The Two Sides of the River

“Is this tour to your liking, miss Ui?” Victure asked a distracted Ui, who didn’t move her eyes away from the carriage window.

Ui, trying to be polite, nodded emphatically, hoping she could fool Cro at the same time. But the empty daytime streets showed Ui nothing she hadn’t seen before. “Where are the people?” she asked.

“Well you see Miss Ui… that’s…” Victure’s reluctance was reflected in his voice. “There’s not a lot of people living here anymore.”

“Why not?”

“The history of these northern parts is complicated, Miss Ui. And life is harder here… The war didn’t help.”

Mention of the war was enough to plummet Ui’s spirits. As she saw the half-abandoned town through her window, she felt the hopelessness dig deep inside her.

What was everything for if I abandoned our people like this?

Seeing the bleakness of the city from the comfort of a noble’s carriage bothered Ui even more. “I’ve seen enough.” Ui looked back at Victure. “I want to walk through the city.”

“Miss Ui, due to the conditions, the citizens have resorted to… crime.”

“As this guy kindly reminds me.” Ui glanced at Cro. “A Royal Mage is no joke. We’ll be fine. You can go back home. Tell the Baroness I insisted.”

Cro wasn’t unfamiliar with Ui’s antics, so he just sat there, resigned, while Victure processed the situation. It wasn’t long before he decided to let Ui do as she pleased, knowing she’d been insisting since her arrival, and understanding the respect that was given to Royal Mages and their capabilities.

“Please, come back safely, Miss Ui.”

Ui nodded as Cro helped her out of the carriage, and both of them started walking through that quiet city. “Ui, I knew from the moment you put on your walking shoes that we wouldn’t be riding back to the house.”

Ui smiled proudly.

“Yet you still forgot clothes suitable for flight.” Cro pointed at Ui’s dress.

“That’s Prishu’s fault.” Ui elbowed Cro and they both walked in silence for a few minutes. The city was even eerier when explored during the day and at walking pace. They’d greet the infrequent commoner that walked its streets, and the odd businesses offered only the most basic of foods and services.

Ui grew increasingly quiet as the sun made its way over them, failing to fully heat up their bodies. She found herself having to rub her hands to keep them warm. Seeing the city from the sky or from the comfort of their carriage, behind glass, moving by quickly, was a lot easier than walking through its streets. And soon, Ui wasn’t only quiet, she was starting to become unable to hide her gloom, too.

“Ui, let me fly you back…”

“No!” Ui’s voice was filled with a sudden, sharp anger. She started walking faster; there was one more thing she needed to see. Her pace became almost frantic as they made their way straight into the edge of the river.

There, both of them stood together, watching Nallimaru across the river. There was only a single bridge connecting both sides, and the bridge was completely empty. There were barely any Udari on the other side, too.

The edge of the river was lined by unattended brushes, grasses, and the remains of dried wildflowers. Ui crouched and reached out to feel the dried leaves of the plants. She couldn’t imagine a spring that would be enough to bring them back to life as the leaves crumbled in her hands.

Cro placed his hand on her shoulder. Ui, firmly gripping a flower stalk, couldn’t look away, and neither could she feel the warmth of his hand.

“Ui!” How many times had he shaken her shoulder? “Ui! Listen to me…” Ui closed her eyes and tried to blur his voice out, too.

Before she realized it, Ui was safely back in her room. She had no appetite for food nor people, so she locked her room and gazed outside as the warm tones of the afternoon gave way to the cooler shades of the night.

◆

A few days went by in the Baroness’s mansion, and Ui didn’t leave her room unless strictly necessary. Renne would look after her needs with a face increasingly concerned by Ui’s reclusive nature. But Ui’s expression didn’t change, not for several days.

One night, Renne was surprised by a determined Ui, facing her.

“Renne. I need your help.”

“Miss Ui?”

“Udari winter clothes, do you have those?”

“Maybe somewhere… in a box.” Renne was shaken by Ui’s sudden request.

“I need them.”

“Sure… Miss Ui…” Renne bowed and fetched the clothes for Ui.

After a few minutes, Renne returned with a box, and handed it over awkwardly to Ui. Ui quickly unboxed the clothes and held them against her own body. “I knew your clothes would fit me!”

She started changing immediately. She put on the Udari winter undercloths, and then covered herself with the winter dress, while a hesitant Renne helped her. The dress was mostly white but had two sashes, one vibrant blue and one deep purple, to secure it in place. The dress also had subtle-colored patterns of leaves and flowers, which made Ui happy.

She then slipped on the Udari’s special footwear for winter. She had never worn them before, and they felt like a combination of boots and stockings, except a lot more comfortable. They were made of a special, stretchable white cloth. Her feet were covered almost completely except for her heels and toes, warming up her feet while not fully covering them, respecting the Udari traditions. Most of her legs were covered too, up to the highest parts of her thigh. It was a warm, comfortable attire suitable for Udari during cold winters, which she never really had to experience.

Once she was done, she walked around her room with a smile, being freed from the stiff clothing that the Uman nobles wore. “I know they told you to report anything about me…” Ui spoke almost like a different person.

Renne looked away, her expression let Ui know she was right without her having to answer.

“There’s something I need to know. Can I trust you to keep a secret?” Ui knew the request might be too much for Renne, yet Renne accepted. Ui grinned and then grabbed her white hair wig and tossed it aside, revealing the large volume of pink hair tucked inside. Renne seemed to nearly collapse from the surprise.

“You’re… Udari?! And your hair, it’s…”

Ui smiled proudly. “Now, I need you to tell me how I can leave this place without being noticed.”

Renne, despite her very apparent shock, explained the way out of the mansion that the servants used, while Ui memorized every detail. “Will you be fine? The town isn’t very safe…”

“You know our strength, don’t you?” Ui showed Renne a confident, reassuring smile. “Now stay here and if my brother, or anyone, comes by, just grunt like I usually do.”

“Yes, Miss Ui.”

“Just call me Ui.” Ui smiled as she looked at her, and then quietly slipped out of the mansion unnoticed under the light of the moon.