It had been a fitful night for Marie. She lay in bed, tossing and turning restlessly between short stretches of sleep.
Worry was obviously one reason for restlessness. Her mother had explained to her what a tracheotomy was and she could only imagine how terrified Callie had been during the process. Worse was that if it hadn't been done, Callie would have suffocated and possibly died.
The only alternative Marie could think of would have been to run her all the way back to the river so she could use her gills to breathe instead, but then, getting her to the hospital would have been much more difficult.
When Marie wasn't busy worrying, she was wondering what she might have done differently. Had they seen the bullies coming they could have run. She knew from the sports festival that they were faster. But Callie wouldn't have run immediately, that wasn't like her. For that matter, Marie wasn't sure she would have either. She'd gotten too full of herself and Callie had paid the price for it. But her mother was right, crying wasn't going to fix anything and as long as Callie was away in the hospital then she didn't have to worry about her getting hurt, so that left her to think about what she would do when she got to school.
By 5 A.M, Marie had given up trying to get more sleep and got dressed. She still had hours to think about what she was going to do and she was going to use that time.
Marie set up an impromptu council, sitting her stuffed animals at the end of her bed and turning on her reading lamp to provide light.
"We have a problem," she declared. "The bullies think they can get away with what happened. Why is that?"
She looked at her stuffed penguin, Peckers, who, in her mind, responded, "because they know that as long as it's your word against theirs, nothing can happen. That's how they got away with the rocks."
"But that doesn't mean everyone doesn't believe they did it," her stuffed bat, Bitey, pointed out. "They might deny it, but that doesn't mean everyone will believe them."
"But that doesn't help," whined Gon, her tortoise plushie. "Even if they believe they did it, they won't support you because the greater community is against you, and your family, and Callie's."
"But why?" Marie asked. "I know it has something to do with Mom and Aunt Mora's past, but at congregations we're taught not to judge people for their past and to take them as they are in the present."
"Not everyone follows the divine teachings," Bitey said sagely. "If they did, the world wouldn't have nearly as many problems."
"I don't think the bullies and their families even go to congregations," Peckers huffed. "If they tried, they wouldn't be able to hide their ugly nature. The priests and priestesses would see right through them."
"They're afraid of someone who can say they are wrong that everyone would believe. They might not take your word over theirs, but they would a priestess."
Marie straightened. "The priestess. Priestess Winterveil was there; she saw the boys, saw what happened to Callie! She's a witness!"
"She could tell everyone what happened!" Peckers cried. "This could change everything."
"But she doesn't live here," Gon said. "What if she's already left for home?"
"She'll come back," Bitey said confidently. "A priestess wouldn't just turn her back on what happened to Callie. One of the greatest commandments the gods gave us is that children are sacred. This wasn't an accident, it was an attack, she has to know that."
"But then what will she do?"
Nobody had an answer.
The door opened and Marie jumped in surprise. Her father leaned in the doorway, dressed in his work clothes. He looked concerned.
"Marie? You're up already?"
Marie folded her hands in front of her, her head sinking shyly beneath her shoulders as her mantle displayed guilt. "I… couldn't sleep, Papa."
"I'm sure." He walked into the room, his eyes briefly fixating on the line of toys at the end of the bed then knelt and gave her a hug.
"At least I get to see my little girl before I head off for work. I'm sorry, I know I've been working long hours."
Marie flashed red as she hugged him back. "It's not your fault, Papa. I'm sorry I make you worry."
He picked her up and held her against his shoulder. He couldn't do so as easily as her mother, being smaller, but she still loved being carried by him.
"It's not your fault, Marie. You're a well-behaved and responsible girl, and your mother and I are proud of you. That's the reason those boys hate you, you know. You make them look bad."
Marie made a sour face. "I already figured that out, Papa. We did it at dodgeball and at the sports festival."
"But you do it in your day-to-day too, Marie, and you do it even when you think no one's looking. With you, it's genuine and that's important."
Marie pondered that as her father carried her towards the kitchen. "Do you think the bully's parents are proud of them?"
Her father's mantle turned a ruddy-brown. "Probably not, but I don't know for sure. Unfortunately, Marie, a lot of mine and your mother's generation grew up without our parents home very much, and a lot of how you learn to be a parent is based on how you grew up yourself."
In other words, Marie thought, the bullies are being raised as bad as their moms were. But if that's true then that means that their moms are bullies too, and that means that they're bullying Aunt Mora like their kids are us! And that changed Marie's whole perspective on the broader social dynamic around their school and of her own situation.
"They're bullying Aunt Mora by having their kids bully us."
"What?"
They were in the kitchen now and her mother turned away from the stove to look in their direction, and she frowned.
"Marie, have you been up all night?"
"No. Mother; just couldn't get back to sleep."
Her mother nodded to Marie's usual chair and her father set her down in it.
"Then I'd better fix you an extra-big breakfast. You'll need all the energy you can get today. Natam, you'd better get going or you'll miss the train."
