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Years From Now, Somewhere in the Shroud
“Do you remember the first time you planted a tree?â€
Brand asked the question without looking back, for if he took his eyes off of his feet he was sure he’d lose his balance. The pond near his family’s farm had a bunch of old stumps and logs leftover from the Calamity, and sometimes he and the other boys on the nearby steads would play to see who could stand on the smallest one the longest. Right now Oswyn was the best, he’d been able to stand on the smallest for a half-bell on only one foot, and he’d made it back to the shore without falling. So, with a nice warm day and all his chores on the farm done, Brand had come out to practice.
O-Rehn laughed. “As a matter of fact, I do,†he said. Brand hadn’t expected his friend to be out at the lake, but he was glad to see him all the same. It was fine anyway; he’d told Brand he didn’t like to go out to the farms, so when they met it was out in the woods. He was a little older than Brand, and he had Padjal horns and all, but he was fine. Everybody said the Padjal were fine and kept the forest safe, so Brand never worried.
“My family used to have an orchard,†he continued. “When I was about five summers my father bought some new saplings and he spent too much to hire any hands to plant them all. He took my older brother out to help him plant, and of course I wanted to help him too. So he took the very smallest of them, and he put it in my hands - if you’d turn around to see - “
“I can’t see, or I’m gonna fall!†Brand scrunched up his face as he stuck out his arms to keep his balance.
“All right, all right. So he put it in my hands, and it was nearly twice my size; there was no way I could hold it. He had to walk with me to make sure he could put it in its place in the ground. Then he took it out of my hands and he said that was my first tree.â€
“You had to do it when you were so little? My pa made me wait until I was ni - “ He felt his shoe slip out from under him and stumbled forward a step. Pondwater loomed dangerously close when he caught himself.
“Do be careful, Brand.â€
“I’m fine, I’m fine! And you can just do magic with the spirits to help can’t you?†A thought struck him, and Brand adopted a wide-eyed, devious look. “Can you do it to help me stay balanced?â€
The Padjal bobbed his head in apology. “I could, but I think your friends would notice, and I would hate for them to think you cheated. You can win on your own.†Brand scrunched his face up at being told no, but went back to keeping his balance. “Why do you ask about the tree, by the way?â€
“Oh, well, um.†The boy tentatively lifted himself off of one foot to see how long he could stay. A few moments of wobbling and he put it back down. “What does it sound like when you hear spirits?â€
“Many things. Sometimes I hear words, sometimes feelings or sights or smells. They can show themselves in all kinds of ways.†O-Rehn folded his arms behind his back - he had no staff, and Brand had heard they all had staffs or staves or however it was said, but O-Rehn said he’d given his away - and gave Brand a worried look. “Do you think you heard one?â€
“Maybe? I think, um.†This was too much thinking and balancing at the same time. Brand hopped back a step to one of the larger logs and sat down, kicking his legs against the old wood. “I thought I heard things whispering behind me and they just felt really happy. But it wasn’t mine? It was like - “ He frowned. The words weren’t coming out right. “It was like the whole forest was happy.â€
“Hm.â€
“And I just thought what if that was like being one of those wizards that hears things, or if it meant being like you.†His eyes widened. “Do I have to grow horns?!â€
“Have to?†O-Rehn paced around the side of the pond, just outside the water’s edge. “I do not believe you have to. Would you want to?â€
“Would I?†Brand leaned forward on the log, his brows raising. “What’s it like?â€
“It can be quite wonderful. You get to hear everything around you and understand it. When the forest is happy you get to hear it, and you get to make it be happy.†O-Rehn smiled, and it was a funny thing, looked sadder than anything else to Brand. “But it can also be quite sad. Sometimes the forest will say someone cannot live in it, or has to leave it. And there are other things.â€
“Do you have to fight monsters?â€
“Sometimes, but not often. No, the other things are like . . . Well, you love your parents, right?â€
“Uh-huh.†He would not admit this except under extreme duress anywhere else, but it was easy to tell things to O-Rehn.
“And your brothers, you love them?â€
“. . . Most of them.†The youngest had been infringing on Brand’s space in the house of late, and winning appeals to parental authority by way of being smaller and having bigger eyes.
“Just most?â€
“. . . Not just most.â€
“I see. That can make this very hard at times.†He gestured to himself. “It can take you away from them and then you don’t get to grow with them. They’ll still love you, of course, but you will not get to see them as often. If you were to be like me, that is something you would have to accept.â€
“Oh.†The prospect didn’t seem too appealing at first, and it must have shown on his face, as O-Rehn continued. “But you can help them be safe. Safe and happy in the Shroud. You can have a hand in that. And if you love the forest, and you love your family, it can be a good choice. And it is your choice, Brand.â€
He held out his hand. The log was close enough to shore that Brand could reach out take the outstretched palm if he wanted. “Is that something you want? You can say no.â€
Of a sudden, the child realized how quiet the forest was around him. The birds had stopped singing and there was no more buzzing of little vilekin. Everything around the pond was still. It was like the woods were watching.
He reached out to take O-Rehn’s hand.
