190
Existence had become an inseparable combination of music, fog, and grief. He had given up trying to fight it, his subconscious fading slowly to join the eternal melody of the departed. Perhaps this is what happened to the First Ancients. It would explain why he was still unable to find where they had hidden themselves away.
It could have been a moment, or a lifetime…but suddenly his form was pulled back into itself. The world became solid—an echo of the physical world of the living. The Ancient grimaced, trying to remember who would still have enough connection to him to summon forth his consciousness this way. A face flickered in his mind. Large eyes…curly hair. The child…Pippa. It must be her.
The world came into being around him. But it wasn't one he recognized right away; it was not the desert scape where he talked with the child. Nor was it his old tent where he had spent many lifetimes concealed from the world. He looked around the moon-lit gorge, a memory tickling the back of his mind. And where was the child?
He turned and froze. A figure stood a few yards away, his pale features lit up with moonlight. The man was staring at the ground, fear and shame engulfing him like a despairing scent.
"Hershel."
The word came out numb…distant. As if speaking would cause the figure to dissolve in the moonlight. But it couldn't be a dream…the dead do not dream.
Hershel finally spoke, breaking the spell. His eyes remained trained on the ground as he addressed his old Master. "I know I failed you…I do not deserve to ask for anything. But I need your help…"
His words were cut off as Archtivus reached him. There were very few times in his existence—if any—that the Ancient had initiated an embrace. But in this moment, he didn't even hesitate.
Archtivus felt Hershel stiffen as he threw his arms around him, pulling him close. For a moment they were silent; Master clinging to Apprentice while Hershel stood statuesque. But then the younger Oni finally relaxed, closing his eyes as he buried his face into Archtivus's shoulder and embraced him back.
"Phos…"
Hershel's voice broke, and his Master pulled him closer still.
"How are you here?" he demanded softly, and Hershel swallowed.
"I…drank the tea. My powers are unlocked again, so…"
Phos finally pulled away, looking Hershel in the eye. He was still so pale—just like he had been the last time he had seen him. When he had been ripped away from his grasp.
"How did you escape from the Island?"
"The power inside of me is the Island's. Or…was. I released myself."
Phos just stared at him.
"You…"
"Released myself. The Island wouldn't let me go when you ordered because it claimed I was more Guardian than Oni. So as a Guardian, I released myself."
The relief was poignant, washing over Phos's entire consciousness as he sagged. It was true, then. Hershel was safe from the bitter entity's clutches. He was free. The Ancient kept a firm grip on his apprentice's shoulder, his other hand cupping Hershel's chin so he could search him. The pale man obliged, standing still so his Master could look deep within.
It was Hershel. But he had changed…and it seemed that even freedom from the Island wasn't enough to return him to the way he had been. Archtivus's soul ached at the thought, but he took comfort in the fact that the boy seemed healthy. Vibrant, even.
"Can you see it?"
Hershel's voice was soft, and Phos blinked.
"See…"
"The power?" The question was timid, and Hershel cleared his throat before continuing. "Is it a power? Or is it…a person? I don't know how to interpret it. I just know it isn't me."
"Mmm…" Phos responded, probing at the power in Hershel once again. He could sense it coiled inside, content enough in its new home. But Hershel was correct—it wasn't his power. It was something foreign that had claimed Hershel as its new vessel.
"Not a person," the Ancient assured quietly, finally releasing his apprentice. "It's an Ancient power… a very ancient power. I still don't know how it managed to become part of you."
Hershel looked thoughtful, one hand going to his chest as the power stirred inside of him.
"The Island was trying to create a Guardian," he reminded softly. "So it filled me with its power, trying to transform me with an overdrive." He shuddered, as if at the memory. "I managed to pull out of the overdrive before it consumed me completely, but when I woke, I was like this."
Hershel gestured to himself, no doubt addressing both his physical changes as well as the aural one. Phos listened with a stony expression of concern.
"You pulled out of the overdrive…" he repeated, and Hershel smiled a little.
"Yes. It seems all those lessons came in handy after all," he pointed out. Phos snorted, but then shook his head.
"That was incredibly dangerous," he chided. "The attempt should have torn you to shreds."
Hershel's smile faded, his expression becoming dark.
"Maybe. But it was still a better fate than the one the Island described. Eternal Slavery…and it tried to make it seem like ultimate freedom."
Phos's mouth was a grim line, but he reached out again to brush the pale hair out of Hershel's face. "You've let yourself go," he pointed out, and his apprentice smiled again.
"I didn't care much for my appearance when I was blind," he admitted. "I didn't care about anything some days. My whole world was darkness. That's why I went to the Island…because I couldn't stand to be alone in the dark any longer."
"Alone?" Phos asked, and Hershel glanced down in shame.
