109
"Like I said, teaching adults is never easy."
Hershel nodded in agreement as he leaned back. Phos seemed to be studying his expression from the other chair. They were seated in the front room of Hershel's dream tent.
"You seem happier," the departed Oni finally said, and Hershel blinked in surprise.
"Do I?"
"Yes."
Phos leaned forward, and Hershel tried not to squirm under his old Master's intense gaze. After a couple moments, the Ancient cracked a smile.
"What's her name?"
Hershel flushed and Phos chuckled.
"Did you think I wouldn't know?" he asked dryly, and Hershel swallowed and glanced away.
"I…guess I didn't think you would be interested in all of that."
"Mmm. Because I'm dead, or because I'm heartless?"
Hershel looked back then, shaking his head.
"You're not heartless, Phos."
The Ancient nodded to himself and leaned back, raising his eyebrow as a prompt for Hershel to continue. Hershel cleared his throat.
"I'm not actually sure how she feels, honestly; she's a traditionalist. You know, apathy and stony expressions and all that."
"Sounds like a real winner," Phos said dryly, and Hershel rolled his eyes.
"But there's more to her…things hiding under the surface. I don't know. It's hard to explain…but it's like she's a mystery I'm slowly solving. I like how confident she is…how genuine. She knows what she wants and who she is."
He was tugging at his sleeves, feeling young and foolish as he explained himself to his old Master.
"It may all be for nothing…like I said, she may not even be interested like that."
"But you are interested in her," Phos pointed out, and Hershel cleared his throat again as a smile crept on his face.
"Yes," he finally admitted. Phos stirred his tea.
"Where did you meet her?"
Hershel leaned forward, still feeling strange but opening up a little more.
"Well, it's Myrah, actually; the one who asked me to train these Healers in the first place. Technically the first time I saw her was at the central fortress, but we didn't really talk…"
He didn't notice that Phos's expression immediately sobered.
"The leader?" he cut in, and Hershel glanced up at his Master's sharp tone.
"…Yes, the new Western Leader."
By now he was aware of Phos's expression—it looked like stern regret. The Departed Ancient sighed.
"Hershel, you know better."
The tent rumbled around them, as if the crushing weight of his Master's tone was literally shaking Hershel's subconscious world. He stared at Phos, trying to understand.
"What do you mean?" he finally asked, and the Ancient leaned forward.
"You took an oath; you cannot be with a leader. Don't go down this path."
"The oath? You mean…not getting involved in politics?" Hershel asked carefully. "But Phos, I'm not killing any leaders. I'm not influencing her to pass laws or anything. It's not politics…it's personal."
His argument sounded weak even in his own ears and Phos shook his head.
"What happens if it goes too far? What happens if you get bound?" he pressed, and Hershel swallowed hard.
"I…Phos, I don't even know where this is going yet. Getting bound isn't really…"
"You need to think about these things, Hershel. You need to think about the consequences. If you were to get bound, you would suddenly have two places in two different hierarchies. Suddenly it's very much a political problem."
Hershel just stared, not sure even what defense to say next, but then Phos continued.
"You haven't done anything?" he asked sharply, and Hershel just shook his head in confusion.
"I…what?"
"You and the Leader! You haven't…"
"No!" Hershel said, catching on. "There's been nothing, Phos. I just don't understand why…"
"You're looking at this emotionally, Hershel. I need you to look at this practically," his old master cut in with almost uncharacteristic gentleness. "Think about the other Healers. From what I know about them, they couldn't have been happy when I made you the Master Healer. You saw how far Pazzol was willing to go. If you go down this path, the others will take it for what it's worth. All along they've been waiting for you to make one mistake…"
"If it was such a risky, unpopular position, then why tie me to this role in the first place?!"
It came out more bitter than he had meant it to, and Hershel regretted it as he saw his old Master flinch. When Phos spoke again, his voice was soft.
"You were the only one I could trust the realm with, Hershel. And yes…I knew that the others would wait for you to make mistakes. But I also knew how dedicated you were to the rules…how obedient you could be. I didn't think I had anything to worry about; they aren't allowed to harm the Master Healer without cause. In a way I suppose I saw it as a protection."
"Protection?" Hershel repeated softly. He bit his tongue from the words that were suddenly trying to force their way out. Phos leaned forward further, enough that he could stretch out a gnarled hand and put it on Hershel's knee.
"It can be…but you can't give the others any reason to doubt your commitment to the oath. Especially now that Imgloss has the Law of the Ancients; he's a twisted, bitter fellow, and I have no doubt he would destroy you if he had the chance."
Hershel couldn't tell if the tent was truly spinning, or if it was just in his mind. But then again, the tent was his mind…wasn't it?
