is it still following us?” I whispered. I fell upon the trunk of the tree bent over panting.

“I think so,” said Tetje who was sitting with his head between his legs and panting as well.

“What in Avandor were those things?” I said.

“Considering that I have been a citizen of Avandor for approximately never, I cannot dare say what those were.” He bit sharply. “I thought your premonitions signalled when we took a dangerous turn. Yet every step we’ve taken thus far has been anything but safe.”

“It isn’t an exact science, besides if I don’t decide to move then we would end up nowhere and I didn’t come here to stand up on a hill for four days.” I fired back.

“Right, you came here to be eaten by water sharks, buried by giant earth beetles and suffocated by air serpents instead.” He said effectively listing all the odd creatures that had been intent on killing us since we arrived.

“I thought they didn’t have a name.”

“They don’t, but I am naturally creative and it would be awfully unimaginative of me if I referred to each creature as the water it, giant earth it and suffocating air it.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have already apologised.”

“It has been two days and a half, not that you can tell from the lighting here, but we are losing time.” He said more sombrely.

“I know, but we are among the trees now. Manneth said it would be safe here.”

“Right Manneth, Mr Almighty himself. You made a deal with a god not knowing what he wants in return. He tells us to get back to a distant hill at dawn in a land with no suns. Did you ever think that his price was to take your life?” he said getting up to hover over me.

“He has no reason to want me dead,” I think, I added quietly as I conceded that Tetje had a point. “I saw a chance to get Tet back and I took it.”

“Next time you see him, ask for a bleeding map or guide or at least a compass. The only things that point anywhere here the flipping trees. They don’t even grow upwards, just so.” He said as he pointed with his hands.

“So they do, you are right. This is the way!” I beamed looking at the direction of all the branches of the tress around us. “We just have to follow the trees.”

“What are you talking about now chuman?”

“The limbs they only grow on one side all pointing in the same direction, if we follow them it might lead us to Alphandé.”

“Well?” he asked.

“Well what?” I said confused by the look of consternation crossing his face.

“Any visions?” he said rearranging his face to a look of acceptance or resignation. I was still having trouble figuring out the emotional streams that waved around changelings.

“Absolutely none.” I beamed.

“After you then,” he said gesturing for me to proceed. I brushed the last of the dirt from my pants and walked ahead.

The ground was hard under the gnarly tree roots, too hard for dust beetles. No sign of water here either and the air was pleasantly perfumed. Being in constant danger I never had time to admire the land around me. The trees were tightly knitted but it was never dark here. I had wondered about the lack of sun and puzzled about the light source, but it was here under the forest I discovered the answers.

Each leaf gave off a phosphorescent glow which singularly were dim, but with millions of them glowing together, gave enough light to brighten an entire land.

I stopped under one of the trees and studied one of the leaves more closely. The top of it was green like other plants, but the underside was dusky with threads of silver outlining the veins.

“The light is liquid, it flows like blood through a vessel.” I said with open fascination.

“So it does.” said Tetje who had come up beside me. “But let me remind you, we are losing time and if you wish to study leaves just bring the branch with you while we walk.” He plucked a short stem with several leaves on it and shoved it in my hands.

An unearthly silence suddenly surrounded us and for a few seconds the entire forest grew dim.

“What just happened?” said Tetje a he looked at me.

“Manneth said that the trees were our friends, unless angered. Then they would fast become foes.”

“Picking a twig is hardly a reason for ire.”

“Not to a tree.” I said backing away slowly from the plant taking Tetje along with me. “We need to get out of here.”

“I agree.” He whispered. “Did he happen to mention what exactly happened in the wake of angering a plant?”

“No but I think we are about to find out.” I said as the ground shook. “Run!” I said moving off but fell flat on my face as wooden arms laced themselves around my legs, pulling me back to the tree.

I tried to get free but the snares grew tighter and higher up my body. The movement stopped once I was cocooned by strong tree roots.

“I am beginning to see what will happen on waking the anger of a tree.” said Tetje who was bound by a buttress root to my left. There was hardly any place to look but up and I noticed that the leaves and limbs had arranged themselves in such a way, I was sure that I was looking into a face. It was neither human nor animal—but tree—it was hard to describe, but it was a face.

A sudden consciousness broke into my mind with such force that it granted me an immediate headache.

“Who dares to maim a limb of Alandra?” It asked slowly and deeply, like a being woken form an ancient slumber.

“We apologise great tree...Alandra, we meant no offence” I stammered.

“Your beauty was so rare and unseen by our kind before that it intrigued us.” said Tetje. Flattery was one way to handle it I supposed.

The face turned from me and was beaming down on Tetje. “Your kind Alkarbrafä, many of your kind I know. Many have come here and many have died here.” It replied and the roots tightened.

“Surely not all Alkarbrafä, there was Sulna the nimble.” said Tetje. I had the feeling that was not the right thing to say at this exact moment.

“Sulna the thief and maimer!” It roared.

“We do not understand?” I said forestalling Tetje’s next comment which I was sure was going to get us killed.

“He stole from my brother.”

“What did he steal?”

“Our limbs channel, hold and concentrates magic that runs free in the ground, water and air better than any other material in existence. He wanted control over magic and to do so he maimed one of us.”

“That was over a thousand years ago.” I said.

“Time means nothing, only memories.”

“Well you must be appeased to know that the limb is no more, thanks to Evander.”

“The magic he used it to trap is again free.” I added quickly. That changeling needed to learn a thing or two about diplomacy.

“Magic is free again as it should be.” It said sounding fractionally appeased.

“Except it is not good where we come from.” I said.

“And where are you from being? You are changeling but not quite.”

“I am from Gé Addar the land of humans, but I was Grey Mage of the changelings as well. In both those lands there are people who will always seek to own magic. Even magic itself has learned to exist within a vessel. It cannot do without one, and the magic that once possessed the staff Alphandé now possess a female of our kind. She is not as strong as Alphandé and if the magic doesn’t leave her soon she will die.”

“As it should be.” I felt the roots unwind from around me and when they were gone I took in a huge breath. “Your branch,” I said offering the twig.

“Ignorance was your crime and brother’s debt has been repaid, you shall live today.” I felt its consciousness receding from my mind, but I still needed answers.

I sat up stiffly, “If Alphandé was made by a random tree in the forest, then to where do your limbs point?”

“Towards our heart.” It replied.

“And what lies at the heart?” I asked. “At the heart, what lives there?” I shouted. The face was gone, the tree was a tree again and I received no answers. “Well blast!” I cussed and wiped the dirt from my clothes, carefully avoiding the budding bruises on my skin.

“That was by far the most singular experience of my life.” said Tetje, whose statement added a certain absurdity to the moments passed. He stood up still grooming himself, “Since Alphandé doesn’t lie yonder, what do we do now?”

“Find whatever is at the bleeding heart and take it from there.” I said restarting our sojourn.