Chapter 4: Destination
Marille had gone through the mountains in order to shave off a day and a half of walking to Craosolt, but now that she knew where to find Mizuho there was no point in clearing her own trail when she had a perfectly good road to follow. But she had to go slowly since she wasn't used to so much traveling, and barely reached Hima by nightfall.
Upon her arrival, the Castagnier girl was so exhausted that she decided to use some of her precious gald to stay the night at an inn. Once her belongings were in the room and she had ordered food, she was able to sit downstairs and relax for a few minutes.
There was a group of people nearby and she ignored them until one phrase caught her interest straight away.
"—then I was told they're a demon-family. After all, they control monsters and—"
Marille was standing at their table in less time than it took to blink. "Who is a 'demon-family'?" she demanded.
The man in travel-worn clothes looked up at her in surprise. "The Castagniers, of course. I came from Luin about three weeks ago and—let me tell you!—the people there have gotten so used to the monsters running around that they hardly flinch when the things come into town for scraps. And they're not the kind you find creeping around a forest, no sir! They're huge, and any single one can wipe out the town if it gets in a bad mood. I wouldn't live there for ten thousand gald!"
The other listeners nodded to each other, throwing questions out as they appeared to decide the man was telling the truth. "Doesn't seem natural, does it?" "Are the Castagniers really demons?" "How would we know if they weren't?"
"I would like a word with you," Marille said in a firm voice that betrayed her anger.
The man looked at her. "Little girl, trading is over for the day and I would prefer not to leave my dinner."
"Very well, I'll settle things right here."
She brought her fists down on the table so hard that the trader's mug fell over onto his plate, ruining his food. He jumped up fuming, but when he saw her blazing eyes and heard the next words out of her mouth, he nearly swallowed his tongue.
"My name is Marille Castagnier and you are a liar!"
The entire group crowded around the table seemed to leap back all together. Marille dominated the conversation, railing about the unethical nature of his gossip and its unfounded presumption as well as the damaging effects it had on her mother.
Once the story about the poisoning was out, all sympathy seemed to be with the Castagniers and the trader became an instant criminal. He looked around pleadingly at everyone, almost begging them to come to his rescue, but by then there was not a single person in the room on his side.
Marille finished her harangue and stood, hands on hips, waiting for his excuse. "Well? My mother's coma may very well be your doing. Do you have anything to say?"
The trader mumbled an indistinct apology. "It wasn't me… I mean, I didn't make it up. The week after I left Luin I met another trader who told me the tale. I didn't see any reason not to spread it…"
"Who was he?"
"Guntz, by name. He said he got the news straight from a reliable source. I didn't think he would lie."
The girl walked over to the wall and picked up a discarded mallet, then she returned to the table. "You listen, and you listen good. I want you to go straight back the way you came and fix the mess you started. I don't care if it takes you all year—you're going to make this right and clear my family's name!"
He fidgeted, not looking her directly in the eye. "But I won't get any business if I go right back along the route I came. People only buy from you once, y'know."
"Would you rather I told my father and all his friends that you're most likely the cause of the attack on Marta Castagnier?"
The trader's eyes widened. "No, no! I can go back. I may not sell anything, but I can retrace my route in a couple weeks or so."
With the agreement made, Marille laid the threatening mallet back down and stepped away. Her face was still pinched with anger but now she looked more satisfied. She made one more remark on his dubious character and then returned to her own table to eat in peace.
The peace didn't last long, however. News traveled fast and Hima's people flooded the inn, eager to hear from the daughter of Emil and Marta. For the rest of the evening she became the central storytelling figure and wasn't able to escape until far into the night.
Marille has gained the title Interrogator
One well-versed in the talents of retrieving information by unconventional means. Occasionally involves a large mallet.
%*%
The next couple days were uneventful except for some encounters with monsters. Her father's Black Sword was a bit too large, but she handled it well enough to defeat her opponents. Out of pure curiosity she tried to make a pact with a bear the way Emil had showed her as a child…but the result nearly got her killed and she gave up on that entirely.
The mountains stretched wide on all sides, the trees only serving to further disorient her. By keeping Linsu Peak in sight she was able to avoid getting lost, but that didn't necessarily mean she knew where she was.
According to Zelos, there ought to be a creek near the base of the peak, and if she followed it upstream a few hours there would be a canyon just beyond a series of small waterfalls. Mizuho was at the far end. He also warned her it may not be easy to find, but he was certain that she would be recognized and brought directly there.
