The Wittering Way (7 page)

I stretched myself to my full height, motioning behind my back for Memo to run back to the others. “I do,” I replied. “We seek the far side of these lands.”

A Gobbye female stepped forward. “I say we mark her, as well,” she said, stooping and lifting a small, sharp stone. “Let’s make her as one of our own.”

One of the Gobbye atrebuds jumped gleefully and lobbed a stone at me. It struck my shoulder before I could make the sign of protection. I rubbed the sore spot and glared at the young Gobbye.

“There’s ought but Brinc land on the far side,” the cave Gobbye said, peering at me. His matted black hair moved as if vermin lived inside and I suddenly felt queasy.

“Yes, we go there to rescue my sister Avapeony, from Widdershin join. The Brinc clan have taken her.”

“Taken her?” He eyed me in disbelief. “To what end?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Certainly not to foster harmony among our clans.”

He nodded agreeably. “Certainly not.”

“Harmony. Huh,” the female said, moving closer. I watched the hand with the sharp rock closely, wondering if she really would scar me against my will. Glimpses of her bare skin showed mud residue amid the prevalent, raised scarring. She smelled muddy, too. And, most alarming, I could smell old blood on her. My queasiness increased and I had sharp, sudden compassion for the fammie strapped to her middle.

“Don’t come any closer,” I warned. My hands heated with magic.

“Lise,” the cave Gobbye said in a menacing voice. The woman paused and studied me, lip curved in distaste. “Pale, smooth face,” she sneered, as she flung the stone to the ground and returned to her clan.

The cave Gobbye, obviously a leader, spoke again. “So, you cross the falls?”

“Yes.” I had a flash of inspiration. “With your permission, of course.”

He narrowed his eyes at my guile.

“What makes you think you can reason with them?” he asked, changing the subject.

I glanced around before answering, uneasy that another menacing Gobbye might be ambushing from behind or from the side as their leader delayed me.

“They are still Meab, once of the wit, though they have abandoned this part of themselves. Surely they must see reason and return my sister to us.”

Tsisi fluttered to a screeching halt between us. “Gobbye! You’ll not bar our passage,” she said. “We simply must cross the bridge and gain the other side. The Brinc have one of them and they just can’t go on without her. The wit love deeply, you know, they always have. I once heard this beautiful love story but it was sad because one shot an arrow at the other—” She paused and placed her face in her tiny blue hands, as she slowly flashed into and out of visibility. She let loose a shuddering sigh. “I just can’t bear it, I just can’t.”

The Gobbye wore a look of confusion on his scar-muddled face but it quickly changed to annoyance. He glanced at me, looking for an explanation, but I just shrugged.

He finally turned his back to me and Tsisi and walked toward his clan. He looked over his shoulder one final time and grimaced at us. “Meab, bah!” he said.

WE DECIDED AS one voice to let the Neisi go immediately after we crossed the Finlo River above the falls. We’d be closer to the edge of the low forest then and well away from the Neisi clan. If fortunate, we would be but a dim memory in the captive Neisi’s memory after we let it loose. Hopefully, it would attribute the time lost to a forest assignation or too much dance frolic in the falls.

The trek to the high, swinging bridge was an arduous one, however, and trying to pull the docile creature up the steep, rocky hillside was rough. I was glad we had eaten and rested earlier.

I paused halfway up and looked around. The views from the hill were magnificent. On one side below, there sloped a carpet of ancient oaks along with maple, hickory, elm, walnut, and tall, whitish birch trees. The other side was a gentle spread of green grass edged by the riverbank at the bottom of the falls. Just northwest, past that greenery, was a border of magic enhanced hedge, layered with woodbine and morning glory some eight feet tall. Peering through the branches of the trees, I could see part of the white edifice of the citadel. Fear stirred within me but I squelched it quickly. There was no time or energy for fear. I needed only my senses, my determination and my magic.

“I really am sorry,” Memo said again as we mounted yet another huge boulder. “I thought I heard voices—”

“Your join has surely warned you about the dangers of Gobbyes,” Yewsy interjected harshly. “And it was stupid for you to go wandering off that way. You should know better than that.”