"Train?" Marie was puzzled. Her father normally took the car to work.
He rubbed her head. "Yes, I have to deal with a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy today in Inkopolis. I'll try to check in on Callie while I'm there."
He gave Marie a kiss on her good cheek and hurried out. Marie watched him go then looked back at her mother. She was wearing her exercise outfit under her apron, which left a lot more skin exposed. Her mother had a habit of exercising early in the mornings, usually before Marie got up, but she was normally showered and changed before Marie was up for breakfast.
Her mother's physique, Marie had long known, was different from many of the other mothers. Her body was well toned and muscles bulged out beneath taught skin that was normally well covered and hidden, even on warm days, almost like she was camouflaging herself.
Since she was already dressed, Marie had plenty of time to wash up once breakfast was over. Her mother saw no reason to wait until the usual time to get to school and Marie concurred. The sooner she got there, the less likely she was to run into an ambush on the way, though with her mother escorting her, that seemed unlikely anyway. Those boys couldn't possibly be so stupid as to attack an inkyora protecting her child.
One of the last things her mother did before leaving was changing the bandage on her cheek and cleaning the wound. It stung, but Marie gritted her beak and shut her eyes tight, refusing to make a fuss.
Marie dusted off her backpack before slipping her arms through the loops. They'd had to go back to the park and retrieve hers and Callie's backpacks on their way back from the clinic. Callie's still sat forlorn against the wall in their porch.
"Ready to go?"
Marie flashed green and took her mother's hand. Perhaps it seemed childish but Marie wasn't about to let that stop her from taking advantage of her mother's protection.
They'd barely left the house when her mother abruptly stopped.
"Mora?"
Marie was equally surprised to see her aunt Mora standing at the end of their walkway between them and the street, hands in front of her. Though she was wearing a new change of clothes she looked like she'd barely slept.
She looked at her mother, then at Marie, then back at her mother. "Silvie, I need a favour."
Her mother's grip tightened around Marie's fingers and her mother stared at her, worry creasing her brow.
"What is it?"
"Let me take Marie to school."
Her mother's frown deepened, orange caution spots dotting her mantle.
"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Mora. You're tired, stressed, and you'd be walking right into the eel's den."
Aunt Mora's gaze didn't waver. "I know, but I need to do this. My daughter almost died because of this whole stupid situation and I'm tired of being passive. Callie is the one who should be protected, not me."
Marie glanced up at her mother, seeing the conflicted emotions on her face and could only wonder what was going through her mind.
"Why don't we go together?"
But Aunt Mora flashed red. "No, I need to do this myself. I have to show them that I'm not afraid and that I don't need to hide behind you to do my duty as a mother. I promise, I won't let anyone hurt Marie."
Marie twitched at the sudden steel in her aunt's tone. She was normally gentle and tender, rarely raising her voice. She'd seen her scold and even ground Callie before, but this wasn't the same. This was a side of her Marie had never seen before.
Slowly, her mother's grip on her hand loosened until it was allowed to fall.
"Marie, go with Auntie Mora." Her mantle displayed a warning amber. "Just be careful, both of you."
Bemused and feeling like she'd just missed an entire conversation despite being right there, Marie did as she was told, walking up to her aunt and taking her hand.
Aunt Mora squeezed her hand snugly and expressed warm, heartfelt gratitude through her mantle.
"Let's go, Marie."
With a gentle tug, Aunt Mora led her away from their house and down the street towards school.
Marie tried to think of any time she'd been alone with her aunt and couldn't come up with any. Even when she'd been left to be babysat, Callie was always there. She couldn't remember the last time she had walked to school with them either. It had been years.
When and why had she come back home? If Callie had come back, surely she would have told them, so did that mean she was still in the hospital?
She tried to sort through the situation. Her aunt had been kept away from school for some reason or another. If Marie's guess that she'd been getting bullied by some of the other mothers was correct, then the reasons why made sense. It was the same reason Marie normally didn't want to go to school. As to why she was being bullied in the first place, all she knew was that it had to do with her past.
So, if Aunt Mora was going to school now then it meant she no longer had any intention of hiding, because it meant Callie would continue to be hurt. Then, a horrible possibility occurred to her and she squeezed her aunt's hand tighter.
"Aunt Mora, maybe you shouldn't go."
Without looking down, she said, "I have to, Marie. I can't just let Callie be hurt anymore and not at least try to do something about it."
"But that might be what they want! What if they hurt Callie just to get you to come out where they could get you."
Her aunt's eyes narrowed. "I'd rather they get me than Callie. I'm a big girl, Marie, I can handle myself. Don't worry."
Marie swallowed, not feeling reassured. Still, she trusted her aunt, loved her. If she thought she had to do this then Marie needed to support her. Her mother clearly did so she had to as well and just hope everything would turn out alright.
Up ahead, the school loomed, the usual crowd of mothers in front of the gates. As they drew near, some started to notice them. Startled, they began to whisper to each other.