"No. I suppose I wasn't alone. I had Syn and Pippa…and Tolan. It just felt like I was alone, because they couldn't really do anything to help me. When I left them for the Island, I risked everything that I still had. I regret that in many ways. But I'm not sure I could have lived the rest of my life bound in the way I was."
"Pippa told me of your punishment," Phos pointed out carefully. "It was not permanent."
Here Hershel's eyes blazed white, but he grimaced and the power faded. His voice was bitter when he answered. "It might as well have been permanent. How would I ever have gotten it revoked? I went to the Island to ask them to reconsider, and they ignored my pleas. It was the Island who released my powers and my sight, but only as a way to manipulate me. I'm so tired of being manipulated."
There was a darkness to him that there hadn't been before, Phos realized. He could sense it in Hershel's feelings and most in the aura that thrummed inside him. But Hershel seemed to be aware of it as well, because then he sighed.
"I'm so angry, Phos. Things that I used to be able to reconcile fill me with rage now. Everything seems to be tied into this overwhelming sense of Justice. It's the power. I don't know how to reconnect to my old aura. I don't know how to keep this power in line. Imgloss mentioned that it would only take a breakdown or an overdrive to destroy me completely, but it isn't so easy to keep away from that point. Already there have been several times…"
He trailed off, his expression twisting with misery.
"Imgloss?" Phos asked in surprise.
"Ancient's…there's so much to tell you," Hershel realized. "He's the one who took me to the Island. But in my absence, he took Pippa. When I came off of the Island, I punished him for it. And…"
"Punished him?"
Phos was incredulous, but his apprentice just nodded.
"Yes. The Healing Organization had been disbanded. Or at least, the rules governing it had been. Imgloss had crowned himself Master Healer and took Pippa, threatening the realm if anyone tried to stop him. He had to be dealt with."
"But…how?"
The Ancient was at a loss, and Hershel's eyes flashed again.
"I blocked his powers, as he blocked mine. He is tethered out in the wilderness now, where he can come to no harm to anyone. But…the first time I saw him…" he exhaled slowly. "I almost killed him."
Phos shook his head. "He's an Ancient, Hershel. You can't kill him. Whatever you did…"
"I did something, Phos. More than I should have been able to, but this power…"He trailed off and looked down at his hands as they filled with pearly aura. "It wanted him to die. And I think I could have done it. He…begged for mercy at the end."
That hit Phos hard. He knew the proud, diminutive Ancient well enough to know how bad something would have to have been for Imgloss to reach that point.
"And the worse part?" Hershel continued, watching his aura with shame. "I would have still killed him. The only reason I didn't is because Pippa intervened." The aura winked out and Hershel buried his face in his hands. "That's why I need your help, Phos. I don't know who I am anymore. Tolan and Syn are afraid of me. They've forbidden Pippa from seeing me, and are moving as far away as they can to get away from me. I don't know what this is inside me, and I can't control it. I'm terrified that I've finally fought to get everything back only to lose it all anyway."
The Ancient stared as his apprentice trembled, and he finally reached out to put both hands on his shoulders.
"You're still you, Hershel. I can sense you. Your good heart…your mercy. But there is no way to reconnect with your old aura. This, inside of you, is your power now." He tried to think of how to explain it. "It's like a cup of tea. If you flood the cup with water, the tea will have been washed away, and suddenly the cup is full of water instead. That's what the Island's done. You—the vessel—are the same. But what you had before has been stripped away, and been replaced with something else."
"But what is it?" Hershel asked desperately. "Is it the Island? Is it inside of me now?"
He sounded terrified, and Phos shook his head.
"No. It is not the Island, nor any other entity or person. It's hard to explain. It's just power—the same that ran through the veins of the First Ancients. Which is why it is odd that you can survive with it coursing through yours. It could have dissolved your being, or consumed you. Instead, it seems to have chosen to protect you. It became part of you."
"The Island claimed to want to protect me. It wanted to become one with me," Hershel mused softly. "Is that why?"
Phos shrugged.
"I do not know. It could have influenced it. But the fact of the matter is that power cannot belong to two consciousnesses at once. It may have once been part of the First Ancients, but then it became part of the Island. For years it has festered in the Island's bitterness…but now it is part of you. As such, it cannot be connected to the First Ancients or the Island, though it may still be filled with echoes of their knowledge."
A glimmer of something lit Phos's consciousness as he reached out to cup Hershel's chin again. For that moment, he was filled with the curiosity of his youth…wondering at the possibilities of this impossibly rare situation. What could be accomplished if it were further explored…
He shook himself, forcing the ambition of his past to a far corner of his being.
"Phos?"