The creek wound its way toward the peak, leading her on a merry chase through brambles and swarms of biting flies. Marille began wondering if she was going the right way. There had been no signs of people, making her suspect that perhaps there was more than one creek and she'd chosen to follow the wrong one.
While she was trying to take a shortcut through the water, her foot slipped on a stone and she fell in. Because the current was a bit strong, she was knocked about a little before she managed to regain her feet.
When she made it to the other side, her ribcage along the left side had a heavy bruise that grew tender and dark over the next hour. Even more troubling was that the bump on her side started giving her a twinge of pain whenever she moved too quickly. Since she had received the healing from her mother it shouldn't have been a problem for at least another month, but things just seemed to be working against her during this trip.
Even so, it was a relief when she came to a tiered set of waterfalls. It couldn't be far, but shouldn't she have met a Mizuho scout by now? Marille hadn't exactly been trying to hide, and even if she had tried, she seriously doubted she could have fooled them.
She had reached the base of the mountains, still surrounded by forest, and had just run into yet another thorn thicket. This time her pack got caught and she couldn't get out. That's when she heard something that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter. Familiar muffled laughter, that is.
Rubbing her temples and heaving a deep sigh, she said, "How long have you guys been watching me?"
Soft footfalls came from behind and she turned to see two figures emerge from the bushes. They both wore dark blue outfits and their identical faces effectively kept her from telling them apart. They were only about a year older than her, but she had to remind herself of that sometimes because they didn't always act as mature as they looked.
"Just four hours or so," one said, still trying not to snigger too loudly.
"I almost jumped in to help when you tripped, but Leo bet me thirty gald you'd get out before you floated fifteen feet downstream. I bet ten feet, though, so he owes me."
Leo stopped laughing long enough to give his brother a dirty look. "You didn't have to tell her that, Geo."
"Aren't you guys wondering why I'm hiking out here all by myself?" Marille interrupted them.
"It crossed our minds, but we figured you needed the exercise."
Her eye twitched slightly. "Was there an easier way to reach Mizuho? A shortcut you could have guided me to?"
The boys continued to grin. "Maybe."
"Look, I'm here to tell you about my mother—"
"Is that all?" Geo asked. "Sheesh! We've known about that for ages! Mom's got all her people working on it. That's why we're the ones out here on scouting duty."
The Castagnier girl could barely keep from grinding her teeth. "You're right. It explains why a couple of amateurs are toying with me instead of doing their job."
That sobered them up immediately and they helped extricate her from the thorn bush. Once out, she was a little less inclined to be upset with them. After all, the Irving twins were some of her best friends even though she only saw them every couple months or so.
Geo picked a twig out of her hair as he said, "You didn't really think Mom needed to know about the whole incident with your mother, did you?"
"Well..."
"She's got the best spy network in the world and you thought you needed to come out and tell her something this important?"
"Why didn't she send me a message to let me know I wasn't alone?"
"She did but you weren't there to get it," Leo laughed behind her. "You kind of fell off the face of the map and she wasn't sure where you went. But we received word last night that you'd been to see the Wilders and they said you were looking for Mizuho. That's when she sent us to wait for you. C'mon, let's get going!"
They left the stream and took her along a path only they could see, cutting off about an hour's march. When they insisted on taking her pack, she first thought it was because they were being gentlemanly. Turned out they just wanted to eat all the provisions Zelos and Karyn had gotten for her since she wouldn't need them once they reached the village.
The distinctive houses of Mizuho were a welcome sight but there were very few people about. She noticed a series of ladders going up the rugged sides of the canyon, and Leo told her they led to the mountain terraces where they grew their food since the area below was too shady for crops.
The boys led her directly to the chief's home and there was Sheena kneeling at a short table, busy writing something in one of the many codes she had to use for different branches of the network. It was obvious the twins took after her with their black hair and thin faces. They had inherited Lloyd's build, though.
She looked up but before she could do more than smile, her sons turned beet red and shouted together, "Mom!"
Sheena looked down at the outfit which emphasized her well-endowed bust. "Oh yes, that."
Marille couldn't help being somewhat shocked herself. She'd never seen the woman wear anything other than modest clothing, but this was all too revealing. As Sheena pulled on a light purple kimono, she seemed a bit apologetic.