Marie held her aunt's hand even tighter, nervousness spreading outwards from her stomach to her extremities like a deep chill.
Mrs. Towers pushed her way to the front of the crowd, looking casual yet confident, just like how Murl appeared that first day of school over a month ago.
"I thought we made it clear you kind weren't welcome here." Her tone was equal amounts scornful and mocking, like the rhinoceros beetle asking why the ladybug had shown up to one of their ritual contests atop their stump.
Aunt Mora ignored them, kneeling down and turning Marie to face her.
"Remember, Marie, come right home after school. Do not go to that park and don't go play with your friends, you come right home, understand?"
Marie flashed green. Her mother had already asked her to do the same.
"Don't try to play the victim," Mrs. Towers sneered. "That little monster hardly deserves to be here either. We don't want someone raised with violence around our children."
Marie just stared at her. What was she talking about? Raised with violence? Was she serious? After what just happened to Callie she would try to twist things like that? Unless… did she not know what happened to Callie? Perhaps none of them knew yet. But surely some of them must have heard Callie scream.
Aunt Mora stood and faced them squarely, and calmly. "When has Marie ever shown a tendency to violence. If she were, your boys would have been mangled ages ago."
Mrs. Towers scowled. "How about yesterday when my son and his friends showed up covered in scrapes and bruises from when they got attacked?"
Marie gritted her beak. That had to be from when Floa, Tandi, and Raven had intervened. They must have twisted the truth around to explain their injuries, but how had they explained what they did to Callie? Did they even mention it?
Marie looked at her aunt, waiting to see how she would respond when a deep voice called out.
"Mamba?"
Her aunt became as frozen as an ice sculpture. Her eyes were so wide her pupils were mere pinpricks, and her mantle displayed surprised yellows and bright oranges.
Marie peered through the crowd, wondering where the voice had come from.
An unusually tall, brawny inkyar gently pushed his way through the crowd. He was as tall as the mothers. Floa was hurrying along behind him, holding his hand. Her father? Didn't he leave for work early?
"Rull?" The name came from Aunt Mora's mouth in a voice barely above a whisper.
His mantle turned bright-yellow and he smiled. "I thought it was you! I can't believe it! How long's it been? Ten years? Twelve?"
Aunt Mora swallowed, still looking stunned. "About that, I suppose. I'm surprised you recognized me."
He laughed. "I worked with you for a long time. Besides, who wouldn't recognize the best dancer in Inkopolis?"
Now it was Marie's eyes that went wide. Aunt Mora had been a dancer? Best in Inkopolis?
Managing an awkward smile, her aunt replied, "hardly an official title."
"I still remember your usual drink: spiced rum with a lime slice instead of a lemon slice. You tended to chug your drinks too." He peered down at Marie and gave her a kind smile. "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is my niece, Marie."
Despite her backpack, Marie managed a decent curtsy with her skirt and flashed a greeting.
He laughed. "Quite the little lady, isn't she. So, you really did get married then."
"Yes. I'm Mora Cuttlefish now. I was glad to meet your wife. She's lovely."
"She sure is." Floa's father began to ponder, his finger tapping his chin in thought. "Cuttlefish… Cuttlefish… Oh! So you and that cop finally bonded eh? I was wondering when that was gonna' 'appen. Still remember her drink too: long island iced tea, and she always ordered the spicy chicken to go with it."
Marie's jaw fell within her mouth and she looked up at her aunt who flashed a quick red. "No no, we never bonded, I married her brother, that's all. She married an engineering student. Marie is their daughter."
"No kidding?" He looked down at her and Marie nervously gripped her aunt's skirt.
"Yeah, now that I look at 'er I can see the resemblance. Doesn't look like she'd rip your face off if you looked at her funny though. Glad to 'ear she landed on her feet after what 'appened."
Aunt Mora's face tightened, her lips twisting into a grimace. "So you heard about that?"
"'Eard about it?" He laughed. "The whole ward 'eard about it. You think you could they could keep an inkling who took out a score of crabs under wraps?"
Floa's eyes went wide as saucers and she stared at Marie in open-mouthed disbelief. "Your mom's the Silver Death?"
Marie looked between her aunt, Mr. Kelpgarden, and Floa herself, so confused and lost she didn't know where to even begin with the mass of questions tumbling around in her head.
"I think you kids should get to class." Her aunt stepped around her and gave Marie a little shove towards the school gates.
"Wait," Mrs. Towers protested. She had apparently been as stunned as the rest of them. "She still has to answer for what she did to my son."
Marie stopped. Through all the bewilderment and stunning revelations, a route of clarity and purpose forged its way through her mind. She whirled on Mrs. Towers and bared her beak, mantle flushed red with anger at the nerve of her.
"I didn't do anything to him! He has to answer to what he did to Callie, just because we did better than them at the sports festival. We beat a lot of kids, but none of them hung Callie by her tentacles and sent her to the hospital."
Mrs. Towers flashed anger at first, but by the time Marie had finished her sentence, her mantle had turned pale orange, her mouth agape.
