Corin and Nanaua had spent the last five days navigating the outskirts of the forest with the forest elves as their wounds healed and they attempted to evade both Baltro and any remnants of the Zifors.
Nanaua had healed quite quickly after their encounter. Corin's face was still swollen and his bruises over his body ached.
“Corin, Nanaua come.” Geta urged the two on a cold morning.
Corin and Nanaua followed the forest elf outside. He was gathered with the rest of the forest elves that had joined them. Their silence was so pervasive that Corin could not help but forget that they were not just moving trees.
“We have news from the main camp.” Geta spoke with a slight hint of enthusiasm.
“Are they safe?” Nanaua asked. “Is the Onsiel safe?”
“They were attacked.” Geta replied. He did attempt to deliver the news with some tact. Corin's heart began to race, but before he could speak Geta continued.
“But your friends, they all survived.” Geta added quickly.
“Do you have more information on the assailant?” Nanaua followed up.
“The description matches that of the one who attacked you. A dragoor in a large robe. This attacker was able to slip unnoticed into the camp in the dead of night. He reached the Onsiel and was able to restrain her. It seems he used a toxin to paralyze her body.” Geta finished.
He was quiet for a second.
“What happened then?” Nanaua shouted at Geta.
Corin tried to calm her down.
“We are still being given details about the encounter. We have others in the camp we need to hear from as well.” Carella interjected. His tone was not very pleasant.
“The assailant was nearly out of the camp with the Onsiel before your friend the apeman noticed the doors to her wagon were open. He saw the fleeing figure and shot at him. It seems your friend is very accurate.” Geta added.
“But the Onsiel she is safe?” Nanaua followed. “Is she still affected by the toxin?”
“No, the forest elves were able to create an antitoxin. It took several days for the toxin to clear her body but the Onsiel is no longer under its effects.” Geta added.
The group was quiet.
“Do we know of the other two? You mentioned that only eight approached the armed wagon. Do you know where the others might be? Do you know if any survived the encounter with Baltro?” Nanaua asked.
The forest elves were quiet.
“No. Communicating with and through the trees is still difficult after Baltro's rampage.” Geta replied.
“Damn.” Corin sighed.
“These killers on your trail, they truly were fierce.” Galba interjected.
Nanaua looked at him.
“They are fierce.” Nanaua replied.
***
Several days of maneuvers around the forest elapsed as the decoy caravan tried to meet up with the main group. Various attempts at making a straight line approach were interrupted by outbursts from Baltro. Both groups also were extremely cautious to not attract attention from any surviving Zifors, but no contact came.
It was on the middle of the fifth day that both groups reunited.
Nanaua ran to Zhi. Zhi did not seem too troubled by the fact that she was almost abducted.
“I knew someone would get me before they got too far away with me.” She said with a smile.
The first thing that happened when Corin approached Livia was a thorough examination from head to toe to see if there was anything that Livia had to take care of.
“How is it that you keep getting into one on one fights with these trained killers?” Livia asked him exasperated.
“Well I might have an answer to that. This killer had a message for me.” Corin began.
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“Really? I had not heard about it?” Livia asked with concern.
“Yes.” Corin began. “The killer told me ‘this is what happens when you don't listen to your wife’.”
“Oh, Corin!” Livia said as she nudged him in the ribs. They were still sore and Corin let out a small grunt.
Livia embraced her husband. The two of them stayed like that for a while. Corin could not remember the last time he had been separated from Livia for this long.
“I’m so happy to have you back.” Livia said as she looked at her husband.
“I'm happy to see you too. I really am.” Corin said.
Simeon approached the couple.
“There he is!” Simeon said as he looked at Corin.
The old apeman and Corin embraced in a tight hug.
“That plan of yours was really something.” Simeon stated with a proud smile.
“Yes.” Corin said feeling a tinge of guilt.
“But Nanaua nearly died. And, and Ciba-” Corin began but got choked up.
Silence ensued.
“Corin, I'm sorry I truly am. What happened to him was not anything we could have foreseen. But this is war Corin. We have seen many dead, some by our hand. There will always be casualties. On both sides.” Simeon added.
Corin nodded as he tried to compose himself.
“But we brought this on them.” Corin said.
“Ciba could have refused to help us Corin, but he didn't. We can't change that, nor what happened to him. What we can do is make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain. We need to continue our mission, so that deaths like his, deaths because of the whims of the Titans don't occur anymore.” Livia said to her husband.
Corin nodded.
“What about the other forest elves? What did they say about him?” Corin asked quietly.
“Their reaction was unique. All of a sudden all the forest elves began to sing. It was shortly afterwards that they told us what had happened.” Livia said.
“They sang?” Corin asked, confused.
“Yes, it was very touching.” Simeon said. “They later told us that they sing so that the spirits of the forest are aware that a new member is joining them.”
“Now that you are here, and all the forest elves are together, they will hold a special ceremony tonight. The new leader of the thicket will be officially announced then.” Livia added.
“I see.” Corin replied.
“But there is much to do before then. Tomorrow we continue to Yranto and many preparations are needed.” Simeon added.
“How far are we from Yranto?” Corin asked.