“I know. I do,” Memo mumbled, studying her feet.

“She meant no harm, Yew. I’m just glad it ended well,” I said, gauging the distance to the bridge. It was close. We had endured the worst of the climb. “Not far now,” I muttered.

I glanced at Lemon and saw he was taking good care of the water sprite, guiding it carefully over rocks and across crevices. He glanced at me, and I smiled my approval.

I heard Capel trill a note and it drew my attention her way. She began singing in a low warble, barely heard above the rushing water below us.

May the powers of our Universe,

the source of all creation,

pervasive, eternal

with the Goddess of the moon

with the God of the sun

and the spirits of the stones,

rulers of the elemental realms,

the stars above and the earth below,

bless this place, this time, and who we are

Eight voices joined in and rang as one as we prepared for the final hoist upward to the bridge. We sang it three times to make sure the Jana clan would hear and bless our journey into the highlands.

I’d been told that the bridge had originally been built by Lutis, the keepers of the underworld, so that they could transport gold, mined in the mountain, down to the prosperous kingdom of the Astis. Since the Lutis are a stocky, sturdy lot, and the weight of the ore considerable, the suspended bridge was crafted wide and heavy, but during the centuries it deteriorated. Now used sporadically, only for high passage across the Finlo River, it was seldom maintained by its Luti builders and could be treacherous with broken boards and fraying ropes.

We paused at the top and looked west toward the oddly barren Brinc lands. The borders of those lands would be upon us soon and we needed all the wit energy we could muster. Our brief time by the falls had energized us, although, truthfully, some of that may have been Tsisi’s abundant energy spilling over. I glanced at our little troupe, actually grateful that the Jana had stayed with us. Her constant chatter had buoyed all of us at one time or another. I studied RoseIII and saw grim determination on his face as he examined the bridge. His spiky ginger hair seemed to glow fiery in the sunlight, and I realized that he would make a good leader of the Thorn men when his father, RoseII, passed him the rule.

I was worried somewhat about Lemon and Saffron. They were so fatigued that their pale skin appeared translucent in the day’s brightness. I was tempted to send them home but couldn’t send them back through the forest alone. I sighed, remembering earlier doubts about traveling companions.

Capel and Memo seemed fine, even enthused about the adventure we were on. Memo had braided her ruddy hair into long braids and secured them with vine thread. They hung on either side of her head, making her large black eyes seem huge on her small face. She smiled at me and nodded encouragement.

“I go ahead,” Tsisi said, buzzing about my head. “I take a lower route, away from the harshness of my Mother Wind.”

I scowled at her impetuous buzzing but it did no good, she was gone as quickly as her words.

“That is a good idea. We’ll have to tuck our fammies,” Memo mused. “The wind will surely snatch at them.”

“We can use their buoyancy anyway,” I agreed. “Afton, will you tell the others that we will need their strength to get across?”

He spun away just as Yewsy grabbed me and hugged me from behind. “Have you caught your breath,” she asked merrily.

I turned and smiled at her. “I’m well, just wondering which blessings to leave.”

Capel touched one of the ribbons adorning the bridge upright. “I think we should each leave something,” she murmured, her words almost snatched away by sister wind. She untied a bright blue ribbon from the strap of her pack and tied it to the closest bridge rope. It fluttered there with thousands of other Meab offerings to the Lares of safe travel. She lifted one arm and Walsh spun underneath. Capel giggled, which made the others laugh.

“Lares, hearken to prayer,” Capel sang out as the others moved forward.

“Lead us in safety, guide us in peace, and support us in our journey,” Lemon sang as he stepped forward and added a beautiful crimson stone to the pile of stones next to the upright. Maol wrapped once around his neck then she entered the front of his shirt.

“Save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild beasts on our journey,” RoseIII sang. He draped a strand of pinecone scales over and under the rope, securing it. Byrne swept along the back of his neck and under his coat.

“We ask a blessing upon the work of our hands and grant us grace, kindness, and mercy,” Yewsy whispered, offering two walnut halves. Brennen moved to lock himself around her waist as a type of belt.