"Oh, so you're the one," Mr. Kelpgarden growled. He smacked his fist into his palm and glared at Mrs. Towers. "I've got some words for you, lady, about a certain rock incident a few weeks ago."
Marie didn't stick around to see that exchange. She and Floa beat a hasty retreat into the school building.
After they passed through the school's vestibule, Marie dragged Floa aside into a small alcove in the wall and whispered to her.
"Who is the Silver Death?"
Floa blinked. "You don't know? Your Mom never told you?"
Marie flashed red. "Mother and Aunt Mora don't talk about their pasts, except, Mother tells me about how she had to grow up after Granny died. Anyway, what about the Silver Death?"
Floa exhaled, as if trying to calm her own surge of adrenaline. "Everyone in Xapheerell knows the story. The crab gangs were trying to make another move into inkling gang territory. The Shoals were 'avin an 'ard time stopping 'em 'cause they don't cooperate much. They tried to scare the club Dad worked at by taking out their best dancer, named Mamba, so they sent about twenty crabs to ambush 'er on 'er way 'ome."
Marie nodded, but it was difficult sometimes to follow longer sequences of Floa's words through her accent. "So what happened?"
"The Silver Death 'appened. She was Mamba's friend, some say girlfriend, and she found 'em right before they could do anythin'. She picked up a golf club that was just lyin' in the alley there and killed every single one of 'em before they could lay a claw on 'er. That alley's still stained blue now, I've seen it, and the crab's don't go nowhere near it. That's why they call it Crab Bane Alley."
Marie stared blankly, her focus inwards, trying to picture her icy calm mother mercilessly rampaging through a horde of crabs in a fit of intense rage, and couldn't quite manage it.
"And you're sure that's my mother?"
"It 'as to be. I thought you'd be excited; you're mom's a total hero!"
Marie shook her head clear. "But what happened? All the rumours spread about my mother say she was a fired security officer, and Gramps said she was an Enforcer." She grimaced a little at the memory. "Mother didn't like that he told me that."
"She was an enforcer," Floa told her, her expression darkened. "But yeah, apparently she was fired for 'excessive violence' or something. Apparently there were other things too and this was just the final fish that broke the keel, ya know?"
Marie frowned. "I don't know. If that's Mother, then how could she get pushed around by people like Mrs. Towers?"
Floa frowned too. "Good question."
The warning bell sounded and they both jumped. Without another word of exchange, they bolted to class, doing their best to move quickly without actually running, lest they receive a scolding.
They arrived to class and found all three bullies already in their usual corner. Marie glared in their direction and they pretended she didn't exist. Part of her wanted to go up and confront them like Callie had before, but Ms. Walken was also already there and she wasn't about to cause a scene in her presence. Besides, she other means of getting the word out without trying to draw attention to herself.
Floa's mantle roiled with anger as they made their way to their seats and waited through the morning announcements. Through tuk'yan, Marie told her to be calm and to wait.
After announcements, Ms. Walken went through the usual routine, starting with attendance. Marie waited until Callie's name came up and when Callie didn't reply she was present, Ms. Walken looked up and asked, "where's Callie today?" And thus, Marie was granted the opportunity she had been anticipating.
"She's in the hospital, Ms. Walken, so you'll have to give me all her homework."
Ms. Walken stared. In Calamari County, children having to go to the hospital was not an everyday occurrence.
"The hospital? Did she get hurt?"
Mimicking her mother's icy calm voice, Marie replied, "yes, she almost died."
That sent a ripples of gasps and horrified expressions throughout the classroom. And that, Marie knew, would prompt them to ask questions, wanting to know details. The minute first recess came, that was exactly what happened.
Marie and Floa had barely stood up before people abandoned their usual prejudices and rushed to them, asking to know what occurred. Marie told them to wait until they got outside and met Tandi and Raven, since they were also there and could corroborate their story.
They stepped out into the hall and it was there that Tandi and Raven ran into them.
Tandi ran up and hugged Marie tightly. "Marie, have you heard anything? Is Callie going to be okay? Did her surgery fix her?"
"Not here," Marie said, noting the building crowd in the middle of the hallway. "We're jamming things up. Let's go outside."
So Marie led the way outside. They went and sat beneath one of the trees between the playground and playing field. From there, Marie, Floa, Tandi, and Raven each told their version of events, and all the other kids with them – nearly the entirety of both third grade classes, hung on their every word.
As Marie had predicated, by last recess, word had gone through the entire school. Not everyone believed it but for most of the third graders it was all too easy to believe. Callie rarely missed school and was almost never sick; and the rock incident hadn't gone unknown by everyone either, so people were willing to believe the bullies capable of exactly what they'd done. Floa had to admit, she was impressed with what Marie had accomplished.
"What are you going to do?" Floa asked her as they packed up to go home. Marie gave her a confused expression and Floa elaborated. "Are you gonna' stick around and ask more questions or have ya' got some other kinda' plan?"