-end-
“Do you remember the first time you planted a tree?â€
Brand asked the question without looking back, for if he took his eyes off of his feet he was sure he’d lose his balance. The pond near his family’s farm had a bunch of old stumps and logs leftover from the Calamity, and sometimes he and the other boys on the nearby steads would play to see who could stand on the smallest one the longest. Right now Oswyn was the best, he’d been able to stand on the smallest for a half-bell on only one foot, and he’d made it back to the shore without falling. So, with a nice warm day and all his chores on the farm done, Brand had come out to practice.
O-Rehn laughed. “As a matter of fact, I do,†he said. Brand hadn’t expected his friend to be out at the lake, but he was glad to see him all the same. It was fine anyway; he’d told Brand he didn’t like to go out to the farms, so when they met it was out in the woods. He was a little older than Brand, and he had Padjal horns and all, but he was fine. Everybody said the Padjal were fine and kept the forest safe, so Brand never worried.
“My family used to have an orchard,†he continued. “When I was about five summers my father bought some new saplings and he spent too much to hire any hands to plant them all. He took my older brother out to help him plant, and of course I wanted to help him too. So he took the very smallest of them, and he put it in my hands - if you’d turn around to see - “
“I can’t see, or I’m gonna fall!†Brand scrunched up his face as he stuck out his arms to keep his balance.
“All right, all right. So he put it in my hands, and it was nearly twice my size; there was no way I could hold it. He had to walk with me to make sure he could put it in its place in the ground. Then he took it out of my hands and he said that was my first tree.â€
“You had to do it when you were so little? My pa made me wait until I was ni - “ He felt his shoe slip out from under him and stumbled forward a step. Pondwater loomed dangerously close when he caught himself.
“Do be careful, Brand.â€
“I’m fine, I’m fine! And you can just do magic with the spirits to help can’t you?†A thought struck him, and Brand adopted a wide-eyed, devious look. “Can you do it to help me stay balanced?â€
The Padjal bobbed his head in apology. “I could, but I think your friends would notice, and I would hate for them to think you cheated. You can win on your own.†Brand scrunched his face up at being told no, but went back to keeping his balance. “Why do you ask about the tree, by the way?â€
“Oh, well, um.†The boy tentatively lifted himself off of one foot to see how long he could stay. A few moments of wobbling and he put it back down. “What does it sound like when you hear spirits?â€
“Many things. Sometimes I hear words, sometimes feelings or sights or smells. They can show themselves in all kinds of ways.†O-Rehn folded his arms behind his back - he had no staff, and Brand had heard they all had staffs or staves or however it was said, but O-Rehn said he’d given his away - and gave Brand a worried look. “Do you think you heard one?â€
“Maybe? I think, um.†This was too much thinking and balancing at the same time. Brand hopped back a step to one of the larger logs and sat down, kicking his legs against the old wood. “I thought I heard things whispering behind me and they just felt really happy. But it wasn’t mine? It was like - “ He frowned. The words weren’t coming out right. “It was like the whole forest was happy.â€
“Hm.â€
“And I just thought what if that was like being one of those wizards that hears things, or if it meant being like you.†His eyes widened. “Do I have to grow horns?!â€
“Have to?†O-Rehn paced around the side of the pond, just outside the water’s edge. “I do not believe you have to. Would you want to?â€
“Would I?†Brand leaned forward on the log, his brows raising. “What’s it like?â€
“It can be quite wonderful. You get to hear everything around you and understand it. When the forest is happy you get to hear it, and you get to make it be happy.†O-Rehn smiled, and it was a funny thing, looked sadder than anything else to Brand. “But it can also be quite sad. Sometimes the forest will say someone cannot live in it, or has to leave it. And there are other things.â€
“Do you have to fight monsters?â€
“Sometimes, but not often. No, the other things are like . . . Well, you love your parents, right?â€
“Uh-huh.†He would not admit this except under extreme duress anywhere else, but it was easy to tell things to O-Rehn.
“And your brothers, you love them?â€
“. . . Most of them.†The youngest had been infringing on Brand’s space in the house of late, and winning appeals to parental authority by way of being smaller and having bigger eyes.
“Just most?â€
“. . . Not just most.â€
“I see. That can make this very hard at times.†He gestured to himself. “It can take you away from them and then you don’t get to grow with them. They’ll still love you, of course, but you will not get to see them as often. If you were to be like me, that is something you would have to accept.â€
“Oh.†The prospect didn’t seem too appealing at first, and it must have shown on his face, as O-Rehn continued. “But you can help them be safe. Safe and happy in the Shroud. You can have a hand in that. And if you love the forest, and you love your family, it can be a good choice. And it is your choice, Brand.â€
He held out his hand. The log was close enough to shore that Brand could reach out take the outstretched palm if he wanted. “Is that something you want? You can say no.â€
Of a sudden, the child realized how quiet the forest was around him. The birds had stopped singing and there was no more buzzing of little vilekin. Everything around the pond was still. It was like the woods were watching.
He reached out to take O-Rehn’s hand.
-end-
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Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine