I stood at the front of the crowd, besides my parents. They were whispering to each other, they looked nervous. The whole town did. Nobody wanted to be outside, it was too close to calibration. We all had to go, nobody wanted to be left in the village alone, besides it was worth it to have the numbers.
"Don't go saying something stupid, Crystal Bat, I know you get funny idea's sometime but we can't have you ruining this" I nodded dumbly at my mother as she chastised me. I never understood her reluctance to let me learn, they were the village elders talking to strangers was their job. It was in my blood. I was watching my father now, he had started to wander through the villages, we didn't' have many, we were only a small village in the hundred kingdoms. "Crystal" My attention snapped to her again.
"I promise, Mother" She nodded, looking unconvinced. The whole village started to move out. We all knew roughly where we were going. The copse of the mustalid king. The wolverine that was instructing the destruction of our farms. It was a large clearing with a huge tree trunk on which sat a wolverine.
"You came" He growled out, his black eyes studied the village. He stepped forwards slightly. He was bigger than any of the other animals around him. A cluster of different mustalids staring back at us. Was this his village? Is brown and black fur danced as he moved forwards.
"You can't keep eating all our food" My father called.
"You can't keep eating all ours. You're destroying the forest and the rivers" The King growled back, his claws stretched. I stood staring at them as they started to argue and shout at each other. Neither of them was really listening to each other. I felt my feet start to pull me forwards, my mothers hands slipping past as she tries to grab me. I keep moving forwards. Everyone is watching me now. The King is staring at me, pensive.
"We can form a reasonable agreement, this can be fixed. But not by shouting" I call out. My voice calm but loud. I'm not really thinking about what I'm saying, acting on auto pilot. The king is staring at me. I drop to my knees in front of him. Meeting him on his level. I can't explain why but it feels like the right thing to do. He looked surprised at first, staring at me.
"Yes. I believe you can do it" I don't question his words, they don't need to make sense. He's happy to let me try. My father looks defeated, stepping backwards to join the rest o the village. My mother looks concerned but holds herself back. It's too late to stop me doing something stupid now and she knows it.
"The village will agree to not touch the forest food, they will use their farmed resources and take only what they need from the river. In return your creatures will not take from the farms, they will feed from the forest and take only what they need from the river. We can live in peace without starving the other. Do you agree?" They is a silence as he looks at me. The village behind me holds their breath. It is starting to get dark now, the setting sun beside us.
"I will agree if they do" The King flicked his paw towards the rest of the village.
"And do they?" I question. Murmurs start to flicker between them. Questioning.
"I will stand as the village voice. We will agree to this" An old woman stepped forward, in front of the whole village. Silence fell. I nod as she started to amble towards me and the King. She leans heavily on her staff as she moves. She sits beside us and I place my hand between them.
"The village will leave the forest and take only what it needs of the river. And the mustalids will leave the farms and take only what they need from the river" The King placed his paw on my hand and the old women followed suit. "I bind this oath in the name of the unconquered sun" The words flew from my mouth before I could understand them. A light struck the clearing, filling it with gold and tiny silver snowflakes. A gasp echoed around me. I could feel my forehead glowing in a circle. The light started to clear. The job was finished. The village and the creatures start to leave, finding their holes and houses for the coming calibration. The king and the old woman remain for a moment until only the three of us remained in the clearing. The King was the first to leave, trotting his way into the forest. The woman stood up next and I followed. The snow flakes and golden light had disappeared from around us. Me and the woman returned to the village, I stood by her side making sure she did not trip on our journey. We walked in silence. The village was empty. Everyone was inside. I left the woman and moved towards the stone house in the centre. My house. Outside sat a bag. I stared at it in confusion. I had some clothes, some food, some water. I tried to push the door open. Had they already locked the door against calibration? Why had they not waited for me? I knocked on the door.
"Mother? Father? Let me in" I called. "It's calibration. Let me in" I called, knocking as loud as I could manage.
"They won't let you in" A small growly voice called from behind me and I turned around quickly to find the voice. A small brown otter stood looking at me.
"What do you mean?" I stepped down and sat in front of the otter.
"You know how at calibration they lock the doors and hide from the monsters that come out at calibration. Well, you're that creature. One of them anyways" I stared down at him.
"I don' want to be out in calibration. What am I suppose to do? I'm scared" I admitted. I had no idea what I was suppose to do. I had never left the village. I heard the horses neighing besides the house and stared at the stable. I knew it would also be locked. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't want to go home, I was at the clearing when you talked to my father."
"A prince otter? With a wolverin father? I suppose that explains why you can also talk" I smiled as I spoke. "You could come with me, I don't want to be alone" I suggested, hopeful. The idea of being completely abandoned terrified me, I had no idea how I was suppose to survive on m own during calibration.
"I'd like that. My name is Geralt" He spoke with a growl to his voice.
"Crystal Bat" I offered my hand out to him and he sniffed me for a moment before jumping onto my arm and running up to my shoulder. I giggled as his fur rubbed against my skin. I could feel his claws pressing through my cloak but he didn't' feel uncomfortable wrapped around my neck. He was warm and heavy. I stood up, slowly. Geralt adjusted himself on my shoulder.
"If I sleep while you walk I can be a lookout while you sleep, it should be safer that way" I nodded in agreement, having a lookout at all times sounded like a good idea. I had no idea what awaited us on our travels.