He managed to look back at Hershel, who was watching him with concern.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," Phos said quickly, releasing his old apprentice with a stir of bitter shame. Hershel's expression became confused as he studied his Master.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Hershel finally said. "All of this, it was my fault. Based on my decisions…my mistakes…"
Hershel could sense his shame, Phos realized then. His Aura Sense must be incredibly keen now…and the Ancient was filled with another wave of shame knowing that his apprentice knew exactly what he was feeling. Hershel was looking away, similar pangs of shame and regret wafting off of him.
"You asked me to be better than you were. To be…perfect. And for a long time, I really tried. But in the end, I wasn't good enough. I know I failed you, Master Phos."
"No."
Phos fixed him with a stern look.
"You did not fail me, Hershel. If anything…I have failed you. It is I who does not deserve your forgiveness."
Hershel smiled a little then, scanning his Master's expression.
"So dramatic," he teased softly, and Phos blinked. Hershel continued. "You owe me nothing, Phos. You warned me what would happen if I tried to have a relationship with Myrah. You were right." He paused and then shrugged sheepishly. "But I can't quite regret my decision to pursue her, either. Because…" He looked down at the pale hair resting on his shoulders. "Even through all this change, she has stayed by me."
"Wait." Phos narrowed his eyes, confused. "The child—Pippa—told me that the leader betrayed you. Is she not the reason you were blinded in the first place?"
"She did not betray me," Hershel said seriously, his eyes blazing for a moment. "But she was perhaps not as careful as she should have been. It doesn't matter; in the end, Imgloss would have discovered us one way or another. Or I would have had to say goodbye forever, which I wasn't as prepared to do as I thought."
Phos studied his old student as Hershel's expression cleared.
"I love her, Phos. It's the only thing I can even be sure of anymore."
He stared at Phos, and the Ancient realized that Hershel was waiting to see what his old teacher would say about his confession.
"Alright." It was the only thing the Ancient could say. He had no control over anything in the living realms any longer, he realized. Hershel visibly relaxed, and his small smile returned.
"I want to protect her. And Pippa…and the realm. I finally have the power and ability to do so in the way I should have for the past decade. But at the same time, it feels like I'm walking on the edge of knife…just a breath away from this power destroying me completely." He looked back down at his hands and sighed. "How can I control this, Phos? It's part of me…and yet it isn't. It wants me to punish people…make everyone suffer for their mistakes. But doing so goes against myself."
The Ancient Oni scanned the Pale Master and finally sighed. "I don't know," he admitted honestly. "But Hershel…I am here for you. As often as you need."
Disappointment mingled with relief as Hershel met his eye. There was a glow to them now, and it twinkled as Hershel offered his Master another smile.
"Thank you, Phos."
"I wish I could be of more help," the departed Oni mused. "But what's happened to you is unprecedented. I never even knew someone who knew the First Ancients…and if they are in the Departed Realm, they are incredibly hidden. I scoured for them after you…after I thought I had lost you. If anyone would know what to do, they would. But it seems that they have moved on to some unreachable point…and I am not equipped with the knowledge to support you in the way I wish I could."
Hershel blinked in surprise. "You don't hate me," the younger Oni finally said. "For me, that's enough."
The Ancient scoffed angrily. "I cannot think of anything you could ever do that would make me hate you, Hershel."
Rather than reply, Hershel embraced his Master once again. Phos closed his eyes as he held him close, one of his hands on the back of Hershel's pale head.
"Phos?"
Hershel's voice was suddenly tainted with fear, and the Ancient frowned.
"Yes?"
"The Island. It can't…I mean. Can it still reach me?"
Phos pulled away. "What do you mean?"
"I had this horrible nightmare," Hershel explained, glancing down. "The Island…mocked me. Threatened to come for me. But I don't know if it was truly the Island, or just my subconscious dealing with my fears."
"Mmmm."Phos thought about it and finally sighed. "I don't know. The Island has already become far more than it was ever supposed to. I want to say that it is impossible to reach your subconscious, but in the end it's actually impossible for me to know."
Hershel's expression crumpled and Phos fixed him with a firm expression.
"But it is impossible for it to ever reach you physically again. It is contained in itself; it cannot leave its own borders without destroying itself. If you are off the Island, you are free from it. Whether or not it sent the nightmares, it cannot come for you. And there are ways to deal with nightmares, whether influenced by bitter entities or internal fears."
He could feel his apprentice's relief once again. It filled Phos with a kind of peace, to know that there was at least something that he could help his boy with. The Ancient's gaze drifted off to the landscape around them. The gorge was becoming hazy, and he realized that Hershel must be close to waking.
"Remind me of the importance of this place," he asked in a murmur, and Hershel turned to view the gorge as well. After a moment, the pale-haired Oni smiled softly.
