Come join the fun every Monday from 6pm to 8pm MST on Twitch.tv/DragonsKeepTV!






(This is an introduction to my dragonborn cleric for my current Dungeons and Dragons game. It’s a bit ahead of the current game, fan fiction of the fiction. đ I hope it’s fun to read!)
Chapter One
The City of Splendors, the people of FaerĂźn called it. The shipping port of Waterdeep. The city employed every race along the coast, from diminutive gnomes and dwarves to fair elves and mighty dragonborn. Humans and halflings filled the streets, going to and fro between their daily tasks and chores. Clever scoundrels and orphans that belonged to no one played in the alleyways, always listening for secrets (or shiny things) they could sell to buy their next meal. The main cobblestone thoroughfare was wide enough for four wagons to ride abreast, but it seemed every other corner of the city varied in width.
And the doors! They were certainly constructed for average citizens to pass, even the doors that led to the interiors of taverns, stores, and warehouses. Honestly, nothing was built for a dragonborn. Not specifically, not here in Waterdeep. Of course, for the wealthy, buying an appropriate door was of little consequence. For those of more meager means, passing through dozens a day became a dull tradition to endure. Most dragonborn could get away with lowering their heads beneath the door frame and trying with all their might not to bump into anything. Most had practiced their urban lifestyle and set it out of their minds.
Etri was not an urban dragonborn. Nor was he small by any means. Standing a full head above regular dragonborn, Bahamut had graced the blue-scaled half-dragon with strength and durability beyond his peers. To make matters worse, Etri wore thick and well-worn armor crafted from hefty plates of iron, dull not from neglect but from weary use. Atop the rucksack upon his back hung a shield crafted of ironwood and steel, emblazoned with no symbol. At his waist, he carried a steel mace, forged with as much heft as the dragon himself. Coincidentally, the mace was bright and free of the grime that covered the rest of Etri. If there were any doors that this dragonborn could fit through, they were surely too high-class to allow him anyway. With dreadlocks of cerulean adorned with iron rings and the hint of horns at his temples, even the burliest creature would no doubt avoid him.
Were this the truth. He would have cleaner armor. And a much cleaner shield.
He certainly made an impression as he entered through the city gate and passed through the throng of city-dwellers. Trying to keep his golden eyes in the direction of his feet, he could never truly ignore the stares that followed him. Halflings and gnomes gave him wide berth. Humans and dwarves, no matter their stature or mass, watched him with suspicion, fear, or combative approval. Perhaps the only peoples that didnât blindly stare were orcs and tieflings; most of them received the same kind of attention, and had learned to ignore it.
The only detail no one ever noticed about the dragonborn would have revealed the true nature beyond all the muscle and scales. Upon his neck and graced above the neck of his mail was a small gold charm in the same shape as his shield. In the very center had been inlaid with a small azure gem gifted to him by his mentor Korok. Rest his soul, only the quill and the gem he carried reminded him of his old friend. Beyond these physical mementos, Etri had only memories of healing, guilt, and redemption. It was his mentor that taught him of the great Bahamut, a selfless life beyond stinking fish and saltwater.
Yet Korok had not been granted time enough in life to help Etri find an answer to a great mystery: why Etriâs scales had begun to reveal flecks of metallic yellow beneath the scratches and cracks of his blue. The same shining color as the small piece of jewelry.
Even before his mentor adopted him, the blue dragonborn always made an impression on those he worked with and cared for. For all his sharp spines on his brow, claws on his hands, and fangs tightly meshed inside his stoic complexion, Etri spoke in soft tones. The pride of his youth had been torn away by the scars upon his arms and face. Perhaps not his temper when conflict arose. And although he considered himself a sage and a researcher, he never felt very bright. As a nestling, the call of the sea had been stronger than the call of education.
For thus did he come to Waterdeep. Surely the City of Splendors would have answers.
On that bright and cheerful day, Etriâs mind was deeper than the sea he once trawled. Only two locations in Waterdeep would he find an answer to Korokâs last question. The first were the Halls of Justice, located deep in the Castle Ward. Although the subject of gold dragons would fit within the purview of righteousness, surely there was little chance a priest from Waterdeep would wish to speak of any dragon, least of all to a gigantic stranger from the other side of FaerĂźn. The second location and the more likely would be the Font of Knowledge, located just a street away from the temple.
If anyone questioned why, he had the letter. It would prove his intentions. If it did not, what would the city guard do? Arrest a dragonborn for wanting to learn?
At first, Etri lost his way, even with the directions given to him by a town crier. He traveled south and found himself at the market. It would have been a good location from which to orient himself. But with the traffic bustling in the wide space, he couldnât see any signs, even above the heads of the townspeople.
He took it slow at first. There was little rush, the morning barely passing into a warm afternoon. Walking beside the many stalls and vendors in the marketplace, he contemplated if anything might strike his fancy. He had eaten before he entered the city, anticipating the long lines that no doubt filled the eateries. Curious, he passed by a blacksmithâs forge; an odd spot to set up shop, what with the constant heat of the day and the roar of the daily crowds. Hanging from hooks outside the smithing space were swords and daggers, maces and hammers, and even scimitars and rapiers of various sizes (matched to the size of people who would hopefully wield them). Etri nearly considered a polearm of some make, perhaps a bardiche. If he couldnât use it in a fight, he could use it to butcher or split thin wood.
In the end, he decided against it. He already had trouble entering doors. A large polearm would make it impossible.
Etri then decided to find the best assistance any busy city could provide. He stepped into an alleyway just off the beaten path and spied his tour guides: a trio of young lads, two humans and a gnome, each younger than the other, tossing a leather ball. The moment they saw the giant dragon, they stood to their feet, quite ready to flee.
âDonât be afraid, little ones,â Etri said, offering the children a small wave. This gave him time to approach and kneel. âI am seeking the Halls of Justice. I know it lies within the Castle Ward, but I donât know the way. I donât suppose you know which direction I should head?â
The boys looked at each other, considering the request.
âIâll not ask for your help without compensation. If you guide me to the ward, Iâll give each of you a silver piece. Do we have a deal?â
At this news, all three boys lit up like wildfire.
âCertainly, sir!â cried the gnomish lad, waving to Etri. âItâs this way!â
âYeah, itâs this way!â
âFollow us!â
From the path they led him, Etri would never have found his destination. The boys waved him down alleyway after alleyway, down thinner roads and carriage stops, through stables and past a smaller smithy and tailorâs shop. As he continued, the tenements disappeared, turning into apartments and large classy homes. The stores matched the paved streets, their goods glistening behind glass windows for gentry to admire. The boys led him through the yard of one residence in particular, and he knew for certain he would be detained for trespassing. Fortunately, no lawman or resident witnessed his crime, and he continued on with greater haste.
At last, the children stood next to a carved stone wall, and held out their hands to stop the dragon.
âThis is it, sir!â
âCan we have our silver now?â
Etri grinned, kneeling down before them. It was not too long a time when he had been so bold.
âNearly,â he said. âDo you know the way to the gate to the ward itself? Do they have guards stationed there?â
âYes sir,â said the oldest boy. âItâs south, that way. We would take you there, but the guards shoo us away before we can get in. Thereâs mighty green gardens back there, but weâll never get to see them.â
âYeah, not ever.â
âI wouldnât be too sure,â Etri said. âWould you believe me if I said I used to be as small as you, wishing I could play in gardens and eat fancy food?â
âThereâs no way!â said the middle boy. âHowâd you get so big and strong? I bet you beat up wolves and bandits all the time!â
âHave you ever killed anybody with your club?â asked the gnomish boy.
Etri nodded.
âSadly, yes. But only in defense of the innocent. And to guard my companions.â Etri reached up to the charm around his neck. âI am a cleric of the god of dragons. I worship Him, and do my best to serve His will. And His will is to give aid to all, even the smallest and poorest.â
Etri reached to his belt and produced a silver piece for each of the boys.
âThank you, kind sir!â
âYouâre really nice!â
âCould we worship dragons too?â asked the oldest human. âMaybe we could be strong like you.â
âPerhaps not,â Etri said with a claw to his lips. âMost dragons donât care for it. And youâve heard stories of dragons burning down villages, havenât you? I canât imagine many people here would approve.â
The boys looked away.
âBut there is a way you can serve the Light, if you wish to.â
âHow?â asked the younger human.
âTake your silver and get yourselves something to eat. Treat yourselves. But then afterwards, share your fortune with someone in need.â Etri stroked the frill beneath his chin. âDo you know anyone sick? A widow who lost their husband at sea? Another boy or girl who hasnât eaten in days?â
The boys paused in thought.
âThere is Missus Alassen.â The older boy shrugged. âHer hubby got killed by bandits upways to Neverwinter. She donât have much left.â
âAnd Landi.â The gnome said with a nod. âHeâs so sad all the time.â
âIs Landi this widowâs son?â Etri asked.
All three boys nodded.
âThey deserve a bit of kindness after all their suffering, donât you think?â
âYes sir,â they said.
âThis is charity. It is a most simple act of goodness.â He placed his coin purse back on his belt. âDo not feel you must do this. You have earned your silver, and it is yours. Just consider my advice.â
âIâll do it,â said the gnome. âI want to be like you, Sir Dragon.â
âMe too,â said the humans.
âI only do what I can,â Etri said with a dry chuckle, standing at last. He towered above the children, but they showed little fear. âAs we all should.â
âWeâll help our friends!â said the oldest boy, racing back the way he came. âCome on!â
âThank you, Sir Dragon!â shouted the two other boys, following after. Etri took a pause and watched the children sprint further into the town and out of sight.
Etri shook his head with a beleaguered smile. Not distant in his mind was a man who had given him the same gift. Perhaps if he had taken the advice as a child, he would not have burdened himself under his own stupidity.
âHalt!â said the Castle Ward guard. He wore shining armor that reflected the dignity of his position, his royal sword within a tight leather scabbard hanging at his waist. Even though his helmet covered much of his face and head, Etri could still see fear in the manâs eyes as the dragonborn looked down upon him. Perhaps the only support that bolstered him was his fellow standing opposite him at the archway entrance.
âGood day, sir,â Etri said, attempting to sound as non-threatening as possible. âI am looking for the Halls of Justice and the Font of Knowledge. Might this be the correct way?â
âWhat business do you have there?â The guard nearly stammered.
Etri took a step back. There was no use lying.
âI am searching for answers concerning my heritage.â Etri considered his words. âI have heard much of the research performed by the sages of Waterdeep about dragons⌠and rumors of dragons. I am a cleric on sabbatical from my monastery seeking any information I can find.â
âYour heritage, eh?â asked the distant guard. âAncestry? Blue dragons, no doubt. Iâve heard they are quite vicious monsters.â
âGold, perhaps,â Etri said, resting his weight on his mace. âMy only clue. They take to mountains and plains. I used to be a sailor by trade, born not far from here. But now I serve the Light as a cleric, and I do not understand my own nature. This has left me with great confusion as to my familial line.â
âIs that a fact?â
Etri nodded.
âVery intriguing, sir,â said the guard. âI would much like to learn of what you find.â
The fearful guard looked at his comrade as if he had gone slightly mad.
âIndeed?â Etriâs head tilted. âNot many wish to learn of dragons.â
âI ask all who pass for tidbits,â the guard said with a laugh. âWhoever they may be. Some even grant my request! They make for wonderful stories for my children.â
âThat is wonderful,â Etri said with a nod. âI will report on what I find. If I cannot find you, perhaps a note will suffice?â
âCertainly,â he said. âI would be very grateful.â
Etri looked back at the guard staring up at him.
âI may pass, then?â
âAye sir,â he said, nearly tripping aside.
âThank you, Cleric.â The guard saluted Etri. âI will await your return!â
As the little boys had described, gardens of flowers and trees filled the Castle Ward, as prim and proper as man could design. If he wore his priest robes and not his stuffy armor, Etri might have felt more within his element in that beautiful place. The streets were paved with intricate puzzles of marble, the kinds of organized stones that make children hop to avoid the lines between. Small fountains and songbirds brought natural music to the concourse, Etriâs second favorite ambiance besides the calls of gulls and waves.
Walking apace between the civic buildings were priests, researchers, and nobility that enjoyed the religious and academic ward, away from the hustle and bustle of markets and grocery. Every soul that came into viewing distance of the enormous cleric did their best to choose a different path, whether this path led down another avenue or through the nearest garden. He even dared laugh at one terrified elven noble who fell over a finely manicured hedge trying to avoid him.
Although Etriâs calling was pure and lawful, he still had fun at other peopleâs expense every once in a while. With the flick of his wrist, his thaumaturgy created a terrible snarling growl to erupt from behind the elf. The horrified gentleman let out a feminine shriek before flailing to his feet and sprinting away towards the Castle Ward gate in complete terror. Etri then realized he had likely forced the friendly guards at the archway into a difficult situation, and hoped they could forgive him when he returned.
Despite the majesty of the man-made structures, one monument towered and excelled beyond them all. Mount Waterdeep took up much of the horn of the cityâs harbor, upon which settled the Peaktop Eyrie. Etri could easily view gryphons flying in organized groups, saddled with warriors of high renown and skill. Etri had heard tales of dragonborn whose skills had sharpened so near actual dragons that they themselves grew wings and soared the skies. It would probably be the only way Etri would ever get off the ground. That, or taking a flying leap off a cliff, which he didnât think particularly wise.
As luck would have it, Etriâs feet led him right to The Halls of Justice. This temple, no doubt dedicated to Tyr, a deity of even-handed justice. An ironic title, given that most depictions described the Blind God as missing his left hand. The clergy supported charity above martial might, which had given Etri hopes that the temple might hold clues. He proceeded up the marble steps towards the entrance, impressed by the mighty marble columns that upheld the pantheon of the Triad above. The guards that stood sentinel beside the doors did not question him, although they did give him very concerned stares. One of the doors was already open (a door more than large enough for an actual dragon), so he stepped inside.
The temple was a beauty to behold. Pillars of stone held up a gorgeous arched ceiling that drew the eye heavenward, gauche imagery of knowledge and judgement painted upon its surface. Beneath the arches were carved walls of marble which framed stained glass windows of unmatched quality. Each window displayed different religious iconography, displaying the splendor for which the city was named. Distant from the entrance were pews of hardwood, and beyond them was a pulpit before a marble sculpture of the great god Himself: a humanlike figure with a great beard holding aloft a sword in one hand, supported by the handless left arm. In that moment, there was no service, creating a silence inside the sacred space that Etri appreciated immensely. He always felt safe inside a temple of order, no matter the deity worshipped within.
Etri waited in peace for a moment before a human entered from a small room beside the cathedral proper. He wore plain white robes, his long hair drawn back, a small white cap resting atop his head. He did not seem perturbed by Etriâs presence, walking up to the dragonborn cleric without hesitation.
âGood day, dragonborn,â the priest said with a small bow. âWelcome to the Halls of Justice.â
âSir,â Etri said, greeting the priest in return with his fist to his heart and a deep bow. âI am sorry for the intrusion.â
âThere is no apology necessary.â The priest motioned to the greater space within. âWe welcome peoples of all races to the Temple of Tyr, so long as their intentions are pure. How can I assist you?â
âTo be honest,â Etri said. âI am unsure if I have come to the right place to find answers to my questions.â
âFor a follower of the great Bahamut,â the priest said with another bow. âAll things are possible.â
Etri paused.
âI am⌠surprised you could tell.â
âIt may also surprise you to know how many dragonborn in Waterdeep also worship the god of dragons. Most worship in secret, naturally. Dragons are creatures of violence to most.â
Etri nodded.
âOf course. I suppose I have come to the wrong place to learn of dragons, then. Perhaps the Font of Knowledge will hold more promise.â
âYou are a cleric, are you not?â the priest asked.
âI amâŚâ Etri said with a deep chuckle. âAgain youâve caught me at a disadvantage.â
The priest gave him a wave.
âFollow me.â
Etri proceeded behind the priest through the same small door beside the cathedral. He then found himself within a large library of sorts, one of surprising height and depth. Upon all four walls, even below the windows of the far wall, large bookcases stood, filled with hundreds and perhaps thousands of books and scrolls. Some papers and documents appeared fresh and new, some were contained within glass displays for protection from dust, and even more were sewn together in entire anthologies.
âWhat knowledge do you seek?â asked the priest.
Etri opened his mouth, but no words came. The collection of documents, certainly more expansive than the monastery library, filled him with a bit of excitement.
The priest smiled.
âEven the sages at the Font of Knowledge come here to research religion.â
âI have never heard of a temple housing texts from other orders,â Etri said, stepping forwards. âEspecially those of dragonborn.â
âOurs is not typical, and this is not a fact that those of regular attendance know. Tyr insists upon the prosperity of all races, not merely those that believe in Himself. Of course, Her High Radiance is not one to put the worship of other gods above Tyr, but she allows this library to exist to control the information available.â
âAh,â Etri said. An ulterior motive. âI see. Why trust a stranger with this knowledge?â
âYou are not the first dragonborn to come searching for answers.â The priest smiled. âAnd hopefully your calling begets your trust. What are your questions?â
âI donât know if you have noticed the very signs I wear on my scales,â Etri said, pointing to his arm. âI am dragonborn, aligned with tempest and storm. The hue with which dragonborn are hatched does not change⌠or so I thought.â
The priest stepped forwards to examine him. His curiosity was very apparent.
âFascinating,â the human said. âAnd I thought it was merely the metal of your armor that shined.â
âGold,â Etri said. âIs it not?â
âI am unsure. I am not well versed in the traits of dragonborn, despite my personal research.â
âRoyal dragons empower themselves with flame, and are just as like to rule with righteous fervor than with demanded authority.â Etri placed his claws on his hips and stared at the ground. âI have felt neither of these impulses. In fact, my control over thunder and lightning has only sharpened. I do not know what this means. Or if they have a connection at all.â
âBronze.â
Etri paused.
âPardon?â
âBronze dragons,â the priest said. âSailors in Waterdeep are very familiar with them⌠or at least where their nests are.â
âIs that right?â Etri asked. âBronze, not gold! Please tell me you have research on these dragons I can study.â
âWe do indeed. Before I show you, I trust you will keep this library and what you learn in confidence.â
âYou have my word,â Etri said immediately.
The priest stepped forwards and held out his hand.
âI am Brother Kylan Worlit. It is a pleasure.â
The dragonborn shook the manâs hand.
âEtri,â he said. âEtri Valkandrian. Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.â
Chapter Two
With his armor removed, Etri felt considerably more comfortable; a strong defense did not contribute to the pursuit of learning. Tomes and texts sprawled themselves over the writing desk in the center of the library hall. At his ready command was his brass quill, his travel-worn leather journal, and two ink cups, one which he had already dried as the afternoon continued. Although the chair upon which Etri sat creaked at his weight, he did not let it deter him from reaching across the desk again and again for the many documents Brother Kylan had provided. Each one held details about the metallic and sea-faring dragons, official registrations of dragonborn coat-of-arms, and even dubious attempts to connect dragon family lines together. These were likely guesses if not outright lies; few dragons would admit to fathering generations of mortal spawn, and even fewer mortals would approach them to ask.
As the evening arrived, Etri took the long pipe from his pack and placed it in the corner of his mouth. He had stopped smoking under Korokâs insistence years ago, but he still felt the comfort the bent piece of driftwood provided him. Just as simple as a nestling, he always thought.
Bronze dragons. Curious. Interested in knowledge, if only for the sake of knowing. Playful? This Etri doubted. How would anyone come to that conclusion? Perhaps there was more to this point, however, as Etri read a fascinating story of a young girl stranded upon a deserted isle far to the west, perhaps even further than Moray. The book did not name the child. A clutch of bronze dragons played and cared for her, according to the record, led by a young dragon that shepherded the wyrmlings.
The tale ended with the young girl flying upon the back of the dragon, returning to the outskirts of Waterdeep. The dragons were never seen again. No directions, no further details.
Etri continued reading from the brief description. Large, vicious, even for those with good natures. Three thick bones grew from their cheeks and up to the crest of their heads. Most had a single frill near the tops of their necks. Etri massaged his out of reflex.
Storm, lightning, even rain and seas beckoned to them. Many notable bronze dragons had participated in large conflicts, especially those that threatened their nests. But according to the Nalmareedy Almanac (which was surprisingly accurate for a popular publication), most bronze dragons did not seek out battle, and detested killing if it did not serve a noble cause.
Then came the tale of Felifarn, one of the greatest historical curiosities of Waterdeep. This particular dragon had a fondness for sunken treasure, and carried what he found back into an underwater cave just a few leagues away from the cityâs naval walls. As it so happened, the dragon spent much of his time not diving, but spending time among the human populace, disguised as a man in a dashing uniform from some non-existent shipping company. Dragons were famous (or infamous) for their shapeshifting abilities. The more Etri read, the more he could hope that bronze dragons lived up to the inquisitive and well-natured qualities described inside the scrolls.
Near the falling of the sun, another brother of the temple entered the library to replace and light the candles. He did not mind the cleric quietly reading, and graciously agreed to retrieve a lantern with which Etri could read more clearly. Etri felt very hungry and tired after the brother left, but he could not part his eyes from each page.
Not more than ten minutes after his lantern burned did the door to the library open. He lifted his eyes, expecting the same brother to step inside. Instead, an older figure slowly entered, stopping at the edge of the desk opposite Etri. She gained his attention in an instant. Her bearing gave her the air of nobility, but the garments she wore belonged to the church, without doubt. This was no simple sister. Etri quickly pulled the pipe out of sight and lifted himself from his chair in habit, giving the woman a respectful bow.
âGood evening, milady,â the dragonborn said, his voice as low as the candlelight. âI hope I am not disturbing the peace of this sacred place.â
âBrother Kylan offers much to an outsider, I see,â the human woman said, her voice with slight disapproval. âAs with most knowledge, I say let sleeping dragons lie. But alas, when a cleric of a great beast arrives seeking what he ought not, people begin to talk and suspect. Do you not agree?â
âI agree, milady,â Etri said, a bit hesitant. âI only intend-â
âYou will call me by my rightful name, Her Radiance Ghentilara,â said the woman. âOr the Sunrise Lord. No other.â
Etriâs eyes widened. He spoke to the Sunrise Lord herself, the high priestess of Tyr.
âYour Grace!â Etri shook his head. âI mean, Your Radiance! I thank you for the use of your beautiful library. I do not mean to impose upon your good grace, I-â
âBut you do, dragonborn,â said the Sunrise Lord. âAlthough I am not without sympathy. There are few who understand from whence they come. Often it is only nobility are so filled with want of pedigree.â
Etri nodded, diverting his eyes.
âBut I see that you are not nobility, nor are you driven by simple curiosity.â
âNo, Your Radiance.â Etriâs eyes closed. âI do not know from whence I come. I have only known the road and the sea, and the guidance of my Lord.â
âIs it mere longing for family that drives you?â asked Ghentilara.
âIt is not.â Etri set his quill down upon the desk, trying to form his thoughts. âNo doubt you are familiar with my kind. For all my life I went where the wind blew me. I found stability from the faith my mentor taught me. He was⌠an old dragon taken before his time. I survived while he perished.â
âMy condolences.â
âI do not know who I am, Your Radiance. I do not understand the powers that grow within me. Even my very scales betray what I once thought certain. I defend the innocent, aid the downtrodden, grant healing to the afflicted. But I do not know why.â
âInteresting.â Ghentilara walked around the desks with her eyes squarely upon Etri. âYou would question your very nature? Follow the wind and waves as you say? If my knowledge of the great beast is correct, I am certain Lord Bahamut would not approve of His cleric changing at the whim of scrolls and books.â
âI cannot disagree,â Etri said with some sadness. âBut I do not wish to change why He made me. I only wish to understand what happened to my mentor… and to me.â
âAnd you believe you can learn this knowledge through communion with a dragon?â
âI am uncertain.â Etriâs clawed finger then rose. âYour Radiance, perhaps this letter given to me by my mentor will help make sense of my pursuit.â
Upon the desk sat the very words Korok had given him, written a mere three days before he died and discovered a day later by the young dragonborn. Etri handed the paper to the older woman.
âIt seemed nothing of my mentorâs death was coincidence.â
Blessed Etri,
My life is coming to an end. When it will arrive I do not know, but I know it follows after me with haste. Lest you worry, it will not come from my own hand. And it will not come from illness or age. I do not wish to die, if it meant I could spend more time with my pupil. Perhaps teach him better manners.
None of this is your fault. Read this again: none of this is your fault. When my blood stains the ground, you will learn something about your old friend that may be difficult to comprehend. Few will mourn my passing. It may only be you. This does not sadden me. Bahamut calls to this old dragon, and I will answer Him without fear, as I hope you will when we finally reunite inside the celestial crystal halls. Perhaps I will meet the mate you choose. Perhaps I will meet your nestlings once your wandering days end.
When you find this letter and witness what remains of me, you will have many questions. I would tell you not to seek answers. But you have not listened to me before, and I do not expect your curiosity to vanish. Indeed, it is why I chose to be your mentor.
You have wisdom beyond your short years, and compassion that shines beyond your stature. Cultivate your soul in justice and soberness, and you will build a brighter world for all dragonborn. Brighter for all races across FaerĂźn. Lord Bahamut has plucked you from the sea and set you upon the path of grace. Never forget the lessons I have taught you. And for heavenâs sake, boy, keep your weapon clean! Few bat an eye at a dirty brawler. But no one will ignore a cleric whose weapon reflects wisdom over violence.
When I die, look upon my body and see for yourself what has happened. Follow my blood. And follow yours. Only when you understand your origin will you understand the danger I have placed you in. Do not speak of this to anyone you do not trust. It will give you the chance to prepare.
I will die. But you will have time. I suppose this is the last gift I can offer you.
Yours in timeless brotherhood,
Korok Loriki
Ghentilara read the letter thoroughly, the interest quite apparent as she handed the slip of brown paper back to the dragonborn before her.
âOminous. Pray tell, how did your mentor die?â
âQuite suddenly, Your Radiance. One moment we were traveling by carriage towards Baldurâs Gate four days distant, and the next the carriage was upszide-down. I was knocked unconscious, bleeding heavily. I crawled out of the ruined cart, and upon the ground some yards away lay my old friend, his scales charred by flame and filled with barbed arrows.â
Etri bared his teeth for a moment before remembering who stood before him.
âWhen I saw the hooded figures trying to abduct my mentorâs body, I charged forwards and attempted to fight them off. I succeeded in clipping one of the bandits in the arm with guided flame. But I was in no condition to capture them. They fled on horseback, leaving me in shock.â
âSo what of the letter? What did he mean by âfollow his bloodâ?â
âThis is my unanswerable question, Your Radiance. As my blue-scaled mentor lay lifeless upon the ground, I witnessed what I thought impossible. His blood was no longer blue. It pooled around his corpse, shimmering gold. Plain as if he had granted me a fortune in death. In all my days, I have never heard of a dragonborn changing so.â
Etri paused.
âHis blood then began to burn. Like oil lit from a candle. As I watched for mere moments, his golden blood evaporated to nothing, leaving his body drained and cold.â
âAllow me to presume,â the Sunrise Lord said. âThat you too have fallen under the same mysterious condition?â
âYes, Your Radiance.â Etri raised his hand. âWhen I cut myself, I bleed gold. Blood that evaporates with arcane flame in mere moments. Under the candlelight it can be difficult to see, but my scales too have begun to change. Korok hid nothing from me, yet I donât know if I will soon have to hide my face, my tail. I may have to abandon my charge if my very presence injures those around me.â
âKorok was not your kin, if I understand correctly. Yet his affliction passed to you.â
âI have no answers,â Etri said. âLeast of which is knowing if my condition is an affliction at all. A poison, an illness, some form of dark magic, none of these seem to apply.â
Etri laid the letter back upon the desk.
âAll I understand is what my mentor described in that letter. That I am in great danger because of my blood, and that I must prepare. For more of these hooded figures, perhaps. I do not know.â
Ghentilara stepped to the desk to cast a glance at the documents Etri had focused upon for the last few hours. The dragonborn took a step backwards to allow her room to pass the unrolled scrolls and documents one by one across the table.
âIsnât that curious,â she said with a certain lilt in her voice. âBronze dragons.â
âIndeed. It was Brother Kylan who had given me the idea. Perhaps I do not bleed gold, but bronze. It would match my upbringing by the sea, my martial focus of storm and lightning, and perhaps even my very nature.â Etri cleared his throat. âI have never intended to meet a dragon. Nor ask a favor of one. I will admit, the very idea of such a meeting fills me with a bit of trepida-â
âI will help you.â
Etriâs jaw hung for a moment.
âYou will?â He shook out of his daze. âI mean, I would more than welcome your assistance, your Radiance. I would certainly offer my services in return.â
âYou will, cleric of Bahamut.â The regal woman turned to pace towards the library door. âI have duties to attend to tonight, and have little time to explain now. Understand that I mean to offer you a mutually beneficial arrangement, one that will require a being of your skills and⌠stature.â
âYes, Your Radiance,â Etri heartily agreed. âI am at your disposal.â
âBefore you make yourself disposable,â Ghentilara said with a quiet chuckle. âI want you to understand that my request will not be trivial. I will be placing you and the cityin danger should you fail. Tonight, consider praying that my Lord will protect you as surely as Bahamut does.â
Etri bowed before the distinguished priestess.
âClean up before you leave, will you?â Ghentilara asked with a hint of humor and a wave of her hand. âAnd return here sharply at seven oâclock tomorrow morning. We shall discuss the matter then.â
âCertainly, I will.â Etri gave a last deep bow. âThank you, Your Radiance.â
After about an hour, the little yatili and the large yatvi came back into the guest room. Aaron and Chris told me that they needed to head home, so they said goodbye and departed. Juni had lost his energy since going to Ian’s room, and soon fell asleep underneath the blanket as Charsi and I researched the map on Ian’s phone for another while.
There wasn’t much detail I could see on the map, even in the simplistic map, that would give us any indication about which direction Elder Ordi might have chosen to lead everyone. Gatherers could travel as much distance as they could carry food and water. But the greater question was if they could escort sixty inexperienced yatili through the wilderness at night with the same resources. So instead of relying solely on the map, I decided to look up some of the different food sources we had relied on up in the hills.
To my absolute pleasure, humans had already done all of the work for me: all I had to do was read and identify. They named them differently than we did. Thornberries to us became thistleberries, the wickedly-sour poisonberry became the pin cherry, and disease roots became black morels. Some of the plants and fruits were poison (as I and the gatherers knew very well), some bloomed only in specific times of the year, and I saw others I had never even seen before. Charsi pointed out the ones she knew, and she tried to explain to me the taste of the fruits and roots she recognized. Unfortunately, she compared them to yatvi foods Eliza had fed her and Juni.
âSorry,â I told her, more often than I wanted. âI haven’t eaten that.â
She got frustrated at first. But she laughed when I pointed out one in particular. The page showed a black fruit called a currant. I recognized it immediately. I was taught to call them ‘iketsal yodsi’: ‘long night of stomach pain’. She completely agreed with the name.
âA little after meeting Eliza, she fed one to Juni and I. We both had stomach aches all night long. She thought she had poisoned us, that she was going to kill us. She cried the whole time.â
âWhat did Xande say?â
âHe wasn’t there… at first. Then he came home. Eliza showed him everything we ate, and he actually laughed at her. He told her we weren’t going to die, but she still stayed home all week to take care of us and make sure.â
I rolled my eyes at Xande, although I admit I probably would have done the same thing.