"Those other healers…" he started numbly. "You had so much evidence against them, and yet you never used the Law of the Ancients on them. You never brought them to justice…even with them being so vengeful. Why?"
Phos hesitated.
"If I were to destroy every healer who made a mistake, I would have to destroy them all." He paused a moment. "Including myself. You are the only one who I could see making it through this role without straying…"
Hershel had closed his eyes, pushing the hair out of his face with shaking hands.
"I don't want to betray your trust," he finally said. "But…this is just a personal thing. I understand that I'd have to keep it hidden…"
"Not just hidden. It can't exist." Phos squeezed his old apprentice's knee. "You must cut off all ties…and never do anything that would insinuate a relationship of any kind. All it would take is the idea of it and the other Healers will be on you like sniffers on carrion."
Hershel's expression crumpled, and when he finally looked up there was a deep kind of sadness in his eyes that made the Ancient sag.
"I know it isn't fair," Phos admitted softly. "But you're young, Hershel. There will be other opportunities. For now, you must remain strong. I'm realizing that it wasn't even fair of me to tie you to this life…to these oaths…but now it is done. To protect yourself, you must keep them."
A melancholy type of calm had settled on the current Master Healer, and he finally nodded.
"I understand," Hershel reassured woodenly. The spark had left his eyes, and the Ancient had to look away.
"Good."
Silence fell and they both turned back to their discarded cups of tea. But by now, the drinks had cooled, and the fire in the dream-tent had burned so low that a chill could be felt in the air.
Theo pulled back against the net, but the next second it felt like the fish were pulling back.
"Whoa!" he called as he stumbled near the edge of the boat, and the fishermen in it cried out. A few stood to help him pull it back. A strong arm locked around the youth's waist to keep him grounded in the boat and Theo glanced back to give Tolan a sheepish grin.
"Thanks, Tol."
"If you go overboard, I'll never let you live it down," his reinstated bodyguard commented dryly. By now, the Western Fisherman had gotten a good grasp on the net and pulled it back into the boat. Theo turned his attention back to the net, and soon the good-sized boat was full of silvery fish flipping the last of their lives away. Theo collapsed down on one of the benches and wiped his face, glancing up at the sun.
"Now I see why you all wear hats," he commented with a smile towards the nearest fisherman. The villager didn't really seem to know what to say and he just shrugged as he and his coworkers began lugging their catch towards a barrel. Theo stood to help them.
"You know, a pulley system would make it a little easier to get these nets up and down," he commented as they worked. "You could just pull on rope rather than just lugging the whole heavy load into the boat. I mean, how many of you almost get yanked over everyday?"
The fisherman didn't really answer, a couple shooting him looks. He finally chuckled awkwardly.
"Just me then?"
"Theodynn!"
He turned to see a figure waving from shore and he smiled and waved back as he recognized Myrah. He glanced over at the nearest fisherman.
"Do you mind giving us a ride back?"
The Western Leader stood on the sand awkwardly, as if she was not used to being this close to the ocean. The fishing boat pulled up to the docks and Theo and Tolan hopped out and headed towards her.
"Hey Myrah!"
She smiled, but it seemed a little forced as she glanced over at the fishing boat.
"What on earth were you up to out there?"
Theo turned to look at the boat as well and waved at the fisherman. One or two waved back before pulling back out towards the deeper, fish-filled waters.
"Well, Tolan and I were pretty early and we saw that they were about to head out, so we asked if we could join them while we waited for you."
Myrah frowned as she followed the boat with her eyes.
"Why?"
Theo shrugged.
"I like to meet people, get an idea for what their lives are like everyday." He stretched out his back with a grimace. "Did you know fish are heavy? I think I might have pulled something…"
"It's foolish for you to be engaged in such activities," Myrah cut in sternly. "You put yourself at risk. You are the heir of the realm; if something were to happen to you…"
"I appreciate the concern," Theo said with a smile. "But I know how to swim and everything. The only thing that would have happened is I could have gotten wet."
"I'm here to make sure the heir is safe," Tolan reminded from where he was standing. He was eyeing Myrah coldly and the leader looked over as if she was just remembering he was there.
"Of course," she said aloofly. "I nearly forgot how well you keep him safe."
Tolan's eyes narrowed, and Theo cut in quickly.
"I'm sorry if we made you wait. We can head to the village to do inventory now…maybe get out of this sun."
The Leader turned her attention back to him and nodded, and soon they were off. After a few minutes Myrah spoke again.
"You cannot afford to be so reckless, Theodynn. If you wanted to know more about Western fishing practices, there are records in the library. Or fisherman in the village that you could sit down with and talk to."
Theo shrugged.
"Yeah, I know. But I mean there's only so much you can learn from scrolls, you know?"