"The day I was faced with my mother's revulsion," he reminded. "I came here, and you followed me. That was the day I realized that you did care about Syn and I…even if you didn't know how to show it."
Phos turned to stare at Hershel, but the world was smearing and fading around them. He managed to find Hershel's hand to squeeze it.
"Come back and see me," he ordered sternly, but Hershel must have felt the longing in the request because his fading form smiled.
"I will," he promised.
And then all was fog and music once more.
191
Pippa chased Baffa around the Central Fortress arena, giggling.
"You seem to be enjoying the pampered life!" she mocked as she caught up with him. "Meals brought to you, a roof over your head…" Here she glanced up at the huge hole in the ceiling while Baffa purred, enjoying his belly rub. "Well, kinda a roof over your head," she corrected. Baffa barked twice and Pippa laughed.
"Don't get used to it. I saw Mom and Dad packing; we'll be heading home soon I bet. We don't have ta live here at the fortress anymore cuz Uncle Hershel stopped Imgloss. I bet all the berries that grow by our tent are ripe again. I can't wait…"
Baffa had been blissfully enjoying the attention, but suddenly he froze. Pippa's smile faded as his ears pricked up and he rolled back over to his feet.
"What is it?" she whispered, but Baffa's eyes were already peering into a dark corner of the arena. He was sniffing, as if trying to figure out some new smell, and Pippa realized there was someone coming out of the shadows. For a moment, her heart pounded. But then she recognized him.
"Uncle Hershel!"
She went to run over to him, but Baffa was faster. The sniffer bounded in front of her, growling at the unfamiliar man approaching. Hershel paused, his face becoming pained.
"It's me, Baffa," he tried, holding out one hand to the animal. The sniffer stopped growling upon hearing Hershel's voice, but he still seemed suspicious as he circled the pale man, sniffing. Eventually he came right up to Hershel's hand, snuffling it for a moment before pulling back to bark. For a moment, Pippa was scared that it meant Baffa really didn't recognize him. But then the sniffer was barreling into Hershel, yipping happily as he head-butted him and tried to topple him over. Hershel's anxious expression melted; Pippa realized she had never seen him so happy to be licked to death by the fluffy sniffer.
"Down Baffa…" Hershel commanded, and the sniffer sat obediently, his long tong lolling out as he panted happily. Pippa had watched it all with a smile, but her smile faded when she remembered something.
"I'm happy to see you, Uncle Hershel," she said honestly. "But…Mom and Dad don't….I mean…they think…"
"I know they don't want you seeing me," Hershel offered softly. He knelt down so he could look her in the eye, though he had to push Baffa off again. The Sniffer had taken advantage of his sudden proximity to lick the side of the healer's face, and Hershel grimaced as he shoved the sniffer away.
"No, Baffa," he chided, and Pippa scratched her elbow.
"Did you come to see me? Or are you here to talk to them?"
Hershel's expression became pained once again. "I don't think your parents will want to see me, Pip," he offered softly. "I came to see you. To…say goodbye."
Pippa's eyes widened immediately, unease seizing her heart. "Goodbye?! Why are you saying goodbye? Where are you going?!"
Hershel looked confused, and he put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"I'm not going anywhere. Well, at least, nowhere that I've decided on yet. But you and your family are moving up to the north…"
"What?" Pippa shook her head adamantly. "No, we aren't."
Hershel watched her carefully.
"Are you sure? I was certain that your parents had made plans to…"
"We're just going back home!" Pippa assured. "Why would we go up to the North? That doesn't make any sense!"
Hershel opened his mouth as if to explain why, but then he shook his head like he thought better of it. Pippa pouted; she hated when adults didn't tell her things. She wanted to know where he had got such a crazy idea.
"Well…either way…I'm not sure that we'll be able to see each other for a little while."
That hit closer to the truth, and Pippa's eyes immediately filled with tears as she folded her arms angrily.
"It's stupid!" she argued. "I can see you if I want! You still have to teach me lots more things. I still have to learn how to be a healer…" She trailed off as the tears started escaping, and she wiped at them angrily while Hershel gently squeezed her shoulder.
"You have many, many years to learn how to be a healer," he assured with a sad smile. "And I promise this isn't goodbye forever. I've thought about this a lot, Pip. Technically your parents don't have the power to keep us apart."
Pippa wasn't sure what he meant, but his eyes flashed and he looked away quickly. He sighed then.
"But in order to improve relations, I think I will have to abide by their wishes. For now."
She frowned again. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that maybe we won't be able to see each other for a little while…until they aren't so mad at me," Hershel explained gently. Pip stamped a foot.
"I don't care if they're mad!" she complained. "I wanna see you still. I'll just wait, and when they're busy, I'll come sneak over and help you. And then I'll be back before they even know…"
He chuckled sadly. "Not sure that'll work, Pip. Especially if you're way up in the North."
