Into Pahór
a.d.r.i.l.e.y.
The warm smell of the fruit was good
To feed on, and the split green wood,
With all its bearded lips and stains
Of mosses in the cloven veins,
Most pleasant, if one lay or stood
In sunshine or in happy rains.
August (an excerpt), Algernon Charles Swinburne
Chapter Three
The white hummingbird never really came close to the centre of the forest much—only at the edge did it venture, feasting lucratively on the sweet nectar of honeysuckles, bluebells, irises, violets and a vast array of beautiful wildflowers that grew near the feared wood, known to the people of Ajima as the Realm of the Endless.
It chanced upon a small, clear brook, running into the undergrowth. Hummingbirds are never really that curious, but this one was different. Flapping its wings so rapidly that all you could see was a blur; the bird flew, or rather, floated into Pahór's woods, Calendirith.
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The girl's dark eyes flickered open with the first whisper of sunlight on her pale skin.
She stared disbelievingly at the thatched interior of a small cottage roof; where once had been the endless map of dark skies, shaded by the maze of leaves and branches of the forest.
Where am I? No sooner had the thought flitted through her head, when she remembered—
The noises, the crunching of feet upon sodden leaves, and the smell…
Roses.
Pine.
And wild berries.
The rustling of a crimson tunic somewhere in the darkness, and someone muttering ancient words of healing.
Anna sat up, and realized that her blood stained black dress was gone. She was wearing a pale robe bound at the waist with a lavender sash, and was lying on a great bed, stuffed with down and heather, and all the sweet-smelling softness of the forests.
Most was white, and brown. The cottage she was in was made of ancient wood, and the simple curtains were an off-white colour. The early breeze flew in from the window, and the presence of a hummingbird was sensed.
A thin vein of throbbing pain still crawled up her bad leg, but Anna realized that most of the hurt she had felt had vanished.
Absently, the girl brushed the hair out of her eyes.
Leaves fell outside, and Anna climbed out of the bed, her feet touching the uncannily warm stone tile of the floor. She spotted her red scarf hanging from a wooden chair. Anna took it.
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Yohmei sipped at his green tea quietly, when his wife took in the morning's breakfast.
"Smells good." He remarked, eyeing the array of bread and the fruits.
"These are for the girl." Retorted Kino sternly, although not overly so. Her red tunic brushed busily in and out of the kitchen, as she brought in the food.
Later, she sat down beside her husband, and sighed a deep sigh. Yohmei looked up from the scroll in his hand, to glance at his wife.
"It's been so quiet since he left." Said Kino softly, watching the leaves dance down from the upper branches of the tall trees.
Yohmei nodded solemnly, taking another sip from his teacup.
"It seems so long ago, one and twenty years."
"Three Marches of Eve."
"Aye."
Kino put her cup down, when she felt Anna enter the room.
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The clinking sounds of earthen pots and porcelain came from the other room. It was a natural instinct for her to follow.
She sensed the same smell of roses and pine from the woman; the man smelled of mint and tobacco, and dust, although not unpleasantly so.
Anna walked into the dining area, where she saw the elderly couple, talking quietly with one another.
The girl stood in the arched doorway for a long while before either of them noticed her.
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"That girl I found." Remarked Kino, as if Anna weren't there.
"Hm? What?" Yohmei looked up at his wife again. The old woman sighed.
"The girl I found in the forest. She has extraordinary abilities."
Upon saying that, the woman almost smirked when she felt Anna stiffen, a few feet behind her. Yohmei, wary of what his wife was trying to do, just followed suit.
It also helped that the current topic was of interest to him.
"Abilities? Of what sort?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"The lass is a shadowthief." Stated Kino simply, taking another sip from her mug.
As soon as the words sank in, Yohmei found himself nearly spitting out his tea.
"W-what?"
Behind them, Anna took a step forward. Kino smirked. She turned to the young girl.
"Good morning, girl." She greeted. "I wondered when you would wake up."
Anna, surprised that the woman had noticed she was there, blinked a few times, and asked, rather adamantly,
"How did you know?"
At this the old druid coughed, and Kino shot Yohmei a warning glance. Presently, she turned back to Anna.
"I have my ways. By the way girl, would you mind telling us of what you were doing, ten thousand feet below the skyfarer's usual courses?"
How Kino knew that Anna had come from the sky was beyond the puzzled girl; she was pretty sure that the woman knew most everything about her already, and without asking.
She might as well know the whole story.
"Come, sit." Ordered the old man, whom Anna had not recognized from the night before.
"I am Yohmei, the druid of this forest, and this is my wife, Kino." He gestured to the old lady.
Anna nodded. Without much prompting, in a manner which even she deemed unnatural for her, the girl recounted her story to the couple.