âFrom then on,â Charsi said. âShe always always asked Xande what she should feed us. She asked him so much that it’s a joke now. He doesn’t think it’s funny, but we do.â
âSo she does feed you more than chicken nugglets.â
Charsi snorted, covering her nose with her hands in embarrassment. I cracked up immediately.
âHah!â I leaned to rest on my back. âThat got you.â
âI don’t usually do that,â she said with a sheepish smile, wiping her nose. âDon’t tell Juni. He’ll be obnoxious about it for days.â
âNo promises,â I grinned, making her whine. âHey, if it’s not too much to ask… How did you and Juni meet? Eliza told us how she met you both, but not much of what happened before that. You weren’t from the same village, were you?â
Charsi folded her arms.
âNo, I’ve never lived in a village. The first time I saw Juni, he… well, he actually saved me from being hit by a tire.â
âA tire? What, a car tire?â
âI don’t think so. It was a lot bigger than that. A truck tire, or a yatvi machine tire.â
âWas it… attached to a yatvi machine?â
âOh,â Charsi said with a chuckle. âNo, it was a garbage tire, by itself. Juni and I had been living in a yatvi garbage dump for a long time. We had never seen each other before, though. Big yatvi trucks would drive through and dump off new things, and the pile would have food sometimes. But I got greedy. I didn’t check to see if the truck would come back. By the time it did, I had dug down too deep, and got myself stuck. Juni appeared out of nowhere and pulled me out just as the tire smashed down.â
I shook my head.
âUnbelievable. How old were you two?â
âMaybe… seven,â she said with a shrug. âJuni was probably nine. We lived at the garbage dump for a long time before we ever saw another yatili.â
âIt must have smelled horrible. You didn’t actually live in the dump, did you?â
âNo, outside it. In a gopher den.â
I raised an eyebrow at her.
âYou’re not that small.â
âWell, Juni dug it out first, just to make sure nothing was home. Technically, it was his home before we shared it.â
âAnd where did you live before that?â
âInside a broken metal container. I didn’t live there long, it was the place I had hid when… after my father died.â
âOh,â I said quietly. âI’m sorry.â
âIt’s okay,â she said, smiling at me. âI miss him, but I think he would be happy to see how big my family is now.â
âLiterally.â
She nodded with a grin, pulling her hair behind her ear.
âMy mom died last,â said a voice behind Charsi. I looked over, and there was Juni, staring at the ceiling with his hands resting behind his head. âShe told me to be strong, left to find food for us both. She never came back.â
Juni looked our way.
âWhen I found Charsi, she cried every day for a long time. I think you were even afraid of me.â
âI was,â she admitted. âI was afraid of everything.â
âWell,â Juni said with a shrug. âWe had plenty of food and water. Some of it was actually pretty good. It was hard to get, though. It was all out in the open, yeah, but there were so many rats and birds I had to fight them off to get anything. Instead, I usually just went for the sealed stuff that didn’t weigh much. Eliza calls it ‘expired food’.â
âExpired?â I asked. âLike, dead?â
âIs that what that means?â Juni shrugged again. âYeah, I guess yatvi call it dead when they don’t think it’s good anymore. I don’t know why they think that. If it’s in a closed bag, it’s good to me.â
âMe too,â Charsi said. âEven if it’s warm when it shouldn’t be. Of course, Eliza always tells us ‘expired food’ will make us sick. It never did, though.â
âSo you two spent, what, a year near a garbage dump, and you never saw another yatili in all that time?â
They both shook their heads.
âI always thought someone would find us,â Charsi said. âBut we never saw anyone. Except Xande, of course.â
âI always wished we found someone who could make us both some decent clothes,â Juni said, tugging at his shirt. âIt’s not like we were naked or anything. But sometimes all I had was an itchy robe with pieces of plastic…â
He pointed to his cuffs, his chest, and his head.
â…tied to me as armor. I looked so stupid. It was always really cold and uncomfortable when it rained. Winter was vyshtal ese-â
âJuni!â Charsi exclaimed. âNo swearing!â
âVaya,â I said quickly, pressing my finger to my lips.
We all looked at Ian’s face for a silent second. His light snoring didn’t change.
âSorry,â they both whispered.
âAnyway,â I said, looking directly at Juni. âContinue. And with cleaner words.â
I expected shame from him, but there was none. He chuckled instead.
âRight. So we’re crammed inside a gopher hole, right? I’m out searching for food again. It’s in the evening, when there are fewer birds. I was whistling to myself instead of being quiet, which was pretty stupid. I’m digging through a cardboard box when something touches my shoulder. I think to myself, it has to be a bird beak, or a cat tongue, or something else terrible…â
Juni gestured dramatically.
âI freak out and dive into the garbage, screaming. I feel something grab my shirt, and it pulls me out. It’s Xande. It was hard for him to cover my mouth and stop me from running out the box with one arm, but I’m glad he did, because right outside the box was two garbage men.â
âWhy was Xande at the dump?â I asked him. âHe wasn’t looking for food, was he?â
âNah,â Juni said. âHe was looking for lights. Electric lights. His had gone bad.â
âHmm.â
âI told him he could take our lights, since we didn’t need so many. He wanted to leave right away, but I begged him to see Charsi first. He finally listened to me and followed me, and after we shared some food with him, he told us to follow him and that he would find us a home.â
âWhat do you mean, just like that? A yatili home? Or a yatvi home?â
âI think he meant yatili at first,â Charsi said. âBut when we didn’t find anyone for a long time, I think he changed his mind. It was too dangerous to keep moving. We needed somewhere to live safe, and Xande said he couldn’t keep us that way by himself.â
I scratched my forehead.
âThat doesn’t sound like him at all. Why Eliza? She told us she was the one who found you.â
âShe did,â Charsi said with a smile. âXande’s plan was for us to sit on the kitchen counter for her to find us. But she came home too soon, and we were still on the floor. Xande hid. Juni screamed his head off and ran. I was the only one who stayed put.â
âI think you mean I saved you,â Juni insisted. âIf I hadn’t tired Eliza out by running away, she might have grabbed you first.â
âSure,â Charsi said with sarcasm.
âYou didn’t answer my question, though,â I said. âWhy Eliza?â
âShe didn’t own a dog,â Juni said. âOr a cat.â
âNo, it was more than that. Xande said she was special.â
âSpecial how?â
âHe found us a place to hide, and he spent a few days studying yatvi in their homes,â Charsi explained. âHe didn’t want a home that had kids. Or animals. He said he didn’t mind if the yatvi were married, but he preferred only one yatvi learned about us. And he had to know that the yatvi was a kind person. I don’t know why he thought Eliza was kind. I’ve never really asked him.â
âHuh. Well, he was right after all.â
âYes, he was.â
âSo what was it like meeting her for the first time?â
âDo you have to ask?â Juni moaned.
âThe most frightening thing I’ve ever done,â Charsi said. âXande had only taught me a little bit of English, and Juni had no idea what she was saying.â
âI did too,â Juni responded. âI just didn’t know how to say anything back.â He turned to me, pointing at Charsi. âI don’t get how she learned English so fast. And Xande won’t tell me where he learned English. You know, though. Don’t you? Was it in your village? Who taught him? Was it you?â
I pursed my lips.
âNo, it was definitely not me. I would like to avoid being punched when I see Xande again, so I don’t think I’ll tell you.â
Juni clucked.
âNo fun.â
âThere’s a lot Xande won’t tell us, actually,â Charsi said. âLike about where he goes all the time. He’s a really quiet person. He acts tough in front of Eliza, but… well, I’ve seen him cry when his shoulder hurt. He cried when he talked about Aria too.â
âReally…â
I couldn’t imagine him like that. I’d never really seen him in private, though, so I couldn’t have known.
âDon’t tell Xande you’re telling Lenn stuff like that, Sisi,â Juni said. âHe’ll stop talking to you.â
Charsi waved her hands.
âHe’s stopped talking to me before. When I ask too much. So I don’t, because I care about him. He lets me help him when he’s not mad at me, so I do my best.â
I frowned.
âHe wasn’t keeping me a secret,â I said. âHe certainly doesn’t care about me enough. And if he told you about Aria and the village, it isn’t that.â
âWell, I’m not about to ask him again,â Juni said. âLast time I tried, he wrapped his arm around my neck and laughed at me. Like we were wrestling, like I hadn’t even said anything.â
Charsi and Juni both shifted their eyes towards me.
âDon’t look at me,â I told them. âHe already wants to kill me. I probably couldn’t even ask the question before he’d tear my leg off and club me with it.â
Juni laughed at me, and Charsi’s nose got all scrunched up.
âI never thought there would be someone Xande would actually hurt. And Eliza. He had never pulled out his knife to hurt her before.â
âHe’s hit me before, but even for him, pulling a knife seemed a little… extreme.â
âDo you think,â Charsi asked. âWhen Aria comes, do you think you could become friends?â
âWe would be related,â I said, dreading the thought. âBut that’s probably it.â
âHmm… Not even talk?â
âIan would have to hold you,â Juni said. âAnd Eliza would have to hold Xande.â
He held up two fists and made noises as if they were squawking.
âAnd then you could shout and scream until you liked each other!â
âI wish it worked that way.â
âIt’s not how it worked with you and Ian, is it,â Charsi asked. âI can’t imagine being found by all three of those boys at once. I would have died.â
âI was too busy actually dying to be scared,â I told her, smiling. âI lost so much blood, it took me at least two weeks to be scared of Ian. And I didn’t even see Chris and Aaron a week after that.â
I pointed at Juni.
âHow long did it take you to stop being nervous around Eliza?â
âHah,â he said to the ceiling. âWho says I stopped?â
âI wasn’t lying when I told Ian that Eliza still scares me,â Charsi said. âEspecially if I don’t expect to see her. She can be really quiet when she wants to.â
âShe doesn’t do it on purpose, does she?â
âJust to me,â Juni said quickly. âShe’ll wait until she knows it’s just me, and she’ll stomp her feet and shout ‘boo’! I hate it when she does that.â
âIan cares too much about what I think of him,â I said. âWhen he teases me or scares me on accident, it’s like he regrets it. That I’ll just stop liking him.â I snapped my fingers. âJust like that.â
âThat’s so weird.â Juni said. âHe scared me, but I still like him.â
I shrugged.
âThat’s what I told him. I must be his brother now because I don’t think he believed me. You’ll have to tell him yourself.â I poked Charsi’s shoulder gently. âIan really worried about you when Aaron held you. I’m glad he was holding onto me at the same time, or he might have stopped you from trying.â
Charsi watched Ian for a moment.
âI never thought in a hundred years I’d ever get to meet human boys. And all three have promised to protect us.â
âStill think they’re monsters?â I asked her.
âJust a little.â
âMeeting human boys, huh?â Juni teased. âYou gonna fall in love with one?â
Charsi and I both leered at him.
âEww, what!â Charsi swatted the words away in disgust. âNo way, are you crazy?! We’re not even-! No!â
âI’ll bet you’re in love with Ian!â he sung. âI’m gonna tell him you said so!â
Charsi scooted herself towards Juni, and in a flash of frustration, smacked her brother’s shoulder. All it made him do was laugh, and he retaliated by poking Charsi in the ribs. Both of them struggled, growled, and laughed. Loudly.
âHey, you two! Keep it down! If you wake Ian up, I’m going to-â
The movement of the hairy head that laid prone upon the pillow next to ours didn’t make a sound. Neither did the bed, not that I remember. I was looking at the two bickering children when I saw Juni’s face go cold. Then Charsi’s turned white as she gasped. I then turned, and not more than four inches away from me floated a scowling blue-green eye. It turned my stomach for a quick second before I recognized the dimple beneath it.
âAh,â I said, pointing. âBefore you say anything, I’ll remind you that you wanted to sleep in here.â
âI was sleeping,â growled the human. âBut I guess I’m not anymore.â
My pleasant smile quickly passed on to him, and we both laughed. The great happy eye then passed from me to Eliza’s two troublemakers.
âHi Charsi, hi Juni,â he whispered. âWhat’s up?â
Juni recovered faster.
âOh!â he exclaimed. âCharsi wants to tell you something!â
Charsi turned and slugged her brother’s arm. It shouldn’t have surprised me that she could, but it surprised me more when Juni took it in stride.
âH-Hi Ian,â she said as she timidly turned. âHow are… um, how are you feeling?â
âI’m okay,â he replied. âI kept hearing my name. Were you talking about me?â
âYes!â
Charsi slammed Juni’s mouth shut.
âNo, no! Well, I mean, only a little, about, uh… how you’re our friend, and that we’re family now, and not-â
Juni tore her hand off.
âIan, Charsi said that she lo-â
Charsi slammed both hands over his mouth.
âHush!â she hissed.
Ian looked at me looking slightly confused but very amused. I just smiled back at him.
âJuni wants Charsi to say that she loves you,â I said, covering my mouth with my hand. âIsn’t that strange?â
âLenn!â
I looked back, and saw Charsi’s face turn red. Juni, now freed of his sister’s hands, filled the room with cackling laughter.
âLenn is on my side!â Juni shouted.
âThere aren’t supposed to be sides!â Charsi shouted back, forcing her brother’s head away. She swiveled to face me, slapping the pillow. âLenn, you’re mean! You can’t just tell Ian things like that!â
âBut…â Ian said, immediately playing along. His expression turned to one of feigned sadness. âYou don’t love me at all?â
Charsi sat, very visibly stunned.
âNo!â she exclaimed. She skipped a beat. âWell, uh, I didn’t… I didn’t mean… Love, like a… like a cousin, and not like…â
Juni cackled all the harder. Ian’s face appeared injured by Charsi’s stammered words.
âYou!â She pointed at Ian, then at me. âI… I know what you’re doing! You can’t do what I did! That’s not fair!â
Ian’s dimple returned and he smiled. I couldn’t help but laugh.
âIt’s all fair,â I replied. âWe’re all family now, so we’re supposed to tease each other!â
âBut I don’t like being teased!â
Ian’s hand appeared from beneath his blanket and approached Charsi carefully. She attempted to stop the fingers before they reached her, but they instead took her gently by the hand.
âI know what you mean, Charsi,â he said, sounding tired. âAnd I’m sorry I scared you when I fought with Lenn. I only wanted to protect you from Aaron. I guess I didn’t do the right thing.â
Her wounded expression turned thoughtful.
âOh, I…â she whispered back. âI know… and I’m, um, sorry for making you worry. You shouldn’t have to when you’re so hurt.â
Ian smiled as best he could.
âAnd I love all my cousins. Even Juni.â
Juni’s face scrunched like he’d eaten a whole lemon.
âAck,â he spit, sticking his tongue out. âĂeh serdi.â
Ian’s fingers released Charsi’s hand and flew straight to Juni. Enveloping all sides of his head, Ian gathered the boy’s long, white-blond hair and lifted it upwards. Juni yelped and shooed Ian’s hand away, smooshing his hair back into place. It got the point across without much effort.
âĂeh! No! Now Ian’s mean!â
âOkay, kaĂąi and kalĂąi, we get it. We’re all mean,â I sighed with a chuckle. I turned back. âHow are you really feeling, Ian?â
âEverything hurts.â
âBad enough for me to get Catherine?â
â…maybe not yet.â He pulled back to rest upon his own pillow. He then pointed at his phone before bundling his blanket up beneath his chin. âTeach me something. I’ll try not to fall asleep.â
âYou sure?â
âCan I tell Ian about how Juni and I met?â Charsi asked.
âOf course,â I replied. âGo right ahead.â
She nearly began, but she caught herself mid-breath.
âAh, um… how do you say ‘sarefi reasar’ in English again?â
âGarbage dump.â
âOh yeah. Dump. Right.â
âDump,â Juni said in English, testing the word. âThat sounds funny.â
âWhat about a garbage dump?â Ian asked.
âLet Charsi tell you,â I said.
Ian nodded, and Charsi began.
âThat’s why I was so afraid of you,â Charsi said, now herself laying beneath the edge of the blanket. The room had grown chilly, and even I slid down and sat close to Charsi to warm up beneath it. âEvery yatvi I ever saw would have killed me. Or that’s what I thought. I only knew Eliza, and I didn’t want to be scared again like Eliza scared me.â
âI’m sorry, Charsi,â Ian mumbled, laying his head upon the flat bed instead of the pillow. âI didn’t know.â
âAnd I want to think I’m like Xande,â Juni said. âThat I’m big and strong. But… I’m not. Not really.â
I patted Charsi’s back.
âYou two are much braver than you think. I never went through anything like that growing up.â
Ian’s eye closed.
âMe neither. I feel like such a loser. I can’t even do simple things like go to school without ending up like… this.â
He placed his hand directly upon his broken cheek, just light enough to feel the pain.
âBut you have a mom and dad that love you,â Juni said.
âAnd you’re a hero,â I added. âAll you have to do is look at my scar. You knew just what you had to do to save my life.â
âI’m not a hero.â His eye looked back at me. âIf I was, other people would like me.â
âWell, we like you.â
Juni and Charsi agreed.
âYou know what I mean, though,â Ian said. âI don’t have any friends. Not even at church. I want to stay home for the rest of my life where people actually care.â
âI wouldn’t mind,â I chuckled. âBut you know you can’t do that. You showed me that there’s so much out in the world to learn. What if you go out there, come back, and teach me everything you learn? Then I can teach it to Aria and my child, and Charsi and Juni? Who knows, we might even find other yatili who want to learn too.â
âYeah!â Juni said. âYou could be a teacher like Lenn and teach a whole room of yatili!â
Ian gently smiled.
âYou think there’s enough of you out there?â
âTo fill a room?â I looked at Charsi, and she shrugged. âThere has to be.â
âAre we going to learn from you and Ian?â Charsi asked. âBefore all that, I mean.â
âYou’ll have to ask Eliza,â I said. âI’m not sure what she has in mind. Do you really want to learn from a cripple and a goofy kaĂąi?â
Charsi laughed along with her brother.
âI live with Goofy every day,â she said plainly, throwing her finger towards Juni. âI don’t mind.â
âAnd I live with kalvalin idi,â Juni replied, pointing back at her. âI’m used to it.â
âHey!â
âWhat does that mean?â Ian asked. â’Girl’ something.â
âSmart weird girl,â I said.
âOh.â
âI’m smart, not weird,â Charsi insisted. âYou’re the one who can’t do math.â
Juni slapped the blanket.
âI can too!â He paused just long enough to make everyone doubt. âWell, Eliza just makes it confusing with big numbers!â
âI’m bad at math too,â Ian said. âI hope Lenn knows.â
âUh,â I said. âI don’t do numbers. Maybe Eliza will be a guest teacher.â
Entry Log One: Encryption Key Required. Foxtrot-Sierra one-zero-seven-seven-two-seven-six. Please input encryption key now.
âŚ
Iâm sorry, the encryption key you entered is incorrect. Please input encryption key now.
âŚ
Iâm sorry, the encryption key you entered is incorrect. Please input encryption key now, or all data on this recording will be erased.
âŚ
Encryption key accepted. Beginning playback of recorded holotape message:
This is Catja Stelzner, junior reporter for the Charleston Herald. Or, at least, I was. And if Iâm discovered with any of the information Iâm about to send you, I donât think anyone will ever see me again. I think Iâm already dead, in fact, and unless youâre fast enough to report this, you probably are too. Theyâll bury anyone with this information so deep, theyâll even bury the backhoe just to make sure thereâs no evidence.
Okay, details, details⌠The whole reason this thing started was an announcement from the lead editors to search for information about any business or company that seemed shady enough to do business under the table, weed out corruption. Maybe find financial records in the government archives that didnât quite match the type of work they performed. Simple enough, right?
I spent five months in the basement of the capitol building, sifting through paper record after paper record, electronic entry after electronic entry, trying to do research on one company in particular:
West-Tek.
I know, I know, youâre probably thinking: what the hell is a junior reporter doing, performing research on the nationâs largest defense contractor? If I even mentioned what I was doing, everyone would call me a communist sympathizer, Iâd lose my job, and Iâd never find work in Columbia again. I used every excuse at work to continue my research. But West-Tek could do no wrong. All the numbers matched up. All the signatures signed. All the âIâs dotted and the âTâs crossed.
But this was personal to me. My husband, Deeter, died of the New Plague in 2068.
Supposedly.
I was away in Canada on a reporting job about the proposed annexation when I heard the news. They didnât even let me see the body. There was no funeral. I couldnât afford it. His parents lived in Germany, and mine in Sweden, and there was no use trying to get any of them on a plane with the government travel restrictions. I tried to send a message back there about his death, but Iâm not sure they ever got it. Knowing what I know now, they probably intercepted any message with his name.
I exhausted every lead I could think to search in the archives. This meant I had two choices: move on to something considerably less dangerous, or follow the only real lead I had: Deeter.
I knew something was wrong from the very moment I called AVR Medical. When I said Deeterâs name, the nurse on the other line went silent. The doctor I spoke with skirted my questions and said Deeter had died of external hemorrhaging and suffocation. I demanded to see his medical records, demanded to know where his body had gone. But the only thing he could say was that it had been sent to a biomedical center for research into a cure for the Plague. They didnât need to specify which âcenterâ heâd been sent to, because Iâd been there several times covering news reports of medical revolutions discovered there.
The West-Tek Research Facility, just north of Huntersville.
Two months ago, just before the sun went down, I got in my car and drove. I donât know what I intended to do when I got to the facility, as there was no doubt the highest security imaginable: cameras, electronic turrets, guards, probably even dogs for all I knew. All I had was the ProSnap camera in my shoulder bag. I didnât even bring my reporterâs badge because I knew if I were detained, the Herald would face serious consequences for my actions. The road to West-Tek through Huntersville was closed due to quarantine, so I drove around Whitesprings to get there.
I arrived just before the front officeâs closing time. I would have preferred to face a firing line of Chinese soldiers than walk into this place, if only for the fact that the Chinese would end me swiftly. But the only thing driving me was my beloved Deeter. Whether he was alive or dead, I would find him.
There were guards outside the office, and they eyed me with suspicion. I was right about the dogs. But my camera was hidden in my bag, and I kept my head upright and continued walking. Confidence. That was the key. The automatic doors opened, and I strode right up to the reception desk, where I saw a young woman standing, filing papers.
âWelcome to West-Tek!â she said cheerfully. âHow can I help you?â
I stammered, and said something stupid about performing inspections of the emergency sprinkler systems.
âMay I check your bag? Itâs just routine, to make sure you donât bring in anything that could contaminate the labs!â
My heart sank, but I handed her my bag. She dug into it, no doubt saw my camera, and her eyes widened. I knew in that moment I was as good as dead. But then her expression returned to sugary and cheerful.
âAh, Doctor Forsythe!â she said, returning my bag to me. âDoctor Landis will be so pleased to see youâve come a day early. Hereâs your electronic pass. Now, be sure to wear it everywhere you go in the building! Wouldnât want any accidents to happen, now, would we?â
She then hustled me towards the door beside the desk.
âIf you head straight down this hallway, take a left, then a right, youâll find yourself in the hydroponics lab. From there, take a right and youâll be exactly where you should be. Most of the staff have gone home for the day, so you shouldnât have any interruptions at all.â
She didnât seem perturbed that I said nothing in return. Her cheery disposition melted when she handed the pass to me. She turned back to her papers at the reception desk, filed them, grabbed her purse, and practically booked it out the front doors. I couldnât believe it. She was just waiting for someone with a camera to come striding into the building. I never caught her name, and I donât know what happened to her. I can only hope she escaped safely. If I see her again, Iâm going to throw her a champagne party.
I followed the directions sheâd given me, and what I saw amazed me; Iâd never seen any of the crops they were growing inside that lab. The corn looked rotten, gourds of all sizes and colors grew in planters. And frankly, I didnât want to know what the disgusting tomato-looking plants were.
I took a right from the lab, walked up a ramp, and stepped into a vast room that smelled of ammonia and sulfur. It was then I saw the tanks. The liquid inside the uncovered tanks glowed a sickly green color as if made of radiation. Making sure no one was around, I took several shots of the tanks and moved on. Most of the facility was a maze of machinery, and I didnât quite know where to go next. I descended another ramp and stepped through an automatic door that led to a stairwell. Cautious for any sounds or movement, I found myself on the second floor in front of two large doors with a terminal beside it.
I know nothing about working with computers. Besides word processors, of course. But I knew how to turn a terminal on, so I did. It called for a password, and I thought I didnât have one. But then I remembered the badge. On the back was a long string of letters and numbers. I knew that if this was wrong, the entire facility would go on alert and know exactly where I was. My fingers were trembling as I typed the keys, and I had to backspace a few times. But it worked. The doors opened.
What I saw then Iâve only imagined in my most horrible nightmares. Inside glowing green tanks floated giant abominations that looked human but misshapen, with green skin and muscles like a twisted professional bodybuilder. I took as many pictures as I could.
I snuck further into the labs (avoiding the tanks) and found myself in a hallway lined with experiment rooms complete with what I assumed were one-way windows. Inside most of them were dead monstrosities. I couldnât tell if they were actively rotting or if they simply looked that way. The terminal beside the door gave me a name: Sheila Dauber from Huntersville. I crossed the hallway and looked at another terminal: Thomas McDevitt from Huntersville. There was practically no difference between female and male, if they were indeed the test subjects.
I knew the New Plague had struck that town pretty hard, and that West-Tek and the feds had been sent to give aid. I never could have imagined what West-Tek was actually doing to them.
I looked through one of the rooms and saw a holotape sitting on the table. I grabbed it. The audio on that tape is, well⌠Itâs graphic. I canât imagine anyone willingly performing tests like these on other human beings, other Americans. Itâs included for you to review. Iâd say destroy it after youâve dictated it, but you might need some kind of proof besides a sheet of paper. I canât advise you either way.
I continued further, hearing nothing but the sound of electronics and bubbling tanks. That is, until I happened upon a larger experimentation room. I peered through the glass and saw something incomprehensibly terrible. A formless blob, limbs coming out in all directions, no head that I could see. It rolled around on the floor aimlessly, and I could hear its rasping breath over the roomâs intercom.
I took a picture, but I think it saw the flash through the one-way window. If it even had eyes to see. It made gurgling sounds as if its mouth were pressed flat upon the ground, and it rolled over until a disturbing orifice appeared.
I then heard a sound Iâll never forget for the rest of my life, an echo that I will take to my grave.
The thing said my name.
And it had Deeterâs voice.
Although the experimentation room had a terminal beside the door, I didnât dare turn it on to read the name. A choice that will forever haunt me.
I regret that my investigation ended there. I panicked, retracing my steps as I began to hyperventilate. I saw one staff member in hydroponics working late, and Iâm pretty sure he got a look at me as I strode past him. He didnât say anything, though, and I managed to maintain my nerves long enough to give the guards my âDoctor Forsytheâ pass and walk to my car.
I didnât know where to go after that. I couldnât return home; they had my face on camera. I couldnât go to the Herald with my camera and that holotape; they were too close to the government, too close to West-Tek. And whoâs going to believe a junior reporter with fuzzy images and a doctored holotape?Â
Look, I know the group you belong to. It doesnât matter to me. I can only hope that youâll believe me and spread the word about West-Tekâs evil. Those tanks of green glowing liquid created those creatures and turned my husband into something utterly inhuman. Huntersville is being harvested to create these monsters. And who knows what else they have in store for us? For all we know, they might have even created the New Plague in the first place as an excuse to kidnap people and experiment on them.
Please tell America about West-Tek. Donât let the world forget about Deeter Stelzner. I canât tell you my location, but I will try to contact you again soon. There are others like me in hiding with more evidence of West-Tekâs horrors. But Iâm sure you know that already.
This is real. Itâs happening now. And America is too blinded by war and patriotism to see it.
I then experienced something else I hadnât before: I became a taskmaster to two Iatvi the size of trees; I still donât know how creatures such as they had the boundless energy they did. Bouncing back and forth around Ianâs room, both Aaron and Chris dove down to the ground and jumped up and down to get the room into order, all with me seated in the center of the room on the chair. Within half an hour, Ianâs room was fairly spotless, and they mercifully let me leave the room as Aaron hauled in the vacuum to suck away the crumbs and dust.
I sat in the kitchen with Chris at my side, watching the sound of the angry machine as Aaron yanked the cord further into the room every few moments. I held onto my remaining crutch as the boy beside me examined what remained of the other. Try as I might, I could not find the screws and bolts that held the lower center bar, so they were no doubt in the innards of the vacuum by then.
âI hope Uncle James can fix it. Are you sad?â
âA little,â I said. âBut Iâm sure he can.â
âAaron wonât get in trouble from Uncle James, will he?â
âWell? What am I going to tell him? I couldnât bend it like that on my own.â
âI dunno, tell him it, uh⌠that it fell into a-ah-ah-AH!â
When his voice peaked, I almost shut my ears from the volume. Chris had reared up as if someone had put ice down his back.
âChris, whatâs-â
âEee! It tickles!â
Before I could ask, I saw a curly-haired boy emerge above Chrisâs shoulder. Juni. Grasping the Iatvi by the shirt, the Iatiliâs face curled in concentration as it seemed that the surface upon which he climbed actively resisted his every handhold. With calculated intent and amusement (or was it vengeance?), Juni reached his hand to the side of Chrisâs neck and flexed his fingers. Chris immediately giggled and scrunched his neck against it. Juni then used the distraction to grab hold of Chrisâs blond hair and continue climbing upwards.
âGet down from there!â I shouted. He ignored me. Chris continued to giggle. No help from him.
âOt Iatvi ne vah… kaldtol!â Juni grunted, emerging upon the top of Chrisâs head and sitting down. âOt Iatvi vah kanisi!â
This Iatvi isnât too strong. This Iatvi is a little baby.
âNeh vah dakasi,â I shouted up at him. âAngah lai krunikar lia cadani!â
Youâre not right. He can smash you in a second!
âWhat are you saying?â Chris laughed, lifting his hands up to surround the boy atop his head.
âNo, kani!â Juni said, his head swiveling back and forth with his arms outstretched in both offending directions. âDonât⌠donât touch me!â
âItâs a little late for that, Juni,â I said with concern. âChris, please donât hurt him. Be very gentle!â
Chris paused, his hands mere inches from engulfing the teenager in his hair.
âOh…â the boy paused. âI thought it was Charsi.â
âNo, Chris, sheâs still very afraid of you. But Juni is a bit of a thrillseeker.â
âWhat does that mean?â
âIt means he likes to climb up to places he shouldnât.â
âLenn!â Juni said, his voice cracking. âIle lai neh ke vudah!â
âWhat did he say?â
âIâm not sure,â I lied with a slight upswing in my throaty voice. âBut Iâm pretty sure he shouldnât be asking me for help.â
Chrisâs hands encompassed the Iatili, his thumbs and forefingers pinching playfully, no doubt hoping to grab something. Juni let out a cry, and from my perspective, it appeared as though he was indeed trying to protect himself from ten wiggling digits. But it was no use. The Iatviâs hands grasped him around his chest, and down he came, tugging and thrashing about. Juni didnât scream, but he did tell the boy to release him, threatening him with several words a boy his age should not say⌠all in Iatnasi, fortunately.
âYou talk funny,â Chris said, his booming voice able to drown out Juniâs cursings. Just as he had with me, he lightly swung Juniâs thrashing legs back and forth. And when it seemed Juni would succeed and slip through Chrisâs hands to freedom, Chris simply recaptured him by grabbing hold of his leg and waist as if he were some puppet⌠upside down. He even rotated Juni around to look him in the face, despite the fact that he held onto something as flexible and kicking as a flopping worm.
âJuni, calm down!â I said. âRelax! Like you said, vah kanisi. If you speak English, heâll do what you say.â
Juni slightly slowed his struggling as his face became bright red, looking up (or down) at Chrisâs bright and curious face.