Her expression clouded. "I told you…we aren't moving to the North! We're only a little while away from your tent, and Baffa can take me back and forth so fast!"
Hershel still seemed sad…like he wasn't believing her that she could do it. That it would all work out. Pippa's voice became softer as she grabbed her uncle's other hand.
"I don't want you to be alone, Uncle Hershel. You hate being alone."
Hershel's eyes widened then, and Pippa closed her eyes as he brought her in for a hug. She hugged him back, with Baffa whining nearby. He knew they were sad, Pippa realized. Baffa could always tell when people were sad.
"I won't be alone," Hershel finally promised. "And we'll see each other again. This…this will all blow over."
He sounded like he wanted to believe it just as much as he wanted her to believe it. Pippa just glowered at the ground while she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe I could come live with you?" she offered. For a moment, her Uncle's embrace tightened. He was trembling slightly, and Pippa frowned as she turned to face him. "Uncle Hershel?"
His eyes were tightly closed as he grimaced, and she frowned.
"Are you ok?"
Her uncle finally exhaled shakily and Pippa blinked when he finally released her. He opened his eyes and seemed a little lost until she touched his arm. Then he looked up to meet her eye. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm…still trying to get used to these new powers."
It made sense to Pippa. She remembered when she unlocked her power, and when her father did. Power was mischievous and wanted to do whatever it wanted…and now her uncle's power was new. It was strong and could heal people or make him fly—he probably had to learn how to control it all over again.
"It's ok," she said brightly. "You'll get it."
He returned her smile, looking relieved.
"Thank you, Pippa," he said genuinely. "I wish you could come live with me. But at the moment…I think your parents need you even more than I do."
She sighed. "Fine…" she finally conceded. He reached out to tweak her nose.
"I'll be ok," he promised softly. "I can talk to Phos, and I have Myrah."
She made a face at the name of the Western Leader, but then nodded.
"Is she being nice to you?" she asked, and Hershel chuckled as he rubbed her head fondly.
"Yes," he promised. "Very nice."
"Alright," Pippa finally conceded. Hershel's eyes studied her face, and his voice became soft.
"I'm not sure if you really are moving North, but…if you are…"
"I told you, we aren't…"
"I don't want you to fight your parents about it, ok? Especially not your dad."
Pippa didn't know what he meant. "But I don't want to go North," she said with a pout. A flicker of unease was starting to eat at her. Why was her uncle so sure about this move? She was realizing that neither her mom or dad had come right out and said they were going back to their old tent…but why on earth would they go north? It didn't make any sense!
"It'll be ok, Pip," her Uncle tried, but she could tell his cheery tone was fake. He was just as upset about this as she was, she knew. "There will be lots of cool places to explore…new things to see. When things finally blow over, you can tell me all about it."
"Have you ever been to the north?" she asked softly, and something flickered across the pale man's expression.
"Once," he said softly. "Only to the fortress. I haven't ever been back."
She studied his face. "You didn't like it," she pointed out. He gave her a tight smile.
"I'm sure the villages are fine, Pip. I just have some…bad memories of up there. It may be why your father chose it."
"Because he knew you didn't like it?"
He rubbed her head again. "Because he thought I wouldn't follow."
"Are you going to follow?" Pippa pressed. "I mean…not that we're moving north. Cuz we aren't. But if we did…"
"I don't want to cause any more problems," Hershel cut in, his voice heavy. "I can't keep fighting. I can't be angry about it…"
"Why?" Pippa asked, feeling hurt that her Uncle wasn't more willing to fight for her. He sighed and cupped her face with both hands, the way he did when he was going to say something important.
"Because Rage is very hard to control…and it leaves me open to be manipulated."
She remembered this lesson now. How all the emotions wanted different things. She had to grudgingly admit that it made sense, but it still wasn't fair.
"So, when will I see you again?" she demanded softly, and he smiled.
"It won't be too long, Pip. I promise."
She sagged. "Not too long" was grown up talk for "longer than you would like, but hey, at least it's not forever." But now Hershel was reaching into his pocket, and her displeasure was overcome with curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"I brought you something."
Pippa couldn't help but smile a little then; she loved presents. Her eyes widened as something glinted in the sunshine lighting the arena. It was a power crystal—like the ones that Hershel used for their exercises. Except it was hanging off of a thin braided cord.
"That's for me?" she asked, and he smiled at her excited tone.
"Yes. I may not be able to teach you for the next little while…but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be practicing. I expect you to use this to continue your training on your own for a little while."
Pippa shivered with excitement as her uncle tied the crystal around her neck like a necklace. It hung down past the collar of her tunic, and she grabbed the crystal excitedly.
