“We are surrounded by various histories and fragments from the ages. Some are true. Some are only the approximation of truth. Some truths are hard to accept. If you believe only what you like in the histories, and reject what you don’t want to believe, it is not the truth you seek, but a confirmation of your own opinions. You will never find truth that way.”
—Possidius Adeodat, Archivist of Kenatos
Phae’s legs burned as she tramped up the steep hill. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her stomach twisted with hunger, her throat parched with thirst. Foraging for food in the woods had proven more difficult than she expected and the hunger had robbed her energy and made the climb more difficult. She did not complain, but she wished they had encountered something more substantial to eat. The trees blocked the view ahead and the progress of the sun, but the day was warm and mild and puffy clouds scudded across the sky.
Shion paused at the top of the ridge, waiting for her to catch up as he studied the downward slope. As she reached it, she noticed the forest change suddenly, the trees become white-barked birch with teeming leaves. The trunks were slender and peeling and Phae touched several as they started down. From the ridge they could see forest in every direction. They were in the middle of Silvandom with no view of cities or roads in any direction. The world felt incredibly vast to her and she sighed in wonder. Each step down jarred her knees and she felt dizziness swim in her mind. She stumbled, catching herself on Shion’s arm. He slowed the pace and when they reached the bottom of the hill, he paused to let her rest.
“Thank you,” she breathed, sitting on a fallen tree. The grove was bathed in beautiful sunlight, and full of the sounds of insects and birds. The trill of a songbird caught her ear and she listened, hearing the babbling of water. “A stream?” she said, cocking her head.
Shion nodded and motioned for her to follow him. A red robin swooped in front of her, and she admired its brilliant plumage. Butterflies flitted through the air. Not the blue kind they had encountered the day before, but with multi-hued wings of red, gold, and yellow. The drone of giant black bees caught her attention as they swooped lazily in the air around her, not threateningly but curiously. She saw little lizards pop up their heads and then dart away. Crossing the glen, they reached a small brook winding its way through the lowest part of the terrain. The waters looked inviting and calm. Phae knelt by it and scrubbed her hands together, washing away the dirt and mud. She cupped some in her palms and drank deeply while Shion filled his water flask.
Movement caught her eye. Looking downstream, she saw a large stone at the edge of the stream. A small mat of big green leaves covered it like a blanket and on the leaves were a pile of berries of various sorts. She stared at it in surprise.
Shion followed her gaze. “That wasn’t there when we arrived,” he said thoughtfully.
Phae approached the stone, smoothing her tangled hair back from her neck, and stared down at the treasure, her stomach aching to see them. She glanced around, seeing the creatures of the forest all around her. Some chittered softly. Slowly, she extended a hand to the berries. A large black bee buzzed nearby, almost warningly. She stopped.
“What do they want, Shion?” she asked, glancing back at him. “Is it a gift? I feel something is missing. I shouldn’t just take it.”
He stared at the rock and then at her. “You should offer a gift in return. The spirits are responding to your need.”
Phae thought a moment. “I don’t have anything to offer except myself.”
“Maybe that will be enough.”
Phae sighed, stared down at the food hungrily. Then she nodded and summoned all the feeling of gratitude she could muster. She was grateful for the gift, so grateful for food she did not have to collect or hunt. She smiled at the woods, trying to show her gratitude with her mouth.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I am so very hungry. May I eat these?”
The drone of a black bee hovered near her. It landed on her shoulder, its furry black body creeping along the fold of her cloak. Then it lazily went away and she felt a feeling of peace settle inside. Gingerly, she reached for a berry. Meeting no resistance, she took it and plopped it in her mouth. The juice and flavor were dazzlingly sweet.
“Shion, have one!” she said, offering a plump blackberry to him. “They are very good!” He took it, smiling at her, and ate it.