âNeh janeris⌠er, you wonât⌠you wonât eat me, will you?â
I laughed out loud, as did Chris.
âNo way! That would be yucky!â
âBut⌠but your teeth are so⌠sharp and whiteâŚâ
Chris appeared puzzled.
âHuh? Sharp?â
âOh, stop fooling around,â I said. âTheyâre just regular teeth. You had the same when you were little.â
âYeah, see?â
Chris brought Juni close and gave a wide smile. Of course, this made Juni shout in horror.
âBe careful with him, Chris, please,â I said, raising my voice above Juniâs. Chris nodded at me and held Juni outstretched in his hands.
âWhy⌠are⌠Iatvi soâŚâ Juni growled, pushing and shoving against the fingers that held his middle. At last, he dangled loose and gave up. â…ugh! Neh unti! I should be stronger than a baby!â
Chris glared.
âIâm not a baby.â
âBut you have a face like a baby,â he said, sounding more dejected than accusing. âAnd youâre the smallest Iatvi Iâve seenâŚâ
âThen you havenât seen a real baby,â Chris said. âTheyâre really small. Small like Lenn.â
Juni was obviously uncomfortable in more ways than one.
âCan you… put me down, please?â he asked weakly.
Chris pouted a bit.
âBut I want to hold you.â
I laughed, and they both looked at me.
âPut him back on your head, Chris,â I told him, pointing to my own. âI want to see him climb back down.â
âBut I donât want…â Juni whispered. âUh⌠Uhh, if, i-if you promise not to grab me again, kanisi.â
âWhatâs that mean?â
âIt, uh⌠it meansâŚâ
âIâll tell you later, Chris,â I said, not wanting to push the âbabyâ language. âGo ahead, put him up there.â
Chris gave a great big nod, and placed the Iatili back in his hair like a crown. He was already laughing when he released his grip on Juni, so when Juni swung himself down by the long blond hair and crawled hold-by-hold to the floor, he giggled and squirmed as Juni descended.
âDo it again! Do it again!â Chris said cheerfully as Juni joined me. Before I could say anything, Juni replied, his breathing a bit heavy as he leaned upon his knees.
âI… I canât. Dev⌠er, sorry.â
âJust wanted to see if you were stronger than a five-year old Iatvi, huh Juni?â
âFive and a half,â Chris said, holding up the subsequent fingers (and bent finger).
âUh-huh. Climbing Iatvi is hard. Xande says I shouldnât do it, but⌠lodsatol. I think itâs fun. Eliza is real tall, and Iâve only reached the top of her head once without seeing me.â
âWithout seeing you? Or feeling you?â I stared at him. âHow did you do that?â
âShe was wearing a⌠a coat, sia,â he said.
âShe got mad at you, didnât she?â
âSoooo mad,â Juni said with a big grin on his face.
A giant finger descended and gently tapped Juni on the shoulder. The teenager swung around hard, expecting the worst. Instead, an extended hand hovered in front of him. Above that was a surprisingly sensitive expression.
âIâm sorry I scared you and Charsi. Iâm going to be nice to you.â
Juni stood there staring at the giant boy for a moment before realizing that Chris seemed sincere. He didnât lift his hand so much as limply hang it forwards, and Chris took it in between his thumb and forefinger.
âUmâŚâ Juni whispered. âIâm⌠Iâm okay, but⌠say sorry to Charsi. She was crying.â
âUh-huh. I will.â
Juni took a seat on the floor beside me, not as wary of the young ka as I thought he might be. His nerves returned, however (and mine), when a very loud click-click-clank emerged from Ianâs room, followed by the vacuum squealing to a halt.
âUh-oh,â came the quick reply.
âWhat happened?â Chris shouted.
There was a pause.
âI⌠I think I sucked up a lego. Or⌠a few.â
Juni and I waited as we heard a ker-thunk, and then a click, followed by the loudest clank-clank-clank Iâd ever heard. All three of us in the kitchen shut our ears at the noise. It only lasted a moment, however, but a shout from Ianâs room outlasted it.
âAh…â Aaron said. âI donât think I can vacuum anymore.â
âYou broke the vacuum?â Chris nearly laughed.
âUhhâŚâ Aaron continued. âI donât think itâs broken, exactly, butâŚâ
After a moment, we all heard the vacuum being placed on the ground, and Aaron stepped out into the hallway with a frustrated look.
âThatâs why I hate vacuuming my…â
Juni and Aaron locked eyes. My young Iatili friend slid closer to me as Aaron slowly approached. Aaron didnât remain on his feet long; he knelt down on his arms and knees, remaining on the carpet out of his armâs reach of us.
âHi Juni,â Aaron asked quietly. âAre you⌠okay? Is Charsi okay too?â
I patted the boy on the back as he gathered his courage.
âYou didnât hurt me. But you could have hurt my sister, and you made her cry. Don’t do that again.â
âI wonât, I promise,â Aaron said with a nod. âI didn’t know what I did until I did it… er, that doesn’t make sense. I mean, it was wrong what I did. But it was worse that I fought with Chris. I really could have hurt Lenn. Can I apologize to Charsi?â
âNo,â Juni said flatly. âDonât bother her.â
âBut what if I just sat in front of the door?â He paused for a moment. âI wonât open it, and she doesnât have to say anything back. I just want to talk to her.â
Juni nearly shook his head, but instead he looked at me.
âThat would be okay, wouldnât it?â I asked him.
âVah kal odanara ysdeâŚâ Juni said to me.
He’s going to scare her again…
I shrugged. Worry filled Aaronâs deep-green eyes as his gazed jumped across both of us. I turned back to Aaron and pointed at him.
âWe’ll sit right here. Don’t open the door. Go sit and say what you want to say.â
Aaron slowly stood to his feet and strode past us, giving Juni and I a look before sitting himself down in front of the guest room door. We three watched him.
âUm…â Aaron said, lightly clearing his throat. He gently knocked on the door. âCharsi?â
I didn’t hear anything. I’m sure no one else could either.
âI promise I won’t open the door, I just wanted to say, um… that I’m sorry I picked you up and scared you so bad. It was wrong. And I feel horrible. You needed someone to protect you, and I did the opposite.â
I studied his posture as he searched for the right words to come into his mind. He didn’t appear confident in the least, but he didn’t look over at me for guidance. He simply stared at the door as he spoke.
âI think it’s really cool that you live with Eliza. She’s my favorite cousin. Oh, except for Ian, I guess. I wish I knew you and Juni a long time ago, maybe we would be friends. I mean, unless you still want to be friends.â He paused for a moment. âI get it if you don’t. I just don’t want you to think I don’t care. I do. What I did wasn’t right. And it isn’t Lenn telling me to say these things, I really care. I don’t know you and Juni really well, but… we’re family now, right?â
I looked at Juni. He appeared apprehensive, of course. But he didn’t react.
âIt’s my job to protect you,â Aaron said, almost whispering at the door. âAnd I didn’t. I’m sorry for making you cry. I’m sorry for fighting with Chris in front of you. I promise it won’t happen again.â
He chuckled.
âIf Chris and I forget, I’ll have Juni stab us with a needle or something.â
Aaron continued to gently talk to the guest room door as I turned my attention to the boys that sat beside me.
âHuh?â Juni replied, a bit dumbfounded. âWhat did he say?â
âAngah lai fordir kani Iatvi seli cardelsa,â I said. âLi damaen.â
You can stab the boys with a needle if they fight.
Juni’s eyes went wide.
A grin then appeared, and he quietly laughed.
âHuh,â he said next. âLi namenaren, wandaran. Ven lunesi.â
If they’re sure, I will. They’re strange.
âOf course they’re strange,â I said. âThey’re human.â
âDon’t stab me,â Chris said softly, pulling himself away from us. âI won’t fight. I promise.â
âIt’s just a joke, Chris. Don’t worry. We’re not that mean.â
Chris processed the thought and gave us a huge smile.
âOh. Hah!â
âI go to school,â Aaron said. âIs Lenn gonna teach you? That would be so cool. I don’t know much, but maybe I could help. I know Ian does. I’m scared for Ian, but I know he’ll be all right with you and everybody here. I… feel bad that I broke Lenn’s crutch. I’ll try to help him, but I think you and Juni are probably better at it than me.â
He suddenly popped up.
âOh! Charsi, Chris wants to bring you some candy next time we come over. I don’t know what I can bring. I don’t really know what girls like. But I’ll find something.â
âCall Eliza and she’ll know,â I said to him.
âYeah, I’ll call Eliza!â Aaron said, a bit louder so the little girl could hear through the door. âI hope you can forgive me. I guess I’ll, um… I hope I can see you later?â
Everything was quiet inside.
âOkay, I’m gonna go now. Mom wanted us home before noon.â He turned around. âWhat time is it?â
I looked around, and couldn’t see anything. Chris slid himself effortlessly on the wood floor and spotted a clock, probably the oven numbers.
â10:42,â Chris said.
âIt may be a good idea for you to go home a bit early. I know you might not want to, but we don’t know when Ian is going to be home.â I folded my arms. âDo you think your parents or other family will come to see him?â
Aaron nodded.
âI bet Mom and Dad want to.â He chuckled. âThey talk a lot.â
âCan we come play later?â Chris asked.
âNot today,â Aaron said before me. âIf we come with Mom and Dad, they’re gonna hear us and Lenn and Juni. We’ve gotta keep them a secret.â
âOh,â Chris said with a nod. âYup.â
âIf you do come over,â I said. âJust make sure no one comes in the guest room.â
A thought arose in my head.
âBut don’t look like you’re guarding the guest room. Just be natural and don’t come in.â
Aaron laughed at me.
âWe’ll keep it on the down-low.â
I tilted my head. I hadn’t heard that phrase before. But I could ask later.
As Juni and I returned to the guest room after the boys left, we climbed up to the top of the bed to find a very pensive Charsi. Her tears had dried, and it was apparent that she had much to consider. Juni asked her how she was, and Charsi responded with a single word. Beyond this, she did not speak. After a moment, she climbed to the edge of the bed’s folded blanket, crawled beneath to the pillow below, and appeared to fall asleep. I didn’t have the heart to check if she had.
Juni, still restless, explored every inch of the guest room, climbing up and down the bed sheets until he wore himself out. When he discovered that the television controller was sitting upon the side table, he flung himself from the bed and turned it on by pressing his foot upon the power button. I told him he could only watch as long as we knew we were alone in the house, and he assured me he did this at Eliza’s all the time. He soon discovered, much to his dismay, that this television’s collection of shows were limited compared to Ian’s or the downstairs. So he settled for the least uninteresting ‘channel’ (as he called it): a sporting match of something called ‘golf’.
The red-colored time under the television red somewhere around 4:30 what we heard the front door open. That was our signal to hide. All three of us descended from the bed and hid ourselves in the dark under the bed and between it and the side table. Nothing appeared to be approaching us. We heard Iatvi talking, with voices that we did not recognize. We were nervous at first, especially since we heard a few young voices along with the older. But no great beings entered the room until all voices ceased.
This is not to say that being in the dim shadow wasn’t incredibly boring. Charsi continued her silence, sitting against the wall. I sat next to her with my remaining crutch beside me on the floor. And Juni chewed on his nails and tried to sit still, at first. Soon, he was bouncing up and down, climbing the bed sheets again. I scolded him as he approached the top. So, since he couldn’t go up, he decided to go side to side, as far as I allowed him.
Charsi and I fell asleep until the late afternoon. I’m not sure what Juni decided to do during the time. I woke to realize that Charsi had rested her head against my shoulder. As I woke, so did she. She realized what she had done and tried to apologize. I just fluffed her hair and laughed. I looked over, and Juni had curled up in the darkness beneath the bed.
It was soon after we woke up that we heard footsteps. To our horror, the guest room door parted.
âKids?â said a voice.
âOh,â I whispered. âHi James.â
After a few seconds, I hauled myself up to the surface, followed by Jun and Sisi. James had knelt down before the bed, no doubt helping the kids not be as nervous when being so close to the giant Iatvi.
James looked very tired. I rarely saw him wear casual clothing. This time, it added to the exhaustion I saw in his face.
âHow are you all?â
âI’m fine!â Juni said. Charsi nodded in agreement.
âHow is Ian?â I asked. âPlease tell me he’ll be all right. Aaron said that boy damaged Ian’s brain. Is that true?â
âYes, that’s true,â James said, with no anger in his voice. âYou can recover from a concussion with time, though. Ian will need a lot of rest.â
âI’m going to take care of him, James,â I said. âI’ll sit right next to him, and I’ll be his messenger. Whatever he needs, I’ll make sure he gets it. Er, with your help, of course. And Catherine.â
âUs too,â Charsi said, speaking for the first time since morning. âAs long as we’re here.â
âIan is lucky to have a big brother like you, Lenn,â James said. âAnd cousins, right Charsi? And Juni?â
âCousins…â Charsi said. âI like it.â
âMe too,â Juni said with a smile.
âWell, I need some rest,â James said. âIf you don’t mind, I need a shower and then a very long nap.â
âHow long did you stay up with Ian?â I asked.
âAs long as I could. The hospital staff took good care of him, though. It’s that the bedding at the hospital was not very comfortable.â
âOh,â I mumbled with a nod. âI see.â
âCatherine is in the shower now,â James said. âShe will come take care of you as soon as she’s done. Try to think of what you would like to eat and drink, and I’m sure she can get it for you. If we have it, of course.â
âWill you have more family visiting tonight?â I took a seat on the bed, unable to commit more pressure on my leg. âWould I be able to sit next to Ian and watch over him?â
âI think we’re in the clear for now,â James said. âBut Ian is filled with antibiotics and pain medication. I don’t think he’ll be waking up until tomorrow. Maybe longer.â
âI’d still like to make sure he’s okay.â
James offered me a soft smile.
âSure, Lenn,â he replied. âI wouldn’t expect any less from you. He did the same for you, you know.â
âI know it,â I said softly. âI have to repay him.â
âWe’ll stay in here,â Charsi said, touching my shoulder. âUntil you come get us.â
Juni scratched his elbow.
âHuh? We will?â
âSia,â she said. âLenn knows how to be quiet. You don’t. And I won’t be much help either.â
Juni made a grunt.
âI’m quiet.â
Charsi rolled her eyes but said nothing.
âThanks, you two,â I said. âI’ll come back in the morning. Catherine will be here to help.â
âTake care of yourself first, Lenn,â James said. âPlease. Eat something before you go.â
I cast my eyes down at the bed.
âI’m not hungry,â I answered honestly. âI’ll be fine.â
âDon’t forget, kani,â James said, tapping the bed right in front of me with a burly finger. I’d taught him the word, but never thought he would use it against me. âI’m the doctor here. You’ll tell me if anything serious happens?â
âKani, huh?â I said with a grin. âNo worries. That’s my job.â
I gently opened the door in the dark, entering Ianâs room in silence. The boyâs usual snoring had been replaced with shallow breathing. Leaning on my crutch, it only took me a moment to cross the room, and only a moment more to abandon my crutch and climb up the dark-blue blanket to the top.
I followed the outline of the blanketâs edge despite blindness. I then stumbled upon something, and I steadied myself to feel the tight tendons and warm skin of a prone human hand beneath my own. I thought the boy might wake from the touch as I quickly got back to my feet. I donât believe he did, but his breathing changed; there was no way to tell if his eyes had opened.
I continued towards his head. Around nearly the entirety of his face and his right eye, cotton wraps held his healing bones in place. If I hadnât been told the specifics of his injuries, I might have guessed the bandages around his head held all of his skull together and not just his cheekbone.
âIan,â I sighed with sadness in my heart. Again I wondered what kind of Iatvi would hurt my little brother like this.
With Ianâs head laid upon his pillow and close to me, I did my best not to make noise. Instead, I simply crawled up the pillow and took a seat. The air beside him was drowsy and warm, but I was determined not to fall asleep. After all, it was my duty to look after him.
For about half an hour (according to the electric light that kept time), I sat in silence, listening to Ianâs breathing. This close to him, he smelled like week-old soap, no doubt from the last time Ian had bathed before it all. My eyes became accustomed to the room slowly, and I discovered more about his bandages as they adjusted: thin cotton rounded beneath his chin and forehead, and thick pads covered his face from the right side of Ianâs hairline down to the level of his mouth. His left eye and nose were uncovered, of course. I couldnât keep away a gnawing feeling of depression in my gut from watching Ian. I wanted to talk to him, but I knew it was best to leave him be. Catherine had said his medicine made him sleepy, so there probably wasnât anything I could do to wake him anyway.
I cleared my throat as quietly as I could. I needed water, but I didnât think it was worth it to return all the way to the guest room just for that. I didnât notice anything had changed until I heard the blankets slide and felt Ianâs entire form fall sideways towards me. From that change, his hand rose and advanced on me.
âUhh⌠UmâŚâ
I pulled myself backwards to avoid its grip. But the hand descended, Ianâs thumb pressing into my side and his fingers wrapping around my waist. For a moment, it simply held me in place, and I dared not move.
âHi Lenn,â Ian whispered.
I looked sideways in slight panic and saw Ianâs left eye opened and looking at me. As he said my name, it sounded as though something restricted his mouth.
âHah,â I said with a chuckle, placing my hands upon the top of Ianâs finger. âYou scared me there. I thought you might shove me off the bed.â
âHuh-uh,â he said with a shake of his head.
âHow are you feeling?â I asked. âAre you in pain?â
âHuh-uh,â he repeated. âI canât talk well. Iâm not sâpost open my jaw.â
âI can understand you.â
For a moment, he remained silent.
âI left you and everybody alone,â he said.
âWeâre all fine. Weâre all tougher than we look, remember?â
âHmm.â
Ianâs face appeared vacant.
âDonât you worry,â I said. âYou looked after me, so Iâm looking after you. Whatever you need, Iâll go to Catherine and tell her. And promise me youâre going to tell me, Iâm not going to hurt myself limping around. I even took my bandages off. See?â
I lowered my shirt collar and showed Ian my scar. I felt it myself, feeling the thickened healed skin that crossed my neck.
âNice,â he whispered.
I nodded.
âIâm glad that youâre okay. I cried when Catherine told me what happened, you know.â
âYou did?â
âI thought Iâd lost my little brother. I felt useless, just like always. But I refuse to be useless anymore.â
I saw the boy nod, feeling his fingers tighten and loosen around me.
âIâm really happy youâre here.â
âIâm glad youâre happy.â
âIâm glad that⌠youâre glad.â
I got the not-so-slight impression at that moment that he might not have been fully awake. I held in a laugh.
âHey, you said something over the phone when you were in the hospital. Do you remember what you said?â
âHmm,â he hummed. âHuh-uh.â
âCatherine told me you might not remember. You told me you loved me. Is that true?â
âI said that?â
I wasnât sure if he was pensive or embarrassed. Or just out of it.
âI guess I meant it.â
âWell, I mean it back,â I said lightly. âSilly kani.â
I felt Ianâs fingers loosen.
âGet some sleep,â I told him. âDonât worry, Iâm not going anywhere.â
âYouâre… not gonna sleep?â
âIâll try not to. Iâve gotta be here for you, if you need something.â
Ian nodded in the affirmative.
âWhereâs Charsijuni,â he slurred.
âTheyâre in the guest room. Theyâre excited to see you when you wake up.â
He didnât say anything else. I waited a moment in case he would.
âIan?â
Nothing. I waited for five seconds.
âIan, please let go of me.â
Nothing. I waited five more seconds.
âAh.â
At first I thought I might need to slide myself out lest he should dream about fistfighting.
âNgh,â I whispered, digging my hands into the pillow and sliding backwards. My feet neared the space underneath Ianâs pinky when his hand opened and reclosed around my waist. I sighed. At first, his heat really made me sweat. But since I wasnât going anywhere, even if that had been the plan, I relaxed, stretching my arms out.
I promised Ian I would stay up to watch him, but by the time the clock read 3:20 AM, I could no longer keep my eyes open. I ârestedâ them. But, naturally, they only stopped resting when the sun rose.
âUh,â I whispered, waking to the morning light through the window. I wiped my eyes and attempted to lift myself up.
Ianâs hand hadnât moved. I growled.
âOh, olemâŚâ
His heat and mine were more or less the same, equalizing during the night. But that wasnât the point; I had to get out and drink water very soon.
Squirming my way out all at once hadnât worked. So maybe moving each finger at a time would help. Prying Ianâs index finger out from my side, I bent it flat over my lap. I did the same with his middle finger and ring finger. His pinky, however, was out of my reach. Maybe it would be enough.
A little bit at a time, I slid myself out. A little more with each scoot backwards. This time, my bare feet slid under his pinky. So closeâŚ
Then Ianâs whole hand came sliding upwards on me again, grasping me as if nothing had changed. And tighter this time.
I growled.
âOof. Ian. Ian, wake up, please.â
âHmm.â
Then the fingers really squeezed, lifting me off of Ianâs pillow and into the air.
âWhoa, whoa!â
Ian spun me around and held me with both hands as he flipped from his side to his back. From my vantage right over his chest, I could truly see the white gauze bandages wrapped around his head.
âMorning,â he said.
âYou know you had your hand wrapped around me all night.â
âI did?â
âYou make a good blanket,â I said. âBut I wasnât sure if you were going to squish me in your dreams or something.â
âOh,â Ian said, a frown only visible over his left eye. âI didnât mean to.â
âYour medicine really knocked you out,â I said. âDidnât it?â
âUh-huh. Iâm really tired.â
âI can tell. I couldnât wake you back up last night.â
âI was awake last night?â
I frowned.
âUm. Yes, you were.â
His single eye swiveled around for a moment.
âOh. Oh, yeah, yeah. I was. You told me about the hospital, that I saidâŚâ
He paused.
âYes?â
Ian frowned a bit.
âUm.â
I lifted an eyebrow.
âUm?â
âI donâtâŚâ
Ian transferred me into a single hand, and I lost breath as his thumb pressed into my stomach. The boy rubbed his eye and attempted to yawn.
âOww,â he whispered. âThat hurts.â
Ianâs eye closed as his hands gathered together around my chest again, allowing me to breathe.
âYou remember, donât you,â I said.
âHuh?â
I watched him for a moment to see who would break first.
âWell?â
Ianâs eye blinked.
âWell what?â
âYou gonna say it again? Out loud and in person?â
His lips pouted.
âWhat?â
âYou know what.â
I saw Ian smile.
âNuh-uh.â
âCome on.â
âWhy?â Ian chuckled. âI donât have to.â
âYes, you do. I have to hear you say it and mean it.â
âWhat if I donât?â
âThen I guess weâre not brothers.â
Ian growled.
âI like this medicine youâre taking,â I said with a grin. âMaybe Iâll make you say more embarrassing things.â
âIâm not embarrassed,â the boy said, bringing me closer to his face. âI love you, okay? There. I said it.â
âNot so hard, huh?â I said, more serious. âYouâre one of two people whoâs ever said that to me.â
âWho was the first?â
âAria, of course.â
Ian nodded.
âMmm.â
For a moment, Ian looked towards his bedroom door. Then he attempted to lift himself to sit up with a groan.
âNo, no no, down, kani, down,â I said, tapping his skin as he trembled. âYou lay back down. Youâre not moving today.â
âIâm fine.â
âIan, you listen to me. Ian, you-â
But Ian had already dropped his feet to the floor. He wore what Iâd managed to glimpse him wearing the night before, a soft brown button-down shirt and his pajama bottoms.
âWhereâs Juni and Charsi?â he asked, lifting me to his eye level.
âTheyâre probably still-â
âTheyâre waiting for you, hun,â said a voice from beyond Ianâs door. Catherine poked her head in. âHello Lenn, you didnât stay up all night, did you?â
âI tried to,â I said as Ian turned me around. âDidnât last. Turns out Ian didnât need anything but sleep.â
âMy face hurts,â Ian said with a whine.
âIâll bet. I donât want you staying up for very long today, Ian. Letâs see if you can have one of your smoothies before you see everybody, okay?â
Ian grunted.
âYeah.â He turned me back around to look at me. âI gotta go to the bathroom. Want me to carry you after?â
âNo, Iâll be okay on the ground,â I said, pointing down. âIâve got my crutch.â
âHuh? One? What happened to your other one?â
I coughed.
âAaron stepped on it. And me, almost. He scared Charsi pretty bad.â
Ianâs eye sparked with anger and he grit through his teeth.
âWhat! Heâs so stupid! Did you tell Mom? He doesnât get to come over again until-â
âIan, Ian,â I said, laying my hands against the tightening force around me. âEverythingâs okay. I already talked to him, and he apologized to Charsi. Donât be mad at him, he knows what he did was wrong. Thereâs no need to make it a big problem.â
Ianâs face softened into something distant.
âI knew something would happen if they were here without me. I have to protect you, Lenn.â
âI told Aaron that was his job, too. All three of you. You can talk about it when they come over, but promise me you wonât be angry at him. Promise me.â
Ian growled.
âFine. I promise.â
âIan?â I heard from inside as I parted the door. A teenage face looked downwards. âOh. Hi Lenn. Whereâs Ian?â
âHeâs coming. We still have water, right?â
âSia.â
âIs he wearing bandages?â Charsi asked.
âYep, he is,â I said, leaning my crutch against the wall next to the bed. With some effort and an offered hand from Juni, I rose to the top fairly winded. I spoke in Iatnasi: âI will never get used to the size of human homes.â
âThis house is enormous,â Juni said with a nod. âSo much bigger than Elizaâs place. Sometimes Elizaâs home can feel small, but Ianâs home hasn’t yet.â
âI see the green grass outside, too,â Charsi said. âI would love to play out in the flowers. Do you think we can? Itâs so beautiful out there.â
âYouâll have to ask Catherine,â I said, stepping over to the water bowl. I took several handfuls before wiping my chin.âIâve gone out a few times. The Petersenâs have a giant fence that keeps other humans from looking in, but Ian has told me it still might be a bit dangerous.â
âIâm so tired of danger, danger, danger!â Juni said with a shout, flopping to the bed on his back. âIâm tired of Xande telling me to stay inside! I wish I could do what I want. Why arenât other humans like Aunt Catherine and Ian and Uncle James and Eliza?â
âWould you want them to be like Aaron and Chris?â I said with a laugh.
Juni frowned.
âWell, no, butâŚâ
âI wouldnât mind if⌠they would be our friends too.â
Juni and I looked at Charsi.
âWhat? Sisi, youâre crazy. Yesterday you were wanting to go home, you were so scared. Now you want to see those giants again?â
âWhat made you change your mind?â I asked.
Charsi sat upon the bed and pulled her knees close, adjusting the ill-fitting shirt that only barely fell over her belly button.
âI donât know,â she said. âI heard Aaron apologize to me. I didnât have time to think about it before Ianâs whole family came and kept us in here. Heâs only a year younger than me. Maybe I would have made the same mistake. And the little boy Chris really is just a little boy. Xande and Juni fight all the time, so itâs all really the same thing, isnât it?â
âI mean, I guess,â Juni said.
âThat makes you the five year old, you know,â I said, poking the boyâs shoulder.
âOleeeeehm,â whined Juni, pushing my hand away.
Charsi laughed, and I smiled at her.
âI like hearing you laugh, Charsi. Itâs easy to be afraid, but it hurts too much.â
âSia.â
âI’m tired of feeling in constant danger, just like Juni. I felt constant fear at home. I finally found a place where I feel safe. You deserve to feel that way, too.â
âIâd like that,â she said. âOne place to call home is nice, but two is better.â
âHey Sisi?â Juni asked, pointing at one of the two plastic bags a few inches away. âCan I have one of your fruit snacks?â
âNo,â Charsi said quickly. âEliza gave you a whole bag. Eat your own.â
âI only have the yellow ones left,â Juni groaned. âI hate those.â
âWhat else did Eliza pack for you in there?â I asked.
âOh, Iâll show you,â Charsi said, crawling towards her plastic bag. Most of the bag held her bedding, neatly folded from the night before. She dove in and pulled out an even smaller plastic bag filled with interesting odds and ends. âEliza gave us these when we started living with her.â
She produced a set of metal objects that fit perfectly in my hand about the size of a human trowel. I recognized what they were right away, but Charsi pointed them out to me as she handed me each.
âA fork, a knife, and a spoon. Eliza made us promise that we would clean them every time we used them. ThenâŚâ
Next was a folded white cloth, very thin and soft.
âThis is my towel.â
âEasier to use than a human washcloth?â
âSia,â she said. âElizaâs washcloths are too thick. You have to bury yourself and roll around on them to get dry.â
I laughed, as did Juni.
âRolling around is fun, though!â
âUnless you need to get dressed fast!â
Charsi set that aside, and pulled out tan fabric sewn together with black yarn.
âShoes?â
âSia, they arenât good for walking in the rain, but theyâre comfy when it gets cold.â
âWalking in the rain?â I asked. âI thought you never went outside.â
âEliza doesnât like it,â Juni said. âSo⌠we donât tell her. Xande takes us out some nights to practice sneaking around.â
âBut never ever during the day,â Charsi said with a finger raised, as if sheâd memorized the phrase. âYou wonât tell her, will you?â
âI donât knowâŚâ I said with a sing-song tone. âWhat kind of fruit snacks do you have in there?â
Charsi looked legitimately surprised.
âYeah! And give me a red one!â Juni added, rolling to his side.
âNo!â Charsi said with a laugh. âThatâs not fair! Youâre supposed to be nice, Lenn!â
I heard a soft bump behind the door, something the kids did not seem to notice. I looked over for a split second, and saw a shadow.
âI am super nice,â I said in English. âBut when thereâs candy involved, I donât know if I can keep a secret.â
There was a long pause. Charsi suddenly became sullen.
âYouâre not⌠actually going to tell her, are you?â
I grinned.
âNo, of course not,â I said. âDonât be silly.â
Juni and Charsi melted, thoroughly eased.
âBut donât tell Ian about our little secret,â I said. I watched the shadow. It crept forwards a bit.
âHuh? What secret?â
âYou know,â I said, covering my mouth. âWhen we called Catherine two nights ago, when Ian was at the hospital.â
Jun and Sisi stared at me. The shadow quivered.
âIan doesnât remember what he said because of the medicine he took.â I pointed at my head. âRemember what he said to me? It was super silly.â
âHuh-uh,â Juni shook his head. âWhat? What did he say?â
âI donât remember anything silly.â
âSure you do,â I said, raising my voice just a bit. âItâs when he said that he-â
âNee-nee no no no,â Ian said, emerging from the kitchen with a half-filled glass in one hand. Juni sat up with a jolt and Charsi took my arm. Ianâs one eye crashed on me. âNo no, ha, um. Uh, I mean, um, hi Juni, hi Charsi.â
I gave him a wild grin. He noticed it immediately, and I havenât yet seen a better mixture of emotions displayed on half a face.
âIan,â Juni whispered, standing to his feet and pointing as Ian took a seat on the floor before us. âYour bandages!â
âJun, donât point,â Charsi said, parting the hair from her eyes. âItâs not polite.â
âIâm not,â he replied, taking a quick glance back before sitting back down. âIâm just surprised.â
âAll wrapped up, arenât you?â I asked.
Ian nodded.
âThe doctor said I should be healed in six to eight weeks,â he said. âAfter that, Iâll be okay.â
âThatâs it?â Charsi asked. âFrom having your cheek broken?â
âUh-huh. Thatâs why the doctor put metal screws and a mesh in, to keep the bones in place.â
âScrews?â Juni asked. âBig screws?â
âNah, really little ones,â Ian said, pinching his fingers close.
âWhatâs a mesh?â Charsi asked.