"Do you remember how to use it?" he challenged softly, and she nodded furiously. A moment later, the crystal was floating in a small cloud of aura. Hershel tweaked her fingers a bit as he studied it.
"Good. Good, Pip."
The power faded, and Pippa suddenly had mixed emotions. She was happy to have this moment with her Uncle, but suddenly the crystal reminded her of another Healer…insisting that she do this very same exercise. Her eyes started filling with tears and her uncle's small smile faded.
"Pip…"
"I'm ok," she assured quickly, wiping her nose. "It's just…I don't wanna learn by myself. Or with anyone else ever. I only wanna learn with you."
Her Uncle was pulling something out of his pocket again, but she didn't really notice as she stared down at the crystal with swimming eyes. But then she felt something around her wrist and looked down to realize he was tying on a braided leather bracelet. She studied it carefully as he finished.
"What is it?" she finally asked, her voice hushed. She knew the importance of bands…though leader bands were generally worn higher up on the arm. Hershel cupped her chin again, smiling softly.
"A promise."
"What kind of promise?"
He hesitated, studying her face.
"You are still young, Pip. And you might hate that now, but you still have so much freedom. I want you to enjoy that. But in a year or two…if you still want to be my apprentice…"
Her heart started pounding furiously, and she felt his hand fingering the bracelet on her wrist.
"Then I will teach you everything I know."
Pippa's heart soared, and Hershel wasn't able to say anything else because she threw her arms around his neck.
"Really?!"
He hugged her back, sighing. "Really."
"I want it now!" she complained as she pulled away. "Why can't I do it now?"
His eyes were both happy and sad, and she wasn't sure why.
"Like I said…I want you to have freedom. And I still have growing I need to do, Pippa. That's what I'm going to focus on while you're away…gaining control. Making sure I'm in a position to be the best teacher I can be."
"You're already the best teacher," she argued, but now she was staring down at the leather band, running her fingers along it.
"If there ever comes a time that it's not what you want, you can take off the band," Hershel explained softly. Pippa couldn't believe she would ever come to that point, but her uncle touched the bracelet lightly. "It's not as permanent as a tattoo…but it's not supposed to be. I want it to be your choice…and I never want you to be trapped into anything."
Pippa looked down at the bracelet again, and then down at her necklace. Her heart was suddenly so full of joy and excitement and she moved to hug him again. She was squeezing pretty tight, but he didn't seem to mind.
"I love you, Uncle Hershel," she said, and he held her close, murmuring into her hair.
"I love you too, Pip."
192
Syn watched in silence, not sure what to think. Everything was packed, the arrangements made. The only thing left to do was tell Pippa—something that Syn decided may go over better if she told Pip than if Tolan did. Pip and Tol were two peas in a pod—which meant that while most of the times they meshed well, there were times when their identical stubbornness did more harm than good.
But upon Syn's arrival at the arena, she had stopped dead. When she saw Hershel, her heart seized with immediate concern. Part of her wanted to storm out there and demand to know what he was doing, sneaking in here to get Pippa alone. Another part of her was terrified of how he would react to that. Hershel wasn't the same person anymore…and she wasn't sure she could trust him now that he had changed.
So she sat frozen in the shadows as she watched him tie something onto Pippa's wrist, murmuring something or another to her. In the next moment, Pippa was hugging him excitedly. Part of Syn's icy defense melted a little as she caught sight of her brother's expression as he embraced Pip back.
Syn had all but forgotten her plans to storm in when Hershel finally pulled away. He ruffled Pip's hair, saying something to her. Then he turned, and Syn stiffened as his light-colored eyes caught sight of her in the shadows. Suddenly her heart was pounding; how had he known she was there? But rather than say anything, he glanced down to say one last thing to Pippa before standing.
"Goodbye…"
Syn could hear Pip's sad farewell now, and it made her feel strange. In the next moment, Hershel disappeared in a flash of light. Syn furrowed her brow in confusion. She had seen transports before, and there was supposed to be rushing winds…a buildup. But there was no warning—one second Hershel was standing there, and the next it was like he had evaporated in a flash of white.
Pippa was sniffing and wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve when Syn finally came out of the shadows.
"Pippa?"
She turned, her eyes finding her mother.
"Heya, Mom…"
"Are you ok?" Syn asked, her heart pounding. Pip shrugged.
"I'm fine."
Syn bit her lip.
"What was Hershel doing here?"
Her daughter's eyes immediately glinted with defensiveness and guilt as she pouted.
"He just came to say goodbye, Mom. Don't be mad."
"Goodbye?"
"He thinks we're moving to the North. I kept telling him there was no way we were cuz that's crazy but he just kept…"
Pippa's words trailed off as she caught sight of her mother's expression. Syn winced as her daughter's eyes flashed.