She turned to him in confusion and he laughed.
"Sorry, I know you love reading. And there is tons to be gained like that…I do my fair share of research, I swear. But there are some things you never really are going to know about unless you actually get in there and let yourself experience them. That's what I've been trying to do lately…really experience what life is like for people, rather than just asking or reading about them."
Myrah scoffed.
"And Western-style fishing is one of those things you've just been dying to experience?"
Theo shrugged, his usual grin resting easily on his features.
"Yeah, well, today it was. When the opportunity comes to experience something, I tend to take it."
Myrah was silent as she processed this, and when she spoke again she stopped and turned to face him fully.
"What if there are things you don't want to experience? Surely research would have to be sufficient then."
Theo frowned in thought.
"Things…like what?"
"Like…" Myrah trailed off, and Theo noticed a slight flush in her face. He was wondering if it was the heat or something else when she finally finished her thought. "Like sickness. I would rather not experience the fever in order to understand it. Surely what I've researched about it would be sufficient to understanding it."
Theo blinked and finally nodded.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I'm not too fond of the fever either." His expression became a little mischievous as he argued a little for argument's sake. "But I would also say that I didn't really understand the fever fully until I caught it myself. Like sure, I've read all about it and seen other people with the fever and all of that…but until I had it myself I didn't really know what it was like to be that sick."
She narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
"Don't be difficult, Theodynn."
Her Tolan stepped closer.
"Stop telling him what to do."
His voice was even, but the authority was obvious. Myrah straightened as she glared at him, but then she glanced back at Theo. The heir was feeling uncomfortable all over again, and he was glad when Myrah didn't press the issue. Instead she seemed apologetic as she addressed him.
"Forgive me; perhaps I share my own opinion too freely."
"You don't need to apologize for that," Theo assured quickly. "I don't mind. In fact, I appreciate that you share your opinions with me."
They had started walking again, and Myrah looked slightly relieved.
"Really?"
"Sure. I mean, you're always challenging me to be a better leader. It's not enough for me just to have my beliefs; I need to be able to defend them if I'm going to be the Ruler. I need to have a solid basis for why I think that it's the right way to lead. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to really think about why I believe what I do."
Myrah's expression was blank, and she finally blinked.
"That's…how you interpret it?" she finally asked, but then she seemed to catch herself. "Granted, I do want you to be a good Ruler. And I truly believe that you have what it takes to get there, you just have to…"
"Thanks, Myrah."
She trailed off at Theo's genuine gratitude as he turned to smile at her.
"It means a lot, that you believe in me. It's not really something I'm used to having from the other leaders. They've always just sort of considered me to be young and naïve and inexperienced."
Myrah just stared at him in silence, but by now they had reached the front of the village and Theo gestured.
"Shall we?"
110
The baby's wail pierced the air, and Syn moved quickly. The Oni mother seemed fine; worn out, of course, but stable, so the curly-headed healer turned with the newborn. Hershel was nearby and she handed the baby to him to help while she finished everything with the mother.
Eventually the process was finished and Syn moved to wash her hands, blowing the hair out of her face. It was dripping in sweat; it was an unnaturally hot day. The baby had quieted by now, and the mother was asleep.
"Thanks for coming, Hersh. I can handle the general birth, but I was so scared this baby was upside down…"
"No problem."
His voice was quiet, and Syn grabbed an unused cloth to dry her hands and wipe the sweat out of her eyes. She turned to say something else to her brother, but paused when she caught sight of him. Hershel was standing near the doorway, staring down at the now clean and bundled form in his arms. His expression was surprisingly sad, and Syn felt a twist of worry.
"Is it ok?"
He glanced up at her, as if pulled from a deep train of thought, and she gestured to the baby.
"Is everything alright with it?"
"Yes, the baby's fine," Hershel finally said, catching on to her meaning. He moved to place the infant on the mat nearby its mother and left them to snooze on. Syn watched her brother carefully as he came over to wash his own hands.
"Hershel…are you alright?"
"Of course."
She frowned and grabbed his shoulder so he would look over at her. He did, his brow furrowing as she scanned his face.
"I don't think you are," Syn finally pointed out, and he scoffed softly.
"Just tired," he argued, pulling out of her grasp with a small smile. "Ready to head back?"
Syn wasn't convinced, but she helped him gather the supplies and clean everything up. Eventually they left, gave a neighbor a few instructions to relay to the mother when she woke up. Syn studied her brother as they walked towards the next village on their list. He seemed sadder; something was definitely wrong. After walking ten minutes in silence she finally couldn't help asking.
"Is it Myrah?"
Hershel stopped dead, and she bit her lip as he glanced over.
"Is what Myrah?"
