(Here's Topaz, checking in! Now is when the story starts to go uphill...or at least I think so. Get ready, folks. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. --Topaz Fox)

Marr's Pass lay amiably at a three-way fork in the road. The Tipa caravanners were glad and relieved to have reached its warm presence. Lilties and Clavats bustled through the streets, buying goods and getting things forged by the famous blacksmiths of the area. It was a warm, agreeable day, and the cheery buzz of people talking was punctuated by birdsong.

First, Caliphen went to get rooms for each of the Tipa-landers at the local inn. Ter Van vanished toward the Selkie merchant's booth; being a Selkie himself, he was bound to get a better deal on all manner of things. The two girls of the group were left to try and persuade Elga's blacksmith uncle to forge them new supplies.

They gathered up the party's battered weapons and worn armor and trekked to the blacksmith's shop. When Nat Dennim, Elga's armor-clad uncle, saw his niece approaching, he moaned a little and stretched his arm behind his head. Elga recognized this nervous habit and knew it'd be easy to get what she wanted.

She hopped up and promptly dropped her armload of equipment on the ground at her uncle's feet. A huge, maniacal fake grin was plastered on her face. "Hi, Uncle Nat," she said brightly. "Fix these for us, will you please?" Anne approached slowly, cautiously eyeing the situation. She knew a family matter when she saw one.

Nat Dennim flinched. "Oh…it's, uh, Elga. How, er, wonderful to see you, dear." Elga motioned for Anne to set down the other equipment in the pile. She smiled again. "Thanks for agreeing to help us, Uncle. We'll be back tomorrow morning sometime to pick up the stuff." Nat Dennim's eyes flashed like flint. "Now, wait a minute," he said with something between a growl and a protest. He kicked a helmet lying in the gleaming pile of goods. "I don't do armor. Just weapons." Elga threw her arms around her uncle's neck and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Oh, but you can make one little exception, can't you, Uncle?"

"But--I'm really busy, and--"

"Thank you so much, Uncle Nat! I knew I could count on you! See you tomorrow morning, then!" With that, Elga grabbed Anne's hand and pulled her away from the blacksmith stall, waving over her shoulder. "Are you sure that was okay?" asked a hesitant Anne. Elga nodded. "Oh, yeah. Uncle Nat just loves to help any way he can."

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Meanwhile, Ter Van walked in a detached sort of way along the path to the merchant's stall. His mind was in limbo, the place where one is where they're not completely present, yet not deep in thought, either. Parades of colors and forms sailed by as he just kept walking ahead, mind drifting like a leaf on the breeze. Something in the corner of his eye managed to break through his semi-trance.

It was a Tulip Yuke, helmet complete with splayed bronze lips, wings a cherry-blossom pink. Ter Van's heart skipped a beat. Ralthia? What is she doing here? He was about to call out her name when he realized it wasn't her. No…the stripes on this Yuke's fingers were wider than Ralthia's, and her wings were edged with milky white, while Rallie's wings were completely pink.

They used to all look the same to me. The thought hit him gently, like a tap on the forehead. He and several others. But before he knew Ralthia, the Spirals just looked like Spirals, the One Horns like One Horns, the Black Mages like Black Mages. There seemed to be no individuals. But Ralthia…Ralthia had showed him that even Yukes in the same class differed from one another. Ter Van shook his head, still smiling. It's amazing how one tiny thing in your life can change your view on everything else.

He looked up suddenly and realized he had reached the merchant's booth already. His eyes flicked toward the bench behind the stall, looking for the familiar face of the young Selkie merchant, but saw instead his attractive accomplice. He remembered seeing her before and tried to recall her name. Te something.

She was, of course, a Selkie, with turquoise hair pulled back into a hairdo the fanned around her head. She was slumped on the bench, looking rather sullen. The sunlight that filtered through the tree above her dappled her pale skin with golden-green flecks. When she glanced up and noticed Ter Van, her countenance brightened considerably.

"Oh, hi! Welcome! What can I do for you today?" Ter Van leaned on the counter and said, "I need some rainbow grapes…and a half-dozen striped apples…and meat." The Selkie girl vanished behind the counter and came up with a big bunch of rainbow grapes and six shiny striped apples. "As for meat," she chirped, "all we have is this." The girl plunked a large, brown chunk of something gnarled and hard. "Dried beef from the Fields of Fum." Despite the jerky's coarse appearance, Ter Van nodded. "That'll be fine."

As Ter Van was handing over the gil to pay for the provisions, a shimmer of recognition passed through the merchant girl's pretty face. "Hey, I remember you," she said slowly, looking Ter Van up and down. "You're that Ter Van guy from a few months ago. You got a lot cuter." Her exotically-painted eyes narrowed coyly. "I have a couple friends I could fix you up with."

Ter Van felt a slight flush rise to his cheeks. Living in a multi-raced town like Tipa had made him forget how bold Selkies could be around each other. He ran a hand through his tangled hair, trying not to appear nervous. "Sorry, I'm taken," he replied with a sly grin.
"Oh." She sounded almost disappointed. "Well, that's too bad. Who is this lucky girl?"

Quick, Ter Van, think of a name! "Uh…her name is…R-Ral Thia," he stammered, and mentally slapped himself. That was really original.


"Ral Thia, eh? Interesting name. What's she like?"