Memo took a leather bracelet from her wrist and affixed it to the rope. “Bestow upon us abundant kindness and return our Avapeony to us.” She took Higen into her hands and moved back.

Talew and Saffron approached together. Saffron was humming the Lares into awareness as she placed an unpolished diamond atop the rock pile. “Help us reach our destination and return in joy,” she whispered.

I hummed along with her to make sure the Lares saw our offerings as Talew bowed and laid a tiny secret bundle, wrapped and tied in cloth, against the rocks. He whispered words that were snatched away by the wind as he said them. Finner, his fammie, crept up the sleeve of his tunic, making a lump at Talew’s shoulder.

“Hearken to the voice of our prayer, Guardians, for you hear the prayers of all. Guide us with your blessings, for the good of all,” I said.

I pulled two acorn tops from my bag and filled them with a few drops of blessed energy oil. I placed them where the wooden panels of the bridge met the earth and stone. I knew we would step across them there and they would energize our path even as the Lares received the gift.

We stood in silent blessing for another moment, Afton’s cloudy warmth pressing against my stomach under my tunic, and then RoseIII stepped onto the bridge. He held out one hand and Capel grasped it. Next Lemon and Saffron stepped onto the bridge, hands clasped.

“Levitate and allow your fammies to help,” I reminded them all as I helped Talew guide the Neisi onto the boards. I looked at the rushing water far below. “Talew, Lemon, if it falls, don’t try to catch it. The Neisi live in the river and the fall won’t hurt it.”

Talew nodded but held the Neisi’s arm even as he made the sign for levitation with his free hand.

“Come, wits,” I said, taking the hands of Memo and of Yewsy. “Avapeony awaits.”

We stepped onto the swaying bridge.

THE VIEW FROM the center of the long bridge was breathtaking. We could see all the way to Lake Feidlimed to the southwest and past the southern greens toward our own little forest hamlet to the east. I paused for a quick look only, for sister wind was devastating as she rocked the bridge and almost sent us tumbling. Levitation magic kept us secure, however, and we crossed without incident.

At the end of the bridge, we turned back toward the riverbank so we could release the Neisi. Before we could reach the water, however, we were quickly surrounded by the local clan of Gobbyes. They appeared suddenly from the brush and boulders along the descent from the bridge. I immediately recognized the same cave Gobbye that I had encountered before. Lemon, Saffron and Capel squeaked and ran behind me. Surely their first sight of a Gobbye must have been frightening for them.

“Ahh, you again,” I said, standing tall.

“Yes, me again,” he responded then sighed in a deep, wheezing breath. “We require a token of good faith before we allow you to cross into Gobbye land.”

“It’s but a short way across, a narrow stretch of your land,” RoseIII interjected. “Less than a leg to get to the other side and onto Brinc land.”

I laid one hand on his arm to try to calm him. “Gobbye, there is no need for this. We mean no harm to you or your clan.”

He scratched at his beard with one grimy hand. “There are many layers of harm,” he said quietly. “Give us the water sprite and you can pass.”

I frowned. “The water sprite? Why do you want such a creature?”

He moved to one side so he could see the Neisi better. “We like this one. It’s not like the others, full of mischief and self-importance. This one we can add to our clan as a pet for the atrebuds.

I smiled. “No, you really don’t want this one,” I said. “It’s very much like the others and the magic keeping it under control will end soon. I don’t think you want to be here when that happens.”

The Gobbye was angered and rushed toward me. RoseIII and Talew leapt to my defense but I waved them back. “Threaten as you will, there is no way I will give one creature to another to be enslaved. It goes against my ken as a wit.”

“You can’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” he roared at me.

“I can and I do. Choose another payment.” I folded my arms to show him I stood firm in my decision.

The Gobbye moved close, so close I could smell his foul, onion-scented breath. “Perhaps we will keep you then.”

Alarm jangled along my spine but I held fast. “I think not. Choose again.”

“I know,” Lise, the Gobbye’s female, said as she moved forward. She leaned to one side, eyes fixed on my face, and chose a stone by feel alone. “Let’s mark her. Use blood as payment.”

I tried to keep the alarm from my features as I studied her. The male Gobbye said no word of arrest this time, but I glanced at him expectantly.