“Well in all our maneuvering we actually ended up where we wanted to be!” Simeon replied. “Now we only need to continue northwest out of the forest and we should arrive there within less than a ten day! So no time to waste!”
***
It was dark. The only light came from a lit pyre around which all members of the thicket, including Corin and company sat.
Amidst the flames of the pyre a solitary figure lay down. Ciba's body, which had been recovered in the midst of all the chaos, lay peacefully amidst the dancing flames. Ciba's peaceful exterior contrasted with the image that Corin had burned in his mind’s eye of Ciba's last moments of life. The look of horror as the kishtro’s blade pierced through him. All because he had agreed to a plan that Corin had devised.
Still, Corin chanted along with the other forest elves. Their song, a celebration of the departed forest elf’s life, sounded joyful. There were no words, rhythmic joyful chanting was all that could be heard. It was the tradition of the forest elves to not show sorrow when one of their thicket members died. Corin had tried his best to abide by that tradition, but it was not easy.
After the chanting concluded, Geta, Carella and Oba all rose in unison. As they did the forest elves began to rhythmically tap on the ground.
Oba knelt in front of the burning Ciba, and behind her stood Geta and Carella. Oba reached into the burning pyre, to Ciba's hands. She did not react to the hot flames as she pulled from Ciba’s hands a burning object.
This must be the seed from the elder tree.
The elder tree, Corin had learned, was the oldest tree in the forest. He had been told that its seed was necessary for the ritual. He did not know its seed was so large. It was almost as large as Corin's balled up fist.
As Geta and Carella chanted, Oba grabbed the fiery seed and ingested it. Through the entire ordeal Oba showed no reaction to the burning seed.
Once the act was complete, Geta and Carella put a crown of flowers on Oba’s head and she rose.
The rhythmic thumping on the ground by the forest elves still continued.
Carella now addressed the crowd.
“Let the forest know that our thicket has a new Irida.” He stated loudly.
Irida, I was told that was their term for Chief.
Once he finished he turned towards Oba. She nodded towards him and Geta, who both promptly sat down amidst the crowd.
“Family,” Oba began “this forest has been home to our thicket far beyond what any of us can remember. Millennia before Ciba was born, those from whom we sprouted had already made peace with the land. The ground beneath our feet knows this, it recognizes us, knows our history, and guides us as we seek our place in this forest. The ground speaks to us in many ways. It does so directly, through the roots that touch our feet, through the trees that shape the path ahead of us, but also indirectly, through the wind, the aromas that waft through the air and through subtle differences. It is the responsibility of the Irida to interpret these signs and guide all of us in our response.”
“Before the Onsiel and her kin arrived to us Ciba brought me to the Xulte crater.” Oba spoke.
Corin could feel the bodies of the forest elves around him stiffen. He did not know the significance but he understood that something about this revelation was important.
“Ciba spoke to me words that I could not understand at the time. But now as I stand here I see what he meant. His words were brief ‘The forest foresees many changes. A small ripple upstream is affecting many currents. A leaf caught in this current will come to us. Please help guide them, for its destination will impact all of us’.” Oba finished.
The eyes of the forest elves turned towards Zhi and the rest of them.
Corin looked at the burning pyre, at Ciba's body. Oba’s revelation engendered mixed emotions with Corin.
Did you know about your fate Ciba?
“When Ciba spoke these words to me our guests were still far from us, and I could not understand their meaning. But he was right.” Oba said.
“Onsiel, will you and your companions join me?” Oba asked.
Zhi looked at Nanaua and the rest of them and nodded. Corin got up with the rest and walked toward Oba.
They stood facing the thicket who all had eyes locked on them. Corin did not know what exactly was supposed to happen now. All he had been told about the ceremony had been what had transpired, no mention was made of them being called up.
“Onsiel, this thicket has provided you and yours shelter and helped you in your time of need. As such you are now considered to be members of the thicket, do you accept our gift to mark you and yours as friends of the forest?” Oba asked.
“What does that entail?” Zhi asked curiously.
“A small figure will be painted on the inside of your wrist. The ink used for this will mark your skin for the rest of your life. The application will hurt, but this marking will let others know that you are a friend of the forest.” Oba said.
Zhi looked at the others, they all nodded.
The first to volunteer was Zhi. She presented her arm and Nurva walked up to her. He chewed on a dark black fruit and dabbed the secretion on the end of a small sharp stick. With no hesitation he began to puncture Zhi's skin with small pricks of the dabbed stick. They left behind small blots of ink. Zhi's face showed slight hints of pain at the procedure. It did not take long for him to finish. He then moved on to Nanaua and completed the same procedure. She did not show any reaction to the pain. Livia who was next showed the most discomfort. Simeon seemed curious throughout the ordeal about what was being put on his skin, the fur on his arm made it difficult for him to see the design. Corin was last.
He looked as Nurva effortlessly blotted his skin with the ink. The figure was a simple triangle with three lines originating from the center of the base spreading away from the triangle.
“This symbol has been passed down to us by the forest. Anyone marked by them is recognized as a friend of the forest, and as such is expected to help the forest when it cries out for help, but can expect help from the forest in their time of need.” Oba finished.
Corin looked at his wrist.
How will I know when a forest cries for help?