"I am Anna Kyouyama." She stated, her voice now a bit dazed, no longer defiant, but a tad bit void of expression.
"A day ago, I sailed with my father, captain Hiko. We were headed towards Little Haven, the ship ports…" she recounted everything, as if it were a lost memory, in a past life.
"He sent me to the kitchen, and before I knew it, we were driving through a storm. The men were screaming on deck, and Bregoo was pointing at something—a giant dragon-creature…"
Here her voice trailed off to a brittle whisper.
"I watched it kill my father."
Somewhere, Kino murmured something that sounded like 'Leviathan', and Yohmei sensed a landmine under all this. He rubbed his temples, wondering why his wife went through all the troubles of rescuing bleeding young girls in the middle of the night, while out searching for berries.
But then, Kino was not as young as she used to be, and neither was Yohmei. Life was short, so they certainly were going to play hard.
"You are a shadowthief." Intoned Kino presently, "But you do not know how to be one."
Anna shot a glare at the old woman. There was a contest of wills for one moment, and Yohmei admired the young woman's courage.
Slap.
Suddenly, her gaze was averted left all of a sudden, and Anna felt a stinging sensation on her right cheek. She touched it for a moment, before locking her dark gaze upon the old woman, who was now looking at her quietly; steadily.
Anger was her first instinct.
Why that—
And then, Anna heard the words flow out of Kino's mouth too quickly, before she could get a firm hold on their meaning.
"You are what you do not know how to be. A shadowthief, and a young woman."
The girl felt her mouth open, but there were no words for her to say.
"I will teach you to become both," And I will teach you to respect me, Kino thought to herself.
Anna's dark eyes widened.
"Y-you're a shadowthief?" she heard herself ask, with a quaver in her voice that she would kill herself for later.
Kino chuckled, while Yohmei eyed his wife with suspicion.
What in heaven's name is she up to now? he thought.
"No," the old woman replied, "but I used to be an enchantress. You control shadows, and I, magic." Kino paused.
"We are not so different."
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The smells, the people. They would be the same, every March of Eve, and indeed, they were the same.
Mikihisa brought his axe down with another strong blow, splitting the large piece of wood into six evenly spaced pieces. How he did that, no one would ever know.
"Breakfast?" Keiko asked, walking towards her husband.
Sweating slightly, the tall man nodded his thanks. As he took the tray from his wife, he asked,
"How are the guests?"
Keiko made a face, and the woodcutter sensed a tone of exasperation in her voice.
"You'd never believe it." She said incredulously. "They're the same merchants from the last time."
Mikihisa raised a brow in amusement. "Oh? They must like the cottage."
"Indeed." Replied Keiko, but with less enthusiasm. The woman hugged the serving tray to her bosom, and prepared to leave her husband, but then remembered something.
"Oh, I nearly forgot," she said, turning once again to the woodcutter. "The First Elder's sent for Yoh."
At that statement, Mikihisa nearly dropped his axe. "What?"
Keiko nodded thoughtfully. "I wondered about that, too. Perhaps he was chosen to become a deacon?"
Her husband just stared at her. "No, he is too young. Look at Jun, Master Tao's daughter. She was recruited at twenty-four, and she's the youngest."
"Hmmm…I guess you're right."
"Maybe the First Elder wants to see him about something else…you know, to keep out of trouble for tomorrow's opening festivities."
"Yes. Maybe that's it." Keiko looked up brightly at Mikihisa. "Well, I'll be leaving, then." The woodcutter nodded.
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Mr. Borealis looked around the loft once more, and realized that it was exactly the same as they had left it seven years ago. It still smelled slightly of hay, and the guests' furniture was the same.
The merchant sniffed, and puffed some more at his pipe, which he then laid down on the low table.
"I think we've given him enough years." Remarked a fellow merchant, who had by now, given up smoking, as it posed serious threats to his health.
Mr. Borealis nodded doubtfully.
"We shall see."
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"REN TAO, PUT HIM DOWN!"
As the painfully piercing sound of the girl's voice reached his ears, the boy winced, but tightened his grip on the plump cat.
"Not if you make me." He muttered to himself, glaring at the adamant feline in his hands, not caring if the stupid cat didn't show any expression of fear whatsoever.
Pirika stormed noisily to Master Tao's son, anger ablaze in her eyes. The cat perked up at the sight of its owner, scrabbling furiously at the firmly clamped hands of its captor.
"YEEOWCH!" exclaimed Ren, letting the cat go.
As predicted, the cowardly puss came running, meowing pathetically, into its mistress' arms.