"The reason you're upset?" she pressed, and he sighed.
"I'm not ups…"
"You are. I…I know I haven't really been here for you over the last few years. But there is definitely a difference in how you are today and how you were last week."
His brow furrowed but she rushed on before he could deny anything.
"You like Myrah, don't you? Romantically?"
Hershel glanced away, which was answer enough.
"Oh Hersh. What's happened?"
"Nothing."
He started walking again and she sighed. It seemed she was going to have to pull every detail out of him.
"What do you mean nothing?"
"Nothing's happened between us. And nothing will."
His tone was apathetic and it worried her. She grabbed his arm.
"Why? What did she do? Did she say something, or…"
"Myrah didn't do anything, Syn. Don't blame her."
She blinked in surprise.
"Then who should I be blaming?"
Hershel gave a long exhale through his nose.
"No one. It's no one's fault; it's just a situation that wouldn't ever work out."
"Says who?"
He gave her a look that made it clear he didn't want to talk about it, so she gave him her classic stubborn look in return.
"She's a leader," he finally explained. Syn frowned, trying to make the connection. Suddenly it clicked.
"The no politics oath?" she asked, and he nodded as she continued. "But…that counts?"
"It counts." He pushed his hair out of his face and sighed. "Phos said the other healers are just looking for any excuse to take me down; apparently this would make a good one."
Syn was silent as it sunk in. She didn't even know how to feel about Myrah, and in truth part of her didn't trust the Western Leader. But seeing Hershel like this, she couldn't help but feel a flare of annoyance at the stupid rules the Healers were bound to.
"What are you going to do about it?" she finally asked, and Hershel turned to give her a steady look.
"I'm going to keep the oath," he said simply. But then, almost under his breath, he added, "What else can I do?"
Keyda was engrossed in a conversation with Jaqah, so she didn't see Theo sneaking up behind her. Suddenly she was wrapped up in an embrace from behind and jumped.
"Gotcha!"
She whirled around as Jaqah rolled her eyes. Theo was wearing his classic sheepish grin and Keyda couldn't help but smile in return.
"Seems like you've had a good day," she commented, and Theo released her.
"Yeah, it's been pretty good."
She blinked.
"What's that smell?"
Theo looked down at himself and frowned.
"Um…probably fish. I got to do some fishing out in the west during one of my visits."
Keyda raised an eyebrow.
"Fishing?"
He shrugged and she shook her head.
"You've been doing a lot of leadership things again lately," she commented carefully. "Leader visits, village stops…getting to know the locals."
Theo rubbed his neck and gave a half-shrug.
"Yeah, well…I guess it just took me a bit to get back into the flow."
She reached over to push Theo's hair out of his face.
"It's nice to see," she admitted. "You're getting some of your old confidence back."
He smiled.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're still planning on going to the beach, this weekend?"
M. looked over at where Amber was stretching and shrugged.
"Sure. Why? The Music dweebs backing out?"
Amber frowned and M. kicked himself. He was trying not to be so obviously bitter, but something about those musicians made him so irritated. He found himself hoping that she would say there were backing out, however. He would much rather go to the beach with Amber and leave Dani and the rest behind.
"They aren't backing out. I just wanted to make sure you still wanted to."
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Why wouldn't I?"
She was studying him closely.
"I don't know," she finally admitted. M. tried to keep his emotions calm and under control.
"You're still coming, right?"
"Yeah, I'm still coming." She finished stretching and checked that her laces were tight enough on her Latin dancing shoes. "My family used to go to the beach a lot, but now we hardly ever go. I can't remember the last time I've been."
M. felt a smugness well up, proud of himself for suggesting the day after all. Sure, the music kids would be there, but he was the one who put it together. They weren't even creative enough to get out of that stupid music room.
"I called my mom," he suddenly blurted, and Amber looked up in surprise. He wasn't sure why he had even said it…he was just feeling good about this beach trip and it had slipped out.
"What did she say?" she finally asked. Her voice was kind of distant; M suspected she still didn't really like discussing his mother. He shrugged again.
"She didn't answer," he admitted. "But I left her a message…asked if we could meet up sometime." His voice lowered. "My Dad is the one who doesn't want us meeting up anymore…but she's my parent too. So it shouldn't all just be what my Dad wants, right?"
"I guess so."
The professor was calling to them now, pointing out that everyone else was already in position. Amber and M. stood quickly to follow suit.
Myrah hesitated at the door of the tent, taking a deep breath. Her heart was already pounding, her stomach twisting. She frowned and felt her face; it was definitely flushed. That did it; she was sick. It was truly the only explanation…luckily she was here at the Master Healer's tent and could ask him about it directly.
