Page 74 of To Touch A Silent Fury

“I understand,” I replied coolly. “Thank you for your healing.”

His mouth tensed. “You have gained much which does not belong to you. Leave Gossamir now.”

Yvon grimaced, and I shook my head. I didn’t want her to risk herself anymore than she already had in my defence.

I hobbled one quiet step forwards, shifting my sleeping bundle until he was up by my shoulder. He stretched and breathed warm air against my neck.

Then I turned back to the Son, his lip curled in distaste as he looked at my leg.

“I do not believe myself to be what Yvon has claimed,” I said. This time, I signed alongside my words. “But I love these lands. Its rocks, waters, 'beauty',and 'stillness'. I will miss the 'fog at dawn'.” I curved my hands round to indicate the heaviness of the mist and the breaking sun. “I will miss the 'snow hares', and their first steps across the first fall of 'Domin',and the 'dancing lights' in the indigo sky. Yours is a harsh world, but there is 'peace' in it. And if I can find the 'power' to help your forests live, and stop Braxthorn from his plunder of your silence, I will do so.”

The Son said nothing, but I knew he had heard me, and it was enough.

Yvon and I gazed at each other silently, and I knew it was our goodbye. I did not know then, if I would ever see her again, or how many days or years might pass until I did. There was no sign for gratitude, so instead I nodded to her, and hoped my thanks were written on my face.

I turned into the forest, my leg burning with each slow move. My words, or my motion, had woken the dragon at my shoulder. He buried his face in the hair at the nape of my neck, eyes still yet to open as he nipped me with his gummy smile.

That same small voice crept in.Go?

Yes, I thought back, rubbing a finger across his tail, clinging around my neck.We have to go now.

20

Tani

Food. Eat.

I sighed as I stroked his soft head and knelt down to the dirt. I pushed the leaves back and forth to find a twig before using it to prod at the debris under a rounded root. Something moved, and I grabbed it.

The wiggling grub arched back and forth between my fingers. I opened my coat sling to see the baby already waiting. I smirked as I dropped the insect into its snapping mouth. He ate it down, asking for more again.

I tutted and walked on.Later.

His tiny, probing voice, nestled in my head, was so different to the command of his mother. Once more, I thought of his mother’s words. Now that the drowsiness of exhaustion and recovery did not consume me, there was more to ponder.Thank you, twinblood.

Twinblood. The word meant nothing to me. And yet, it was similar to the words we had in the Touchlands. Konidren the Swordblood, Kalidwen the Shieldblood.

I was no twin, though. There was only me. Only ever one child.

But we called our lands the Twins, and I realised that must be it. She saw my skin and knew that Touchlands blood flowed through me. Perhaps, that was her term for us. The Twinbloods.

It was nice to be seen for the kingdom that bore me and not the touch of its moon. Even after my mother moved us out of Andiz and into the shepherd’s hut, my own people were suspicious of me. Like the Soundlands, we believed there was some connection between the Moontouch and Amune. But like every land, my womanhood gave them pause, and from that pause grew superstition.

It was only a matter of time before the Brotherhood heard of me. And when they came for me, they hardly accepted me either.

It was a nasty thing to hold two identities but to have no true home.

Shadow nudged into my hand again. I stroked his head as we walked. As soon as I’d left the stone towers behind, the wolf had fallen into step beside me. I said nothing, but I had reached my hand out, and he nudged it. It warmed me immeasurably to have him here. Another set of ears, and eyes, someone else to look out for me.

I had never known a true home, but I had known love in each place. From my parents, from Seth, from Thread Ersimmon before the end, and now, from Yvon. Even in my loneliest, I had found someone to cling to.

Where I went now was a worse Fate than any I had yet known, for I would have to do it entirely alone. I would have to hide my true self deep down if I were to have any hope of tricking him.

We made slow progress. I could only walk for an hour or so before I had to sit and rest my leg, and when we were walking, I chewed pumirous root to stave off the worst of the pain. Despite both measures, after a few hours, I was exhausted and sweating all over. Noon was warm for once, and I’d taken my coat off hours prior, fashioning it into a sack at the front of me, with the sleeves tied behind my back. It allowed the baby to sleep against my front and my arms to have a bit of air.

It took us nearly until the evening light to retrace our path to the clearing.

I stepped up to it cautiously, but there was little to see. Instead of Vellintris, the space now held only a deep dirt scar and wet ash. The Dragon Prince’s men had pulled the dead dragon away, and her path was a stain blotting out any need to navigate to the barracks. They’d worked their way through the forest, hacking down any trees in their path and pulling her body through.