A very angry and murderous mistress, Ren thought disdainfully. He watched her turn purple with rage, and prepared himself for the worst shouting match ever heard in Ajima, since he was ten, and she, nine.
"WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?"
"That cat ate my father's best fish."
"He couldn't help it!"
Ren smirked.
"He couldn't help it because his mistress was too lazy to watch him!" he shot back.
Pirika turned an interesting shade of many different colours.
"HOW DARE YOU—I was helping my mother with the decorations!" she hastily kept her voice to a menacing hiss.
"More like ogling at TOMMY ROBINSON." The last part he said loud, and it was all Pirika could do to keep her temper under control.
"Shut. Up." She said, through gritted teeth.
Ren leaned forward, a smug expression on his face.
"Make me."
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"Tsk." Said Mistress Tao disdainfully. "Almost adults, and still acting like children."
"You tell me." Replied Rumiko, straightening out the tablecloths, outside Master Tao's inn.
"Pirika loves that cat, ever more so, when Horohoro left."
At this, Tao Ran raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Rumiko nodded. "The cat was a gift from him. And you know that even though Piri doesn't show it, she adores Horohoro. Well, adored."
There was a note of sadness in the mother's voice, and Mistress Tao understood why.
Rumiko's eldest son had disappeared fourteen years ago, when he was just three. That was on the third day of the celebrations, the time when the evil wood was at its darkest.
"Well…" she said, not sure of what else to say, "Horo was a good boy, ne?"
The other woman nodded, and there was a hint of loneliness on her voice. "Yes. Sometimes arrogant, but a good boy nevertheless."
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"Are you sure that the First Elder really called for you, Yoh?" asked the small boy skeptically, turning to his taller friend.
Beside him, Yoh shrugged.
"That's what Miss Jun told me." He said, closing his eyes to the tune of another hit song composed by Bob.
"I see," was the mumbled reply.
Years had changed Yoh. From a young boy of ten, he had grown. Seventeen was a precarious age, according to Master Tao, who could be heard at his inn, complaining about his son's antics. Seventeen was a good age to be, said Keiko.
He was not a man yet, but was still struggling to grow into one.
"It's called puberty." Manta had said.
Manta was his best friend. A lot shorter than Yoh, maybe, but still his best friend. Time didn't change friendships that much; or at least it didn't in their case.
Yoh still had messy brown hair, orange headphones and an easy smile. He was a good-natured boy, En Tao pointed out, but still painfully lazy.
Mikihisa sometimes let him help with the woodcutting, with hopes that his son would find a good profession of his own, someday. Yoh appreciated his father's well-meaning efforts, and he would occasionally chisel a sculpture—a rabbit, or something, and give it to one of the village kids.
But what the guy really wanted to do, he didn't really know yet. As smart as he was, Yoh preferred to be left alone in the shade of the big Acacia tree that grew behind his family's cottage. Listening to music and sleeping were his current professions, and Keiko didn't really have the heart to keep her son away from one of his few sources of contentment.
"YOH?"
Broken from a trance, the boy nodded to his friend. Manta sighed.
"Did you even HEAR what I was saying for the past TEN minutes?"
Yoh realized that he hadn't, and smiled sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head.
"Um, sorry Manta, but it kind of slipped my mind…" he trailed off.
The boy shook his head, and graciously repeated his statement.
"Do you think the First Elder wants to make you a deacon?" he mused loudly.
At the boy's statement, Yoh paled quite visibly.
"A deacon!"
He visualized himself in the traditional black tunic that the Elders-in-training wore, lining up quietly at certain ceremonies, like story-telling…and studying the ancient scripts day and night…fasting on certain holidays, and occasionally, becoming the First Elder's personal slave—
Okay Yoh. Time to stop visualizing.
Vigorously, the boy shook his head, as if banishing the very idea of him becoming a deacon.
"I hope not…" he murmured.
"Eh?" at that, Manta's head turned up to look at his friend.
"What's that? I thought you wanted to become a deacon—"
"Where the hell did you get that idea?
Manta shrugged. "I don't know…it's just that normally, people of Ajima consider it an honor to be chosen as one of the future elders."
Yoh paused for a while, before replying to his friend's statement. The sound of their footsteps trodding on the dirt path was the only sound for a few minutes, aside from the rustling of the tree-leaves and the occasional chirp of the Koplinter bird.
"But I'm not normal…" Said Yoh, and at this Manta gave his friend an incredulous look, which melted into realization.
"I guess…you aren't."
Upon hearing this, Yoh suddenly turned to the shorter boy, and smiled at him. Their footsteps came to a halt, and there was silence once again.
"Thanks, Manta."
The other boy nodded, and turned to look at the giant wooden doors that lay before them. The council house.
"We're here."
On hiatus till further notice.