âItâs, uh⌠A small sheet of metal. With holes in it?â
âOh.â
âAre you going to have a really big cool-looking scar like I do?â I asked.
Ian shook his head and took a small swallow from the straw in his glass.
âThey only did two cuts, one next to my eyebrow and one below my eyelid.â
All three of us on the bed pondered that for a moment.
âWait, your eye?â Charsi asked. âWhat does your eye have to do with your cheekbone?â
Ianâs lips formed a small smile as he swallowed.
âThatâs where they did the surgery, through those cuts.â
He pointed from where his eyebrow lay hidden behind the bandage and down to his cheek.
âAre you serious?â I asked. âHow does a doctor know where to put the screws from up there? And how does he screw them in?â
âWith a teeny-tiny screwdriver,â Charsi laughed.
âYup,â Ian said. âDoctors use special cameras and x-rays to make surgery easier.â
âX-rays?â
âUmâŚâ Ian scratched his nose. âItâs radiation that can look through your skin and see your bones.â
âHuh. Strange.â
âEliza had x-rays on her finger when it broke,â Charsi said. âI saw her skeleton in a picture. It was kinda scary.â
âYeah,â Ian said. âI remember that. I canât believe you guys were living with Eliza back then.â
âIf only you knew what a good kid Ian is,â I said, patting Charsi’s back. âYou could have been friends for a long time.â
âWhat are you drinking?â Juni asked. âIt smells good.â
âStrawberry smoothie,â Ian said. âWant some?â
âYeah,â Juni said with enthusiasm, standing to his feet again.
At first, Ian offered the straw to my young Iatili friend.
âNeh, straws are hard for me to use,â Juni said. He probably could have gotten his mouth around it, but he probably would have gagged using it.
âUh. Oh, here, this will work.â
As Ian held his finger on the end on the plastic and gathered a small drop on the end of the straw for Juni to sample, Charsi shook her head.
âJun never stops eating.â
âI donât either,â I said. âBut Iâm used to having nothing to eat at all. Juniâs a teenager, and teenagers have bottomless stomachs. Youâll be there soon.â
Charsi scrunched her nose at this news.
âMmm!â Juni said, wiping his face with his arm. âThatâs really good!â
âThere might be more left, if Mom didnât wash the blender container-thingy yet.â
âBlender container-thingy?â
Ian frowned at me and stuck his tongue out (as well as he could) with an added âmlehâ. I copied him, and Juni copied right after me.
Monday proceeded smoothly. The kids didnât wake up until well after the sun rose, leaving me free to roam around. Catherine helped me to some water and fruit, and then, just for fun, I asked her if I could sit in Ianâs room. She helped me, and I voluntarily played Ianâs video game myself in hopes of improving my skills. I know, imagine me, wasting time; Iâve never really done that before!
When Charsi and Juni finally woke up and discovered me playing in Ianâs room, they became as bold as me and explored the bedroom freely. I continued to play, but listened and watched the Iatili over the edge of the chair. They would murmur to each other about things they found, including books and boxes, plastic containers filled with pins and pencils, and even their miraculous discovery of a red bin beneath the bed filled with something they called âlegosâ. These strange multicolored blocks, cubes and squares, wheels, bars, and bolts could all be connected in a million different ways, and there were so many that they both decided to build a house for themselves. Within a few minutes, they did indeed build a little hovel they could stand up in.
Yes, Ian had said I could play while he went to school. But I never had, and now that the kids were doing so as well, I felt a tinge of guilt for invading Ianâs sanctuary. But the time passed so quickly, it wasnât until the clock beneath the television read 1:37 PM that I realized we all might want to move our activities back to the guest room. I pressed the button on the controller that made the game disappear. I looked down at the Iatili kids.
âHey,â I told them. âI think itâs about time to head back.â
âBack where?â Juni asked.
âThe guest room,â I said, probably translating the phrase âguest roomâ incorrectly. âAt least until Ian comes home. I donât know how heâll feel about all of us being in here.â
Juni and Charsi looked at each other and returned their spare blocks to the large bin.
âOkay,â Charsi said. âThatâs a good idea.â
âIan wonât care though, will he?â
âIâm sure he wonât. But letâs be sure first.â
Juni nodded back.
I descended to the floor (landing on my back for good measure), took my crutches, and together with the kids stepped into the hallway and into the kitchen. Below the banisters we heard faint music. Just as we passed the very end of the stairs, however, we heard the sound of Catherineâs voice emerge from downstairs.
I crutched backwards and the kids followed after me behind the last banister. My eyes grew wide; Catherineâs voice was not normal.
â…when did this happen?â she practically whispered, no doubt into her phone. She sounded to be on the verge of tears. âPlease tell me heâs okay⌠Where are you now? What do I need to bring for him?â
Catherine emerged from downstairs, and her eyes caught all of our stares on her way up. Painful stress colored her complexion as she gave a weak wave, stepping around us and proceeding into Ianâs room.
For a moment, Juni, Charsi, and I simply looked at each other and listened.
âHow did it happenâŚ?â she asked. We could hear nothing of the other side of the conversation. From the sound, we heard Catherine rummage through Ianâs dresser. âWhy would he do this to him? Ian never said anything about-â
âIan?â Charsi whispered, holding her brotherâs arm and looking up at me.
âSomething happened,â I whispered back.
âIan vah sulm?â
âNeh phodia,â I replied. âI donât know.â
âWhat do we do?â Charsi asked.
âFollow me,â I said, crutching forwards. âKeep to the wall, Catherine might not see us.â
âYouâre at Memorial, right?â Catherine asked. We didnât need to worry about her at all; Catherine knew we were following her, confused and scared. Iâll freely admit it, I was afraid. If something had happened to my little brother, I would never forgive the Iatvi that dared lay a finger on him. âIâll be there in a few minutes. I just need to take care of the little ones. I love you.â
I wasnât afraid of Catherine. But I was horrified by the tears in her eyes.
âWhere is Ian?â I asked her. âSomeone hurt him.â
â…yes,â Catherine said, trembling.
âDonât worry about us, Aunt Catherine,â Charsi said. âGo help Ian.â
âCome on, everyone.â
Catherine waved us on into the kitchen where she quickly prepared food and water for us. So distraught and rushed, she simply placed the plates of fruit and bread and cups of water on the floor beneath the kitchen island and disappeared into the hallway in a flash. We stood there dumbfounded until Catherine returned from her bedroom with a filled duffle bag.
âCatherine, please⌠what happened to Ian?â I asked.
Still trembling, she leaned down over me.
âI⌠I donât know,â she said. Iâm fairly certain she wasnât telling the truth, but given the fact that none of us Iatili could have done anything but worry, itâs probably better that she didnât. âIâll come back as soon as I can. Though I may be gone for a while.â
I nodded.
âWeâll be okay. Take care of Ian for us.â
Catherine nodded and rushed out the front door, locking it behind her.
As the sun faded into dark, the general feeling between the three of us Iatili grew equally as dim. No news. No one had returned. Juni and Charsi continued building with legos in Ianâs room as I wrote down some teaching notes, but the excitement theyâd shown that morning had vanished. Once their small dwelling was finished, they entered inside and talked with each other. After a while, they fell asleep, their whispers fading.
I didnât worry about running out of food or anything ridiculous like that, although I did wonder how we were going to spend the night without any lights. Off to bed, I guessed. Once the light had gone out enough that I could no longer write, I stood up and stepped towards Ianâs bed. Although his mother always told him to, he never made it. I suppose I was grateful, as it helped me find a comfortable place to settle and rest.
âMemorialâ, she said. I didnât know where or what that was. It sounded like a place where they took dead people to ârememberâ them, but I threw that thought out of my mind as quickly as possible. Ian wasnât dead, I was positive. But from Catherineâs reaction, it was obvious that he hadnât simply tripped and sprained his ankle. If this âMemorialâ was a clinic of some kind, then Ianâs situation was likely dire. I knew there was nothing I could do. Just like finding you, I could not help Ian on my own and probably never could. Even if I knew where Ian was, I wasnât Xande; I couldnât simply hit the streets and find him, just like Iâd never be able to climb the mountain again and find you.
The thought of Ianâs pain and my hopelessness made me think of something I hadnât realized. I could barely make it out, but behind Ianâs television and beside his dresser was a large calendar with colorful images on top and dates beneath.
July⌠July twenty-something.
Since the terrible night I had been thrown into the wilderness and discovered by the Petersens, it had been⌠five months. I couldnât deny it. Youâd already given life to our child, walked through the intense pain without me by your side. I donât pity myself, I only regret that I couldnât have held your hand tightly and shared your love as your eyes fell on her for the first time.
My mind floated like a branch in a river. Like always, I did not know what to do, what to think, how to remain calm. My hand rose to my bandages. The wounds still stung, but soon I wouldnât need them.
How long would Ian require bandages?
I nearly faded off when I heard a tinkling sound from somewhere outside the room. It didnât alert me too much until I heard the familiar sound of the front door opening.
I rose up immediately and climbed down the side of the bed. By the time I sank my feet into the carpet, Juni and Charsi had emerged from their hut, just as alert.
âWho is it?â Juni asked.
âI donât know,â I answered. âAnyone with a key could be part of Ianâs family⌠we might not know them. Letâs stay hidden.â
The kids agreed. With my crutches beneath my arms, we all moved towards the rear of Ianâs desk and then into the blackness of the space between Ianâs bed and the wall. In the darkness, we all stood with our backs flat against plaster and paint, and listened.
The wooden floor of the kitchen creaked. No shoes. One pair of Iatvi footsteps became two. I couldnât see their faces, but Iâm sure Juni and Charsi noticed as well. I had a suspicion of who it might be at that moment, and I could only hope.
A voice. Then two voices. Light and loud.
âStay here,â I said to the kids, scooting past them. âI have a feeling I know who is here.â
âWho?â Charsi asked.
âIf Iâm right, Eliza told you all about them.â
I crutched to the very edge of the desk wall, the room practically illuminated compared to how dark the hiding spot had been. Below the door was a thin slice of light from the kitchen outside, but I couldnât see anything through it. The two Iatvi who had entered the house were busy being confused. But if I wasnât inside the guest room, then surely this bedroom would be the next place they would check.
I was right. Four feet slowly approached Ianâs door and paused for a moment, four pillared shadows from beneath. The door silently opened, revealing a pair of Iatvi contrasted from the light behind them.
The upper light clicked on. I recognized the Iatvi immediately.
Chris stepped into the room first, wearing a bright green t-shirt and white shorts, his feet and legs bare. Aaron entered behind his brother, wearing almost the same clothing save for the color blue.
âLennnn?â Chris sung. âLenn, where did you go?â
âLenn, itâs just us,â Aaron said. âAre you in here? We need to talk to you.â
Chrisâs first investigation was behind Ianâs television. Aaron stopped near the chair in the center of the room and scanned around him.
I gulped. This never got easier. Slowly, I crutched out of the shadows.
âHi boys,â I said.
Their attention immediately latched onto me.
âLenn! There you are,â Aaron said, quickly taking a seat on the floor.
âHi Lenn!â Chris said, a bit too excited for my liking. He came to sit down on the floor, nudging as close to me as he could (no surprise there).
âAre you okay?â Aaron asked. âAre those⌠crutches?â
I paused and nodded.
âThey are,â I said, lifting my right one. âArenât they great? Your Uncle James made them for me.â
âFor real?â Aaron asked. âCan I see?â
âMe too?â Chris peeped.
âSure.â A large hand approached, and I placed my precious metal crutch in the center. âJust⌠be very careful with it? Itâs given me a lot of freedom.â
Aaron admired it very closely for a moment, greatly approving. He passed it to Chris, who eyed it and picked at the leather strapping with his fingernail before handing it back to me.
âOkay,â I said. âTell me you know something about Ian. We donât know what happened.â
âIan got really hurt today at schoolâŚâ Chris began.
âWait, âweâ?â Aaron asked. âDo you mean Elizaâs⌠um, what are you called again?â
âIatili.â
âYeah, yeah, Iatili. Are they here? Can we see them?â
âWhat are their names?â Chris asked. âI want to see them too. Are they smaller than you, Lenn?â
âHold on, hold on,â I said, raising my hands with my crutches beneath. âYouâre probably scaring them right now. I donât know if this is a good time for you to meet each other. Maybe when Catherine or Ian are here you can see them.â
âOh. Okay,â Aaron said.
âAww. But Iâm not scary.â
âYouâre a little scary.â
âNuh-uh!â Chris said, pushing his older brotherâs shoulder.
âPlease, Chris, Aaron, tell me what happened to Ian. Is he hurt? Is he in a clinic? Is James with him?â
âUm⌠yes to everything,â Aaron said. âExcept heâs at a hospital, not a clinic.â
âSome stupid guy threw a baseball bat at Ian!â Chris exclaimed.
My expression burst into shock. I knew what the sport was.
âWhy would someone do that!?â
âWell, he didnât throw it exactly,â Aaron said. âHe was playing baseball with his class, and some other kid was gonna hit the ball. He hit the ball⌠but he let go of the bat too soon, and it hit Ian in the face.â
âAnd people started laughing at him!â Chris said.
âYeah, Aunt Catherine said the mean kids all laughed at him until Ian didnât get back up.â
âDidnât⌠get back up?â I asked, my knees weak. âYou donât mean heâsâŚâ
âNo, heâs not dead or anything,â Aaron continued. âBut he hasnât woken up yet. Itâs like when you told us you were in a coma, except⌠Iâm not sure itâs exactly the same. Aunt Catherine said Ian had to have a bunch of tests done to make sure heâs all right. She said that Ian has broken bones and a concussion.â
âWhatâs a concussion?â I asked, barely able to breathe.
âI think itâs where your brain gets hurt.â
âHisâŚâ My throat seized up.
âBut the mean guy that did it,â Chris said. âHeâs been mean to Ian for a long time.â
âYeah,â Aaron said. âCatherine and James both say that he might have done it on purpose.â
My fists barreled up on my crutch handles.
âIâd kill anyone that hurt Ian like that,â I whispered.
Aaron and Chris both shared glances and leaned backwards a bit. They obviously hadnât expected that from me.
â…no, donât⌠kill anyone, Lenn,â Chris said with a pout. âThatâs not good.â
âThat guyâs gonna get in serious trouble, donât worry. If he really did it on purpose, then heâs gonna have to pay for Ianâs surgery or go to jail.â
âSurgery? He had surgery?â
Aaron nodded.
âHe had to have his face bones put back in the right place. Aunt Catherine said they even put in metal to hold them together.â
I couldnât hold myself up. Iâd never heard of such a thing before, and Iâd never thought someone as kind and gentle as Ian could be assaulted so mercilessly by someone of his same age. I dropped my crutches and fell to the floor, and I finally knew the feelings Ianâs mother had felt hours before.
I cried.
âLenn!â
I heard Charsiâs voice behind me, and two seconds after, I felt the girlâs hands hold onto my arm; Charsi too had begun to quietly cry. I didnât hear Juniâs voice, only his footsteps as he too joined me in front of the Iatvi boys. Blinded by tears, I simply sobbed silently for a few moments. I felt a warm force take hold of my right foot.
âDonât be sad, Lenn,â Chris told me. âIanâs gonna be okay.â
âAunt Catherine said heâs gonna stay in the hospital tonight, and if everything goes right, heâll come home tomorrow. Heâll need lots of sleep, and only eat through a straw for a while.â
âWhy isnât there anything I can do to stop these things…â I choked through breaths. âWhy do these things happen? Aria, and then Ian…â
âPlease, Lenn,â Charsi said, her voice dancing on the words even as she quivered. âIan and Aria are going to be all right.â
âYeah,â Juni responded. âIanâs strong. And you told us Aria is strong, too.â
âThatâs right,â said Aaronâs voice above me. âIanâs tough, heâll get better fast. Eliza called me last night and told me about your wife. Iâm gonna help you search for Aria, too.â
âAnd me!â Chris said. âCamping will be fun!â
âWeâre not just going camping,â Aaron pointed out. âWeâll be doing a lot of hiking. You canât complain.â
âIâll just climb on your back and you can carry me!â
âItâs more like youâre going to be carrying one of them,â Aaron said, no doubt pointing at Charsi and Juni. The Iatili kids fell silent, and I wiped my tears away in time to see the terrified looks on their faces.
âPlease donât be afraid of them, Jun, Sisi,â I said, my voice wobbly. âTheyâre very good boys. Theyâll listen to you.â
âUh-huh,â Aaron said, and Chris nodded along with him.
âBut Chris and Aaron,â I said, sniffing. âNo touching them, okay? You can poke me, but theyâre off-limits unless they say you can. All right?â
âPromise.â Aaron whispered.
âIâm sorry,â Chris said, releasing my foot. âI wonât.â
âItâs okay, Iâm not mad. Iâm just telling.â
âAunt Catherine wanted us to come see if you needed anything,â Aaron said. âShe said to tell you she didnât mean to leave so quick and scare you. If you want, we can stay the night and make sure you donât get lonely.â
I looked at Juni and Charsi. I knew Charsi wanted very badly to shake her head, but I said:
âWhat about school? What about your parents?â
âAunt Catherine was tricky,â Aaron said with a grin. âShe said she wanted someone to watch the house and clean while they were taking care of Ian, and Mom said yes as long as we promised to call her when we got here. She said we could both take a sick day. I knew exactly what Aunt Catherine was talking about.â
âI did too!â
âYou did not,â Aaron grinned. âYou said you were gonna miss coloring tomorrow.â
âWell, I am. I just didnât think about Lenn.â
âUh-huh.â
âLenn, Iâm scaredâŚâ Charsi whispered as quietly as she could, holding onto my arm.
Juni said nothing, but partially hid behind my back.
I tightened my lips and looked at the two Iatvi above me.
âAaron, Chris, can you⌠lay down?â I asked. âJust in front of us, so youâre not quite so big.â
âYeah.â
âUh-huh!â
They did so, and soon two boys with faces as large and cheery as the full moon huddled around us, Aaronâs head laying upon his arms and Chrisâs supported by his playful hands. I began to struggle to my feet when a bright set of pale fingers offered themselves to me. Juni switched sides to stand behind Charsi, and Charsi let out a small gasp.
âThank you, Chris,â I said, leaning my arm upon his fingertips. My voice cracked; the thought of seeing Ian with metal holding his bones together shook me to my core. Once on my feet, both Aaron and Chris handed me a crutch and I propped myself up. âThanks.â
âYup.â
âYup!â
âDid Eliza tell you about these two?â I asked Charsi at my side. She looked at Aaron in slight panic and nodded.
âSh-she said they were small,â Juni said.
âThey are kani,â I said with a pathetic laugh. âRemember how big James is?â
âKani⌠Little boys?â Aaron asked.
I offered the boy a smile.
âThatâs right. Although I do remember that Chris is âgreat-bigâ to me.â
âUh-huh,â Chris said. A single finger hovered towards me, and before I could lean on my crutch and wave it away, it touched the top of my head and fluffed my messy hair.
âAlthough⌠I look up at you when I do this.â
His head fell to the carpet and turned sideways. Out of a single eye, he did indeed look ‘up’ at me with a grin.
âSo Ian is going to be okay?â I asked Aaron. âI mean⌠Is there anything I can do?â
Aaron thought for a moment.
âWell, we canât bring you to the hospital. And you canât⌠Wait, yes you can!â
He bent himself sideways and produced something from his pocket. He placed it on the floor before the three of us Iatili. it was a phone⌠but a very strange one. Unlike Ianâs, this phone had a hinge and folded open to reveal a keypad of numbers and a small screen.
âLetâs call Aunt Catherine,â he said, taking it in his hand and pressing a number of click-clackety keys. âWe can see if Ian is awake.â
âYes, please,â I whispered.
Aaron pressed a few more buttons, then placed the phone on the floor. It began letting off an electronic buzzing noise, on and off, on and off⌠Then, we all heard a click and slight muffle.
âHello?â
âHi Aunt Catherine,â Aaron said cheerfully. âIs-â
âHi Aunt Catherine!â Chris echoed, leaning towards the phone.
âUm,â Aaron mumbled, shoving his younger brother aside. âHow is Ian doing?â
âHeâs doing all right,â Catherineâs voice said through the phone, now sounding much calmer than hours before. âHeâs awake. But heâs very tired from the pain medicine the nurse gave him. Iâm not sure he can talk just yet.â
âThatâs okay. Iâm at your house, and Lenn and the little kids wanted to see how Ian is. Theyâre on the speaker now.â
âOh good,â Catherine said. âHello everyone! Are you doing all right?â
Aaron pushed the phone towards us. I could not see Catherine, but I could hear her. I much preferred face-to-face communication; I still donât like phones to this very day.
âWe⌠weâre fine,â I said out loud. âPlease tell me Ian is going to be okayâŚâ
âDonât you worry, Lenn,â she said, her voice muffled with a bit of static. âHis surgery went just fine. Heâs resting now.â
âWhy would someone do this to Ian?â I asked.
âYeah,â Charsi asked. âWhy Ian?â
Catherineâs voice remained silent for a moment.
âI donât know. James and I are trying to figure that out. The school called the police when they called us. They told us they had to gather evidence of the incident, prove if the other boy did it on purposeâŚâ
On the other end of the call, I heard something whispered to Catherine in a very uncharacteristic tone:
âOf course he did it on purpose. The school has done nothing to protect Ian all yearâŚâ
It sounded like James.
âJames, tell me this kamadan is going to be punished,â I said.
I didnât see their reactions, but Juni said âsiaâ under his breath and Charsi made a positive hum.
âHeâs teased Ian since the first grade,â said Jamesâs distant voice. âHe has punched him, kicked him⌠and the school did nothing. Iâve talked with his parents, but that didnât solve anything. Now that little shit almost killed my sonâŚâ
âJames!â Catherine hissed.
Aaron and Chrisâs faces burst into shock, and so did mine. Iâd never heard James angry before. It made my temper flare along with his.
âIan shouldnât ever see this boy again,â I said. âThis boy should be locked up forever.â
âIs there any way to make him go away?â Charsi asked.
âThe police took the boy from the school,â Catherine said. âBut it depends on what they find if theyâll do anything.â
âDonât worry, Lenn,â James said, his voice solid as stone. âThis isnât happening again, and Iâm going to make sure of it.â
âPlease, letâs not talk about this now,â Catherine said, no doubt trying to calm her husband and I. âRight now itâs time to make sure Ian rests and gets better. Itâs going to take a few weeks for Ianâs pain and swelling to go away, and many weeks after that for everything to heal. Letâs just be there for him.â
âBut if we donât jump on this now, this kid and the school are going to get away with everything theyâve-â
âI know, hun, I knowâŚâ Catherine said to James.
Then a mumbling sound came from the phoneâs speaker, and though it sounded as rough as my own voice, I recognized it.
âIan!â I shouted, as if my voice could reach further through the phone if I yelled loud enough. Charsi and Juni leaned in closer to me.
âIan, honey,â Catherine said, and we heard a muffle. After a quick second of waiting, a youthful moan came through. It had the semblance of a word, but I didnât catch it. Another moan emerged, and it sounded like: â…ehnnn.â
âIan, can you hear me?â I asked, unable to lean much further with my legs splayed out as they were in front of me. âIan, donât talk! Youâll hurt yourself!â
â…ehnnn,â said Ianâs gravel voice again. âAhh⌠orrry.â
I glared.
âNo, Ian, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. None of this is your fault. Weâre all safe, itâs you weâre worried about.â
âYeah, Ian!â Juni said behind me. âWe want you to get better!â
âYeah!â shouted Chris and Charsi at the same time.
On the other end, there was silence from Ian. Catherineâs voice was delicate.
âItâs okay, Ian, itâs okay. Donât cry, you shouldnât move your face too muchâŚâ
â…ehnnn,â said Ian again. âEhh⌠Ehhve ouu.â
The sounds didnât make sense.
âWhat did he say?â asked Charsi.
âIâm not sure,â I said. I looked at Aaron and Chris, and they both shrugged.
It was quiet for a moment more. A few muffles came from the phone.
âI think he said he loves you, Lenn,â Catherine said. âHe just nodded.â
I sat stunned for a moment and looked at the floor. Then a small smile appeared on my face.
âSilly kani,â I whispered. Aaron grinned, and Chris gave a small giggle. âCatherine, tell him⌠that I love him too. I donât know how, but Iâm going to take care of him the way he took care of me.â
I heard two moans that sounded like someone humming.
âHe heard you,â Catherine said brightly. âSounds like Ian loves his big brother.â
All of the kids chuckjed, and I did too.
âCall us when Ian gets to come home,â Aaron said. âWeâll clean his room and get everything ready for him.â
Chris eyed Aaron and made a âsp-p-pâ sound with his tongue.
âIâll help too, except for Ianâs socks. And his underwear. He can pick them up himself.â
âJust so you know,â Catherine said, delighted. âIanâs trying very hard not to laugh!â
The two Iatvi boys didnât exactly have a good place for both of them to sleep. Aaron did get the couch in the living room while Chris took the floor. Or, he would have taken it, had he not had the brightest idea in the world (according to him): he would sleep on the floor in the guest room. Charsi and Juni thought the idea absolutely horrifying, and Chris refused to sleep in the living room like a decent kid. I hardly had the power to make him, of course, and neither did Aaron, no matter how insistent he was. But I didnât want to make this argument more contentious than it had to be. So, in order to satisfy everyone, I relented and agreed that I would also sleep on the ground as a âwarningâ if Chris were to wake during the night and scare everyone. Naturally, as Aaron arranged my bedding on the floor near the door, Chris scuttled right up close, placing his pillow right beside me. Aaron scolded him and shooed him away. Reluctantly, he set himself up below me instead. That didnât stop him from reaching out for me once the lights turned off, nearly wrapping his hand around my leg. It was my turn to scold him. At last, he listened to me, and fell asleep with his hand above his head.
When sunlight came through the window the next morning, I was the first to rise. Just to tease Chris the way he teased me, I stretched and limped over to Chrisâs arm. Just as I had practiced with Ian, I traced my finger across his skin until he zipped with his other hand to scratch. I didnât stop. Three or four more times, I tickled and he scratched. Finally, he swatted at me, and I fell backwards into the soft carpet. He opened his eyes, and although obviously sleep-drunk, he recognized me and giggled with an enormous yawn.
âHi,â he whispered.
âTired, kani?â
âNope,â he said, his voice full of repulsive morning breath.
âYes you are.â I told him, giving a yawn of my own. âBecause I am.â
âMaybe a little,â he said, closing his eyes.
He didnât reach for me, exactly. Instead, he tried to be clever, and placed his hand palm down very, very close. Then, with his pinky, he bent it sideways under my right foot and bent my toes back.
âSo,â I said, deciding not to complain. âYou havenât told your mom or dad about us, right?â
âNuh-uh,â he said, opening his eyes. He paused for a moment. âBut I do pretend to play with a little person. I donât say your name, though.â
Without showing emotion, I cringed.
âYou do? What does your mom think about that?â
âShe just laughs at me. Aaron yells at me about it. In secret, though.â
âMaybe you shouldnât do that,â I said. âThat might be a little dangerous for us.â
âBut she says Iâm just pretending, and I am. She doesnât know.â
âHmm.â
âI like to pretend that I live with a little person, and I built a house out of legos for him to live in.â
âYeah?â
Chris nodded, quite serious.
âAnd I give him food and water, and never put him in a box.â
âJust like I said, right?â I grinned.
âYup, just like you said.â
âDoes this âlittle personâ have a name?â
Chris looked away.
âNo,â he said. âI donât know a good one.â
âThatâs okay. As long as you pretend in secret, maybe it wonât be so bad. Just donât tell your parents the truth, right?â
âRight,â Chris said with a nod. He yawned again, and I think I saw all the way down to his stomach.
âAre you gonna go back to sleep?â I asked him, standing up. âWe donât want to wake up Charsi and Juni, do we?â
Chris shook his head.
âNope,â he said, rolling over onto his side. âCan I come play with you?â
âI wasnât planning on playing,â I said with a chuckle. âI was writing down notes on how to help Juni speak English. But since I donât really have my old papers, this is difficult. Remembering everything is hard.â
Chris didnât say anything.
âBut there are building blocks in Ianâs room. Maybe you can play while I work. Does that sound good?â
âYeah, and I can build a house for you.â
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.
âYou think so?â
âAnd it will have lots of rooms, and a place for you to sleep!â
Then I held my finger to my lips, and Chris made an âoopsâ, covering his mouth. I folded my arms and grinned.
âIâll head to the bathroom first and meet you in Ianâs room. Letâs stay quiet until we get there, yeah?â
âOkay!â
Chris burst from his blanket, tossing it towards the wall and standing by the door. He waited for me as patiently as a little kid can while I grabbed my crutches and followed after him.
Chris waited beside the bathroom until I finished (believe it or not), and together we entered Ianâs chilly room. Before I could stop him, Chris kneeled down and disassembled Juni and Charsiâs little hovel, using it to begin construction on his own masterpiece. I intended to go right back to writing, but Chris asked me to wait so he could measure me according to brick sizes. Chrisâs enthusiasm remained upbeat, but when he realized that I was probably too tall for the size and scope of his project compared to the amount of legos he had at his disposal, he looked pensive.
âMaybe itâll be a little house,â he said.
âDo you have a lot more legos at your home?â
âUh-huh,â he answered, connecting brick to brick. âAnd theyâre not these weird ones.â
He picked up one that looked like a solid yellow spring, and tossed it back into the bucket in disgust.
For an hour, I wrote down everything I could squeeze out of my brain from the lessons I had put together at the village while Chris played in front of me. Aaron then sleepily entered the room, greeted me, and sat beside me while he summoned the energy to stay awake. His red hair flew in every direction but decent.
âHi sleepyhead,â I told him.
âHmm-hmm,â he mumbled with an exhausted face, his blanket draped around him like a grand robe.
âEven though you wake up at 7:45 every morning, youâre still this tired after sleeping in?â
Aaron nodded, his eyes closed.
âItâs because school doesnât give us enough sleep that I have to catch up.â
âWhat about a nap after school?â
He shook his head.
âI never wanna. When I wake up, itâs already night.â
âSure. Oh, sorry, Aaron⌠But do you think we could call Catherine again to see when Ian is coming home?â
âOh. Uh-huh.â
Aaron rose back up, his blanket a thick blue-and-purple curtain stretching into the sky. As he exited the door and turned the corner, a pair of sharp shouts echoed through the hallway.
âOh! Sorry!â
From my point of view, Aaron did his best to lift his blanket from the floor like a ballgown, stepping around the very corner of the door against the wall. Aaronâs blanket slid, and the electronic bug repeller clattered out of the outlet to the carpet.
âOops!â
âCharsi! Juni!â I said from beneath Ianâs desk.
âAre you all right?â I heard Aaron ask. âI didnât hurt you, did-â
âGo away!â Juni shouted. âGo away! Youâre scaring my sister!â
âIâm sorry! I didnât mean it!â
âJust leave us alone! DonâtâŚ! Ah! No! No!â
âItâs okay, itâs okay!â
All was not okay. In returned a shirtless Aaron, bereft of his blanket, holding two doll-sized figures in his closed hands. Aaron kneeled down as fast as he dared and released the kids onto the carpet in front of me. Juni tripped, tumbling over and over. Charsi flew into my lap, crinkling the notes I was keeping. In a flash, they both scrambled behind me, shivering and trying their best to hide. Charsi was already crying.
âAaron,â I growled, keeping my temper down for just a moment. âIs your last name Petersen?â
âUmâŚâ Aaronâs eyes were wide. â…yes?â
I gave him the nastiest expression I could muster.