"Well…" Ter Van's mind wandered back to Tipa, along the dirt road that sliced through the village, and up to Rallie's house. A tiny silver wave of embarrassment swept over him; he still couldn't quite believe he was in love with a Yuke. "She's incredibly smart. I've never seen a more clever girl. And…" He remembered the night of the farewell festival. "She's pretty shy. Once you get her to open up, she's…sweet." Images of her passed involuntarily through his mind. "She's kind and thoughtful, and she's a daydreamer. She's always coming up with ways to defy reality."

Like falling in love with a Selkie, for instance.

The merchant girl rested her chin in her hands, her eyes aimed upward, as if she were examining something in the sky. At last, she tilted her head to the side. "She sounds…wonderful. Pretty, too, I bet."

Ter Van smiled. "You have no idea."

When she seemed satisfied with "Ral Thia's" description, the Selkie girl gave Ter Van his purchases, all wrapped up in crinkly brown paper. "I approve. Treat this girl well, you hear? She's a keeper; don't lose her. Have a nice day."

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All four members of the Tipa caravan met up later that night at the Marr's Pass inn. Caliphen had managed to stretch their gil enough to rent two rooms and purchase a hot meal for each of them. As the sun was setting, looking like a great citrus bobbing in a cloudy tide, everyone sat down to a surprisingly high-quality dinner.

Hot loaves of bannock sat beside little earthenware tubs of butter. Baskets of firm striped apples and juicy rainbow grapes lay side by side. There were plates of chopped and steamed star carrots, mashed gourd potatoes, and thick steaks of meat roasted to savory perfection. Delectable scents eased their way into the slightly stale air. Everybody dug into their meals voraciously.

Darkness fell and the moon rose. The Tipa-landers said their goodnights and separated, the girls going into one room, the boys into the other. Each pair proceeded to flip a coin to see which of them would sleep on the rickety bed, and which would have to sleep on the floor.

Ter Van unfurled his bedroll on the floor, mildly irritated that he lost the coin toss. He could hear Caliphen settling under the sheets of the bed above him. There was a mysterious glint in the darkness as Caliphen removed his helmet and placed it on the table beside him. Sparks of curiosity shuddered along Ter Van's back. Something poked at him to see Caliphen's face without a helmet covering it, but something else told him that some things should not be seen.

Silence. Ter Van rolled onto his back, squinting at the darkness. I wonder what time it is. Surely Caliphen's asleep by now…isn't he?

As if on cue, Caliphen's deep voice cut through the dark. "So…you are in…love…with my sister," he said abruptly. He had obviously meant for the words to come out as a question, but they fell flat. The very air in the room tightened. Ter Van didn't know what to say.

"So are you?"

"…I…"

"Answer me."

The situation was getting awkward, almost hostile. The blackness of the night had clamped stealthily around the two friends. Why is it so hard for me to say it? It's clear as the damn day that I love her. Why can't I bring myself to just say it?

"Answer." Caliphen's voice was patient, yet tense as a bowstring. One false move, and Ter Van feared he might snap. There was nothing left to do but tell the truth. "Yes. I love her," he said, not hesitating.

There was no response at first. Ter Van sat stewing in an uncomfortable silence, wondering what as going through Caliphen's mind. At last, he said, "Ralthia is breaking many of our ancient traditions as Yukes. She is marrying outside of our race. I find it amazing that you would want to marry into our race; you Selkies are a beautiful people, and Yukes are obviously not."

Whoa whoa whoa…marriage? Who said anything about marriage?

Caliphen continued. "She is actually choosing her sweetheart. Unlike the rest of our tribe, she has an actually conscious ability to love romantically. It is most curious. All other Yukes have an age-old custom of having their lovers picked by parents or guardians."
The word echoed through Ter Van, striking like bronze at his heart. Lovers.

"Often," Caliphen added, "Yukes are wed to those they have never met. I have always thought that perhaps my dear older sister is the spirit of some other race trapped in a Yuke's body." He chuckled, as if he were trying to lighten the situation. "She is definitely breaking the mold for Yukes everywhere."

Down on the floor in his bedroll, Ter Van was speechless. What can I possibly say after that random history lesson? Is Caliphen trying to make a point? Maybe I should…I should just…speak my mind. No, speak my heart.

"That's why I love her," he said in a low voice, just loud enough for Caliphen to hear. "She's so…different. Never calculating or anything, just dreaming. And she's brave and strong-willed as anyone I've ever met. She's well-spoken and kind, with an amazing sense of…well, everything. She is the most radiant girl I've ever met. Never once have I thought of her and wished she were prettier. It never crossed my mind even once. I think it's because she has such a drop-dead gorgeous soul." His voice dropped even lower. "And that's why I would do anything for her."

No words--or even sound--came from Caliphen. His breathing wasn't even audible anymore. While Ter Van waited for just a tiny sign of life from his comrade, he noticed subtle rays of blue light glazing the ceiling. As soon as he laid his eyes on them, the shifted a little, fumbling over themselves. Each one at last fell arrow shaft-accurate against the opposite wall. A delicious feeling of contentment wafted all over the room. Ter Van almost fell asleep in the sudden comfort of the moment, but woke up a little when he remembered something.

Yukes could alter the weather…or so he had heard. Could they also change the atmosphere, the very mood of the world around them? Was this Caliphen's way of approving? Bedsprings creaked. "Good night, my friend," murmured Caliphen. Ter Van smiled. "Good night."