She pushed the door flap open and entered, but then she realized that Hershel wasn't even here. Myrah froze. Technically, this wasn't her usual visiting time…and it suddenly occurred to her that the Master Healer probably did spend a lot of time in the field rather than in his tent. She found herself wondering if he had made sure to be home around the times that she had started coming every week. She felt her face again and scowled at how hot it felt.
"Who are you?"
She jumped and turned to see a child peering at her from the doorway into the back. Myrah immediately straightened, her expression composed.
"I'm Myrah, the Western Leader. I'm here to talk with the Master Healer…"
The child's eyebrows popped up in surprise.
"Myrah? You're Myrah?"
The Leader's words died in her throat at the child's interested tone. They darted into the room, giving Myrah a gap-tooth grin. She was pretty sure the child was a girl, but it was hard to tell with the wild curls marring her face.
"I'm Pippa!" she declared, almost as if she expected Myrah to have heard of her. The Leader blinked.
"Is the Master Healer here?" she repeated, trying to figure out why this child was acting like she knew her.
"Nah, Uncle Hershel and Mom went out to villages today."
Pippa was studying the other figure intently, and it was making Myrah uncomfortable. The Leader nodded and looked over at the scroll cubbies.
"I…just came to read some history," she explained as she headed over to the cubbies. There was something uncomfortable about the silence, and she wished the child would leave.
"How is it that you know who I am?" Myrah finally asked, her back turned to the child as she tried to decide which scroll to read.
"Easy. You're the one my Uncle Hershel is in love with."
The scroll dropped to the ground and then entire lattice shook as Myrah more or less fell into it. She whirled, flustered, and Pippa raised an eyebrow.
"You ok?"
"What did you say?" Myrah demanded, and Pippa just shrugged.
"You have to be her; Mom and Dad have been talking about you a lot. Mom thinks that you're just using him cuz he's the Master Healer, but Dad says we don't really have to worry about it cuz knowing Hershel he'll mess it up himself before it could go anywhere anyways."
The Leader was completely blindsided, frozen to her spot as she stared at the child in disbelief. Pippa studied her.
"Are you using Uncle Hershel or do you like him back? Has he done anything to mess it up? He's a good Healer, you know. He's smart, he's just serious. Dad calls him a stick in the mud…"
"You're wrong."
It was the first thing that Myrah managed to say. Her heart was pounding like crazy and she shook her head as the child frowned.
"This isn't…we aren't…" She finally broke her stony demeanor, grabbing her head. "I just come here to read scrolls. Hershel…Master Hershel couldn't possibly…"
"Have you kissed?" Pippa asked, her eyes wide. "If you've kissed then…."
"This is utterly none of your business!" Myrah cut in, her fists clenching. She finally was feeling grounded once again and she glared at the fluffy-haired girl in front of her. "How dare you spread such lies!"
"It's not lies!" Pippa said back, her eyes flashing. Myrah took a step back at the sight of it, but other than that the child didn't react aurally. "My Dad and Mom never lie. If they said that Hershel loves you then he does!"
"Stop."
Myrah's voice was cold; the shock was wearing off and her wall began to form once again.
"What you're saying is impossible."
Pippa was glowering now, and she folded her arms in a huff.
"You don't love him back," she guessed, her tone quiet and angry. Myrah felt a violent twist inside.
"I…"
The words got stuck in her throat, and suddenly she had to get out of the tent, away from the intrusive child with her piercing gaze, away from the horrible realizations that were threatening on the horizon. She narrowed her eyes at Pippa one last time and rushed from the tent. The sun beat down in a blazing heat, but she felt cold as she kept a brisk pace to get away from the entire situation. The sick feeling inside had become so much worse, her heart still pounding.
She steadied herself as she reached her hoofer, forcing the entire conversation from her mind. It was utter nonsense spouted from a flighty child…nothing more. Surely the Master Healer had no such feelings…though a million different instances kept forcing their way into her mind in an insane effort to prove the opposite. She closed her eyes and locked the thoughts away, the feelings away. It didn't matter, she finally decided. Let the Master Healer go down whatever path of folly he chose, it was none of her business and certainly not her problem. Because no matter what others decided; affection, love… these were not emotions fitting for a leader. They were not emotions fitting for her.
It was a chilly day for the beach; that much was realized quickly. Amber and the others shivered slightly in the cold, salty air, staring out into the large expanse of dark waves.
"Maybe this isn't exactly the best season for beaching," Jennifer muttered, her tone matching a sudden freezing breeze. M. flushed from a few feet away, and Amber knew he was feeling both embarrassed and angry.
"It may not be swimming weather," he challenged. "But there's more to a beach than just swimming and sand."