âAaron Petersen!â I shouted, pointing at him. âYou know better than that! I told you not to touch them without their permission! You scared them to death!â
âI know, Iâm⌠Iâm sorry! I didnâtâŚ! I mean, I wasnât gonna-â
âAaron, donât be a butthead!â Chris shouted, also pointing at him.
Aaron swirled around, anger flashing on his face.
âIâm not a butthead, stupid!â
âIâm telling Mom you called me stupid!!â
He raised his fist and threatened to hit his brother.
âIf you do, Iâm gonna pound you!â
âNo youâre not, Butthead! Sheâll ground you!â
âDonât call me a butthead!!â
Their sudden argument became louder, and their fight was only a few inches away. Juni clutched my arm tightly as Charsi trembled with her face covered. As the only adult in the room⌠I had to do something. Although the Iatili behind me held me back, I stood to my feet, taking my crutches in arm.
âAaron, listen-â
âI hate it when you call me that, and you know it!â
âButthead, butthead!â Chris sung. âI donât have to listen to you!â
âChris, stop-â
âYes you do, shithead! Iâm in charge!!â
âIâm telling Dad you said a swear word!!â
âHey, kani!! Stop!!â
Iâm unsure why I was walking towards them, as if I had any control to pull the two giants apart. Aaron grabbed Chrisâs shirt.
âLet me go!â Chris shouted. âLeggo!â
Chris shoved Aaron backwards. Aaronâs balance leaned… And like a mountainous tower collapsing under its own weight, the boy fell down and down… And I was very in the way.
Iâm unsure why I didnât just panic. Maybe I was too tired that my reflexes werenât tuned properly. Maybe I was in teacher mode; I pulled fighting students apart so many times, it didnât fill me with adrenaline anymore, even when these particular children could have turned me into paste. But either way, no, I didnât move, and I felt the weight of a two-ton boyâs heel come down over my left shoulder. I toppled over as surely as Aaron did, fully expecting his heel to grind me into the carpet and leave nothing but a red stain. But part of me must have snapped out of it in that split second as I peeled sideways.
Now on my back, I lay stunned and confused as to why my arm was quickly losing circulation. I looked, and the great foot had pinned my crutch against my appendage.
Charsi screamed.
âAaronâŚâ I growled, not loud enough.
âGet off of him!!â Juni shouted. âIatvi, get off! Youâre hurting him!â
Aaron, a bit dazed, had no idea where I was, and moved everything except his foot in a desperate attempt to search for me. Finally, the pressure lifted, and I could move my arm again. The wound beneath my bandage cried for mercy, but I didnât feel like anything had been irreparably damaged.
âLenn!â Aaron shouted, spinning around and kneeling over me. âLenn, Lenn Lenn, no no no⌠I didnât smash you, did I? Are you all right? Please be all right!â
âIâm f-fine,â I replied, turning over. As I did, and as I lifted my crutch up with me, something snapped off. I looked, and the entire lower half of the crutch had been bent with the lower bar now on the floor; where the screws and bolts were, I had no clue. âOh. Good.â
âNo, Lenn! Iâm sorry! I didnât mean to! I didnât mean to do any of it! It was Chris!â
âNo it wasnât!â
I felt Aaronâs hands wrap around me, setting me onto my feet. I wobbled.
âAaron, Chris,â I said deeply, looking up at the boyâs face with a glare. âGo to the front room. Now.â
I turned to Juni.
âTake Charsi to the guest room after us. Iâll be there in a minute.â
Juni nodded as the little girl continued to sob and shiver against his arm. Aaronâs hands pressed into the carpet before me, recapturing my attention.
âB-But-â
âIâm sorry too, Lenn, I didnât-â
âOut in the front room! Both of you!â
Looking back now, I must have looked like a mouse commanding a pair of wolves to march. But both Iatvi boys obeyed me immediately, stepping out of the room with their shoulders hung low and their voices silent. I slowly crutched out of the room after them, and reached the front room with frustration; my right leg was mighty compared to the other, but that didnât mean it was prepared to resume life without support. I didnât have to tell them to, but as I entered the chilly open space of the front room, they both sat on the floor right next to each other. As I came into view around the wall:
âIâm sorry,â Aaron whispered. âI didnât mean to break your crutch! Chris pushed me-â
âI did not!â
âJust⌠stop.â I growled. My breathing grew heavy as I rounded the last banister, passed the threshold of the stairs, and leaned against the last banister before the boys. âStop. Donât tell me youâre sorry. You could have injured me badly, Aaron, but you didnât, so I forgive you. Ian learned the same lesson. But you scared Charsi and Juni so much that they probably wonât ever trust you. What made you fight like that? Donât tell me you yell at each other like that often.â
Aaron looked away, coincidentally beyond the banisters. I turned to look with him, and saw Juni and Charsi pass by in a flash until they disappeared into the far room.
âAnswer me,â I said, snapping my fingers and looking at both boys. âWhy did you fight like that in front of us?â
âI didnât mean to!â Chris whined. âI just⌠do it.â
âMe too,â Aaron agreed softly, rubbing his hands together. âI dunnoâŚâ
âAaron, why did you disobey me and touch Juni and Charsi when I specifically told you not to?â
âThe⌠the blanket was covering them, and I was making it worse, so I⌠I dunno, I tried to help, but…â
âChris. Why did you make Aaron so mad?â
Chris mimicked his brother.
âI dunnoâŚâ
âIâm not trying to boss you around. But your excuses arenât good enough.â I folded my arms. âYouâre bigger than us Iatili,â I said. âDo you think you should be our protectors? Or are we just toys to you?â
âYouâre not a toy,â Aaron said.
âYouâre not,â Chris said at the same time.
âSo what about Charsi and Juni? Are they pets or people?â
âPeople,â both boys responded.
âTheyâre afraid of you. And I was very afraid of you when you saved me, remember? So what are you going to do to gain their trust back after scaring them like that?â
Both boys looked at the ground, appearing to think.
âMaybe I could just⌠talk to them. Really quietly. Apologize too.â
I nodded at Aaron.
âOkay. What about you, Chris?â
He paused for a moment more, and then perked up.
âI could bring them some candy from my house.â
Aaron looked in Chrisâs direction for a moment, then thought twice about something.
âAaronâŚâ I gruffed.
â…what?â
âDonât think I didnât notice that. You donât think Chrisâs idea is a good one?â
âHmm,â he said with a shrug.
I sighed.
âBe patient with your brother, Aaron. Heâs learning, just like you are. And you know what I think? I think his idea is a good one. When I came to live here, your Uncle James and Aunt Catherine gave me the most delicious dinner Iâve ever had. It made me trust them a lot. Food is a good way to get to know someone.â
âReally?â
âYep, it is.â
âDoes Charsi like chocolate?â Chris asked.
âIâm not sure,â I replied. âBut I sure do. Letâs try it.â
âOkay,â he said. âI will.â
âAnd you can talk to Charsi, Aaron? What will you talk about? Besides apologizing.â
Aaron pursed his lips.
âHmm…â
âWhat if you talked to her about how she met Eliza, and what she does everyday? And then you can tell her about what you like to do.â
âCan I talk to her now?â
I shook my head.
âNo, not right now. I need to talk to her first, see what she thinks about this. Itâs all up to her, okay?â
Both boys nodded again. I might have left it at that, but I think the inner teacher came out of me. Or maybe I had become more than that in the last few months.
I sighed.
âYou are brothers,â I said, limping forwards. Aaron couldnât resist sitting up onto his hands and knees and reaching out for me; as I came into range, I leaned against his hand as I continued walking. âI may not have much experience being an older brother, but Iâm not excited to see Ian when he comes home in pain. What if one of you got hurt like Ian did? Would you fight then?â
Aaron and Chris both shook their heads.
âYou want to be brothers in a family forever like you say, right?â
They both nodded.
âSo,â I said, sitting to the floor. âWhat are you going to do to make sure that happens?â
They were both silent for a moment.
âNot fight,â Aaron replied.
Chris nodded in agreement.
âSure, you can promise that. But do you think you never will again?â
Aaron shook his head, and Chris looked at him.
âIn good Iatili families, every family member has a title given to them as a child that tells everyone else what kind of person they are. If youâre very peaceful and quiet, part of your name could be ura, quiet. If youâre known for your kindness, you could be called adi. If you defend your family from danger, your name could include inde, or protect. Aaron, you are the older brother. Do you agree that you should be Chrisâs inde? Protector?â
âYeah.â
âChris?â I said, looking at the boy. âYouâre the younger brother. Do you agree that you should be kind to Aaron – adi – and help him keep your family safe?â
Chris nodded just as quickly.
âAnd what do you think,â I said. âAre Juni, Charsi, and I part of your family now?â
âYeah,â both boys said with enthusiasm.
âSo what are you going to do?â I asked them. âNow you know who you are, you tell me what you plan to do.â
âIâll protect you,â Aaron said with quiet confidence. âAnd Juni and Charsi. And Chris too. No matter what tries to hurt you.â
âAnd Iâm adi? So⌠Iâm supposed to be nice to you and everybody?â Chris asked.
âThose are better promises, donât you think?â
âUh-huh, I can do that,â Aaron said.
âMe too,â Chris said with an emphatic nod.
âGood,â I said. âI hope so. Iâll go talk to Charsi, and then we can make Ianâs room ready for him. Aaron, would you call Catherine, see how soon Ian is coming home?
âYeah, I will,â the boy said. âUm⌠do you need help getting to the guest room, with just one crutch?â
âIf you help me get to my feet, I can make it. Go ahead, and Iâll be back.â
âI want to go home.â
Sitting with Charsi beside me and Juni in front, I folded my arms; I had expected this request.
âI suppose you can,â I told her, bending my legs as normally as possible. âIâll bet Catherine could take you. But it would be awful lonely for you there.â
âI donât want to go,â Juni said.
My eyebrows raised at the young man before me.
âReally? I didnât expect that from you.â
âIâm like Xande,â Juni said with a confident grin. âIt will take more than a couple of Iatvi babies to scare me away.â
âBut theyâre monsters,â Charsi said quietly, wiping the tears from her red eyes. âThey yell so loudly, and I hate being picked up like that⌠I thought the boy was going to throw me.â
âHe did.â Juni scowled. âHe threw you into Lennâs lap. If he had hurt you, Sisi, I would have found something sharp and hurt him right back.â
âYes, and revenge would have been very productive,â I said sarcastically.
âI donât understand you, Lenn. The boy nearly kills you, and all you do is give him a lecture. And he destroys your crutch, and you donât even seem angry.â
I shrugged.
âI donât get mad easily,â I said. âI never have. And youâre right about one thing: those boys are just babies. What would you do? Yell and shout at them, insult them, and make them hate you? You never have to worry about getting mad at Eliza, because I imagine she forgives just as easily as I do. But little boys donât forgive easy, and they donât forget.â
Juni frowned.
âForgive? What do you mean? They should be apologizing to us, not the other way around.â
âAnd they are. Think, Juni. Weâre alive because of the Iatvi. At least itâs that way for me. That doesnât mean Ian and Catherine and James⌠and, yes, Chris and Aaron… it doesnât mean they arenât wonderful people. But the moment I forget that I owe all of them my life and take it for granted is when Iâll stop deserving their help.â
I rested my hand on my chin.
âHa, not that I deserve it anyway. If I start bossing the boys around and donât make peace with them⌠Well, thereâs little reason for them to keep me safe and secret.â
âThat’s why it scares me,â Charsi said, drawing her legs close. âThey know about us now. They can do whatever they want to us.â
âBut they shouldnât,â I said, looking at Charsi then Juni. âAnd they’re learning that. Aaron and Chris have only visited me a few times, so they donât quite understand what I am. What we are. Especially Chris. If I donât give him enough direction, he starts treating me like I’m some kind of fluffy pet. Thatâs why you have to be the one in charge.â
Charsi sniffed and looked my way.
âIâm not used to being in charge. Juni and Xande boss me around. Only Eliza does things for me.â
âHey, thatâs not true!â Juni said, folding his arms. âI do things for you a lot.â
âYou like Ian, though,â I said. âDonât you?â
Charsi shrugged.
âI donât know yet.â
âWell, remember what Eliza told you. If you get too scared of the big boys, you can always spend time with Catherine or with me. I just donât want you to be alone.â
âAnd Xande probably isnât home anyway,â Juni said. âWhen he gets mad, he disappears for a long time. And he was very mad.â
Charsi remained silent, contemplating as tears fell down her cheeks. I placed my hand on her shoulder.
âCan you wait until Ian and Catherine come home? Then you can decide.â
Again, she said nothing, watching her lap. Juni looked at me with unsure eyes, and I looked back at him.
âI need to go watch the boys,â I said in English. âThey can clean on their own, of course, but theyâll come pop their heads in here if I donât keep them out. And I think you both have had your scare for the day.â
Here’s another example of my writing not being for anybody but me. My faith is important to me; would you keep it away from children that came into your care? In a case like this, how would it work at all? I contemplated on the idea of Lenn returning to the village to teach the gospel to his fellow Iatili, but I thought he would be too skeptical.
The kids, on the other hand, would have taught by Eliza. With two years of living with her, how could they not? Xande would be just as skeptical, of course, perhaps more so. I still think faith in family is more important than no faith at all.
That night, now that the frightening ice had been broken between everyone, the three kids and I relaxed together in Ianâs room. Instead of cartoons, we watched some fascinating show on the television about vehicles called âsports carsâ that raced along on black roads at alarming speeds; the drivers wore helmets, certainly, but if they crashed, I questioned whether they would survive at all.
Charsi and I sat beside each other next to the edge of Ianâs bed as Ian lay on his stomach with his head resting on his arms. Every so often, I would look over at Charsi; she seemed a bit bored of the television show (I could only imagine since sheâd had two years of experience watching such boyish things). But she would look at me with a small smile, and every so often share glances with Ian when the Iatvi boy âwowedâ at the spectacle on the screen. Juni, on the other hand, once again stretched out over Ianâs shoulder, mirroring Ianâs own position and acting just as mesmerized by the action. When the advertisements for fancy cars, restaurants, and power tools came on, Juni would stand to his feet, wobbling to balance on the bony shoulder, and hold Ianâs hair to remain in place. When Juni did this, Ian gently rocked his head side-to-side, and Juni would make funny noises, telling Ian: âVe mani! Stay still!â The third time, Ian grabbed Juni around his middle as if to hoist the Iatili boy up and away, but he did this just to make Juni shout. I almost scolded him, but when Ian laughed and let Juni go, Juniâs fear evaporated and he laughed right back.
Just before the show ended, we all heard a knock on the door. The kids froze, but Ian and I waved as Catherine stuck her head into the bedroom. A wide smile appeared on her face.
âLook at you allâŚâ she gasped, placing a hand to her cheek. âYou are so adorable together! Is everything okay in here?â
âYeah, Mom, weâre good,â Ian said.
âThatâs because Ian hasnât gotten into trouble yet,â I replied, shooting a glance at him.
âHah hah.â
âAunt Catherine?â Juni asked. I grinned. She was already ‘Aunt Catherine’. âYoduis kia noordi?â
âMine too?â Charsi peeped.
Catherine paused.
âWhat does that mean?â
âEh, finished, complete,â I translated. âAre their clothes done?â
âOh, right. Sorry, kids, Iâm not quite that fast. It might take me a few days to make them perfect. Is that all right?â
âUh-huh,â both kids said.
âWhere are we going to set you up to sleep?â she asked us.
âThey can sleep in the guest room with me,â I said.
âOr I can make a place for them here in my room,â Ian added. âWhat do you guys think?â
Juni hummed, and Charsi looked around her with unsure concern.
âIt stays pretty warm in here,â I said, patting Ianâs bed. âThe guest room gets a bit chilly during the night. But Ian snores, so Iâm not sure which one you want.â
âI do?â
âYou sure do,â I replied with a grin.
âAngia lai eilir unlo,â Juni said, patting Ianâs neck. Heâd taken to the Iatvi boy with incredible confidence. âVah ehr sulm, Ian?â
âEnglish, Juni,â I said.
âOh. Um⌠Is it okay… if I sleep? In here?â
âItâs fine with me,â Ian said, patting the entire upper half of the Iatili boy.
âCan I sleep in the guest room? With Lenn?â Charsi asked.
âCertainly,â Catherine said.
âI donât snore,â I whispered, leaning over to her and holding my hand over my mouth. âEhh, much.â
Charsi grinned.
âWendah Juni.â
Juni does.
âNuh-uh! Neh wendia!â
âSia, wendah!â
âNeh vah dakasi!â
âOkay, kalkani, no more Iatnasi. Eliza may know what youâre saying, but Ian and Catherine donât.â
âOkay,â Charsi said, a bit down. âSorry.â
âSia, dev.â Juni said. I gave him a look. âUm, y-yes, sorry.â
âDonât be sad,â Catherine said. âIf you teach us, weâll be able to understand you better. We can help with English if you help us with your language. Okay?â
âIatnasi,â Ian said to his mother. âItâs called Iatnasi.â
âIatnasi,â Catherine repeated. âI hope Iâll remember.â
Catherine turned her head to look at someone else behind her, then stepped into the room and took a seat in the chair. Another figure then entered the room, and this made Charsi hide behind me and Juni drop off of Ianâs shoulder to join his sister.
âHi Dad,â Ian said with a wave.
âHey,â I said, patting their shoulders to get their attention away from their fear. âThis is James, Ianâs father. Heâs the doctor whoâs been helping me recover.â
âHello everyone,â James said quietly, kneeling down next to his wife.
âDonât be afraid,â Ian said, patting Juniâs back with two fingers. âHe wonât hurt you.â
âThatâs right,â I added, and Charsi looked up at me. âHeâs the kindest Iatvi Iâve ever met.â
âWell, serdi, Lenn, ladalia.â James said with a grin. âDid I say it right? âI tryâ?â
âYup,â I said.
The two kids looked up towards him.
âHey, youâre learning, too,â Ian said.
âUnfortunately, thatâs about the extent of my Iatnasi,â James said. âPerhaps I could pay Lenn to write a language guide. Iâm sure I could find a keyboard small enough for him to use.â
I frowned.
âKeyboard? Whatâs that? For a phone?â
âFor typing on a computer,â James said. âOh, Ian, youâre slacking, all this time and you havenât shown him the computer yet?â
âIâm going to show him when I write my history paper. Iâve got lots of good info.â
âSorry, James,â I said, holding Charsiâs hand. âIntroductions? This is Charsi, and this is Juni. Theyâre both great kids.â
Juni and Charsi both gave timid waves.
âNice to meet you, Juni. And Charsi. Iâm sorry I didnât come say hello earlier, I didnât want to scare you with everything else going on. Are you settling in? Have Ian and Lenn been treating you okay?â
âI donât know,â I said with a smile, looking at the two. âHow are we doing?â
Charsiâs expression stayed nervous, but she offered a nod as she looked up at me. Juni looked back at Ian.
âI only scared them a little bit,â Ian said. âBut weâre friends now.â
âYeah,â Juni said. âIanâs fun.â
âIâm only kinda fun today, though,â Ian continued. âIâve had homework. We only barely got to watch something interesting.â
âAnd Lenn is nice like Catherine and Eliza,â Charsi said. âUm. And Ian, too.â
âThanks Sisi,â I said with a grin. She smiled back.
âWell, I wouldnât expect less from either of them.â James wiped an eye. âI havenât been very fun today, either. I work too hard.â
âBut if you didnât,â I said. âYou wouldnât have all these wonderful things and be able to raise a family. Itâs like I told you and Catherine: I donât know if thereâs any work I could do to repay you for keeping me alive. And Eliza does the same for Charsi and Juni. Your work is important, you care for other people, like you care for me.â
âBut work is just work, Lenn,â James told me. âIt puts food on the table, but it keeps me away from Catherine and Ian. And family is the most important thing, isnât it? I have to remind myself of that every day.â
He grinned.
âThatâs why we have to find Aria.â
Iâll admit, he surprised me.
âYou mean⌠you really want us to be here? Aria and I, and our childâŚ?â
âAbsolutely,â James said. âThat is, unless you have other plans. We would never force it upon you.â
âNo, weâŚâ I swallowed. âWe donât have any plans⌠we never had a plan at all. Thatâs why I feel so guilty-â
âNuh-uh, Lenn,â Ian said, reaching over Charsi. His thumb pressed against my back, his index finger pressed upon my chest, and he gently shook me back and forth. âNo âguiltyâ. I want you to live here. And I want to be an uncle.â
I put on the strangest face I could and looked at the boy, pushing his finger off of me.
âSeriously? Thatâs what you want? I think youâre stretching the definition of âfamilyâ here.â
Ianâs smile grew wide.
âI donât think so,â he said with sincerity.
âWhatever we would be,â Catherine said. âWe want to offer you a place here. Of course, it depends on Aria as well. Weâll find her, and you can make your decision together.â
I told them about my dream. It was a short dream, but something I wonât forget for the rest of my life. I described it as clearly as I could, as if I had been back in the school with you. I described life with you to everyone, from our frustrating arguments to our special moments together. Had you been there (and I wish you had been at that moment), you would have blushed and told them all about my dumb ideas and silly habits that drove you crazy just to even the field. Looking back, I know I was wishing for another miracle. Another Iatvi miracle. None of this mattered at all if I couldnât find you.
âThat settles it,â James said. âI think your plan to start hiking is a good one, at least as a start. And Ian, your idea isnât too bad⌠although I donât think heat vision is something we can afford. What I can do, though, is ask Robert Benson if I can borrow his night-vision binoculars. Heâs a friend of mine, and he goes hunting for elk every season.â
I had no clue what tool a Iatvi would use to bring down an animal so large, but I figured I could ask that question later.
âWhat are night-vision… binok-u-lars? Is that how you say it?â I asked.
âYep,â James said. âTheyâre a tool that can help you see far away things as if they were very close, and night-vision makes it possible to use the binoculars even in complete darkness. This may be revealing a lot of information about your people, Lenn, but⌠does your village keep any lights on during the night?â
I thought about it for a moment.
âNot many. We use candles in our homes, but large fires were off-limits. Any smoke would rise into the air and show any Iatvi for miles where we were. The warriors sometimes used electric lights while they patrolled, but they keep them very dim.â
âElectric lights?â Ian asked. âHow?â
âBatteries,â I answered. âStrapped to their backs and wired to a colored bulb. At least, they were colored if the gatherers couldnât find white. Your holiday⌠is it⌠Christ-mas?â
âChristmas, yeah.â
I made a sudden connection.
âYou mean⌠the holiday is about Christ? Jesus?â
âIt certainly is,â James said.
âOh, uh, anyway… â I said, getting back to the point. âThe gatherers would collect electric lights during the summer and store them for use later in the year. If thereâs any way your night-vision⌠bin-ock-u-larsâŚâ
âBinoculars,â Ian said.
âYeah, your night vision binoculars. If there was any way you could see where the village moved, you should look for those lights near the ground at night.â
James pursed his lips.
âIf you had to guess a direction,â he said. âAny direction at all, where would you say your old village is?â
I filled my cheeks with air, and blew it all out with a sigh. I tried to wrap my mind around my week-long journey towards the city, crawling down cliffs, walking through brush, and finally floating down the cold river…
âAs I walked and swam, I⌠I always had the morning sun on my… â
I paused, looking over at Charsi. She watched me patiently, no longer afraid.
â…over my left shoulder. By sundown, it was off to the right. As much as I could, I traveled straight towards town, and even the river aimed right at it⌠for the most part.â
For a moment, James did mental and geographical gymnastics trying to figure out where Iâd come from.
âSo⌠Morning over your left shoulder⌠Behind it, then to the side?â
I nodded. James rotated himself.
âSo you would have been walking⌠southeast? So, northeast. I imagine the âriverâ followed a trail?â James asked.
I nodded again.
âSometimes. I saw quite a few Iatvi cars and trucks, and I did most of my walking at night.â
âCheyenne Creek?â James said, looking at Catherine. âIan, you found him near the clinic, right?â
Ian nodded.
âPretty close, yeah.â
âThis sounds tricky,â Catherine said. âA lot of different streams flow into Cheyenne. If you remember, Lenn, did you live in a very rocky place? Up on the cliffs?â
âYes,â I said. âThe village was up on a pretty high mountain. Water became scarce about a year ago⌠and, I know this may sound silly, but I may as well mention it⌠it became a lot easier to breathe as I floated down the river. I only say it because a lot of the gatherers say the same thing.â
âNo, thatâs good to know,â James said. âSo. High altitude, northwest, up on a mountain.â
âAnd far away from Iatvi trails,â I said.
âWell, itâs the most obvious mountain, then.â
âMount Rosa,â Catherine said with a nod. âThatâs not an easy hike.â
âNo it isnât. Especially if itâs far from established trails.â
âGetting down was the hard part,â I said. âOnce I was off the steep angle and next to the⌠creek? I suppose itâs a river to me⌠but once I was off the mountain and floating, it became much easier.â
âHow long did the âgetting downâ take you?â James asked me.
âA day and a night⌠Although, I could be wrong. I was⌠pretty distracted after⌠everything.â
âI can only imagine,â Catherine said.
Then the crucial detail came to my mind.
âOh, ohâŚâ I said. âI do remember something odd. It wasnât long after I found the river. It was the first time I had to cross a Iatvi trail after the ground became a little flat, and off to my side⌠my left side⌠was a tunnel. It wasnât natural, dug right out of the rock, long enough that I could only see a small light at the other end. I imagined a vehicle driving straight through it, so I hurried as fast as I could further downstream.â
âExcellent,â James said. âNorthwest near Mt. Rosa, next to Cheyenne Creek, at least close enough to a tunnel that we might be able to use that as a starting point. That seems pretty specific to me.â
âFantastic,â Catherine said.
âBut⌠the hard part comes after,â I said, looking down. âOnce we find the old village, whoâs to say we find which direction they went?â
âYou said they were looking for a place with water, far from human roads and trails? Catherineâs right, that might be tricky, considering how popular it is up there for hikers. But it may be as easy as finding the closest water source from where your old village was. Donât you think?â
I sighed.
âI donât know. I never heard what Elder Ordi had in mind, but moving the whole village, with men, women, and children⌠They would have avoided animal trails, or crossed them only at night. If they wanted to, they could be miles away from the village in any direction. But traveling with everyone, carrying everythingâŚâ
âThey wouldnât actually go that far away, right?â Ian said. âIt would be dangerous with animals, or hard to find food.â
I shrugged.
âI just donât know.â
âDonât give up hope right away, Lenn,â Catherine said. âWeâll find them. Weâll use as many tools as we can get our hands on. And with Eliza and all of us, weâll hike up there as often as we can.â
âOh boy,â James said, grinning and stretching his arms. âHiking! Hah, Iâm not young anymore.â
âMe neither,â Catherine admitted with a laugh.
âBut I am!â Ian said. âAnd Eliza is, too!â
âI am, too!â Juni said.
âAnd me,â Charsi added.
Catherine and James both smiled.
âIf we have to go camping, we go camping,â James said.
âCan you take time off work?â Catherine asked.
âIâll have to check my schedule. Iâd say Iâm due for it. Tyler will have to take over for a few days.â
âOr a week,â Catherine said, placing a hand on her husbandâs shoulder.
âOr two weeks?â Ian said.
âOr three!â
Everyone looked at Juni. He withdrew and turned red.
âUm⌠sorry,â he whispered.
âIt sounded good to me,â Ian laughed, patting Juniâs head.
âWhatever it takes,â James said with a sure nod. âRight, Lenn? Whatever it takes to reunite you and Aria.â
I closed my eyes and shook my head.
âThis is⌠unbelievable. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have helpâŚâ
I fell silent.
âItâs what family does,â Ian said. âRight, Dad?â
âYou bet, kiddo,â James said, and James held up his hand in the air above us. Ian leaned forwards and slapped his fatherâs hand in a high five. It made the kids jump, but I looked their way and they didnât appear fearful. In fact, Juni lifted his own hand, and Ian offered his finger for him to hit.
âWeâll make a plan,â Catherine said. âWe might wait until Eliza comes back from her trip, but that will give us time to set everything in order. Iâll call her and let her know whatâs going on.â
âAunt Catherine?â Charsi said. âUm⌠can I talk to Eliza, too?â
âYou sure can,â she said. âDo you want to go right now? See if we can reach her?â
Charsi nodded, and stood up to be raised away.
âWeâll find her, Lenn,â Ian said with a smile. âI know it.â
âVen noviken devi,â I said, looking at Juni and then up at Ian. âSerditol. Youâre all amazing.â
Juni pointed at me.
âNo Iatnasi. Only English.â
âSilly kani,â I growled with a grin on my face. I stuck my tongue out at him and all he did was laugh.
Ianâs family werenât the only ones that had been taught about this ‘gospel’. Apparently, Eliza had been teaching Juni and Charsi about it as well. Much earlier than I would have preferred, Ian knocked on the guest room door and announced to Charsi and I that it was time to have a lesson before the Iatvi went to church. My mind was still fuzzy when I looked at the clock: 7:45 AM. Charsi was also fairly disoriented, but we both obeyed and wandered through the kitchen to Ianâs room.
I crutched over, and expected to see Catherine and James inside. Interestingly, they were not. I asked Ian where they had gone.
âThey went to a teacherâs meeting at church,â he said, taking a seat on his bed next to a sleepy, bare-chested, and hair-tangled Juni. Ian himself still wore his flannel bottoms and a sleeveless shirt. âBut they wanted me to ask you if you wanted to have a quick lesson before I go at nine. That way, you can go back to sleep, and when I come home, we can eat lunch and play.â
âOr write your paper,â I said.
Ianâs shoulders fell.
âOh⌠dang it. I forgot.â
I looked at Charsi, who shivered from the air conditioning in her loose-fitting pajamas.
âI know Iâm complaining,â I said to Ian, yawning. âBut arenât you the one who said itâs a bit early to learn anything?â
Charsi shrugged.
âThis is what Eliza and us do,â she said. âOnly⌠her church is at ten-thirty.â
âAww, lucky,â Ian said, yawning from my infectious example. âI think weâre changing to noon next year. At least, I hope weâre changing to noon next year.â
âI like church,â Charsi said as we walked towards Ian and Juni. âItâs nice to listen to the Iatvi talk about Heavenly Father.â
I frowned, and Ian frowned with me.
âWaitâŚYou go to church? How?â I asked. âEliza doesnât⌠stuff you in her purse, does she?â
âThe green backpack,â Juni said. âItâs comfy⌠unless itâs really hot. Eliza lets us bring bread and water so we can pretend to take the sacrament.â
âReally?â Ian said, his eyes all lit up. âThatâs so cool. But⌠how do you bring water? You donât have tiny cups, do you?â
Juni pointed over to Ianâs bedside table.
âMy bag?â
âSure,â Ian said, leaning forward and reaching clear over Juni. He picked up the plastic bag in his hand and set it next to the boy, who then crawled inside to grab a grey fabric satchel. Unfastening the front flap from the single blue pearlescent button, he opened and rummaged through it until he produced the smallest glass bottle Iâd ever seen. Topped off with a cork, Juni could easily hold it with both hands. He popped the top and took a big gulp of the bottleâs clear liquid.
âAh. Bodlan?â he said. âEr, I mean⌠See? Eliza got us these.â
âCan I see?â Ian asked. Juni nodded and handed him the bottle. Unlabeled and clear, Ian held it between his thumb and forefinger. He stirred it around, then tilted it sideways. A large droplet of water fell onto his lap.
âYulda!â Juni said, standing and pointing at him. âNeh se yode!â
âOops,â Ian said, making a face. He quickly handed the bottle back to Juni. âSorry. It came out faster than I thought it would.â
âAnge lai se yodir?â Juni asked.
