FOURTEEN - The Message

Arous released her embrace. Edlawit told Arous about the mind-sight and the strange cadet.

“Let’s have a look,” Arous rubbed the dot and threw it against the closed door of the stall.

It was her mom:

“’Arous, if you are the first to see this, make sure when you are done give it directly to Miguel – he’ll know what to do. Listen to him. I need your help. I’ve been locked away, and I had someone bring me this self-writing dot so that I could send you a message. I’m in danger, Arous. We both are. There’s something called Tribe Thirteen. I can’t explain it all here but you need to act quickly if the Tribe is to be saved. There’s someone you need to watch out for. Avoid him if you can. He may try to come for you just try to avoid him until the Tribe is gathered around you. He’s – Oh, no. I have to go. Don’t forget to give this to Miguel. He’ll know how to keep you safe. Be careful. I love you.’



Edlawit slammed her hand down on the dot, grabbed it and got up to leave.

“You’re not taking that!” said Arous.

“I’ve known all day, had that voice in my head telling me to give this to Miguel. I’m going right now.”

“No, you’re not.”

“What?” asked Edlawit. “She said-”

“I have a feeling too and if my mom is in trouble-”

“Arous, that was more than a feeling for me, that was a mind-sight; I heard her voice the minute the dot touched my hand.”

“I don’t care. I’m the one who’s leaving. You’re not Lunese. People aren’t afraid of you. It’s me, us, my mom and me that people threaten. So, if my mother is in trouble, you know no one is going to let me leave.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go, then.”

Arous grabbed the dot from Edlawit. She might have been two-thirds Edlawit’s size but she was fast.

“You?” said Arous, tears filling her eyes.

“Please,” said Edlawit. “Look, both of us agree that something isn’t right. Let’s just give this to Miguel-”

“I don’t need Miguel telling me what I know about my mom!” Arous was in tears.

“I’m sorry,” was all that Edlawit could mutter.

“Please, just let me have this to myself for just tonight. I promise, first thing in the morning I will give it to Miguel. We’ll both give it to him.”

Edlawit looked at her. The uneasy feeling was like battering rams of nausea hitting her in the stomach. She shivered. The night had turned cool.

“Please, Edlawit, you are my only friend. Please trust me.” Arous was now sobbing and had crumpled in the hay. Edlawit reached out and embraced Arous rocking her back and forth.

“Arous, I trust you. First thing in the morning. Promise me. First thing in the morning, okay?”

“Happy Birthday to me,” Arous lifted up her head and smiled.

“Yes, happy birthday to you. And the day after, happy birthday to me,” said Edlawit.

THIRTEEN - Whispers

Edlawit walked into the barn to meet Arous. She tried to ignore the VIH-dot as it kept whispering to her.

“You told the Diofe?” asked Edlawit.

“I wish,” Arous said, “that I could take one of those big, old oaks with me. The one right in front of the house.”

“The Diofe wouldn’t be too happy if I just uprooted one of those and shadowed it.”

Arous laughed, full and round with the energy of a giggle. Edlawit joined her.

Edlawit started working on Arcadia but she couldn’t shake her uneasiness. She needed to give Arous the dot. She needed to give the dot to me.

She held Arcadia’s soft muzzle with one hand and stroked her with the other as she began to work. She stroked her neck, shoulders as she compressed Arcadia. Edlawit soon began working both hands over the length of Arcadia’s body, shadowing her, making her smaller and smaller.

“Your hands are so beautiful when you work,” Arous said. Edlawit smiled and kept working.

Arcadia was reduced to a smaller version of herself, only about twelve inches tall. She did a lot of snorting which sounded a little ridiculous coming out of her little body.

The girls laughed when they heard that first precocious snort. They laughed until they hurt. A small silence soon grew uncomfortable.

“I’m scared for you, Arous,” said Edlawit.

“Don’t be.”

“Arous,” said Edlawit, “really? You know how it is. People have crazy ideas about the Lunese. They didn’t like your mom and they won’t like you.”

Arous jerked. All the silver drained from her face and she just went white.

“My mom was famous in the City. Everybody loved her.”

“But she had to make it to the City first.”

“I know. But what else can I do?”

“Take me with you,” said Edlawit. “I’m strong. I can protect you.”

Arous didn’t respond and the two girls sat for a moment.

“I just can’t shake the feeling that she needs help,” Arous said. “Healing, maybe.”

“After what-” Edlawit began but checked herself.

“After what, what?”

“Nothing.”

“After what? After I failed to save Priscilla? Is that what you were going to say?”

“No.”

“Yes it was.”

“You will be even further away from your source in The City,” said Edlawit. “What makes you think-”

“Stop. Okay. Just stop,” said Arous. “I don’t need you to be my friend. I have enough enemies.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to understand. And I have this feeling-”

“Is it a feeling or a mind-sight? Don’t tell me you still don’t know the difference after all these years.”

That cut Edlawit and she winced.

“If you don’t know, then please don’t muddy my dreams unless you can tell me something real.” Arous had softened. She looked at Edlawit. They had been sitting across from each other on a blanket in the hay. Arous reached over to Edlawit and both girls held each other.

After a moment Edlawit loosened her hug but still clung to Arous.

“I have this,” Edlawit opened her hand.

TWELVE - Covert Affair

Edlawit was riding Arcadia, Arous’ dappled-grey Andalusian up and down the river when she spotted the strange Desperado riding on the opposite bank. She called out to him.

“Hey!”

The Desperado stopped his horse and turned to look at her as if he was thinking.

He was tall and lanky, his skin was sun-kissed but for an Amalgamese he was very light: lighter than the tanned leathers he wore. He looked dusty and worn around the edges but young and bright. He couldn’t have been older than Edlawit. As his large black horse danced, a poisajo jumped up from the horse’s bridle and landed back down between the horse’s ears. Something red gleamed around the underside of one of the poisajos wings.

He was cute.

“Hey!” she called out again. “Who are you?”

He pulled a woven blanket from over the top of his English saddle. The ewe lamb looked up at her and bleated.

“He recognizes your voice,” he said.

“I’m his shepherd, of course he does,” she said. “There’s a bridge just that away,” she said. Edlawit pointed to her right.

“I’ll race you,” he said and kicked his horse ahead.

He was half-way across and waiting for her when she got to the bridge. The ewe lamb was resting peacefully on his saddle. She rode up beside him and he passed the lamb to her. She took a minute to look in his face and notice that he was not full Amalgamese. Very few people in Alippiana were anything but Amalgamese. He was blond. His skin, though golden was light and freckled; from under the brim of his hat shown blue eyes.

He was beautiful.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Edlawit asked.

“That’s quite obvious,” he said.

“Where are you -” Edlawit began.

“There’s something else. This message -” he said. The poisajo tied to the horse’s bridle carried a dot. “This message is for your mistress.”

“My mistress?”

“See that she gets it.”

He wheeled his horse around and rode off. “Hey!” she called out after him. “If you’re going to wear a disguise, try a little harder next time.”