Chapter 15

That night, the Monsters haunted my dreams, their large, black shapes flying just out of reach, and every time I turned, I heard the Worm’s whisper,

We never lie, Silje…

I opened my eyes, my breath hitching in my chest. It was still dark, and I heard Aase’s calm snoozing next to me. I carefully pulled the blanket to the side and got up, pulling the cloak around me, and slipped out.

I could still hear the echo of its whisper when I climbed up onto the deck, and I took a deep breath, walking over to the railing. The sky was dotted with stars, and for a moment, I was transported back to all the times when Aase and I had lain on the roof of my house, watching the dark sky for hours as we dreamt of the day when we would dedicate ourselves to each other, even if none of us would have admitted to such a wish… It felt like such a long time ago.

We can help you…

I sighed. Was it true? Would they help me if I asked?

We never lie, Silje…

“Silje…”

I flinched and turned around. Kine was coming down from the steering platform, and I could see Tore waving at me from it.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked as he came up next to me, leaning against the railing.

I shook my head, glancing at him. He’d said the Spectres lied, but not everything they’d told me had been untrue. I wondered what he would say if I told him about their whispers, but I didn’t think he would understand.

“Kine…” I hesitated. “Do you ever think about home?”

He looked at me, surprised, and after a long silence, he said,

“Not as I used to. When Naria first fell, it occupied almost every waking hour, but then…”

He sighed.

“It sounds strange to say, but… you adjust somehow. There is no use thinking about what once was, it won’t bring it back.”

He gazed out into the night.

“And those who didn't adjust are no longer here…"

He fell silent, and before I had time to answer, Tore called,

“We’re approaching Atla!”

He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.

“It will be alright…”

He patted my arm, and I followed him back and took my position on the roof. The stars were slowly fading as the sun rose above the horizon and, with it, the memories of when Aase and I had lain on the roof, watching the night sky. I saw the others come up onto the deck and take their place as Tore guided us closer.

Just like Varja, Atla was positioned against the mountainside, built with as much protection as possible in mind. I saw a waterfall tumbling from above it, disappearing behind the thick vegetation that obscured the village from view. As we drew closer, I could see the streams it fed, flowing down the terraces below. Along the edges of each, sharpened poles stuck out like a fence, not unlike the defence system in Varja.

The villagers who had come with us rushed over to the railing, pointing and whispering as we approached. I guess it had been a long time since they saw their relatives.

Tore guided us closer, but it wasn’t until we were almost right above that I could see through the vegetation and the Uru trees that the village itself was also dotted with sharp poles jutting from the ground. It seemed as if Varja had merged with the jungle of my childhood. They didn’t lower as we approached, though, but Tore skilfully guided us between them until we landed safely on the square.

I jumped down from the roof as an elderly Lycan woman stepped between the poles and onto the square, closely followed by a group of people from the same tribe.

“Mitrandes, what news did you bring?”

“Yuna!”

He climbed down, and Aase gestured for us to follow.

“Mitrandes, Mitrandes! What have you brought?"

A group of young children burst into the square, talking over each other until Yuna hushed them.

“Let them rest,” she scolded. “They've come a long way."

Tore handed them a bag of dried Nuru, and Yuna turned back to us.

“Will you stay for long this time?”

“Longer than we planned. We need to repair Aegon.”

She frowned, and Tore began to tell her about our encounter with the flying Monsters as Yuna gestured for us to follow. She led us down the street, and I peered around the village. Everywhere were greenery and Uru trees, creating a cocoon from the outside world. Even though the streets were paved and the houses built of stone, I couldn’t help but think back on my village and its jungle.

As we rounded a corner, I saw an older woman chatting to another villager further down the street. She turned as she heard us and then froze.

“Silje…?”

I halted. Was that…? She dropped her basket and walked over to me on legs that were older than I remembered. As she halted next to me, she hesitantly reached out to touch my face.

“Is… Is that really you, Silje?”

I nodded. Imae. I would have recognised her anywhere. After leaving Naria, I never thought I would see the caretaker who had worked so closely with my aunt again.

“What…? What happened?”

She took my hands, gently squeezing them in hers.

“I thought..."

She pulled me close, holding me tight until I thought I wouldn’t be able to take another breath. When she finally let me go, she watched me through tear-stained eyes.

“Tell me what happened…”

I could see the others had already continued walking, but I waved at Aase before following Imae to an Uru tree. She stiffly lowered her old body to the ground, and I sat down next to her and began to tell her what had happened since that day when the Council breached Naria. Every now and then, she winced, squeezing my hand in hers, and when I was finally done, she put her arm around me and sighed.

“I thought you were gone…”

I smiled, holding her hands on mine.

“What happened to you?”

“Oh, it’s such a long story.”

She sighed.

“I couldn’t find your aunt, so I gathered the youngest helpers. Once I understood Rikka was gone, we fled.”

She fell silent for a moment before she continued,

“I couldn’t bring them all… Some ran back to their families, some… In the end, only Suna, Eira, and Rami came with me to the harbour. We took a small boat and sailed upriver to the mountains I come from…”

She paused and looked down for a moment before shaking her head and trying to smile.