âJuni,â I growled.
âI donât know the words!â Juni responded by palming his forehead in frustration. âSorry, I canât⌠neh angia lai aerir fade.â
I scratched my forehead.
âSorry, Iâm probably being too hard on you. You want me to translate?â
âUm⌠sia, kaldi…â
âDonât worry, Juni, Iâll fill it back up after weâre done,â Ian said. âKaldi⌠what does kaldi mean?â
âPlease.â
âOh yeah. Itâs too early for remembering.â
Charsi and I took a seat on the floor in front of Ian as he turned and produced a book from behind him. The front page read: âCome, Follow Meâ.
âI donât think Iâll read the whole lesson, they can be kind of long. Maybe just the first chapter. Sound good?â
âIs it okay if I read the rest of it later? That book isnât in your phone, is it?â I asked. âLike the Mormon book?â
âBook of Mormon,â Ian whined, lifting his foot and pointing his toes at me. âWhen are you gonna get that right?â
I took my crutch and poked the middle one.
âYou know I say that just to bother you,â I said with a smile.
âUh-huh,â Ian replied, smiling back.
Ianâs phone spoke the chapter from the Bible, something called Acts. Whose acts this book referenced, I didnât immediately understand. The complex scripture talked about a myriad of places that I had never heard of before: Lystra, Iconium, Phrygia, Galatia⌠on and on and on, I had no clue. Two men, Paul and Silas, I supposed were prophets that went around to all of these places and baptized people. They were whipped (the book called them âstripesâ) and beaten, put in jail⌠and then, by some incredible coincidence, an earthquake made the entire jail crumble around them. But they didnât just escape and run away. The guard was ready to kill himself for failing to do his job (as if he could have expected an earthquake to happen). Paul and Silas said all he had to do was believe in Jesus, and he and his house – not the house itself, but his family – would be saved.
âAre prophets put in jail today?â I asked.
Ian shook his head.
âNo. Theyâre really important, and they do service for all sorts of people, like helping the poor and giving food and water to people in natural disasters. I think everybody in the world likes them too much for all the good they do.â
âNatural disasters⌠like earthquakes, floods?â
âUm-hmm,â Ian said.
âWell, you helped me in a flood, so that makes you as good as a prophet,â I said with a grin.
âNah, Iâm not all that good,â he replied. âMaybe one day.â
âI wish I could be baptized,â Charsi said, looking at me. âEliza says that if youâre baptized, you get to have the Holy Ghost to help you for the rest of your life.â
âIf you stay good,â Juni said.
âRight,â Ian replied.
âWell, why not?â I asked. âAll you need is water, right?â
âNot exactly,â Charsi said.
âYeah,â Ian continued. âYou can only get baptized by someone with the priesthood. Dad does, and he baptized me.â
âPriesthood?â
âItâs like God calling you to do what He would do,â Ian said. âItâs something someone gives you. When I turn twelve, Dad will give me the priesthood and make me a deacon.â
âI wish I had priesthood, too,â Juni said. âThen I could baptize. I think.â
âBut you have to do things like go to church. And you have to have permission,â Charsi said, pointing. âRight, Ian?â
Ian nodded.
âPermission, huh. So I guess James canât just baptize us.â
Charsi shook her head.
âThatâs what Eliza worries about. That we canât go to see a bishop and stay hidden at the same time. She keeps saying sheâs thinking about it, but⌠I donât know if it will happen. Xande keeps telling Eliza no.â
âHmm,â I said, itching my nose. âI get that. But⌠is it really that important to be baptized? Itâs not like repentance, is it? Where you have to be baptized again and again?â
âNah, just once,â Ian said. âBut itâs super important. Itâs the first thing you have to do to follow Jesus. He was baptized too, so we follow His example.â
âAnd we canât be a family forever if we donât get baptized,â Charsi said, her brow furrowed. âIt makes me scared⌠that Iâll never see Eliza again if we die. I want to be part of Elizaâs family for real.â
âWhat?â My eyes went back and forth from Charsi to Ian. âBut⌠how does that work? If we all go to heaven, that wonât matter, will it?â
âI donât know,â Ian said. âDad knows more than me. But thatâs why you go to places called temples to be sealed together as a family. I was sealed to Mom and Dad when they adopted me; thatâs what the picture you saw in the hallway was about. But, if you wanted to be part of our family⌠that would mean more people would know about you.â
A terrible thought struck me.
âWhat about Aria?â I whispered. âAnd our child? If weâre not⌠what is it? âSealedâ?â
Ian nodded.
âThen I wonât see either of them again after we die?â
Ianâs expression turned somber.
âI donât know.â
âI donât like that,â I said, looking down at the floor. âNot at all. If Heavenly Father is so good, then he wouldnât do that to Aria and I. Weâve already suffered so much. Why would a Heavenly Father do that?â
âDonât give up,â Charsi said, taking my hand. âHeavenly Father is good to everyone, even us. Maybe weâll be able to be one big family for real someday.â
âBut when Aria comes,â Juni said. âWe can start being a family, right?â
âYeah,â Ian said.
âI guess. Iâm not sure I believe all this, but⌠I just hope everything turns out okay.â
âIt will,â Ian said with a nod.
âYeah, it will,â Charsi agreed.
âLi angah Ian lai viar lia indiata cadastol, anganem rundi!â Juni said cheerfully. âUm⌠right?â
âWhat did you say?â Ian asked.
âUhhâŚâ Juni pushed his tongue behind his cheek.
âHe said that If Ian can be in a forever family, we can too,â Charsi said. âAnd I believe that.â
Sunday went on in a very peaceful and quiet way. I really enjoyed Sundays in the Petersen home, actually. In the village, every day was filled with work and more work, always something to clean, always something to organize, always something to teach and to gather. But Sundays in the Iatvi home – what Ian referred to as âkeeping the Sabbath day holyâ – were days of rest and study, and even Juni and Charsi seemed to enjoy the low-key energy of their new environment.
After he came home from church, I helped Ian write and complete his paper on his familyâs computer downstairs in the TV room. While Juni and Charsi watched television and bothered each other like all brothers and sisters do, I watched Ianâs fingers dance across a keyboard, a large field of letters and numbers that seemed arranged in the most complicated rows imaginable. Despite this, Ian had little problem speeding through all of his words, organizing everything in the same way I kept notes. I told him not to rely too much on me, as he wouldnât learn anything if he didnât explain everything in his own way. Come to find out this was better advice than I anticipated, as Ianâs teacher had deducted a few points from his previous papers because it sounded like âhis parents had helped him write itâ. What did this teacher expect? A badly-worded paper where Ian would struggle and learn very little? My opinion of his teacher went down a peg after that.
If I had Charsi and Juni in my English class at the village, I would describe them both very differently. Charsi was very studious and loved reading and writing almost as much as I did. Juni, on the other hand, was very physical and hands-on. I guessed studying would be difficult for him, if his abilities to speak English were any indication. I was eager to help them both, though, if speaking and writing English was truly what they wanted. After all, how long did it take me to speak English as well as you did?
After Ianâs paper was finished, we all returned to Ianâs room and separated into our own activities. Up upon Ianâs cluttered desk, I studied more of the Mormon book (hah hah) and Charsi used graphite to draw on a few of Ianâs white postcards. The two boys dove headfirst into Ianâs video games, with the little one sitting in the chair and the big one upon the ground. Juniâs excitement was very apparent, and their collective laughing and shouting at the frantic action on the screen made Charsi and I chuckle to each other. When I had finally reached the next book called Third Nephi (of four, apparently), Ian turned and called me over.
âLenn!â he said. I looked up, and in his hand was a familiar gray controller waving at me. âCome on, we need you! This guyâs hard!â
âYeah Lenn! Keme lodsa!â
I peered at Charsi, who noticed my pained expression.
âI think you have to,â she said with a grin.
âHey guys,â I called to them. âCharsi says sheâll come play instead of me!â
âNo way!â Charsi shook her head rapidly. âI didnât say that!â
âNope, it has to be you, Lenn!â Ian said, standing to his feet. Ian crossed his room in a heartbeat. Charsi and I hesitated when the boyâs shadow overtook us, and we both slid backwards. He recognized what he was doing, and his mischievous grin disappeared.
âUh-oh,â he whispered, shrinking himself to sit on his bed. âI scared you again.â
I gathered myself.
âJust a bit,â I answered, rubbing my nose. Beside me, Charsiâs eyes were wide as plates.
âI donât mean toâŚâ he said quietly. He growled at himself. âWhy am I not good at this?â
âBecause youâre a monster,â I said, which would no doubt have brought a frown to the boyâs face if I hadnât had a pleasant one on mine. âBut a kind monster. And a quick one. Itâs my fault that I panic⌠â
I turned and held out my hand to Charsi.
âVal sulm?â
Charsi nodded.
âSorry, Ian,â she said. âI panic, too⌠Even Eliza scares me sometimes.â
âCome on, you big Iatvi,â I said, standing. âIf weâre gonna play, letâs play. Though I canât promise Iâll be useful.â
âYay!â shouted Juni. I could see his long blond hair and green eyes peeking around the corner.
âYou sure?â Ian asked. âI mean, if you donât want to, you donât have to.â
âDonât worry. Letâs play. And then Charsi will play after me.â
âNope, nope!â she said cheerfully, descending into her drawing again.
âCome on, Sisi!â
âNope!â she repeated, not even looking at her brother.
That night, the kids decided to change sleeping spots. Specifically, Juni. He didnât say why at first, but when I got them settled in the guest room, he sadly reported that Ian did indeed snore, and his nerves kept him up all night. He asked me not to tell Ian, and I smiled as I promised I wouldnât. The room was dark, save for the dim light of the kitchen ceiling fixtures outside. When I finally turned to lay myself down, a great shadow appeared, peering through the door.
âLenn?â
It was Ian.
âWhatâs up?â
â…can I talk to you?â
I looked at Juni and Charsi, who appeared unsure as they laid beneath their blankets.
âYeah,â I answered. âIn here, orâŚ?â
âIn my room,â he said. âI can pick you up if youâre tired.â
I decided he had better, and the boy placed me in his arms before departing the room, leaving an inch of space in the doorway and allowing the Iatili to fall sleep. He took me into his room and laid down on his bed as he placed me next to him. My surroundings were warm as an electric blanket, as was the human boy before me; he wore a light-blue shirt, and his scent had returned; at least he had remembered to brush his teeth. I looked at his face as he laid sideways, once again folding his arms around himself.
âI did it again,â he said.
âDid what again?â I sat down before him.
âBothering you and scaring you. And Charsi and Juni. Iâm too big. I hate this. I donât like scaring everybody.â
âIanâŚâ
âI know, I know,â Ian said, closing his eyes shut. âI donât mean to be sad. I havenât really had friends before, and I donât want to mess it up.â
âItâs when you get excited,â I told him. âBut thatâs not a bad thing. Everythingâs new for everybody. I just get a little nervous. Youâre fast for something so big. It takes me a while to cross your room, but you take two steps and youâre there.â
âI guess Iâll go slow from now on.â
âBut you remember how you grabbed me when you thought Eliza would see me? I knew exactly what you were doing. I thought you were being silly, but to you, it was life or death. You protected me. Thatâs when speed is useful.â
He frowned, itching his shoulder.
âHow do I know what one I should do?â
âI think youâll get it,â I said. âIt just takes practice. I trust you.â
âBut I donât trust me.â
I laughed, which I think caught him off-guard.
âThatâs not even the point. If you think youâre going to push me away by scaring me, little boy, youâve got it all wrong. A few months ago, you would have sent me screaming just by looking at me. But now I know you.â
Ian nervously adjusted his position on the bed.
âYou know me?â
âCome on, give me some credit. Just because youâre a monster doesnât mean you havenât become special to me.â
Ian whined, drawing a finger upon his mattress. âI donât like it when you call me a monster.â
A pit formed in my stomach. I did say it a lot.
âOh.â I said, sitting forwards. âSorry, I wonât say that anymore. Promise.â
Ian said nothing in response.
âIâll tell you what I told Charsi. Youâre afraid you would lose us if you scared us badly enough. If you scared me bad enough. Right?â
âOr if I hurt you, or worse⌠youâd never forgive me.â
âYou believe that?â
Ian didnât hesitate to give me a nod.
âWell, too bad,â I said. âYou canât get rid of me.â
I expected him to grow more confused, but instead he looked at me with an innocent kind of pain.
âHelp me up,â I told him, raising my arms. I took the hand he offered me, balancing on the weak legs that had kept me upright all day. His hand floated away, and I stepped towards his chest with a smile. I put my hands against his soft skin and pushed. âRoll over, kani.â
âWhat? Why?â
âJust do it, come on.â
He followed my command, laying on his back. I then stepped over and above his shoulder and clambered up, using his collarbone as a wobbling handhold. To say this was difficult for me would be an understatement, but at least I had his shirt to cling to. I managed it as I heard and felt a nervous laugh emerge from the Iatvi.
âThis is weird,â Ian said, peering at me.
âYou donât have to tell me,â I grunted back, finally up enough that I could scuttle on my bottom. I reached the center of his chest as Ianâs eyes focused directly at me, his neck all scrunched up.
âNow what?â
âI dunno,â I said. âYou tell me.â
I scooted forwards and pushed my bare feet against his chin. He threw his head back.
âEww!â he said. âDonât do that! Your feet are cold!â
âYeah. What are you going to do about it?â
Ian looked back at me as well as he could without lowering his head. But then his entertaining smile faded and he looked away.
âI⌠I donât want to do anything.â
âNope, nope,â I said, lifting myself. My knee bent backwards a bit, and I hissed, but I didnât allow myself to stop. Now limping, I walked down his chest towards his stomach. Without explanation or excuse, I âjumpedâ off the stability of his sternum and landed front-first onto the squishy surface. I heard an âoofâ behind me. For a moment, I laid there unmoving, listening to his stomach blurbling beneath me. Everything in me told me this was the strangest thing Iâd ever done.
âWhat are you going to do about this?â I asked.
I attempted to scratch him through his shirt in a vain attempt to tickle him. I’d never been able to do it, exactly. And I didn’t seem to succeed here.
âStop it,â he growled. âDonât tickle me.â
âIâm supposed to,â I said simply. âItâs what older brothers do.â
Then, before I could continue much longer, I felt a set of powerful fingers grab hold of me. They dragged me backwards along the surface of the shirt until I felt myself float upwards. And upside-down. Blood rushed into my head immediately as I looked downwards at Ianâs face.
âYouâre so weird!â
âYou gonna put me down, kani?â I asked, my voice squashed like rubber.
âJust so you can try it again? No.â
âSo Iâm just going to float here until my face turns purple?â
âIâm gonnaâŚâ
Ianâs smile turned into a frown. His securing hand then descended and I felt myself drape back down onto Ianâs chest. The fingers fell away, and I rose to see Ianâs eyes looking away from me, off to the side.
âIanâŚâ I grunted.
I rose to my feet again, now certain that my left leg was going to fall off.
âYouâre standing on my throat,â Ian gurgled. I certainly was; it felt like balancing on a cylinder that didn’t stop wobbling.
Everything was now within my armâs reach. Both my hands played Ianâs upper lip like a drum. It grabbed Ianâs attention, but he pursed his lips and continued attempting to ignore me. I was determined. My drumming moved to the tip of Ianâs nose, and I hummed to myself. He refused to be amused, and the air that blew through his nostrils rushed outwards as if he could sneeze me away.
âIan, stop acting this way.â
Out of slight frustration, I grabbed the inner edges of the curved nose, each hand to a hole, and yanked upwards.
âOw!â Ian said, his entire head fighting away. The edge of his hand pushed me sideways, and I lost my balance, nearly rolling off his neck. He recovered me and hauled me back onto his chest. âAhh! Lenn, Iâm sorry!â
âIan,â I growled, grunting to my feet again. I bent down and looked straight at him. âThatâs enough. No more âsorryâ.â I waved my arms. âOlem, Iâm trying to make you laugh!â
Ianâs gaze floated away.
âI may be crooked,â I continued, âBut Iâm tougher than you think I am. What do I have to do to convince you that Iâm not going to stop being your friend?â
He didnât answer me.
âWell,â I groaned. I fell backwards. âMy legs are dead. I canât stand up on my own.â
âOh. Here.â
Ianâs hand curled around me again, lifting me above his face and placing me gently on top of his forehead. My legs couldnât help but drape over his eyes, my feet pressing against the upper edges of his cheeks.
âUh. Sorry. I donât quite fit up here.â
âItâs okay.â
âYou know I canât fold my legs.â
âI know.â
âSo, what. You gonna answer my question? What do I have to do to convince you?â
âHuh-uh.â
âWhat?â
âHuh-uh.â
âThis isnât a yes or no question.â
âHuh-uh.â
âSo now youâre joking with me?â
âUh-huh.â
I sighed, folding my arms.
âWhat am I going to do with you?â
âBe my big brother,â he answered. âFor as long as you can.â
âAs long as I can? What happened to âfamilies are foreverâ?â
âI donât think it counts.â
âWhat do you mean? Of course it counts. You want James and Catherine to adopt me like they adopted you? Would that make it count?â
âBut without being baptized⌠What if I donât see you again if I die?â
âCome on, kid,â I said, patting the bridge of his nose. âYouâre thinking too far ahead.â
Ian remained silent.
âYou saved me from dying. That means my life is basically yours. Did you think about that?â
âI guess not,â Ian said, slightly shaking his head back and forth. I rode it like the edge of a teeter-totter.
âIf heaven exists, then I know youâre going to be there.â I said. âThen Heavenly Father will know how much youâve done for me. Iâm sure Heâll know right where you are. If I make it somehow, Iâll search for you. Iâll bring Aria, too, sheâs already perfect anyway.â
Ian let out a short laugh.
âIf I make it there,â I said. âWeâll still be brothers?â
âMaybe.â
âYou promise?â
âI promise.â
From my seat, I could feel the furrows in Ianâs brow relax.
âYouâre still going to scare me sometimes, you know.â
âI wonât do it on purpose.â
âEven if youâre teasing me?â
âIâll try not to.â
âGood enough. Itâs bad for my poor heart.â
âI donât want to give you a heart attack.â
Fingers again lifted me into the air, this time with both hands, spinning me around with dizzying dexterity. The thumbs then became a loose belt, cushioning me as best they could. Illuminated by the lamp on the table, I looked into the boyâs eyes that watched me back with the same amount of wonder that he always showed.
âIâve never met a boy quite like you,â I told him, bending forwards. âNever mind the whole âsaving my lifeâ part. Yul, look at me, I am tiny…â
I looked over Ianâs thumbs to see my feet dangle. Ian saw my face, and gently rocked me and my legs back and forth.
âAnd you donât weigh much.â
âI weigh more than when I showed up. You probably saved me from starving to death, too. So thatâs two I owe you.â
âYeah.â
âDid I ever tell you why I headed towards town when I left the village?â
âNuh-uh,â Ian said, shaking his head.
âI didnât want to be eaten by an animal like I thought Xande had. I didnât want to be run over by an Iatvi car, though I guess that would have been quick. I absolutely did not want to drown.â
âCould have fooled me.â
âYou know what I wanted instead?â I asked, ignoring him. âI heard from the gatherers that Iatvi had a special gas that you canât see, canât really smell or taste, but if you breathe enough of it, your head would get dizzy, youâd fall asleep, and youâd just die. Completely painless.â
âLenn!â The belt around me tightened. âWhy would you kill yourself?â
âIan, I was hopeless. I would never see Aria again, so I would find a way to fall asleep and just stop being. I didnât know what else to do.â
âYou wouldnât have asked somebody for help?â
I shook my head with vigor.
âI didnât dare. I wasnât brave enough. Iâm⌠still not brave enough, since you can still⌠whatâs the phraseâŚ? Get the drop on me? Is that what it is?â
âHuh?â Ian tilted his head.
âYou can still take me by surprise, frighten me. Even you.â
He looked away.
âItâs really not your fault. Gatherers have been killed or injured in so many ways. You wouldnât believe the stories I was told as a child. Have I mentioned how glad I am that you donât own a dog or cat?â
âMe too.â
I nodded, finding Ianâs hands a relaxing place to hang.
âYou know what?â Ian asked.
âHmm?â
âI need to tell you something.â
âHmm.â
âWhen I was really little,â Ian said. âLike, four or five⌠I kinda remember something that happened that scared my mom and dad really bad. It was night, and I donât know why, but I went outside and got lost. I didnât recognize my street in the dark, so I just sat down on the sidewalk and cried. Thatâs when someone talked to me, out of the bushes behind me. He had a really deep voice, and he told me that everything was going to be all right. I couldnât see who it was, but I knew it wasnât a regular person. I thought it was an angel or something.â
âYou mean⌠a Iatili?â
âIt had to be. I didnât see him, but he told me to go and sit underneath one of the lamp posts on the corner, and that my mom and dad would find me soon. I did what he told me, and it only took a few minutes for Dad to see me under the light and take me back home. I was too young to think about it again until now. But I know it had to be a Iatili.â
âHuh,â I said. âThatâs amazing. I wonder who it was.â
âI dunno. I wish I had said thank you.â
âMaybe itâs like Catherine said. Maybe Iatvi help Iatili more than we think. And Iatili help Iatvi. Maybe I should have gone to find a boy or girl, or someone like Eliza. Maybe someone would have helped me like you do.â
âBut then you wouldnât be my big brother now.â
I gave Ian a soft smile.
âThatâs true.â I traced the crease between Ianâs thumb. âHaving my throat torn open was the best thing that ever happened to me.â
Ian grimaced.
âOoh, no⌠Donât say that.â
âItâs true, isnât it?â
âNo way.â He actually laughed. âMaybe Aaron or Chris would have found you anyway, in a bush or something.â
âMaybe,â I said. âI probably wouldnât have been able to limp into a bush in time.â
âDid you even have crutches to help you get down the mountain?â
âNo, I didnât. Elder Ordi never gave me a chance to get anything.â I pointed down. âI had ugly shoes, but I lost them in the river. Itâs a miracle I didnât get sick after all of this, either. I drank from the river. And I didnât have food. I almost went without any, until I became so tired that I had to eat moss as I went.â
Ianâs face withered and he stuck his tongue out.
âOh, why?! Why moss? Wasnât it disgusting?â
âVery much yes. Raw is awful. You have to cook it first.â
âCook it? But why would you eat it at all?â
âThere wasnât anything else,â I said. âI wasnât about to eat bugs.â
âNo wonder you were so skinny.â
âUh-huh. No gross-or-ruh stores for us.â
âYou mean grocery stores.â
âGro-sure-ee. Right.â
âThat makes me think of times when Mom would go to those fancy food stores where everything is healthy and expensive. She had us try these things called, um… âbean sproutsâ. It looked like a pile of white worms, and tasted like grass. It wasnât my favorite.â
âIâd probably like them.â
âYeah, you would.â
We both laughed and fell silent as Ian studied me. I maintained a contented look.
âSo?â
Ian blinked a few times.
âSo what?â
âFeeling better?â
Ian shrugged.
âI donât know. I just⌠I donât want you to leave. Thatâs all.â
âIâm not going anywhere,â I replied with a chuckle. âWhere would I go?â
âWhat about when Aria comes? She wonât make you go, will she?â
âWhere would we go? Up the mountain with the foxes and the hawks? Behind a dumpster somewhere? Once she meets you, Ian, sheâll feel the same way I do. I donât think you have anything to worry about.â
âI hope so. I just-â
âLenn?â
Ian rose upwards, and we both looked towards the door. Upon the floor were a pair of Iatili kids, both very dressed for sleep but both shivering in uncertainty.
âHi guys,â Ian said, placing me back down to sit on the bed. âDo you need anything?â
They remained quiet for a moment, Charsi hiding behind Juni.
â…we didnât⌠do anything wrong, did we?â
I smiled up at Ian, and he did the same for me.
âNope,â Ian said. âI just wanted to talk to Lenn about stuff.â
âIliam qa umov. Ian ys ke karanis odanetol,â I told them. âVis hostai.â
â…you do?â Charsi asked.
âWhat did you tell them?â
âI told them that we have a lot of fears just like them. But weâll work it out. Wonât we?â
Ian nodded, looking at Juni and Charsi.
âYeah.â
Ian lifted me to the kitchen island, and I leaned against his hand as Eliza took Juni and Charsi in turn to stand next to us. I could see the apprehension in Juniâs face as he stood in the metaphorical shadow of the ten-year old ka. Charsi likewise clung tight to her brotherâs arm for courage and support.
âHow does everyone like watermelon?â Catherine asked, standing opposite the counter from us.
I nodded. Remaining silent, the kids did too.
âJun, Sisi,â Eliza said, leaning against the counter. âIanâs going to take good care of you while Iâm gone this week. He has school, but when heâs home, heâll get you everything you need. I know Iâm the only Iatvi youâve known, but I promise you, Ian is the greatest ka in the world, and the best babysitter youâll ever have.â
Ian bent down low, his eyes level to Juniâs, peering over his fingers.
âI hope we can be friends.â
I gave him a small smile, despite the depression growing in me. He had the same glint in his eye that he had the first day he knew me.
âBaby⌠sitter?â Charsi asked, her eyes nervously looking up to Eliza. âIâm not a baby.â
âMe neither,â Juni said.
âThatâs what I said,â I replied. âHe may be the Iatvi in charge, but itâs more like weâre babysitting him.â
âHey, thatâs not fair,â Ian said, his chin rising to the surface. âI know what Iâm doing.â
âIan, Iâm teasing. You donât have to worry about this katol. He takes care of me, and thatâs saying some- ouch⌠Ian, can you⌠help me sit?â
âOh, yeah, yeah,â he said. I leaned on his thumb until I descended and sat on my bottom; my legs were still shaking from my encounter with Xande, and they were in no mood to be stood upon.
âEliza told us you canât walk very well.â
I looked at Charsi.
âI havenât had much strength in my legs since I was very young. Aria has cared for me, and Ianâs been a great help to me since I came here.â
âI accidentally hurt LennâŚâ Ian said. âBut Iâve learned a lot about being careful.â
âYup,â I agreed. âYouâll like this kid. Heâs loud and goofy, but heâs very kind.â
âIâm not goofy,â Ian argued. When he saw the kidsâ reaction to his volume as he stood above them, he then put a hand to his mouth. âOh. Uh⌠I am loud, though.â
âAnd youâve got dirt on your face, just like Eliza,â Juni said, pointing to the bridge of his own nose.
âHuh? Dirt?â
Ian tried to rub off the ‘dirt’, but Eliza poked his cheek.
âHe means your freckles.â
âOh. Yup. Iatili donât have freckles?â
âNuh-uh,â Juni said, and Charsi shook her head along with him.
âDoesnât sound like it,â Eliza said.
I frowned.
âReally? I could have sworn some of the kids at my village had freckles⌠Maybe it really was dirt.â
âBut look at Charsi,â Eliza said, pointing to the little girl. âBlack hair, thinner eyes. Doesnât she look a little Asian to you? Isnât that interesting?â
Ian bent down low and examined her. Of course, he did so a little too closely. Charsi made a soft squeak and covered her face with her hands, leaning into Juniâs arm.
âSorry, Iâm sorry!â Ian said. âI didnât mean to scare you.â
âIan,â Juni said, waving at him. âKemas.â
âWhat?â
âUh, come here.â
Ian bent his head down.
âNo, sadi,â Juni said.
âWhat?â
âEnglish please, Juni,â Eliza said.
âSorry⌠Um, Ian, closer.â
âOh, uh⌠like this?â
Ian hovered within an armâs length away from the very brave Iatili. Ianâs eyes crossed. Juniâs hand gently slid across the point of Ianâs nose. He next dared to touch the edge of Ianâs upper lip. This made the Iatvi boy quietly giggle, and in a flash, his tongue emerged; Juni recoiled away with a quick yelp. Undeterred, Juniâs concerned face turned to amusement as his fingers grabbed a handful of hair that fell over the kaâs eyes.
âBodliel Charsi?â Juni said, nudging her from her frightened position. âHeâs got dark hair like you. And really straight, not like Elizaâs.â
Charsi opened her eyes just long enough to see very large and bright blue-green Iatvi eyes within close proximity. She made another squeaking noise and hid back into Juniâs shoulder. Juni released Ianâs hair before Ian could complain.
âAnd look,â Eliza said, bending down and pointing to the very corner of Ianâs mouth. âHeâs got a little dimple that shows up whenever he smiles. Just like you, Charsi.â
âI do not,â Ian said, unable to maintain a grumpy complexion. Just beside his toothy grin was a small imprint that bent downwards along the crease of his muscles. I hadnât really noticed before.
âI see it,â Juni said, pointing.
Ian rose up and let out a puff of air, which made both Iatili kids react.
âWhy is everybody looking at me?â he asked. âGo look at Lenn.â
âI look like any other Iatili,â I said, spreading out my legs, my mood darker than I intended. âAnd Iâm as threatening as a wet rag. Youâre the thing they havenât seen before.â
âYeah,â Juni said. âIâve never met a ka Iatvi before. Youâre ten?â
Ian nodded.
âIâll be eleven on December 7th.â
Juni pouted his lips and parted his curled blonde hair from his eyes.
âIâm twelve. I think. I donât know mine.â
âWeâve celebrated Juni and Charsiâs birthdays together in March, the same month I found them. I figured it was as good a time as any.â
âHere you go, Eliza,â Catherine said, turning from the far counter. âHereâs a few plates.â
Juni and Charsi took a seat, and the delicious fruit pieces were divided amongst us all. I wanted to talk to Eliza and the two kids, but⌠with everything that just occurred (not to mention the pulsing pain in my nose), I couldnât bring myself to be pleasant and social. In all honesty, I wanted to go back into the dark corner between the bed and the bedside table, curl up, and sleep until all pain went away. Ian noticed my sudden silence, and rubbed my back with two fingers without any words.
Eating the watermelon was a bit difficult. While Catherine cut them up nice and small, I still dripped melon water all down my arms. It seemed Juni and Charsi were having similar difficulties. Seeing this, Catherine quickly grabbed the paper towels and handed them out.
âIâm still learning how to feed my little friends,â Catherine said to Eliza. âHave you figured out how to do it without making a mess?â
âWould you believe you can find silverware online that is small enough for them to use? I packed them into their bags. Theyâre adorable.â
âWendalem,â Charsi said.
âOh, good. I did.â Eliza leaned against the counter. âIâve even been able to find furniture and beds they use for dollhouses. They come in all shapes and sizes, and theyâre pretty cheap unless you want something really fancy looking. Charsi and I even made little bean bags that they use as chairs.â
âOh, that sounds fun!â Catherine said. Juni and Charsi looked up at Catherine and nodded, both of them chewing.
âUnfortunately, no one makes clothing for Iatili. Iâve looked into custom clothing for dolls, but doll proportions are all wrong. Thatâs where Iâm hoping you can help.â
âDonât you worry about that,â Catherine said with a wink.
âHey kids, youâll actually get to eat homecooked meals.â Eliza smiled at Catherine. âYou know me, Iâm terrible when it comes to cooking.â
âNuh-uh, âLiza,â said Charsi quietly. âWe eat really good food.â
âRight,â Eliza brushed the Iatili girlâs hair with her finger and thumb. âThatâs because all we have at home is sugar cereal and cheese sticks.â
âAnd chicken,â Juni said. âChicken⌠nuggles⌠nugglets? Is that how you say it?â
Ian nearly choked on the watermelon in his mouth.