"We're moving?!"
"We just…we thought we could all use a change of scene. The north is very nice this time of year. The move won't be forever; it's just something new to…take our mind off of things."
"I don't want new. What things? Why are we going to the North?"
Syn sighed; even with Hershel's unexpected appearance, the conversation was going about as she had expected it to.
"Pippa, your father and I have already found a good village to try out for the next little bit. He wants to try making weapons again…maybe teach you a few things."
Pippa didn't seem convinced, her eyes full of suspicion and betrayal. "Are we moving to get away from Uncle Hershel?"
Syn flinched. "What?"
"Are we going to the North because of that? Because he doesn't like it up there, cuz of what happened at the Fortress?"
Syn's eyes widened, her heart seizing with dread. "What did he tell you?!" she demanded, suddenly terrified of what Hershel's intentions were. "We aren't moving to get away from him…"
"He wouldn't tell me much," Pippa admitted grudgingly. "He just said something happened in the North that made him sad. Or something. So he doesn't like to go there. But he still could…"
"Pippa, what did your Uncle say?" Syn demanded, her heart pounding. Was Hershel going to follow them? Was he…
"He said I should go and not complain," Pippa muttered, folding her arms. "And he isn't coming with…that's why he came to say goodbye."
A glimmer of relief caused Syn to sigh. "He's not?"
Pippa shook her head. "He said that he didn't want to make things worse," she said, shooting her mother another angry look. "Cuz you guys are mad at him still. So he's gonna work on getting control and that I should go on lots of adventures so I could tell him about it later. And he gave me this, so I could practice by myself."
She lifted the clear crystal, and Syn knelt to get a better look. It was the same ones she had seen hundreds of times before, from the box Phos kept on his shelf.
"An Aura Crystal," she murmured, and Pip nodded.
"Are you gonna stay mad at him?"
Syn looked back up at her daughter's serious expression. "I'm not mad at him…" she tried, but Pippa just scoffed.
"You are so. Even I can tell. That's why Uncle Hershel said he's gonna stay away—until you and Dad stop being mad at him so he doesn't have to fight anymore. He said he's tired of fighting."
Syn sagged a little, sighing. "It's going to be ok, Pippa," she tried with a smile. "Your Uncle…he just has to figure some things out right now. So we're going to give him some space."
"So we are moving because of Uncle Hershel," Pippa interpreted sagely. Syn felt stuck, so she looked over at where a sniffer was rolling happily in the dirt.
"Get Baffa ready, alright? We're going to leave pretty soon. Your father's already gone, getting the tent and everything tied up on our hoofers. By the time we get home, he'll have it all ready to go."
She was afraid that Pippa would fight her on it, but her daughter just sighed, turning to Baffa.
"Come on, Baffa! We're moving…"
The sniffer whined as she came over to roll him over, and Syn stood again as she watched her daughter. Pippa gave Baffa one last shove and the sniffer grudgingly got up, fixing her with an irritated look.
"Don't look at me like that," the child chided, hands on her hips. "It won't be so bad. We can go on lots of adventures in the North. And maybe there will be some girl sniffers up there….you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Baffa just sneezed, and immediately began snuffling her for a treat.
"Baffa…" Pippa giggled, shaking her head. Syn couldn't help but smile as she watched the interaction. After a minute, Pippa was on the Sniffer's back, looking up at her mother expectantly. "Are we going?"
Syn had been lost in her own thoughts, but she finally nodded. "Thank you, Pippa."
"For what?" Her daughter tilted her head.
Syn came over to give her cheek an affectionate pinch. "For being mature about all of this. I know that moving isn't exactly what you want to do…but it will be alright. You may even end up liking it."
Pippa just shrugged. "Sure…someone in this family needs to be mature about all this."
Syn just stared; it was a pointed comment for a six -year-old…but knowing who her father was, she couldn't exactly be surprised. So she finally just nodded. "Alright, Pip. Let's go."
"Bentworth…Tolan's gonna have fun with that one."
Cole turned to smile at Keyda's remark as she hung up the inter-realm communication device. "It slipped my mind that they would be sending someone our way. Hope the poor guy knows what he's getting into."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Keyda took a seat and raised her eyebrow. Cole leaned back, his expression teasing.
"It's hard for us 'yellow-skins' here in the first realm. I just hope he's not coming expecting hot water…or cake. He'll be mighty disappointed."
Keyda rolled her eyes."I'm sure Amber will prepare him for what's to come," she pointed out dryly. "The question is, where do we put him?"
"Here at the central fortress would probably be safest…"
"Apparently, living here is against his views as an ambassador," Keyda cut in. Cole's eyebrows rose with surprise.