"Like what?" David asked, pulling his jacket on tighter around himself. Dani had a large fluffy towel wrapped around her shoulders like a blanket, and she and the other five or six students looked to the Openheimer expectantly. He rubbed his neck and continued defensively.
"The tide's out; can't you see all these cool rocks and stuff? Plus there's caves all along here; rumor is it people used to hide out in these when they were running from the law and stuff. Some of them go on for miles…"
"Criminals?" Conny interrupted, her eyes wide. Amber cut in.
"I'm sure there aren't criminals living on the beach," she assured, glaring at M. "If it's too cold for a picnic, we could always go back to town and eat. My aunt and uncle own a restaurant down on…"
"No, come on!" M. interrupted, taking a step closer to her. "At least try to have an adventure first."
She frowned and he folded his arms haughtily.
"From the life you've led, Amber…I would have thought you'd love the chance at an adventure. But if these Music geeks are too wimpy for it..."
"We aren't too wimpy for it!" Dani cut in, pulling her towel-blanket closer. "It's just freezing!"
"It's not too bad," the Openheimer argued. He was walking out, poking at tidepools and looking at the craggy landscape that had appeared with the disappearance of the tide. "And if you guys aren't too wimpy, then you wouldn't mind exploring that cave with me, huh?"
He pointed at something that the others couldn't see from their position. After walking further out to join the Openheimer, they could finally make out the entrance to a cave. Conny shuddered.
"Looks like the mouth of some rocky monster," she pointed out, and M. rolled his eyes and headed for the entrance.
"It'll be warmer inside," he prompted, though Amber wasn't exactly sure if that would be true. M. seemed pretty sure of himself though, and she hesitated before following him.
"M…maybe this isn't a good idea…" she started, and he bristled.
"Well fine. I'm going to explore the cave. If you and your new friends have better things to do, then go for it."
She paused, taken aback. What was it that made him act like this all the time? Why couldn't he just be reasonable? He used to be pretty reasonable…didn't he?
He was disappearing into the mouth of the cave, and she turned back to her other friends. She could sense their hesitation, but she could also tell that they weren't ready to call it quits. They probably didn't want to be labeled as cowards, she realized.
"Oh, what the heck," Dani finally said, heading towards the cave. "We can humor the baby Openheimer for a little bit…and then we can go to Amber's Aunts and Uncles to warm up."
Seeing that their leader had made a decision, the rest of the group obediently followed. Amber turned back to the cave and sighed. Hopefully, M. would snap out of whatever funk he was in eventually.
111
"This can't be right…"
M. felt panic set in as they turned another corner to find a dead end. He turned to see six other faces in the eerie purple glow of Amber's aura; she was using it to light their way in the pitch-black caves. They looked as nervous as he felt, but he refused to show his own creeping dread.
"I…think it might be a right at that last turn. That should do it…" he assured, but David shook his head.
"Just admit it, Openheimer! You have no idea where we are!"
"We're lost in the caves?!"
Conny was starting to hyperventilate, and Dani wrapped her arms around the shorter girl.
"It's going to be fine. Look, M…really loved the whole 'I know exactly where we're going' routine, but we need real help now."
"I do know where…"
"No you don't."
It was Amber who spoke now, her tone both stern and soft. He glanced over, and the look on her face was enough to let him know that he couldn't hide his panic from her. He swallowed hard and folded his arms angrily.
"Fine, Dani… what do you suggest we do?"
Their voices had been echoing off the sleek wet walls, and it was starting to creep him out. As much as he wanted to save face, he had to admit he was ready to just be done with this stupid cave. At this point, he actually wished he was in Amber's aunt's restaurant.
The pianist had pulled out her phone.
"I'm calling my mom," she said simply. M frowned.
"You can't possibly have bars in here."
Dani frowned at her phone screen, and white light illuminated the space, mixing with the purple light from Amber's aura. It was even easier to see everyone's pinched, terrified expressions.
"I…don't have much." She admitted. "Not enough for a call…I'm gonna see if a text goes through…"
She began typing furiously, and her expression cracked a little. Through the whole trip, M. realized she had been maintaining a calm exterior, but he suddenly realized that she was as terrified as the rest of them.
"Ugh…not enough!" she said. "We need to keep walking…try to find a better spot with service."
"It's a freaking cave, Dani!" Jennifer suddenly exploded. "There isn't going to be any service!"
She stamped her foot, and there was an ominous splash. Everyone glanced down and realized that there was water seeping onto the floor.
"Was it this wet before?" David asked, his voice almost a whimper. Another music kid, a guy named Mark, shivered violently.