âChicken nugglets!â he finally swallowed. âIâm calling them that from now on.â
Juni laughed despite himself.
âWell, theyâre not too different from regular kids, are they?â Catherine laughed.
âNo they are not,â Eliza said, admiring them with her head resting on her arm.
âOkay, they should have everything they need,â Eliza said, bringing a pair of Iatili-sized plastic bags from the outside. âTheyâve got a change of clothing, blankets, pillows, and what-not. Theyâre pretty independent, at least in my apartment. As long as they have the basics, they should be just fine. Especially with Ian and Lenn to watch after them.â
âWeâll take good care of them,â Catherine said.
âUmâŚâ Ian said, pointing down at Juni and Charsi on the kitchen island. âHow will they⌠uh⌠go to the bathroom?â
âSame way I do,â I said. âExcept for bathing. They can probably do what I canât.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âJust leave the bathroom sink on for them,â Eliza said. âLeave the stopper in so they donât fall down the drain.â
âOlem, Eliza,â Juni moaned. âIâm not kani.â
âAnd Iâm not kalni,â said Charsi.
âEliza.â She looked my way, her smile fading only a touch as I spoke. âDid⌠Xande say anything when you went out there?â
âOther than him complaining that heâd die of heat stroke? No, he didnât. Heâs still fuming. I think the next conversation youâll have with him will be over the phone. He canât stab you that way.â
I nodded.
âI donât know what I can say to make him change his mind about me. But whenever he wants to talk, tell him⌠Iâll be around. Iâm not apologizing for anything, but he deserves to know what heâs missed since he left.â
âIâll tell him that.â
Eliza sighed, returning her gaze down to ‘her’ kids.
âYou two cool? Ready for a fun vacation?â
Their reactions were less than excitable. Juni looked up at Ian. Charsi only had eyes for Eliza. Her hands lifted upwards.
âI donât want you to goâŚâ she whispered, her voice breaking near tears.
Eliza reached out her hand, and Charsi embraced two of her fingers.
âHey, you have nothing to worry about, kalnisi,â Eliza said. She bent down and gently kissed the top of the little girlâs head. My own head tilted and I couldnât help but marvel: I had never expected to see any relationship like this in my life. âIf all these big mean boys drive you crazy, then you can always hang out with Aunt Catherine. Sheâll protect you just like I do.â
âThatâs right, honey,â Catherine said, leaning across the counter and catching Charsiâs attention. âDo you like to draw? I have colored pencils and paint, or Iâm sure I can find some fun books for you to read.â
Charsi turned to look up at Catherine, but her expression didnât seem to change. Then Catherine gasped.
âJuni, Charsi, Iâm going to make you some brand-new clothes. Iâll measure you from head to toe, and you can pick out your favorite colors to wear. How does that sound? And Charsi, maybe you would like to help me sew? We can make pretty little designs, whatever you would like.â
Both Iatili perked up.
âClothes that will fit me?â Juni asked. âReally?â
âYessir!â Catherine said with a laugh.
Charsi showed a little encouragement.
âCan I have a dress?â she whispered.
A tender expression appeared on Catherineâs face, one I hadnât seen before. And there was little wonder I hadnât, considering my own mother never shared it with me: the gentle smile of a mother prepared to say all the right things. Iâve seen it on your face a few times since, havenât I?
Catherine reached for Charsiâs hand.
âYes, you beautiful princess, we can absolutely make you a dress. Would you like to help me? Letâs make it together.â
Charsiâs eyes looked to Catherine, then back at Eliza.
âGo on, Sisi,â Eliza said. âGo have some fun. We can always talk on the phone whenever you want, okay?â
After a single moment of hesitation, Charsi released Elizaâs fingers and took Catherineâs with her hand.
âHey Juni,â Ian said. âWant to come hang out with Lenn and me?â
Juni looked right up at Ian and nodded.
âYou have games? I play games on Elizaâs phone, but they get boring. I want to see yours.â
âAll right, you two,â Eliza said, her hands upon the counter. âIt looks like youâre ready. Iâm so excited for you guys! I know youâll love it here. It will be much better than staying in a dark apartment for a week. Right?â
âSia,â Juni said.
Charsi nodded but didnât say a word.
âOkay,â Eliza said. She took the plastic bags, examined them for a moment, and then handed one to both Ian and Catherine. âThis is for Juni, this is Sisiâs. And I think youâre all set.â
Catherine kindly offered to clean my shirt for me, and I accepted and removed it before asking Ian if he could take me back into the guest room to sleep. Iâm sure he expected me to remain with him and Juni, but I wouldnât have been very fun to be around at that moment. With my heartbeat still sounding out loud beneath my bruised nose, I quickly fell asleep under my cozy blankets and dreamed of you.
You might think this funny. But when we were kids, I never saw you as a âgirlâ exactly. In fact, I didnât quite know what I thought. You were the only one our age brave enough to speak to me, and when you did, the taunting of the other kids didnât deter you. If I were a different ka, I would have thought it was my good looks and quick wit that won you over. But I donât think I had either of those things. If I were more pessimistic, I would wonder if I were just a curiosity⌠or a charity case. But you stayed. And together we became outcasts.
You had the choice. And you chose me. Not all at once, of course, we fought all the time. But you chose me, and I didnât understand for years why. I only accepted it, and didnât question it. Not out loud. Not because I didnât want it, but because if I asked why I deserved your friendship, it might have gone away. When I finally saw you as a âwomanâ, I became even more afraid of finding the answer. You lost Xande, and you clung to me all the tighter. Yet I became distant without intending to. My family died, the village began to wither, the elderâs distrust for me intensifiedâŚ
And it all came to that singular moment, sitting in the empty classroom, surrounded by scraps of torn papers, words, images, maps, and manuals we would never really comprehend on our own.
I finally asked you why. Do you remember what you said to me?
âBecause you were worth the trouble,â you said.
We both laughed and our conversation carried on, but your answer mystified me. It wasnât enough.
âI am here for you,â I told you. âAnd I am here because of you. But why me? Why did you pick me?â
I didnât need to voice these doubts. Theyâd existed since our relationship began. But I needed to know. I needed something to lock into place, some logical or even physical reason for why you stayed with me. Why you endured the years of my pain with me. Why you endured years of your own.
We had never said it out loud before. We had never dared to, even in the dark during the rain. Even when we held each other close, hoping no one would care to find us.
âYouâre part of me,â I said, with your hands grasping mine.
Before I could stop myself, the words emerged from me.
âSe ondia.â
I love you.
My life hovered across a chasm, bound with no line that could save me but one. Before I could fall-
âSe ondia,â you called back to me as if weâd tripped over the same stone in the trail, your voice dancing across the words, ungainly as I did. You laughed, I laughed with you. And that night, I offered you everything I was, perhaps everything Iâll ever be.
I awoke in the Petersen home after that dream with tears in my eyes. I sat up and stared at my hands, yearning for you, willing you into existence just beyond that great white door beside the bed. Then I could tell you, again and again, se ondia, se ondia, without hesitation and without fear.
Strangely, when reality dawned upon me that the likelihood of you standing inside the Petersenâs home was infinitesimal, I felt no pain. Alone, I had no chance to find you. But Xande lived. He had found a family. And so did I, one I wanted you to be part of. If pure circumstance could reconnect Xande and I (my face to his fist, specifically), I could find you.
I could have called it stress-induced delirium if I wanted to. But waking from that dream, seeing my whole world again in my mind as plainly as if I had been there before you⌠Nothing held me down. Tears streamed down my face, but I didnât cry. I laughed. I laughed like a child, taking the crutches that James had crafted for me and crawling off the side of the bed. Although I still felt pain from resting my entire weight under my arms, I lunged across the carpet and out the crack in the door, still laughing; I was almost dancing. Ian and Juni were in the kitchen when I emerged, and Ian said something in a panic, I didnât hear him over myself. He raced around the kitchen island and dove towards me, and my crutches flew away as I collapsed into his hands.
âLenn, youâre scaring me! Why are you laughing?â
I couldnât stop. I wish you could have seen me. Or, maybe I donât: you might have thought something in my mind snapped like a dry twig. When I finally found enough breath in me to speak, I could only form snippets of words.
âLenn, keep it together!â Ian insisted, trying to be serious and composed. But I looked up at him, and saw that dimple. âWhatâs so funny?â
âI⌠I love her, Ian!â I screamed at the top of my stone-washboard voice. I think I even pounded my pathetic fists against the palms of the boyâs hands, not out of anger, but out of enthusiasm. âDamn it, I love her! I donât care about anything else, I love her!â
âWho⌠Aria?â Ian asked with a clueless gasp, lifting me off of the ground. âYouâre talking about Aria?â
âOf course I am, Ian!â I cried in pure joy. âAnd Iâm going to find her!â
Ianâs smirk was unmistakable, sure as if Iâd been a three-year old who thought they said something incredibly profound.
âWhat, by yourself?â
Life slapped me across the face.
âWell, uhâŚâ I stumbled, wiping the tears away with the back of my hand. I swallowed, finally noticing that my airway did not appreciate my energy. âIf⌠um⌠if you help me.â
Ian laughed out loud, and, taking me with a single hand, messed with my hair.
âYou are the weirdest person I know,â he told me. âWhatâs gotten into you?â
âI donât know, IâŚâ I gasped. âI had a dream, and I⌠I saw her⌠I donât care about Xande, I donât care about my legs, I donât care about this whole umovre da-th-this whole world! Iâm going to find her, Ian! Youâll help me, wonât you?â
âLenn, Lenn,â Ian said, sitting on the ground and placing me in his lap. âCalm down! Iâm going to help you, I already said so! Are you okay? Xande didnât damage your brain when he hit you, did he?â
I laughed, hard enough to hurt my throat again.
âYes! I mean, no, no, Iâm fine, kani, Iâm⌠I mean, maybe he did hit me hard enough to⌠Ahh! I want you to meet her, Ian. I want you all to meet her. And I know you will. I know it now!â
âYou had a dream about this?â
âIt was… sort of, it was just⌠it was so real, like I was holding her close to me againâŚâ
I wiped my eyes, and I saw Ian beaming at me.
âYou sure you didnât see a pillar of fire first?â
I grinned.
âNo, I donât think I did⌠but… but it was so real, I remembered everything…â
âLenn?â said a small voice from atop the kitchen island. Ian and I looked and saw Juni on his hands and knees looking over the side. He then asked, quite innocently, âHave you gone crazy?â
Ian and I both laughed.
âHe might have!â
âI hope notâŚâ I said, patting the back of Ianâs hand. âI hope not…â
As a teacher and as a child myself, Iâd seen children both shy and confident, disobedient or eager, cooperative or just plain mean. Ian had been correct about himself⌠Ian was surprisingly shy when it came to making a new friend. I watched Ian and Juni getting to know each other, talking with each other, making awkward jokes, and stumbling over Iatnasi and English. While Ianâs self-confidence level landed on the low end, there didnât seem to be an end to Juniâs.
Ian seemed nervous to touch Juni; with his strength and dexterity, Juni didnât appear to need much assistance. But when something was apparently beyond Juniâs reach, Ian didnât quite know how to help. He acted just like Aaron, in fact. Did he dare make himself overbearing by doing everything for the Iatili boy, or did he leave Juni to his own abilities? With me, he had no such hang-ups since the help was obviously needed. Even though I could now amble across flat surfaces with my excellent crutches, I continued to struggle climbing.
Juni didnât seem to notice Ianâs nervousness at all. Being older and very capable, the boldness he demonstrated immediately out of Elizaâs backpack only grew as he became accustomed to his new surroundings. Having been unconscious for the first two hours of their friendship, I saw a step ahead: Ianâs excitement at his new friend grew even as his hesitation did, and for Juni, this new world was thrilling.
As the afternoon sun streamed a sliver of light through the shades, Ian walked into his room, followed by Juni and I behind him. The Iatvi boy produced his phone from his pocket and collapsed front-first upon his bed. Juni raced ahead of me. Just like watching a squirrel race up an oak tree, Juni clambered up the side of Ianâs bed and, to my surprise, copied what Iâd done the night before: he jumped right onto Ianâs back, walked up to Ianâs right shoulder, and stretched out on his stomach to see the screen in Ianâs hands.
âWhat are you going to watch?â Juni asked, steadying himself on Ianâs shoulder by grasping the Iatvi boyâs collar.
âNot sure,â Ian replied with a slight laugh, the insecurity of having the older boy so close painfully obvious on his face. âLenn, you remember that paper I have to write for Monday? Do you know anything about history?â
I leaned on my right crutch and thought for a moment.
âIâm not sure I do,â I answered. âIâve read news from magazines, but nothing that goes back very far. What kind of history?â
âUm, itâs calledâŚâ
From my perspective, I couldnât see what else was on the bed. But Ian pointed at something and appeared to survey its contents.
âNineteenth-century westward expansion of the United States.â
I blinked.
âYul, eh⌠No, sorry. Are we in the west? I know this place is called âColor-aydoâ, but I didnât think it was particularly⌠west.â
âYeah,â Ian said. âSort of. A lot more west than New York. Or Washington D.C.â
âI donât know where those are.â
âTheyâre east, next to the Atlantic Ocean.â
âIs that ocean close to the Mediterranean?â
Ian laughed, his eyes remaining on his phone as he typed something. But then he paused.
âYou know, I think theyâre connected. But itâs practically on the other side of the world.â
âYda.â
Ian looked at me.
âWhat does âydaâ mean?â
I pursed my lips.
âHave I never said that before? Huh. It means⌠âniceâ? But not âfriendlyâ nice, just something thatâs interesting. Or âoh, thatâs niceâ.â
âCould I say⌠vah yda?â
âYou definitely could,â I said with a grin.
âThereâs an ocean in the way to the other side of the world?â Juni asked, grabbing Ianâs hair to stay steady.
âUh-huh,â Ian nodded, not seeming to notice. âBoth east and west. Thereâs the Atlantic to the east, and the Pacific to the west.â
âIs Pacific by⌠whatâs it called⌠Canifornia? Thatâs as west as you can go without a boat?â
âCalifornia,â Ian said, correcting Juni. âAnd yeah. Or a plane.â
âOh. Eliza’s gone on a plane. Not me.â Juni said next. âHmm. How does a big metal plane fly?â
âA big plane like that needs big jet engines to make it get off the ground,â Ian said.
âWhatâs a jet engine?â Juni asked.
âIf itâs an engine that makes an airplane fly,â I said, crutching towards Ianâs bed. âThen I imagine itâs something gigantic and loud. Any chance you can help me up, Ian?â
âUhh…â Ian dropped his phone and peered over at Juni. Before Juni could notice, Ian reached over and wrapped his hand around Juniâs middle, peeling him off and flipping him upside down.
âAh!â Juni cried. âP-Put me down! Ow, rotis! Hurt!â
âOh, sorry!â Ian replied, surprised at the Iatiliâs negative reaction. He quickly placed the boy upon his back. I placed my crutches down on the floor just as Ian took me by my waist and hauled me up.
âOof,â I grunted as he lifted me, fighting to breathe.
Juni struggled to his feet as I landed on mine.
âIâm sorry! Are you guys okay?â
âIâm fine, don’t worry. Do you have something I can write with? Iâll keep notes for you while you study.â
âYeah,â Ian said, lifting himself from the bed.
I looked over at Juni; he seemed a bit rattled.
âVah sulm, Juni?â
His eyes were wide.
âSia, d-desni…â
Yes, just a little…
âLemordi?â
Nervous?
Juni nodded.
âNeh vah travo. Vah desni atai, vah dranir erdi.â
Juni looked upwards, his face painted in fear. I turned around, and Ian was looking down at us with hurt in his eyes.
âIâm sorry,â he repeated, kneeling down in front of us. âI donât understand what youâre saying.â
âYouâre all right,â I said, no longer able to confidently stand on my legs. I sat down on the very edge. âI just told Juni that youâre learning how to help us. Iâm comfortable enough when you hold me, but I donât think Juniâs quite used to it. I think you surprised him.â
âOh…â
I turned to look at Juni. He nearly looked ready to flee.
âI didnât hurt you bad, did I?â Ian asked with sorrow, lifting his hand palm-upwards and offering it to the Iatili boy. Juni took a step backwards as the curled fingers approached.
âItâs okay, Juni. Just tell Ian what you want.â
Juniâs mouth hung open for a moment.
âPlease⌠please donât do that again,â Juni whispered, resisting Ianâs outstretched hand. âNeh media lai vanir odane…â
Before Ian could ask, I translated: âJuni says he doesnât like to be scared.â
âOh. Me neither,â Ian said with a nod. âIâll ask you from now on, I promise. I wonât do it again without permission.â
âCan you still be friends, Juni?â
Juniâs gaze went from me to Ianâs face and finally to the hand before him. Although no doubt still unnerved, he reached his own hand forwards and touched the tip of Ianâs forefinger. Ian held it with his thumb.
âSia,â Juni said with only a bit of a pause. âFriends.â
As large as I could write, I kept detailed notes as Ian dug through information for the subject of his paper. I didnât say so, but the kind of history he shared seemed very complex for a boy his age to write a report on. Of all the things I did not expect, however, was Juni: instead of remaining distant and withdrawn after his brief but harrowing experience, he actually turned back into his rather confident self. Keeping notes and watching Juni at the same time was difficult but rather entertaining, especially as I watched Juni walking to and fro. I wanted to shout at him to return and sit still as the Iatili boy came close to Ianâs legs. But I didnât want to alert Ian.
Ian didnât notice at all. He continued studying, and I struggled to listen.
The ivory legs occasionally bent and bobbed up and down, but Juni showed little hesitation. He finally stopped at the level of Ianâs socked feet. When it appeared that Ian would slow down and stop moving, Juni dared something I would never have: he gently touched the Iatviâs heel with a finger. He actually did this several times.
Ian didnât notice at all. He continued reading.
I had to stifle a laugh. I looked up at Ian, and, for a split second, the boy looked at me. I tried not to show any emotion other than studious. Ian returned to face his phone.
Juni then returned, playfully drifting his hand just a few inches away as if to steady himself against the human. When a few seconds passed and Juni finally returned to Ianâs shoulder, he performed something that would have been difficult for me to manage: he bent down to a crawl and wedged himself beneath Ianâs underarm, emerging beneath Ianâs chin. This the Iatvi boy did notice, and paused just long enough to acknowledge the strange Iatili with a nervous laugh before continuing to scroll through his studies. Juni, taking a seat within Ianâs arms with a huge grin on his face, looked at me. With one hand, he plugged his nose, and with the other, he pretended to wave the smelly air away.
I laughed. Too hard. Ian stopped reading and looked down at me.
ââŚwhat?â he asked. âDid I say something wrong?â
Juniâs face turned to horror.
âNo, everything makes sense,â I replied. âJust, eh⌠slow down a little bit so I can get everything, okay?â
âSure,â he said, and continued.
Juni wasnât done. He crawled back under Ianâs underarm, and when he emerged, wore a very pained expression on his face. He stuck his tongue out; gross, and pretended to throw up.
I couldnât hold it in. I made a sound that resembled someone sneezing.
Ian looked up, looked at me, and turned to look at Juni. Juni froze.
âWhat? What did I do?â Ian asked. He then frowned. âYouâre making fun of me.â
âNot me,â I told him. âBut I think Juni has something to tell you.â
The iatiliâs eyes grew wide.
âUh⌠No, noâŚâ Juni whispered. âNo I donât.â
Ianâs gaze jumped from me to Juni to me again.
âRemember what I like to complain about, maitoka?â I asked.
Juni âsneezedâ like I did.
âMaito⌠what doesâŚ?â Ian paused. He then angled his nose downwards. ââŚoh.â
âIan vah maitoka, des aeria lai ilirka.â
âYou think so?â I asked him. âEnglish, please.â
âUmâŚâ Juni said, with a sincere cough this time. âIan is⌠smelly, but I like him.â
Surprise appeared.
âReally?â Ian asked. He put his phone down. âI like you too. But I bet you smell worse than me because youâre a teenager.â
âOlemâŚ!â Juni said, unable to resist smelling under his own arms. âA little. You have a⌠a bigger smell.â
I expected Ian to argue, but he pursed his lips.
âWell, donât get so close, silly,â he laughed.
âWhen Charsiâs done, sheâll probably hang out with us for a while,â I told Ian. âHow about you go take a shower and weâll finish taking notes tonight.â
âHow much do you have now?â
âUm⌠two pages. Front and back. Can you read my writing?â
Ian looked over them one after another, flipping them around.
âYeah,â he said finally. âYeah, these are awesome. Youâre the best little teacher ever.â
âBest little note-taker, you mean,â When Ian nodded, I waved him on. âAll right, maitoka, go wash up. Letâs make a good impression for Charsi.â
By the time Ian had finished bathing, Catherine returned and announced it was Juniâs turn for measuring. The exchange was done over the kitchen island; Juniâs excitement matched Charsiâs fear of the giant boy and the strange cripple before her. I hobbled over to her and reached for her hand; she took it.
âVal sulm, Charsi,â I said to her. âIan vah sulmka, vah dani lai kal bodlir.â
Itâs okay, Charsi. Ian is a good boy, heâs happy to see you.
Charsi regarded me for a moment before looking upwards. Upon Ianâs face was a soft smile. In the very least, his clean and damp-tossed hair and fresh clothes made him much more presentable to a little lady.
âYou boys take care of our princess,â Catherine said, taking Juni in her arms.
âWe will,â Ian and I said at the same time, tossing a glance at each other.
âDo you like cartoons, Charsi?â Catherine asked. âIan has a television in his room.â
âTheyâre pretty funny,â I added, patting her hand. âBut you probably know better than me anyway.â
Still looking at Ian, Charsi nodded.
Ian took Charsi in his hands first and carefully lowered her to the ground. He then took me with a little less finesse, but I was used to it by then; I grabbed my crutches that lay upon the ground and hopped towards the young girl. I noticed her frightful eyes were not up towards the pinnacle of Ianâs head, but at his bare toes not more than a few inches away.
âCome on, Charsi,â Ian said, leaning himself on his knees. âMy room is this way.â
As he stepped towards the hallway with the thud of footsteps, Charsi retreated backwards towards me.
âDonât worry, Charsi, Ian can be a little quick, but heâs very attentive. If he does something that makes you nervous, just let him know, okay?â
Charsi looked at me as if wanting protection, but my crutches impeded any. So I took the lead, and made sure she followed after.
Even worse than with Juni, Ian had no idea what to do with Charsi. When Ian turned on the television and set it to the proper channel, he nearly forgot to lift us up onto the chair in the middle of the bedroom. Then, after we were all set up and seated, he flopped down on his bed (making Charsi jump) and didnât say more than a few words to us. It didnât help that although Charsi looked backwards towards the Iatvi every few seconds, Ian engrossed himself on his silly phone and didnât pay much attention.
We watched the television in silence for more than a few minutes, and even though I laughed at a few parts of the cartoon, Charsi remained stoic. She did not enjoy her surroundings at all. When an advertisement came on, I cleared my throat.
âWill you like your new clothes?â I asked her in Iatnasi. âCatherine does great work.â
Charsi nodded.
âIâm excited,â she said in a decidedly less-than-excited tone. âEliza tries to make me clothes, but they donât fit well. Itâs not comfortable.â
âIâll bet it isnât,â I said. âThough Iâm sure Eliza does her best. She seems like a very special person to you.â
Charsi nodded.
âI love her. If Eliza and Xande hadnât taken care of me, I would have gotten very sick and the same thing that happened to my parents would have happened to me.â
I nodded and fell silent for just a moment.
âIâm sorry. My parents and my little brother and sister died from sickness too.â
âDo you miss them?â Charsi asked.
âSometimes. But I found a new family, just like you did. Now all I need to do isâŚâ
âFind Aria?â
I looked at Charsi and nodded.
âYouâll love her when you meet her,â I said, the hope my dream gave me still brightening my thoughts. âShe is so patient and kind, I donât deserve someone like her.â
âBut youâre patient and kind too, arenât you?â Charsi folded her hands in her lap. âI wish you and Xande were friends. Heâs kept Juni and I safe for a long time. I love him, too.â
I offered her a smile.
âItâs⌠complicated. But I wish we were. Aria and Xande could both live with us, and we could protect her the way Xande protects you.â
âAnd your baby.â
I nodded, looking at the television without watching it.
âI⌠I canât believe Iâll be a father. My own father wasnât the best example for me. Far from it. But itâs my job to make Aria and the baby safe and comfortable. And I canât think of any better place to do that than here.â
âYouâre not afraid of Iatvi?â
âI am. And I was, when Ian and his cousins saved me. I thought Ian would lock me in a backpack like Eliza did to Xande. But he took me to his dad instead. Youâll meet James, heâs a very talented doctor and very friendly. He made sure I survived and healed. I owe the Petersens my life.â
âIs that why you wear bandages?â
I nodded.
âI was floating down a river when I hit something very sharp. It sliced my throat and I couldnât speak for a while.â
Charsi cringed, clutching her own neck.
âOwâŚâ she whispered. âThat sounds like it hurt.â
âIt did. It still does.â
âIatvi scare me,â Charsi admitted. âUm…â
She turned her head to see if Ian was listening. He wasnât. In fact, he had laid his head down and seemed to be falling asleep.
âIan scares me.â
âBut youâre not afraid of Eliza?â
âI used to be. For a long time.â
âItâs just like I told you,â I said. âAll you have to do is tell Ian what you want. Heâs a very good listener. He has a great responsibility on his shoulders, after all.â
Charsi tilted her head.
âResponsibility?â
âItâs the same responsibility Eliza has. Not only does Ian have to learn how to treat us with respect, he has to keep us a secret from almost everyone he knows to keep us safe. Including a lot of his family. Sound familiar?â
Charsi remained quiet.
âItâs worse for Ian, though. He has no Iatvi friends to rely on. So if he were to hurt us or mistreat us, he thinks we would stop being his friend, and he would be completely alone.â
âBut thatâs sad,â Charsi said. âYou wouldnât stop being his friend, would you?â
âNope. But itâs been difficult to convince him. He hurt me very badly the first week I was here, and he still has nightmares about it.â
Charsi parted the black hair from her eyes and thought.
âIf he were Iatili, I would be friends with him.â
âWhatâs stopping you from being his friend now?â
âHeâs…â
Charsi looked back at Ian laying upon his bed.
â…heâs not Eliza.â
I smiled.
âBut Catherine is like Eliza, right?â
Charsi nodded.
âYou sure itâs not because heâs a boy?â
Charsi looked up at me with a scowl.
âNo! Iâm not scared of boys!â
âWell, guess what?â I said, leaning backwards. âI think Ian is scared of you because youâre a girl.â
âWhat? But why?â
âYouâll learn this about boys real quick,â I said with a laugh. âThey get spooked easy, especially by girls. You should have seen me around Aria when we were teenagers. Sheâd been my friend for years. But one day I didnât see her as just a friend, I suddenly saw her as a girl. A very pretty girl, too. I started saying really stupid things around her, and she thought Iâd gone crazy.â
Charsiâs eyes were wide.
âIan didnât say anything stupid.â
âThatâs because he didnât say anything at all,â I said. I pointed over at him. âNotice how he ignored us when the cartoon came on? Itâs not because he doesnât like you, itâs because heâs too nervous to speak to you.â
Charsi frowned again. She looked over her shoulder to look at Ian, then looked back down at her lap.
âBut thatâs strange. Why would an Iatvi be scared of me?â
âLetâs go find out.â
Charsiâs head spun at me in horror.
âWhat? No no⌠heâs⌠heâs sleeping, I donât want to wake him.â
âCome on, Charsi,â I said, scooting myself towards the corner of the chair. I held out my hand to her. âIâve woken Ian up many times, heâs never angry.â
Charsi didnât speak, holding back.
âIan wants to be your friend,â I said. âHe just needs a little help. Come talk to him. And donât be afraid, Iâll be with you the whole time.â
Charsi took one last look at the Iatvi boy behind her before reluctantly taking my hand.
I descended to the floor with much more success than a few months prior and discovered that much like her brother, Charsi was an excellent climber. I left my crutches on the floor and chose to limp to Ianâs bedside, taking hold of Charsiâs hand to ease her fears. When we climbed to the surface of his bed (Charsi after me), we both approached Ian; his face was turned towards the wall. Fortunately, his arm was hanging over the edge instead of guarding his head, so we had no obstruction before us. Charsi understandably stood at a distance while I approached the great hairy crown.
âHey, sleepy,â I said, reaching my hand out into the tangled bundle of hair. Smooth and washed, I brushed it side-to-side to get the boyâs attention. âYou awake?â
No response.
âHello, kani?â I said. I knocked on Ianâs head, right where his hair parted. âIan?â
I heard Charsi gasp, and I looked up to see Ianâs opposite hand itch the spot Iâd hit. Then, the whole form of the Iatvi rose upwards on his elbows as the head turned towards Charsi and I. His exhausted expression suddenly turned into a gentle kind of fear as he recognized the two figures beneath him.
âO-Oh,â he stammered at once, holding himself up with one arm and rubbing an eye with his other. âIâm sorry, I⌠I didnât mean to fall asleepâŚâ
âCharsi and I just want to talk to you.â
Ian looked at the surface of the bed.
âUm, okay,â he whispered.
Scooting back so as not to push us off the bed, Ian sat with his back to the bedroom wall with his legs folded. Heâd only been laying down for a few moments, but his hair was already disheveled on one side. And even though his posture appeared tired, his eyes and nerves were alert.
âCharsi,â I said, waving her to my side. I took her hand. âTell Ian what you told me. If Ian were Iatili.â
Ian placed his hands in his lap as Charsi gathered her courage.
âI⌠I want to be friends,â she said quietly. âIf you were Iatili⌠it would be easier.â
âOh,â Ian said. âI guess… Iâm… sorry Iâm not.â
âIan is Ian,â I told Charsi. âAnd youâre you. No use wishing to change that, huh? You donât think you would get along?â
Charsi shrugged, still not looking upwards.
âI donât like to be scared,â she said.
I looked up at Ian, and he acknowledged my expression; exactly what Juni had said.
âBut Iâm not scary. I promise Iâm not.â
âI told her that you were scared of her too,â I said, much to his surprise.
âWhat? Why? What do you mean?â
âYouâre not nervous around girls, are you?â
Ian blinked.
âNerveâŚ? Nuh-uh, Iâm⌠Iâm not.â
I grinned at him.
âI think you are.â
He frowned.
âBut Iâm not. Iâm not⌠nervous around anyone. Not cute girls, not anybody.â
Charsi looked up at me, then up at Ian with a slight blush.
âYou think Iâm cute?â
Ianâs face drained of color and his eyes grew wide.
âI⌠I didnât⌠I mean, thatâs not what I meant, I justâŚâ
Charsi looked pained.
âYou donât think so?â
Ianâs hands wrestled with each other in desperation as his eyes flew around the room.
âN-no, thatâs⌠I mean, I mean yes, but I didnâtâŚâ He looked directly at me and pouted. âThis isnât fair! What is this, âMake Fun of Me Dayâ?â
I laughed out loud, and Charsi even showed a small smile.
âYou did that to yourself!â
âVah sulm, Ian,â Charsi said with her delicate voice. âI⌠think youâre kinda cute, too.â
If there was any more confidence in Ianâs face, it vanished. Ian couldnât even stammer. He simply looked at Charsi in true terror.
âNice work, Charsi!â I said, lifting her hand in triumph. âSee what I told you? Youâre scarier than he is!â
For more than a moment, Charsi looked up at Ian with a delightful smile and Ian looked back at her, stunned.