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "Apparently he doesn't want to be under our thumbs. Or at least, that's how Amber's translated the long-winded reasoning the council gave her. He's supposed to report back to Ninjago about our realm and our government. If he were living here, apparently we would strong-arm him into giving them a bias impression."
Cole whistled low.
"We'll 'strong-arm' him a lot less than the general populace. I'm still saying our fortress is the way to go."
"Well…we'll have to see what we can do to convince him when he gets here."
Cole nodded to himself, studying Keyda as she picked at a string on her sleeve. "You alright?"
She shrugged. "Fine. Still not sure I agree with willingly letting a spy-snitch into our midst, but sure. Whatever Ninjago wants…"
Cole reached out and took her hand. "It's going to be fine. Things are going well here. Fighting's down between Dragon and Oni, people are finally getting enough food…Theo and Myrah are even working towards building schools. It's going to be one heck of a culture shock for the guy, but there's nothing to snitch. The point of having an ambassador isn't so that someone else can tell us what to do. It's just another way to keep relationships friendly. So that's what we'll do."
"He's not going to have a lot of friendly relationships if he insists on exploring on his own," Keyda huffed.
"Would he let us assign him a bodyguard?"
"He's actually entitled to one, apparently," Keyda answered. "In fact, apparently Amber has her own. His name is Paul and the Council is trying to get permission from the school to have him follow her around all the time. She's ready to blast some heads in, as you can probably imagine."
Cole shook his head. "That would not do much to improve relations," he mused dryly. "Hopefully it doesn't stick."
"She can very well take care of herself," Keyda agreed. "They're just being stupid."
Her husband couldn't help but smile at that, and she turned to grab a scroll sitting on the table behind her.
"Did you get a chance to look at this yet?"
Cole frowned and shook his head. "What is it?"
She handed it to him so he could see for himself. He unrolled it, scanning the Oni shorthand quickly."Well, that's unexpected," Cole mused as he finished. Keyda was balancing her chin on her interlocking fingers.
"Dropped it off this morning. Jaqah's already okayed his reassignment to the North. But it means we'll need a new bodyguard for Theo."
"Ret went with him this morning to the Western Fortress," Cole remembered. "You know…things have seemed strained between Theo and Tolan for the last little bit."
Keyda nodded, her face tight. "I have no problem with Ret taking over his bodyguard position," Keyda decided. "And if Tolan and Syn want to move North, then I guess that's fine. But everything has felt off ever since we got back from Ninjago…like we're always two steps behind. I mean, Hershel was blind but now he's fine, but changed. He went to the Island at some point, and Imgloss went crazy but now he's fine…"
Cole had pushed himself up and came over to sit down right next to her. "I guess we're just used to being in the middle of everything, huh?" he said with a soft smile. She glanced over at him and sighed.
"I guess. It's just annoying to be told everything after the fact. I hate feeling useless."
"You aren't useless, Keyds. We've had wall to wall meetings and visits and who knows what else for over a month, trying to catch up from our two week absence…"
"It would have been a lot less work if you had just let me leave Ninjago early," she griped, and he sighed.
"I know. But I think we're finally getting back on top of things."
She reached over to take his hand. "Yes…finally on top again and they send us Bendwerther to mess everything up again."
"Bentworth," Cole corrected with a smile. "Maybe it will be better if Tolan isn't around the ambassador after all. If you can mess up his name that badly without even trying…."
"Who says I wasn't trying?"
He laughed and squeezed her hand. "Did Amber mention how old he was?"
"She doesn't know. Assumes he's probably around our age, though," Keyda explained. Cole sighed dramatically and she cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I sure hope he's not attractive," he grumbled, and Keyda made a face.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
He turned to give her a long look, but his eyes were twinkling with some hidden joke. "This ambassadorship is not going to work out if this guy's good looking," he said seriously. "After all, I know how attracted you are to Ninjagoans…"
She laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "You Idiot…"
"Hey! I have a right to be worried! He's probably some tall, rugged, cultured, educated…"
"Shut up," she scolded, leaning in to kiss him. After a moment she pulled away, but he didn't let her get far.
"Mmmm….my insecurity might need a little more reassuring," Cole murmured, and Keyda laughed again and obliged. When she pulled away, she gave Cole's hand a squeeze.
"Now we really do have to figure out where to put him," she pointed out, and Cole massaged her neck where his hand had come to rest.
"Mmmmm…right now? Don't we still have a few weeks?"
She shook her head. "Couple days."
He paused as he processed that.
"Well…they certainly don't like wasting time."
Keyda scowled.
"They seemed just fine wasting our time," she remembered, and Cole gave her a wink.
"Don't worry, Keyds. Lots of great places to live this time of year. I just hope he likes camping."
20