"The tide," he realized in a nasally voice. "If the tide comes in while we're still in here…"
M. felt a flash of dreadful panic, and the looks on everyone else's faces were enough to tell them they felt the same. Conny had burst into tears, and to be honest the rest of the group didn't look like they were doing much better keeping it in. The only one not on the verge of a breakdown was Amber, though her expression was knit with worry.
"Guys, don't panic," she said calmly. M. realized suddenly that for the Oni, this entire space must be packed with panic. "We are going to get out of here…."
"Amber!"
Relief suddenly rushed into M. as he turned to the Oni. She looked at him as he called out her name, seeming confused. But he had just hit on the solution to their problems.
"You can transport, can't you? Just pop us out of the cave!"
Her brow wrinkled further, though at this point the other kids were looking at her with both hope and apprehension.
"I…"
She cleared her throat, glancing at the group.
"I don't think I can do a group this size," she finally admitted. "The most I've ever transported was like two people, and it wore me out. My family has to come to Ninjago in two groups, that's how…"
"Of course you can!" M. cut in. "You took on that crazy sorceress lady, didn't you? Did all those other hecka powerful things. All you have to do is a simple transport…"
"It gets exponentially harder with each added person!" the Oni argued. She was glancing at her friends like she was both uncomfortable and fearful. "I really don't think I can do it, M. I used to think I could do anything, but really I can't. Even Xinta have their limits…"
"Can't you just take us one at a time, then?" Dani cut in, her own voice tinged with fear and hope. Amber shook her head.
"Transporting isn't an exact science. There's no way to know if I could get back to this exact spot. I could get one of you out, or two…but then I could end up popping back into the wrong space entirely and spend too long trying to find you again. Or worse…" she shuddered hard. "I could transport back and get stuck inside a wall or something…"
"Inside a wall?" Conny squeaked. Amber nodded grimly.
"When we learn to transport we're told to always picture places we have a strong emotional connection to, as well as somewhere open. Outside transports in open spaces are the easiest. Transporting home isn't too bad because I'm so familiar. But…I've only been here once, and it's so cramped…"
She sounded guilty now, like she knew she was letting her friends down and was desperate for them to know why. M. should have let her off the hook…but cold water was seeping into his shoes now and fear was taking over.
"You have to try!" he yelled at her, and she looked over at him with shock and even what seemed to be betrayal. Any guilt he could have felt was swallowed by the dread and panic of the situation. "You're the only one who can get us out of here, Amber…if you don't then we're all gonna…"
"My text went through!"
Dani's voice cut in shrilly, and everyone turned to her in hope. Her hands were shaking badly and M. found himself hoping she didn't drop it into the slowly growing puddle at their feet.
"What'd she say?" Jennifer demanded, and Dani swallowed, trying to read the phone in her shaking, frozen hands.
"She said she contacted the police," she said, and the group sighed. Somehow, it felt good to know that someone knew where they were…that they were sending help. Dani continued. "She says they're on their way to the beach…she wants to know who all is with me and where we are…" her voice suddenly cut off as her throat constricted, and when she spoke again it was obvious she was crying. "She's probably so scared…she sounds so scared…."
"She should be scared! We're lost underground in this stupid cave and the water is rising!" Mark cut in, and David smacked him.
"Dude, not helpful!" he bellowed, but then he looked over at M. "So? Where are we?"
M. blinked as the attention turned back to him.
"We're…in a cave…."
"You idiot! This stupid beach is riddled with caves!" Jennifer snapped. "Which one is this one? You said you used to explore around here; does it have a name, or…."
"Well, I've never been in this particular cave," he snapped, the panic was once again setting into all of them. A few other kids had pulled out their own phones in an effort to contact their parents. M. pulled his out as well, but then he stared at the screen in a panic-induced stupor. Who should he write? His father? His mother? His grandfather? He couldn't decide…his fingers flicking desperately through his contacts as his eyes filled with tears. There was no harm in contacting any of them, really, but in his current mental status he was convinced that picking the wrong one would result in disaster…and soon he was sick enough that he couldn't bring himself to talk to any of them.
"Amber, you've got to get us out of here!" he demanded, turning back to the Oni. She was looking around the cave, biting her lip. Finally she looked up at the ceiling.
"Everyone back up!" she demanded, and everyone did so. The aura around her hands grew brighter, her eyes suddenly blazing. M. realized that she was going to try to blast their way upward; punching a hole into the top of the cave that they could escape from. It seemed to make sense; up and out into the open air. But then brainiac Mark threw out a hand in sudden warning.
"Amber don't!"
But she had already sent the powerful blast. It ripped into the salty, slimy stone, casting chunks of it everywhere. Everyone screamed as water began gushing downward through the newly formed hole.
Myrah wasn't sure if it was befitting a leader to pace, but at the moment she couldn't help it. She tried to remember if she had ever seen Heavy Metal pacing…and she didn't think that she had.