Marie flashed red. "I have to go. Mother wants me to come straight home after school."
Floa clicked her tongue, annoyed, not at Marie or her mother, but the reason she had to go straight home. After all, how many times had they been ambushed by now? And the bullies were going to be as mad now as they had ever been with her.
In the course of a single school day, Marie had overcome her unpopularity and turned virtually the entire grade against the bullies, and after those kids told their parents tonight what had happened, things were going to get even uglier. Floa couldn't discount the possibility that the might try to shut her up off school grounds by sending her to the hospital too.
Not this time.
"I'm going with you."
Marie frowned at her. "What?"
"You're nah goin' alone. I'm gonna' go to your house with you to make sure you get there safe. I'm nah gonna' let 'em get you like they did Callie."
Marie's hand went up to her cheek, gingerly touching her bandage. "But what about when you go home?"
"I can 'andle myself. I actually know how'tah fight. Besides, I didn' get to finish my last fight with 'em."
Marie looked her over then finally agreed and shouldered her backpack. Floa followed her out. They'd barely left the front doors when they both stopped.
The crowd in front of the school was much more animated than usual. They could see the parents arguing with each other, and there was yelling going on.
"What's 'appenin' there?" Floa wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Marie admitted, probably the first time she'd ever heard her admit that.
Around them, other kids were likewise frozen in fear and confusion, afraid to approach the gate. Tandi and Raven were there also and quickly joined them.
"Maybe we should circle around the other way," Floa suggested.
But Marie squared her shoulders and adopted a determined expression. "No. I'm going through. Aunt Mora was brave, so I'm going to be too."
Of all the times Marie decided to grow a pen, Floa didn't think this was the best time. It wasn't necessarily that Floa was afraid, she just didn't want to get mixed up in whatever was going on there. Still, she wasn't about to let Marie go alone and Tandi and Raven seemed determined to do the same.
They aimed for the biggest gap in the crowd they could see, and while Marie didn't look hurried she wasn't dragging her feet either. None of them wanted to stick around long enough to draw attention. Too bad.
"There you are you brat!"
Mrs. Tower's voice shrilled over the multitude and she forced her way through the crowd toward them, face and mantle flushed with rage.
Floa wanted to run but her legs wouldn't move. The others, likewise, looked frozen in place.
Mrs. Towers was followed swiftly by Admus and Drang's mothers, who looked equally angry.
"Can I help you?" Marie asked, her voice calm but a few octaves higher than normal.
"Don't you dare try to act innocent to me. You've been spreading rumours about my son, and I want you to tell everyone, right now, that you were lying."
Marie had taught Floa about the word "hypocrisy", a word which Floa didn't think she would ever need to know, but she was glad she knew it now because it fit the situation to a tee, considering Mrs. Towers was infamous for spreading nasty rumours.
But if Marie was the one being accused of spreading these supposed rumours then the parents hadn't heard about it from Callie's mom or her dad. Some of the other kids must have somehow contacted their parents during school. Since most moms stayed at home during the day, they must have then gone around talking to the other moms, spreading the word.
Marie flexed her shoulders and folded her hands in front of her. "I haven't spread any rumours. Ms. Walken asked where Callie was, I told her she was in the hospital. Everyone else wanted to know how she ended up in the hospital, and I told them. That's all."
Her voice was now only slightly higher than normal and Floa marvelled at how calm she was acting. Unfortunately, that did not translate to calming Mrs. Towers, who only grew angrier.
"Don't lie to me! You've been trying to discredit our sons for years, and your cousin hurts herself and you try to blame it on our boys."
Marie's mantle turned red. "You think Callie did that to herself?" Her voice was lower now. Anger was replacing the fear. Honestly, Floa shared it, and she wanted to bawl out at the inkyora for even daring to suggest it, but decided to let Marie talk.
Marie crossed her arms and looked Mrs. Towers in the eye. "You're saying that Callie willingly climbed up to the ladder above the bridge, even though she's terrified of heights, tied her own tentacles to that ladder, even though she can barely tie her own shoes, and then jumped off the ladder to hang by her neck to the point where she ripped her tentacles and her neck swelled up so bad she almost suffocated and died?"
Floa knew Mrs. Towers suggestion was ludicrous, but having Marie spell it out like that made it seem downright idiotic, especially for an adult. Mrs. Towers and much of the crowd was even stunned into silence, whether by the outlined stupidity or Marie's audacity to argue with an adult.
"Don't try to be smart with me," Mrs. Towers snarled once she finally shook off the shock.
"Sorry," Marie replied. "Being stupid doesn't come to me as easily."
Floa snickered and had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She couldn't believe the impossibly well-mannered Marie said that. Tandi and Raven looked positively stunned that she had.
Mrs. Towers face flushed a darker shade of blue and she grabbed one of Marie's tentacles angrily, eliciting a surprised yelp from her, and forcing her to stand on her toes.
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to your elders like that. Since your parents seem incapable of teaching proper manners, maybe I'll have to drill some into you."