"When Lloyd and I married he asked me to stop advertising myself to every man I met, so I've been much more discreet in public. In my own home, however, I like to be more relaxed."
"Mom, you know we hate it when you do that," Geo grumbled, facing the wall.
Leo nodded beside him, still red. "I really don't want an image like that following me around for a week. Is there some way you could let us know when not to come in?"
"I'll think about it. Boys, you can turn around. I'm decent. But Marille, I expected you this morning. Leonard and Giovanni weren't able to find you?"
Her sons exchanged embarrassed looks as she said, "More like they decided to watch me take the long route and took bets on how helpless they thought I was."
"Sounds like them." She narrowed her eyes at the boys. "I believe both of you need to learn the difference between obeying orders and amusing yourselves. Harvest duty for a month, labor detail."
"But Mom—the ladders?!"
"It was just a joke!"
Though they were each half a head taller than her, the instant their mother stood, she magically managed to tower over them. "In the meantime I want you two to bring some refreshments for our guest. And I want some tea. Don't make me ask twice."
They scrambled out, afraid if they wasted any more time she would assign some new punishment. The moment she was alone with Marille, the leader of the village turned to her with a smile.
"Now that we have them out of our hair, how are you?"
She gave a dispirited sigh. "I would be better if my mother hadn't been poisoned."
"I'm so sorry. I would have gone to see you myself as soon as I heard, but someone had to organize all the intelligence we received, and Lloyd is helping your father—"
"What?! Where is he?" she demanded angrily.
"Meltokio. Last week we intercepted a message about the leaders of the Heralds gathering there. We've never had an opportunity like this, so they both left to try capturing them." Sheena sifted through the papers on her table until she found one. "The last report I got from them came three days ago. They're keeping a low profile and won't be able to send or receive any messages until they spring the trap. I sent an agent with news about Marta, but it was too dangerous to use the usual channels, so I can't be sure they even know about her yet."
Marille shook off the disappointment. "Whether he knows or not, my mother still needs help. We were given a bottle of perfume that morning. I brought a sample."
She held it out and Sheena carefully took and unstoppered it. The scent was still potent.
"Foxweed!" she coughed, closing the vial again quickly. "A perfume bottle, you say? That would explain why Marta didn't realize it was dangerous until it was too late."
"So you know if there's a way to help her?"
"Raine would. She's been cataloging plants from the Camberto Caves for years. Much of that time has also been spent finding uses for them—and making antidotes for the poisonous ones. If anyone could help your mother, it's her."
Just then the door opened and her sons returned with a tray of food and mug of steaming green tea. Sheena turned to them and quipped out an order.
"Leonard, give me that and go get two agents."
He handed it over and ran off again, returning a few minutes later with two men whose masks were drawn over their faces. Sheena gestured to the one on the left.
"Marille, do you remember Genji?"
She looked at the ninja who bowed his head slightly to her and could just barely remember his name. "You're the one who saved me, aren't you?"
"It was a pleasure to be able to serve you, Miss Castagnier."
"Genji, Rajin, we've just learned why Marta is in a coma: she's been exposed to a concentrated dose of foxweed. I need Rajin to take this vial to Raine in Iselia and she will give you an antidote. Genji, you head to the coast and get a boat ready so that as soon as Rajin brings the antidote and you can take it straight on to Luin. You'll be using the fastest mounts we have left. Any questions?"
They said nothing and she dismissed them. When Sheena turned back to look at her young guest, she saw that Marille was staring at the floor, oblivious to everything around her.
"Are you thinking about Genji?"
"I don't really remember…"
Marille remained where she was, thinking of the one time in her life when she was in great danger but couldn't remember anything about it. Back when she was seven everyone said she had been kidnapped, but all she could say about it was that one moment she was at the edge of Luin, and the next time she opened her eyes she was tied to a tree in the woods in the middle of the night. Genji had been standing over her, cutting the ropes to set her free. Apparently he'd tracked them down and fought her kidnapper, ending in the man's death.
Occasionally she still had flashes of memory when she dreamed, but they were so far away and indistinct that anything new she might have gleaned from them was lost on waking.
Sheena has gained the title Herbalist
I only know a small number of plants, actually. I guess I'm just lucky that was one of the few I have experience with.
A/N: I couldn't help poking at Sheena's original choice of wardrobe and how it may affect those around her. Besides, when I got married my husband asked me to ditch the outfits that screamed "I'm available!" to every guy who saw me. Good call.