She couldn't stop thinking about it, as much as she tried to force her thoughts elsewhere.
You're the one Uncle Hershel's in love with.
She had wondered if she should confront him about it, but she had decided against any more visits…anything that could give him any reason to think that she could ever feel the same way. Because of course she didn't. Couldn't.
She paused by the window again, looking out into the courtyard. She could just skip the healer's lesson today. She didn't need to be there, after all. And she should really be consistent; if she wasn't going to see him in his home he shouldn't get to see her in hers.
Myrah chewed her lip as she thought. Avoidance would probably be a successful tactic…but for how long? If he really was wrapped up in the fog-minded fancies that his niece had claimed, then how long before he sought her out? Forced the conversation? The thought made her stomach twist all the more; she hadn't felt right in days. No doubt about it; she was ill, and this situation wasn't helping.
She glanced down to realize she was picking at a loose thread and forced herself to stop. After a deep breath, she straightened. She was being ridiculous, surely. She was a leader. She was bred for more than hiding and skulking around, avoiding the topic of love and affection. No, she would not be cornered someday into that conversation; she would discuss it now, today, with the Master Healer and set the record straight. That way, if he wouldn't let it go she could honestly say he was acting against her wishes and see that he was punished for it.
There was a horrible wrenching feeling at that thought, and she exhaled again as she smoothed her tunic. No…not punished…no need for that. She would just have to make it clear enough the first time that there would be no way he would misunderstand.
The sun was high overhead now, she was realizing. No doubt the lesson had already started. Part of her still wanted to run; hide. But she forced the feelings down, her expression once again a stony calm. She would have perfect control in this situation. A leader does not base their decisions on the opinions of others. They stand firm.
Myrah headed down the hall with her head held high. She only hesitated once, outside of the door to the room where the lessons were held. She could hear someone asking a question inside; one of the traveling healer students, who she had decided asked questions more for argument's sake than he did to learn. Her mouth suddenly went dry; the lesson was going on, then. He was in there. With one last breath to help her on, she pushed the doors open.
They banged, making her realize that she had pushed them harder than she had meant to. Everyone jumped and looked over, and Myrah was too distracted by the figure at the head of the table to be embarrassed.
"Who are you?" she snapped. The curly-haired woman glowered.
"I'm Syn…I've been assigned to finish the rest of the training for these healers."
Myrah's fists clenched as she shook her head.
"That is the job of the Master Healer…."
"My brother is far too busy with more important matters to continue making the trips to teach this class," the woman—Syn—retorted coldly. Myrah just stared at her, not comprehending.
"You're Hershel's sister," she finally realized, and Syn scoffed.
"Yes. I'm in the middle of a lesson here, so if you would be so kind as to…"
"This is unheard of," Myrah cut in, drawing herself to full height. "This was the Master Healer's responsibility. If he wanted out of it, he should have come to me directly!"
"I'm perfectly capable of training these healers," Syn responded, still glaring. "The Master Healer is not at your beck and call. You would do well to remember that."
The other healers at the table were coughing and shifting uncomfortably as they looked between the two women, unsure of what to expect. Myrah stiffened, a flush rising on her neck.
"You will not speak that way to a leader," she said acidly. "I did not give you permission to be in the fortress; you need to leave."
Syn seemed to be gripping the edge of the table in a vice-like hold.
"That's fine…but if you don't allow me to teach the classes than these healers won't be having them anymore."
Myrah was trembling, though she wasn't sure why. Was she really that angry? Or was this feeling in the pit of her stomach something else?
"We had an agreement…" she tried, but Syn cut her off.
"Your agreement was that the healers get trained. Hershel took a majority of the lessons, but now I'm going to be finishing them up."
She should have been happy. Not only had she avoided what would have been an awkward and humiliating conversation, she no longer had to worry about him showing up at the fortress. She wouldn't ever just run into him in the hallways…
"What exactly is the Master Healer up to that he can no longer fulfill his own obligations?" she sneered, and Syn scowled.
"It's really not your business as a leader to know what he does all day," the shorter woman retorted. "But I can tell you this much; you won't be seeing him very much anymore, if at all."
It was like a blow. And she didn't understand why. But in that moment, she could have strangled the look right off of that curly-headed woman's face.
"Um…should we leave?"
The question came from one of the training healers, and both women glanced over at him. Syn then turned towards Myrah with a raised eyebrow, as if to say it was the leader's call. Myrah was clenching her jaw so hard it hurt.
"No. Carry on," she finally said in a clipped way, before turning to storm back out of the room. The doors banged shut behind her, and she grimaced as she held her head. If her emotions had been hectic before, now they were worse than a hornet's nest under attack.
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