Rather than cower, Marie glared back at her. "I tried to use manners but you got angry. And good parents never hit a child in anger."
Marie let out another small yelp as Mrs. Towers yanked on her tentacle again, forcing her to stand on the tips of her toes. "You are a thousand years too young to try and lecture me on parenting. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."
"Go ahead," Marie said, surprising everyone. She looked back at Mrs. Towers with ice in her eyes. "Teach me a lesson, show everyone how you teach children lessons: with violence. Then everyone will see how you taught your kids and that will prove to everyone that they really did throw those rocks and they really did hang Callie from the bridge."
There was dead silence as child and adult alike stared, waiting anxiously to see what would happen next. Mrs. Towers seemed at an impasse, unsure how to proceed while Marie just continued to glare, daring her to try anything, shaking a little as her toes struggled to hold the weight of her and her backpack on their own.
The silence was broken by another yelp but this time it came from Mrs. Towers as someone came up behind her, grabbed the wrist that held Marie and twisted it until the hand opened.
Marie staggered back until Raven caught her. Wincing, she rubbed her slightly crumpled tentacle then gasped. "Papi?"
Marie's grandfather had pulled Mrs. Towers' arm behind her back. He was wearing a fancy suit and tie. But if he was here then…
The crowd abruptly began to part away, bowing, their mantles flashing white with deference, and Marie's grandmother appeared, garbed in the full byzantine robes of a matriarch.
When Floa had first met Marie's grandmother, she seemed like any other: kind, gentle, wise, adoring of her grandchild, all things one expected in a typical grandparent. What walked towards them was very different.
Reina Sansea strode through the crowd as if the school grounds were blessed to have her tread upon them. She projected a regal air that seemed to diminish everyone around her and made it clear that she was the authority there.
She stood between Marie and the bully's mothers, the other two of whom had yet to even say a word. Her mantle flashed black once, indicating that the children under her protection were not to be approached, and everyone else took a further step away.
"Let her go," she said. Even her voice was different, measured, controlled. Her husband released Mrs. Towers and then joined her at her side, putting Marie between them.
Mrs. Towers didn't look so high and mighty now. But despite looking cut down, she stared defiantly at the matriarch as if she were an intruder.
"What are you doing here?" Her words were demanding but they came out in a halfhearted gasp.
"Watching a grown inkyora loose her cool to an eight-year-old child. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
Mrs. Towers, whose face was already fairly dark, flushed even darker.
Matriarch Sansea ignored her and swept her gaze over the crowd. Everyone was kneeling, their heads lowered.
"The rest of you should be ashamed too. You all saw what was happening and you just stood there like a bunch of slack-jawed fools. Is that the example you want to set for your children? Standing around squabbling and waiting for a matriarch to come along to solve such a basic issue?" Her mantle radiated disgust.
"Don't try and put us in the wrong." Mrs. Towers had gotten her voice back. "We aren't your shoal; you can't order us around. Your family is the one at fault here, not us. Your granddaughter was the one disrespecting her elders."
Calmly and coldly, the matriarch looked back at Mrs. Towers who quivered ever so slightly under that piercing stare. "Marie is a very well behaved, very well mannered girl, especially for her age. For her to treat you with disrespect, you would have to fall pretty far."
"She insulted me."
"I heard. I also heard how quickly you lost composure. I understand you are angry, but you are never to take that out on the children. That is why such disputes are handled by the parents." She took a step towards her. "Assuming you are willing to face them."
Mrs. Towers bared her beak. "I'm not afraid of some washed up security officer or some two-bit slag from some Xapheerell street corner –."
The slap sounded like a thunderclap in the quiet surrounding the school gate and everyone flinched.
"You will watch your language," the Matriarch said, her voice low and steely. "But I believe you."
Mrs. Towers brought a hand to her cheek, wincing, even as she looked up at the matriarch with a puzzled expression. "You do?"
"Of course. I doubt you actually believe many of the rumours you spread, like the one about Silvie being a dangerous individual, kicked out of the Enforcers, a group already made of of highly aggressive and dangerous individuals, for excessive violence. There's no way you believe it's true."
Mrs. Towers frowned, looking a bit embarrassed as she looked at those around her then back at the matriarch. "Why do you say that?"
When the matriarch next spoke, her voice was as cold as an arctic gale. "Because if she killed twenty crabs at once by herself to protect her friend, imagine what she would do to someone who threatened her child."
All colour left Kishi Towers and she seemed to wither like a blade of grass burned under a magnifying lens.
Matriarch Sansea looked back over all assembled, and said, "a member of my shoal, an eight-year-old child, has nearly been murdered. Callie is like a granddaughter to me, and I consider her and her parents like family. I will find out what happened and I will find out who's ultimately responsible and there will be consequences. I suggest you all become less tolerant of bullying and start setting a better example for your children. All of you let this happen."
She gave Mrs. Towers one last glare, then jerked her head away. "Come along, children."