âWell?â I said, stepping forward. Charsi followed me. âWhat do you think of him?â
âI donât want you to be lonely, Ian,â Charsi said. âAnd I donât either. I⌠I think I can be your friend. If you want.â
Ian sat there for a moment more. Then, he lowered both of his hands and placed them palms upwards before Charsi and I.
âCan I⌠hold you?â he asked sheepishly.
Charsi looked at me and held my hand tighter.
âHeâll be careful. Wonât he?â
Ian nodded.
âYeah, âcourse.â
Charsi relented, and I held her hand as she awkwardly stepped onto Ianâs fingers. Unable to keep proper footing, she lowered herself to her hands and knees. She shot one last unsure look at me as Ian raised her up into the air.
Charsi turned herself to sit cross-legged. They stared at each other.
â…your hands smell like soap,â Charsi said.
âUh-huh. I keep them clean,â Ian said with a laugh. âLenn told me to take a shower.â
âHe listens to me sometimes,â I said up to her, and Ian grinned.
âYeah, just sometimes.â
âBut⌠if Iâm going to be your friend, youâll keep me safe?â Charsi asked. âJust like Eliza?â
âOf course,â Ian said. âJust like I do for Lenn. I wonât let anyone hurt you.â
I couldnât quite see from my perspective, but from Ianâs reaction, I could tell that Charsi was doing something, perhaps drawing her fingers along the creases of Ianâs hand. The boy laughed.
âAww, that tickles!â
âIt does?â
âYep,â he said, gritting his teeth. âWhat if I tickled you back?â
âNo, please donât,â Charsi whispered. âJuni does, and I donât like it.â
âIan, be nice.â
âAh!â Ian giggled, straining but unable to put Charsi down. His hands shook, but the now-comforted girl showed little fear. âAh! Stop! Lenn, make Charsi stop! Tell her to be nice, not me!â
For the first time, I heard Charsi laugh. And I laughed along with her.
âRemember, sheâs the princess,â I said. âThat means sheâs in charge, not me!â
Late evening came, a few hours after Eliza had departed. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind, and I couldnât simply remain in bed waiting for the next day to come. Iâd felt this way too many times, my stomach tied in knots and so filled with anxiety that I thought I might die simply by dwelling on the future. To be perfectly honest, I preferred the threat of actual danger to the impending feeling of doom, if only for the fact that seen danger can be avoided. Unseen events cannot, and from the sound of things, Xandeâs reaction to my presence away from you was not positive in any way.
I stepped into the kitchen, limping a little slower than normal. I had expended a lot of energy that day, and I didnât imagine the next day would improve it. I stayed in the middle of the floor, noticing for the first time that I didnât feel compelled to remain in the shadows of the expansive room.
Footsteps emerged from a room downstairs, and then marched upwards towards me. I paused, prepared to wave down the Iatvi if only to avoid being kicked or smashed. But as his head emerged from the stairs below, James spotted me immediately.
âLenn,â he said with a grin. âJust the man I wanted to see.â
âHi James.â
I expected James to continue his ascent and dwarf me, but instead he sat upon one of the steps further down, keeping his eye level at mine.
âCome on over,â he waved. He played with something in his hands, and as I drew close to the edge of the carpeted stairs, I recognized what they were immediately. âWhat do you think? Will these work for you?â
My eyes widened as he handed me a pair of expertly crafted crutches. They werenât wood or twigs to which I was accustomed. In fact, they appeared to be made out of sleek metal tubes, shaped and bolted together wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Wrapped straps of leather protected the tops for comfort, underneath which was added a cushioning of foam. A crossbar secured the middle of the crutches as a place to hold my hands, and upon the bottoms were rubber pegs to keep the metal from scratching the floors⌠as if I had ever had to worry about that before, right?
For longer than I should have, I simply held them in my hands. James had given me crutches designed to last for years, and they did exactly that.
âWell?â he asked with a half-grin. âGo ahead, check the height. I took Catherineâs measurements, but I had to guess a little. Crutches should fit below your armpit and let you bend your elbow.â
Gently standing on my weak leg, I took a crutch in each hand and placed them under my arms. Right away I noticed the problem; they were both a little high, and even attempting to rest my weight on my left side made my injury sting. James saw the expression on my face.
âNot quite right, huh?â he asked.
âYeah,â I answered.
âOnce theyâre lowered, they shouldnât hurt. Iâll go ahead and fix them, they should be done by tonight before you go to bed.â
âWaitâŚâ I replied. I had been too surprised to connect the dots. âYou⌠made these?â
James smiled.
âOf course. I tried to find some Lenn-sized crutches at the pharmacy, but they were sold out.â
I smiled back.
âThese are incredible,â I said, handing them back to James. âI canât believe that you would do that for me. I was expecting wood poles and tape⌠Maybe sticks and string. Iâve built crutches with worse.â
âNonsense, Lenn. You should know me better than that by now. It was a fun challenge. Do you know how hard it was to find screws and rubber pegs that small?â
âI can guess,â I replied with a nod.
âLet me get an accurate measurement really quick. Hold this next to your arm, would you?â
James gave me one crutch, and I held it to my side. From his shirt pocket James produced a thin-tipped pen, and made a black mark perhaps three of my fingers in width. He repeated this with the other crutch, and examined them both to make sure they were the same length.
âPerfect. Iâll fix these right away, and youâll be all set.â
âJames, I just⌠donât know what to say. Itâs been so hard for me to walk, and Iâve never had a set of crutches like this⌠Serditol. Thank you, really.â
âWe all love having you here, Lenn. Ianâs really brightened up a lot since you arrived. He hasnât made many friends, even in our church, and school has been particularly hard for him.â
âHeâs said so,â I said. âHe hasnât told me specifics, but⌠I think other kids make fun of him for some reason.â
James nodded.
âBelieve it or not, much of it is because of the church we go to. Many of those kidsâ parents donât believe what we believe, and they teach their kids that itâs okay to push Ian around for staying true to his beliefs.â
âWhat?â I frowned. âBut why? Why do they care what Ian believes?â
âI donât know,â James said. âSome people just feel the need to punish others for being different.â
I folded my arms.
âHmm. I know something about that. I wish I could do something. If I were human, Iâd teach those kids a thing or two.â
âIâm sure you would. Iâm just glad youâre here to help Ian through the day.â
âWell, I owe it to him. I owe it to all of you.â
âCatherine told me about Eliza,â James said, shaking his head. âI can hardly believe it. Sheâs been hiding these kids for so long⌠I canât wait to meet them. And I hear youâre going to teach them.â
I laughed, scratching my nose.
âI donât know what Eliza expects of me. But it sounds like they may be outcasts like me. And I figure outcasts should stick together⌠if theyâre not scared out of their minds from being in a new place surrounded by new people.â
âNew human people, you mean.â
âYeah⌠especially.â
âWell, you let me know how it all goes tomorrow. I know Iâd only add to the fear if I joined you, so Iâll hide in my office downstairs until everything calms down a bit. But before then, let me go fix your crutches. Are you headed to Ianâs room? You want me to put them anywhere, or bring them to you when theyâre done?â
âUmâŚâ I put my finger to my lips. âMaybe you can just leave them in the guest room. I figure I can walk around for one more day.â
James nodded.
âSounds good, Iâll do that.â
âThank you, James, thank you. I wonât stop saying it. I hope I can find a way to pay you back someday.â
âYou already are, Lenn, donât you worry.â
James disappeared back down the stairs, and I hobbled towards Ianâs door. Closing an ear with my finger as I passed the electronic bug repeller, I noticed the bedroomâs door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open, and it made no noise; squeezing through the gap, I found the room relatively dark with the sun mostly gone outside the window and the warm lamp lit on Ianâs bedside table.
I didnât call out to him. He was lying on his bed upon his stomach, engrossed watching something on his phone (typical Ian) with a pair of wired ear-shaped somethings he called ‘headphones’ jammed in his ears. Apparently, they allowed Ian to listen to the sounds of his phone without bothering anyone else. Keeping to the shadows beneath his dresser and television, I carefully climbed the sheets at the end of his bed until I stood about a foot away from his bobbing feet.
I had plenty of room on the side of the bed to avoid them, but his legs still made me a bit nervous. I walked past them quickly and approached his side above his hips.
His attention remained on his phone. When Ian focused, it was very difficult to unfocus him. But this certainly did: I grabbed hold of his t-shirt around his middle and hauled myself up onto the small of his back. Ianâs hand immediately swatted at me as if some small bug jumped onto him, and he shook side-to-side to buck me off. I held onto him firmly, though, and pushed his hand as it bounced off of my arm.
âHuh?â Ian asked, pulling out one of his headphones.
âHey,â I announced. âQuit moving.â
He did so, but not without letting out a guttural laugh that rumbled through my good knee.
â…what are you doing?â
âTaking a seat.â
âOn my back?â
âSia.â
âYouâre weird.â
I laughed.
âSia.â
On all fours (or three-and-a-halfs, since my bum leg just dragged behind me), I crawled upwards. I could feel his muscles flexing beneath my hands.
âAh!â he said, his head pulling backwards. âThat itches.â
âI hope so,â I said, finally stopping at the gap between his shoulder blades. Sharply prominent through his shirt, I could practically use them as handholds to keep myself situated upon my new sitting place. When I rested myself (sitting beside the discomfort from his spine beneath me), I dug my fingers into the fabric of his shirt, scratching him. âWhat are you watching?â
âIâm listening to music,â he said. âWant to hear?â
âSure.â
He offered me the headphone heâd just removed, and I took the head-sized plastic frame. For being such a large speaker, I had a hard time hearing any sounds emerging from it without bringing it very close to my own ear.
From within the speaker, I heard the rhythms of electronic music, of pianos and guitars, of lyrics I had a difficult time understanding, and beats to which Ian gently swayed. For three or four songs, we didnât say a word to each other. Instead, we just lost ourselves in the music. The songs werenât intense or gentle; they were simple enough to relax and complex enough to distract. I felt infinitely comforted to have anything floating through my mind beyond my own thoughts, and Iâm sure it was similar for Ian. I wasnât sure the tunes were familiar to the funny ka, as the notes he hummed didnât exactly follow the tones. But I found myself doing the very same thing, entranced by the sounds.
In the middle of the next song, Ian piped up.
âLenn?â
I put the headphone down in my lap.
âYeah?â
âCan you tell me now?â
âTell you what?â
âWhy youâre afraid of Xande,â he said. âI donât want him to hurt you.â
I sighed, continuing to scratch the boyâs back.
âI canât,â I said. âItâs⌠not for a boy your age.â
Ian was silent for a moment.
âOh,â he said. âItâs like that.â
I tilted my head.
âLike what?â
âThatâs the same thing Mom and Dad say about my adoption. Or when they talk about my birth mom. They always say theyâll tell me when Iâm older.â
I grimaced.
âItâs okay if you donât trust me,â he continued. âI wonât ask anymore.â
âIan, donât say that. Itâs not that I donât trust you, itâs⌠itâs that I donât trust myself to say it out loud. That it will become too painful if I tell someone.â
Ian remained quiet, and the music continued without me for a few moments.
âHah. It wonât matter by tomorrow, though. Youâll know by then anyway.â
I sighed and rested my arms on my curled knee.
â…do you promise to keep it a secret until I talk about it?â
I turned my head as well as I could, and I saw Ianâs head nodding up and down.
âOkay⌠So, I⌠I wasnât quite telling the truth when I said that Aria and I were just⌠friendsâŚâ
The morning came in an instant. The moment the front door shut, I stood to my feet as if ready for combat. My heart beat a million miles per minute, and Ian could sense my apprehension. He stood up and opened the door, taking a peek into the kitchen.
âHi Ian,â Eliza said. âKeep your voice down, yeah?â
âUh-huh.â
âIs that them?â asked Catherine from somewhere outside the room.
âYes, come on in.â
Eliza entered first, stepping around Ian to kneel at the end of the bed. In both hands she held a large green backpack that she guarded close to herself as if her life depended on it. Or, several lives, to be specific. Catherine stepped in behind her with a kitchen chair, placing it against the wall and taking a seat. Ian knelt back down beside me.
âYou guys ready?â Eliza asked. She wasnât talking to us. From inside the backpack I heard a voice give a quiet confirmation, and with that, Eliza set the bag down on the surface of the bed and unzipped the main compartment. After a short moment of sure hesitation, two figures emerged from the darkness within, dressed in a collection of rough black-and-blue clothing that didnât seem to fit them properly: a blonde-haired and pale young teenage boy, and a raven-haired almond-eyed girl that clung to his side. They covered their eyes from the bright window light, and the moment they saw the enraptured audience before them, they stopped.
âItâs okay, guys,â Eliza said, looking upon them. âThis is my family. Donât be afraid, youâre safe here.â
âHello, little ones,â Catherine said cheerfully. Ian gave a small wave and a friendly smile.
I did not. Because my gaze was firmly attached to the figure that next emerged from the dark. He showed no fear behind his long jet-black hair, and the leathers he wore might well have been standard-issue for all gatherers Iâd ever known. His face bore the familiar scars that I knew by heart, as well as the nasty glare he always reserved for me. The only part of him that appeared out of place was literally out of place: his left arm. All that remained was part of his shoulder; his sleeve clung to his belt like an empty banner.
He advanced on me. I walked towards him. Iâm certain Eliza had scolding words prepared, but Xande spoke first.
âWhy are you here, Lenn?â
He always said my name with a surprising amount of contempt. This time was no different.
âI might ask you the same thing,â I replied.
âNo, not this time. You donât get to argue with me. Tell me why youâre here.â
The sharpness of his Iatnasi hadnât changed. I always thought his accent stronger than mine, but hearing it out loud from him then, I began to doubt. Maybe it was from his time away.
My eyes narrowed.
âAsk Elder Ordi. Ask the gatherers.â
Xande pressed his face towards me.
âWell, theyâre not here, are they? You didnât just leave. Thereâs only one reason Ordi would have you exiled. Aria couldnât protect you this time, and I want to know why.â
âAs if they needed a reason.â
Xande shoved me backwards with his hand.
âXande, cut it out!â
âNot now, Eliza!â Xande barked in English.
âYouâve always been like this. Pushing me around is your only answer.â
âAnd whining is yours. You canât blame your broken leg for everything shitty that happens to you. Maybe if you tried to actually do something useful, everyone wouldnât hate you so much.â
âIf you didnât have a teacher, you wouldnât even be able to spell your name. You wouldnât know rat poison from sugar by the label without Aria. Without me.â
Xandeâs eyes rolled so hard, I thought he might lose them.
âAgain, and again, and again. Your argument never changes. I can spell my name just fine without you. Youâve always thought yourself so important, sitting in your dirty âschoolâ wasting everyoneâs time while we fought for everything you ate. No one needed you. No one needs you.â
Xande came within a handâs width away from my face.
âI wonât ask again. Why are you here? Why couldnât Aria protect your sorry ass?â
I attempted to remain resolute in the face of this pretentious Iatili, but⌠he deserved to know, no matter what I thought of him. I couldnât help but withdraw and break away from eye contact.
âYou know why.â
Xande shoved me again, nearly making me trip backwards.
âMaybe I do, maybe I donât. Why donât you tell it to my face?â
âXande, youâre scaring the-â
âShut up!â Xande shouted. âTell me, Lenn. What did you do to her?â
I wasnât going to feel shame for this. You wouldnât want me to. I stared back at him, shoving my face into his.
âKe hountia Aria.â
Iâm not quite certain what I sensed first, the crushing weight of Xandeâs fist connecting with my nose, the drain of blood bursting forth from my nostrils, or hearing the thumping sound of his knuckles as I reeled backwards and collapsed. The world spun and I saw nothing but stars; I heard, however, a collection of frightened gasps and Elizaâs voice emerging loud and clear.
âXande, what the hell?!â
âGet off of me! Put me down, woman, Iâm going to tear him apart!â
âYouâre not touching him again, you hear me!â
âXande! Why did you do that?!â
âLenn, are you okay?! Come on, get up!â
Ianâs hands gathered me about my waist and lifted me to my feet. Unprepared, I wobbled back and forth and waited a moment to balance with his support. Blood oozed down my shirt and no doubt onto the fabric floor, even on Ianâs hand. I felt the hard cartilage; it didnât feel broken, exactly. Perhaps Xande didnât have the momentum buildup from his missing arm, but it didnât make the strike any less painful.
I could hear Xande roaring to attack me again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Eliza must have removed him from the bed.
âNo, Xande! Cool off, or Iâm locking you in the backpack!â
âLet me up there, you bitch! Iâll kill him!â
Elizaâs head tilted in amazement.
âOh, Iâm the one acting like a bitch? Fine, you want to play it like that?â
âDonât touch me, Eliza! This is between me and him!â
Eliza removed the backpack from the surface of the bed. I still couldnât quite see past the pain, but in that instant, I heard everyone in the room gasp.
âOh,â Eliza said with a laugh. âThe big manâs got his knife, huh! Taking the high road, arenât you!?â
From my perspective, it appeared that Eliza began wrestling and swiping at a Iatili on the floor.
âXande, stop!â yelled the teenage boy.
âXande, donât hurt Eliza!â shouted the girl.
Three seconds of grunting and angry roars, and the scuffle came to a head: Eliza withdrew her hand like a bolt of lightning, sucking on her ring finger.
âOuch! Damn it, Xande! Fine!â
Elizaâs hand shoved the ex-gatherer hard enough to make him collide into the far wall. The thump made everyone in the room wince, especially the two kids; they clung to each other all the tighter.
âThere,â Eliza said, placing a piece of reflective sharpened metal next to the teenage boy on the bed. âDonât let him have that, Jun.â
âEliza! Let me go! Weâre not done!!â
âYeah, weâre not done,â she said, with surprising calm. âBut you are.â
A Iatili was thrown into a backpack with force enough to sound like a book dropping to the floor. And then, ziiiiiip.
âLet me out! Now! He doesnât deserve her! Iâll kill him for this, you hear me?!â
âYouâre insane,â Eliza said, removing something from the backpack. Did she anticipate this? She must have, as she removed a thin plastic strip from a bag in the front pocket. Looping it through holes in the zipper handles, the plastic strip made clicking noises and secured the zippers together. Without his knife, he wasnât getting out. âLittle loser. Excuse me, Iâm going to lock him in my car. Iâll be just a second.â
âDo you need a bandaid, Eliza?â asked Catherine, standing.
âNo, Iâm fineâŚâ
Ignoring the mad screaming of the Iatili within, Eliza took the backpack and exited the room. I heard the front door close before I attempted to speak.
âIâm⌠sorry for the blood everywhere.â
Catherine and Ian whined.
âLenn, donât worry about itâŚâ
âWhat did you tell him?â
I looked at the kids at the end of the bed that now appeared horrified, and I leaned against Ianâs warm hand.
âI⌠I said⌠I offered myself to Aria.â
âWhat does that mean?â
My face turned a slight red color, which may have increased the flow of blood from my nose.
âI canâtâŚâ I gurgled.
I looked at Catherine, and for a split second, saw confusion on her face. But then realization dawned on her.
“I see.â
I patted Ianâs hand. I then looked to the Iatili distant from me.
âIâm sorry that was the first thing you had to see here,â I said to the two kids quickly, pinching my nose. âAre you two okay?â
Neither of them answered right away. To my surprise, however, the boy stepped towards me with his sister in tow at his side.
âItâs okay,â I said, raising a hand. âNo oneâs going to hurt you.â
âWeâre not afraid,â said the boy in a very pronounced accent. It sounded different than mine. âWhat about you?â
I wiped my nose with my sleeve, and saw a thick smear of red. I couldnât help a small laugh.
âI deserved it,â I said quietly. âI knew he would react that way.â
âYou did not deserve it!â Catherine exclaimed.
âYeah!â agreed Ian. âThat wasnât cool at all!â
I cast a glance at the Iatvi, then back to the Iatili kids. The boyâs expression was solid, but the young girl reserved her judgement, clinging to the teenager and hiding her face in her long hair. Now standing a few inches away from Ianâs hand, they looked up at him, then back at me.
âYou married⌠Xandeâs sister?â the girl whispered. Her voice was crystal, delicate and pure like the color of her dark-brown eyes.
My eyebrows raised. The boy looked down at the girl, and I gave her a small smile.
âYes,â I said out loud to her. Out loud for the first time. Of course, just like the translation of the word âofferedâ, it wasnât quite marriage, but⌠close enough for a ten year old. âI love her. And I miss her.â
The girl nodded. Then, to my surprise, the boy raised his hand to me.
âIâm Juni. This is Charsi.â
âOh,â I said, noticing my correct hand covered in blood. Ian lowered his stained hand a bit, and I offered Juni my opposite. âSorry, itâs good to meet you. I hope Xande hasnât made me sound pathetic. At least I can take a punch.â
Charsi lifted her hand as well, and she delicately shook mine.
Juni gave a small smile.
âHe tried. But…â he said. âI donât believe much of what Xande says.â
âIâm grateful for that.â I motioned towards Catherine and Ian. I then spoke Iatnasi just to see their reactions. âThis is Ian. And his mother Catherine. Heâs Elizaâs cousin, and sheâs Elizaâs aunt.â
Juni nodded.
âHello,â he said. âEeen. And Cah-ter-een.â
I smiled; though a bit different than mine, his pronunciation sounded just like that when you taught me English.
Eliza returned a few moments later with a frown on her face. Ian returned as well with a damp washcloth for me, his hands now clean.
âHe is not a happy camper,â she said, kneeling back down before the side of the bed. âSwearing at me the whole time, in Iatnasi and English. Heâs definitely not coming back here until he learns to relax.â She looked at me and held out her hand. âIâm sorry, Lenn. I had no idea heâd hit you like that.â
âI did,â wiping my upper lip and testing my nose again. Sore, but nothing more. âHe hasnât changed.â
âHeâs going to be okay out there, right?â Catherine asked. âIn your car? Itâs going to get pretty hot.â
âAs much as Iâd like to make him sweat a bit, youâre right,â Eliza said. âIâll probably have to go real soon.â
âBut⌠our stuff is in the backpack,â Juni said, pointing to the door.
Elizaâs eyes widened as her lips pursed sideways.
âShoot. Youâre right.â
âThe front pocket,â Charsi added.
Eliza paused.
âYou sure?â
Charsi nodded.
âVal sia?â Juni asked.
Charsi nodded harder.
âBodlis Eliza lai vamir lia ardi.â
Juni shrugged.
âOh. Sulm. I donât have to cut him out of there until I get home.â Eliza turned to me. âSeriously, though, youâre okay? Your nose isnât broken?â
âNo, it just hurts, thatâs all. Iâm glad he didnât use his knife, but Iâm more grateful it wasnât Elder Ordi standing over me. When he found out⌠he really did try to kill me.â
âAre you serious?â Eliza asked. âWhen was this?â
âA week before Ian and the boys found me. Aria tried to keep everything a secret, but there was only so much she could do to hide it. Eventually, everyone could, well… see what had happened.â
Everyone paused.
âAria is pregnant, then?â Catherine asked.
I looked up at her, then back down at the bed. I nodded.
âThatâs a good thing, though, yeah?â Ian asked, patting my back.
I nodded again.
âXande had this figured out,â Eliza said.
âYeah. All he needed was confirmation.â
âBut Xande told us he has been gone from your village for a long time,â Eliza said quietly. âIf he didnât want this to happen, why did he leave? Why did he come to protect the kids?â
âHeâs just like the other gatherers,â I said with bitterness. âWhen he lost his arm, I donât think he could bring himself to come back.â
âWhy?â Ian asked.
âHa, look at me. I can hardly move with this leg of mine, and heâd taunted me for years. If he came back without an entire arm, heâd be unable to keep up with the others. Heâd be exactly like me. I could call him a⌠oh, whatâs the word⌠nissahnk. Hip. Hipo. Hipo-something.â
âHypocrite?â Eliza suggested.
âSia, a hypocrite.â
âThat sounds like Xande. Asking him about his arm has always been a touchy subject.â
âBut heâs never home,â Juni said. âHeâs always climbing, running, jumping…â
Eliza nodded.
âLike heâs compensating for something.â
âIâm not sure I know what that means,â I said.
Catherine gave Eliza a look. Eliza smiled.
âNot like that. Although I wouldnât be surprised.â Her explanation went over my head. âHe doesnât let himself fail. Heâs never felt sorry for himself, at least not in front of other people. Not that Iâve seen, anyway. Has he ever talked to you guys about his arm, or Lenn?â
Juni shook his head.
âNot me. I asked once. He got angry.â
Charsi looked a little sheepish.
âXande talked to me about losing his arm. That he hated the pain in his shoulder, and how he had to use his teeth to tie knots. He talked about Aria, too. He said she was beautiful and kind. One time, he said-â
She paused. Eliza lowered her eyes towards her.
âDid he say something about Lenn?â
Charsi nodded.
âI think so. That a boy always took his sister away. Um⌠âkalytiâ.â
âWhat does that mean, Sisi?â
I chuckled, folding my arms.
âHe called me that a lot,â I said. Turning to answer the blank stares, I continued: âIt means âidiot boyâ.â
Eliza frowned at me.
âWell, maybe not âidiotâ, exactly. Dumb. And smart. Stupid, but not stupid. It doesnât make a lot of sense.â
âSomeone smart but acts dumb?â Eliza said with a smile. âMakes me think of you, Ian. Youâre a total nerd.â
âA nerd? I am not,â He paused, lifting his nose in the air. âIâm⌠refined.â
Holding back a grin, I tilted my head.
âIâm not⌠familiar with that word. Nerd?â
âHa,â Ian said, nudging my shoulder with the back of his hand. âYouâre an English nerd. It means youâre weird. Smart with words but goofy.â
I shrugged, looking up at him.
âIâll accept that.â
âBut Lenn,â Ian continued. âYouâve gotta find Aria. If sheâs gonna have a baby soon, you want her to be safe, donât you? What if she gets sick? Or your baby gets sick? With polio⌠or something really bad?â
âIanâŚâ Catherine said, lightly scolding him.
âThatâs why I panicked when you told me about polio in the first place, Ian. I wanted the vaccine for her, but I wanted the vaccine for my child, too. I donât want them to be crippled like me. I just donât know how to help them. The village could have gone in any direction, and to be honest, Iâm not sure I could point out where the old village was in the first place.â
Everyone appeared somber.
âItâs not like we can call a search party, can we?â Eliza asked.
I shook my head.
âI think we are the search party.â
âWhat if we bought a pair of really fancy night vision goggles?â Ian asked. âOne of those with heat vision? Er, that can see heat, I mean. Then we could see Iatili easy.â
My eyes widened a bit.
â…if thatâs real, that sounds horrifying.â
âIâm pretty sure thatâs beyond my budget,â Eliza laughed.
âOurs, too,â Catherine agreed.
I folded my arms and bobbed my feet up and down.
âI know I just got punched in the faceâŚâ I growled. âBut that vyshtâŚâ
I looked at Juni and Charsi.
âUh, I mean⌠sorry for my languageâŚâ
âItâs okay,â Juni said with a shrug.
âI think that idiot in the backpack might be the only one that could track them. Considering he wants to murder me, though, I donât think heâll help me. Elder Ordi wants me dead, anyway.â
I closed my eyes.
âAnd Aria might not want to come back with me at all.â
âWhy?â Ian asked.
âBut you love each other,â Catherine said. âYou donât think she would?â
I shrugged. I donât think Iâll ever get over the memory that floated through my mind.
âI⌠I said some very terrible things to her⌠to make her stay in the village. I couldnât let her leave with me. I couldnât let her throw her life away.â
I expected someone to argue with me, but they didnât.
âI have no experience gathering. Neither does she. Even if we both left together, our best efforts couldnât possibly have been good enough. We would both die. We would all die. And⌠I couldnât let my choices do that to her. I couldnât do it to her or to our child.â
âBut you didnât die,â Ian said. âWe would have saved you.â
âIf we knew back then, maybe,â Catherine said, resting her hand on Ianâs shoulder. âBut if they had been together, things might have gone very differently. If you hadnât found Lenn like you did, he wouldnât be here in the first place.â
âLenn,â Juni said. I looked at the boy, and he took a pause. âXande wonât help. But I want to help. I want to help you.â
âI do too,â Charsi said, sounding equally as confident.
âMe too!â Ian said quickly.
I smiled at them, and Eliza spoke up first.
âYou three are the best,â Eliza said proudly. âI think weâre kind of stuck, though. Until we come up with a plan, or Xande pulls his head out of his butt, thereâs not a whole lot we can do.â
âWeâll think of something,â Ian said. âRight, Mom?â
âYes, absolutely. Iâll go ask your father, I wonder if he might have any ideas.â
âMaybe Ian and I can go hiking, see if we can find anything. Thereâs got to be some trace of them out there,â Eliza said.
âIâll come with you,â I said. âItâs as good a place to start as any.â
âAnd you two can start working on Xande when you come home,â Eliza replied to the two young Iatili. âThereâs bad blood between him and Lenn, but Xandeâs gotta recognize that this happened, and thereâs nothing he can do but work with Lenn to help Aria.â
âI made all this happen⌠Without me, Aria would have found someone stronger, someone who could take care of her. Someone her family didnât despise. It doesnât matter, though… She means everything to me. I want to take her away from our terrible lives. I want to keep her safe, make her comfortable and carefree.â
I looked up at Catherine.
âI wouldnât have known anything different if I hadnât found refuge here. But I canât take advantage of your family, Catherine. Iâve taken up so much of your attention by myself, what would my new family take from you? I canât ask you to care for me, Aria, and our baby foreverâŚâ
âWhy not? Youâre my brother.â Ian asked. âMom, why not? I want to help Lenn and Aria.â
Catherine reached for me and took my hand.
âLenn, what do you really want?â she asked me.
I looked away.
âI⌠I donât know… â
âYes, you do,â she said with a soft smile.
âI canât even begin to repay you for saving me, for feeding me, for caring for me. What could Aria and I possibly do to earn our right to stay here?â
âJames and I have been talking about this, Lenn. Youâre free to leave at any time⌠once youâre strong enough, of course. We would never keep you here against your will. At the same time, though, we couldnât bring ourselves to force you away to fend for yourself out there. Youâve come to mean a lot to us, Lenn. And now that I know you have a family to protect, thereâs no way I could leave Aria and your child out in the cold. I just couldnât do it.â
âItâs the same reason I keep these two around,â Eliza said, patting Juniâs back. âThree, counting that blockhead Xande. Iâm not putting them in chains, but I would never forgive myself if they got themselves hurt or killed if I gave up on them. No matter how hard things get, theyâre part of my life now.â
âYes, exactly. Youâre part of our lives, Lenn,â Catherine agreed. âYou earn your keep by being part of it.â
âWeâre brothers,â Ian said, ruffling my hair. âAnd I wonât let my big brother get hurt. And if youâre my brother, then Aria is my sister.â When I laughed, he scratched his cheek. âUm, sort of. You know what I mean.â
I shook my head in amazement and said nothing for a moment.
âViamen indiata rundi,â Juni said, catching my attention. âSisi ys ke. Huh Eliza?â
âYou betcha.â
âWhaâd he say?â Ian asked.
âThat theyâre part of your family, too.â
âYeah, definitely,â Ian said with a grin.
âIâd love to hold a baby,â Charsi said, making a cradle of her arms. âMaybe a baby girl?â
âNo way, ataikani!â Juni said with a laugh. âThen I can teach him kickball.â
âYeah, a boy! For video games!â Ian said.
I chuckled.
âI⌠I havenât really thought about that. But⌠I canât bring myself to even start until I see Aria again. If I find her, then we can think of better things.â
âWhen,â Catherine said, leaning forward. âWhen you find her.â