“Suna and Eira are married now, and Rami keeps visiting a cute boy who lives in the village down by the river… I—"

“Guardian…?”

I turned to the voice. An elderly Dwarf had halted on the street next to us, hesitantly glancing at me. Only now did I notice other villagers had gathered as well, all watching as the Dwarf stepped forward.

“Please… My son…”

I shivered. I hadn’t thought the news about how I had defeated the Monsters would have spread so fast, but I hesitantly gestured for him, and he stepped over, bowing his head.

“He will travel tomorrow.”

I got up and put my hands on him, giving him a blessing. I could feel Imae’s eyes on me as the Dwarf bowed and the next villager stepped forward. I don’t know how long I stood there, but the news seemed to have spread faster than I thought because more and more people gathered to receive their blessing. At some point, Imae got up, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze before telling me she would be back. It wasn’t until Aase appeared by the street, telling me food was ready, that I finally excused myself.

I followed her down the street, the villagers bowing their heads as I passed. I knew I couldn’t deny them, but I had hoped the rumours hadn’t spread as fast as they did. She led me to what must be our house during our stay. The others were already sitting around the table, and I could feel Ifrim’s eyes on me as I took a chair and joined them. Was he happy that their plans were already coming to fruition? The rumours about what the Guardian could do would spread until the people of Tovira abandoned the Council and accepted our help.

I knew I made a difference for the people and my blessings would ease their day. But what worth did it hold when their smiles would soon fade? The flying beasts would come again, and the Council would not magically disappear only because I laid my hands on them.

Aase pushed a plate towards me. I didn’t feel like eating, but I forced myself to take a bite. Once we’d finished, she took my hand.

“Come, I’ll show you something…”

She pulled me up, and I followed her out on the street again. Just like before, the villagers bowed as they passed me, but this time they didn’t stop me, and I followed Aase to the edge of the village, where she halted next to a basin. I could hear the roar of the waterfall that fed it close by, but the pool itself was shrouded in greenery, creating its own little world away from the rest.

A group of children were already playing in it, and Aase pulled off her tunic and stepped in. Despite it all, I could feel myself relaxing, and I followed her lead and got in. It was bitterly cold, and my feet went numb instantly, but it cleared my mind. I looked up, just in time to see Aase pushing her hand across the surface, and, moments later, she hurled a handful of freezing water at me. I yelped, stumbling backwards, only to lose my footing on the slippery stone and fall into the pond to the laughter of the other kids.

“Who will win!?” she called.

The children screamed in delight and instantly began splashing her with water. I scrambled up and waddled over them, trying to duck and splash as I went. As long as I kept moving, the cold wasn’t that bad.

“Silje, come on! We cannot lose to them," Aase called, scooping up water with her hands and hurling it at them.

I thought it would be an easy win. They’d been in the water long before we came, but when the cold finally forced me out of the pond, none of them looked like they would follow me anytime soon. Aase accepted our defeat and got out of the water. She wrapped me in her cloak and shook her tail, spraying me with one last shower of water, before sitting down next to me.

“That was fun," I grinned, pulling the cloak closer.

“It was…” she sighed. “Do you feel better?”

“I do..."

We stayed in Atla for a few days, repairing Aegon during the day and playing in the pond each evening. It wasn’t until the last night that a villager approached me, hesitantly asking me to heal her daughter. I froze at first, not knowing how to respond when Ifrim quietly nodded to me.

“I will stay with you.”

I hesitantly agreed and followed the woman to their house. I hadn’t touched the Flow since that day when the Monsters attacked, and I’d almost forgotten about the Worm’s whisper. She led me into a room where a young girl lay in bed. She’d had an accident in the field, the woman told us, and got a large cut on her leg.

I hesitantly stepped over to her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing shallow. The wound must have got infected. Ifrim stepped over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

“You can do it.”

I nodded, bracing myself as I reached out and touched the Flow. It poured into the girl, but my mind stayed silent, and no Worm appeared. Why wouldn’t it come? The girl groaned, and as the last of the Flow reached her, she slowly opened her eyes and gave me a faint smile.

Her mother rushed over to her, then turned to me and threw her arms around me.

“Thank you…”

I tried to smile, but the silence of the mind felt so loud I struggled to focus. Why wouldn’t the Spectre speak to me? Ifrim gestured for me, and after one last hug, the woman let us go.

“See, you can do it,” he told me as we stepped out onto the street.

I nodded. I didn’t know what to tell him, and I didn’t think he would take lightly knowing what I thought.

The next evening, as we were preparing to leave, Imae came to us to wish us safe travels. I’d managed to sneak a few more moments with her, but I would miss her when we were gone.

She came up to me, carrying a small wooden box covered in leather, and she hesitated for a moment before offering it to me. I frowned, slowly lifting the lid. It was a headpiece made from colourful feathers. It looked different from the one Auntie used to have, but I instantly understood what it was. I looked at her, surprised.

“You’ve grown a lot, Silje. Your aunt would be proud if she could see you.”

She smiled and patted my head.

“Try it on."

I hesitantly took it from the box and fastened it around my head. It felt strange, but it was lighter than I thought it would be.

“Thank you," I whispered.

“Please stay safe…”