Marie grasped her hand and offered her other to Raven, who offered hers to Tandi who offered hers to Floa. Floa didn't hesitate, knowing it would be best to get out of there quickly. Marie's grandfather brought up the rear.
They walked down the street a short distance to a dark-blue sedan parked along the side of the road. There they stopped and the Matriarch turned and looked at Marie sternly.
"Marie, what you did was foolish. Antagonizing someone so much older and bigger than you, what were you thinking?"
Marie's mantle turned white and she bent at the knees, averting her gaze.
"I-I'm sorry, Nana."
"Don't apologize to me, think! What would have happened if I hadn't shown up? You obviously can't rely on any of the other adults here to do even the most basic things expected of them. Maybe if she actually started to hurt you, they might do something, but by then it would be too late."
Marie straightened her back and looked back at her grandmother, resolute. "Callie went through worse. And then we would have won."
The matriarch looked down at her granddaughter, her mantle neutral but Floa was sure she was forcing it judging by the way her expression shifted from a deeper frown to a look like… disappointment? She wasn't quite sure.
She opened the door to the back seat. "Get in. We'll take you home."
Tandi and Raven both grabbed Marie's arms.
"We promised we'd take her home."
Belatedly, Floa grasped Marie's bag in solidarity with her friends and met the Matriarch's eyes. She looked them each in the eye in turn then sighed.
"Fine, all of you get in."
Marie led the way into her house and called out, "Mother, Papa, I'm home!"
Mr. Sansea appeared from the living room and helped Marie remove her backpack, giving her a hug before picking her up. Only then did he notice the rest of them.
"Mum, you're here."
"I'm here," she said. The matriarch's tone was businesslike, not at all the sort used during a typical family visit. "Where's Silvie?"
"The backyard. She should be in soon. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Please. Marie, go to your room, I'll speak to you in a moment."
Hanging her head, Marie obediently carried her bag out of the porch and disappeared around the corner into the adjacent corridor. Floa didn't envy her. A stern talking to from ones parents was bad enough, getting it from a matriarch had to be even worse, even when it was your own grandmother.
"How about the rest of you kids?" Mr. Sansea asked, recovering from Marie's banishment.
Tandi glanced at Raven. "Well, we just wanted to walk Marie home in case they tried something on the way. I guess we'll just go home too."
Marie's grandfather asked, "Is that something you kids have to worry about a lot?"
"It's happened twice." Tandi's hand came up to her cheek, rubbing the surface. There was only a faded mark where that infamous wound had been. She was fortunate. Injuries from childhood, before an inkling's regenerative abilities were fully developed, always had a risk of causing permanent scarring.
"Sure you don't want a ride?"
Floa adjusted her backpack. "I'm good. I live closer than they do. Besides, they know nah to mess with me."
"Alright," Mr. Sansea agreed. "I imagine your parents will be getting calls later. Our matriarch will probably want to talk to them. Your families deserve their say too, after all."
Bowing gratefully, the three of them left the Sansea home. Tandi suggested following the river to avoid the obvious route back and Floa thought that an excellent idea.
Autumn was upon them now. The leaves were just beginning to change colour and the wind carried with it a slight chill. Tandi said that the weather usually remained decent until after the Cavern Run, then the cold and autumn rains would be more severe.
After travelling halfway, their party separated. Tandi and Raven went home but after they were out of sight around one of the river's many bends, Floa went back the way they'd come. She needed some time to herself to think things through.
Going for walks was one of the things she was starting to appreciate about her new home. Back in Xapheerell, people only walked when they needed to get somewhere. Wandering around aimlessly was just asking for trouble, but here, people did it all the time. It was a luxury Floa hadn't known existed, hadn't realized she needed. It gave her time and space to think, and she had a lot to think about right then.
She still felt responsibility for what happened to Callie. She better understood Marie's caution. She'd manipulated her not because it was better for her but because it suited her own desires. It was selfish and predatory, not the actions of a friend. Admittedly, she hadn't considered Marie a friend then, even now she didn't think they were quite there, but that didn't make it any more right.
Then there were her dreams. She hadn't had them in a while but they still bothered her and she had a feeling they would be coming back.
"Something wrong, little one?"
Floa jumped and looked around. Priestess Winterveil was sitting on an old log shoreward of her, a notebook on her lap.
"Priestess! You're still here?"
The priestess gave her a smile that was bittersweet. "Yes, my last search here was interrupted and given all that happened I thought I should stay in town a little longer. Local security has been asking me questions. I saw you girls passing by earlier."
Floa scratched her head, wondering how they could have missed her. Maybe she'd been sitting further from shore, on one of the benches amidst the trees maybe.
"You look like you have something troubling you." She patted the spot on the log next to her. "Why not talk about it?"
Floa hesitated. She wasn't usually the sort to talk about her problems openly, that potentially exposed weaknesses people could exploit, but Winterveil was a priestess and priestesses could be trusted. Besides, she really needed to let some of this out.
She trudged up the slope and put her backpack on the ground in front of the log before taking her seat.
"A lot's 'appened today," she began. "Mrs. Towers – that's Murl's mom, tried to say that Callie 'urt 'erself and that we were the ones in the wrong 'cause we 'urt 'er son and 'is friends. We only did it cause we were tryin' to save Callie. You saw."
"I did, though I was also more concerned about saving Callie. Do you know if she's doing alright in the hospital?"
"I think she's doin' okay. We 'aven't 'eard much." Her voice trailed off and she stared down at her feet, that familiar sinking feeling of guilt pulling her insides towards the centre of the Earth.
"You feel responsible," Winterveil said frankly. "You think you somehow caused this to happen."
Floa shifted uncomfortably. She'd been told once by an elder that priestesses seemed to have an ability to read secrets in people the way one might read book covers on a shelf. They might not get the whole truth but they'd get at least a broad sense of it. This was the first time Floa had experienced that and she found it unnerving.
"Y-yeah. I made Marie try 'er 'ardest at the sports festival instead of trying to just be average. After they threw rocks at us and 'urt Tandi so bad I wanted to embarrass 'em again, just like we did at dodgeball before."
"Ah." Winterveil nodded and stared out at the river. "You feel that was wrong."
"I think so." Floa picked up a stick from the ground and broke it in half. "Maybe I was wrong to trick Marie, but maybe I wasn't at the same time. She seemed 'appier after the sports festival because she won so much. She was the only one to give Callie a run for 'er money. But it meant that the bullies would get back at 'em for it, and that's 'ow yesterday 'appened. I just… I didn't think it would be anything close to as bad as that."
Winterveil put a reassuring hand on her back, and spoke softly. "No, I imagine not. But even if your motivations were not entirely pure, if Marie had more fun and was happier because of what you did, you should take that into consideration and learn from that. If you were afraid of doing your best because you feared someone would punish you for it, then that is a much bigger problem, not the sort a child your age should be expected to handle. I think it will benefit Marie in the long run."
Floa huffed and broke both pieces of stick in her hands again. "Our parent's weren't able to do anything and the other grown ups were on the bully's side because they didn't like Callie's mom, or something."
Winterveil frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I mean Mrs. Towers and the other moms of the bullies were spreadin' nasty rumours about 'er. Marie's mom too I think: Mrs. Sansea."
"I see." Winterveil's tone was biting, with maybe a hint of a groan in it. Was this a situation that she'd encountered before? Priestesses often travelled a lot so they probably encountered a lot of different things.
That made Floa remember the dreams. Should she ask her about them? If there was someone she had to tell it should probably be a priestess.
"I…" Floa hesitated. Building up the courage to say it out loud was harder than she thought, and how did she even bring up the subject?
"Yes?"
Floa swallowed. She had to remember that this wasn't just for her, it might help Callie and her other friends somehow too. She had no idea how but if there was a chance, she had to take it.
"I… I might 'ave known it was going to happen before it did, or… maybe sooner? I don't know 'ow to explain but, I've been 'aving dreams."
Instead of looking doubtful or disinterested like she would have expected most adults to react, she appeared to have the priestess' full attention.
"Go on."
"Well… you saw Callie and Marie's eyes right? They ain't normal."
Winterveil slowly leaned her head to the right. "I suppose they are rather unique. I can't say I've met anyone else with eyes like those."
"Exactly! I 'adn't either, never saw 'em in my life before I met 'em, but I did in my dream, before I met 'em."
"Really?" Winterveil leaned in closer. "Tell me about these dreams."
So Floa told her, about when the dreams started, how they were different every time, and the general sequence of the dreams so far, and how they were getting longer. She told her about her friends acting oddly, about the giant Callie and Marie, and the destruction they caused. When she was done, the priestess was quiet for several moments.
"If you keep having these dreams, then talk to me again. I was invited to come back here for the Cavern Run. You can talk to me then."
Floa nodded uncertainly. "But, do these dreams mean something?"
"I don't know, but it's possible. That's why I want you to talk to me again then, and we should be able to figure it out. But if you haven't had them for a little while then I don't think they have anything to do with what just happened."
Floa sighed in relief, glad she hadn't missed something important. But then, if her dreams did mean something, what could they possibly be about? What significance did they have? Even if she answered both of those questions, there was still the matter of what she would actually do about it.
Author's Notes:
I was glad to inject some of Marie's trademark snark into this chapter, so the Marie you all know in love is in there somewhere, just buried under trying to be a "good girl", but there are chinks in her armour, as you can see.
I was glad to show Reina being a Matriarch while doing something that wasn't about federal politics. As interesting as that can be, ultimately, this kind of thing is what Matriarchs do in their more day to day (or what they're supposed to do). I also got to reveal more of the pasts of Mora and Silvie, while still leaving some things vague. Maybe if you look back through the previous stories in the series you might be able to pick some things out.
Sorry this chapter is a little late but I hope you enjoy it now that it's here. See you next week.