Bard: Chapter 35

The streets were crowded and noisy after the performances were done, and while Trista would have liked to wander with her classmates and see all the marvelous things the festival had to offer, she didn’t see how it could be done. Even just making her way back to the college was a gauntlet of closely pressed bodies and humans knocking her aside. One man even turned right into her, not looking before he moved, and bumped his head against her horns.

“What the–!” he cried, clutching the side of his head.

“Sorry!” Trista exclaimed, pressing her hand to her forehead, hoping he’d believe they’d knocked heads, and forget what he’d run into was too hard for that. She could feel his head smarting–he’d have a lump–but she hurried away before he could ask questions or think too much about it.

Even with her tail wound as tightly around her legs as she could manage, there wasn’t a way to move without touching people, and she kept getting bumped into, just trying to walk around. Mostly it was just nudges, the humans unconcerned with who or what they knocked up against as they moved, but too many times she felt a small jolt of dissonance, or confusion. She kept her eyes averted from those humans, and moved away as quickly as she could. There were games and performers all around, but Trista kept her focus on the humans closest to her, how to move around them, and how–how strange they felt.

She’d just about gotten used to the low thrum of itchy eyes, small headaches, and uncomfortable bodies that had come with the onset of spring. They nettled her, but the constant presence had become something she could at least ignore if not shut out completely. With so many humans all in one place though, she could sense something distinctly off about that low thrum. She couldn’t place it, and it wasn’t something she’d felt before. Regardless, it fed her, and she hated it.

By the time she’d managed the gauntlet and made it back to their flat, it was getting on to evening. Trista let out a sigh of relief as she slipped into the blessedly empty building, and away from the crowds.

Well, not entirely empty. There were a few people still at home, and Liam was asleep in their room. Trista climbed up the stairs and slipped into the flat as quietly as she could, slumping down to the floor just inside and resting her head on her knees. Liam stirred as she settled, sitting up, and yawning widely.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I was just waking up anyway,” he replied, waving away her apology. Trista didn’t sense any resentment or unease, but he was still tired.

“You can’t have been asleep very long.”

“No,” he agreed, yawning again. “But I’m back on nights tomorrow, and it’ll be easier to sleep before that if I stay up tonight.”

“You don’t work tonight?”

“No,” he said. “The last night is the one everyone wants, so I got tonight.”

“I see.”

“Aren’t there fireworks tonight, or something?” Liam asked.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Liam looked at her as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

“There are too many people, I’ll knock into someone.” Trista shrugged. “It was hard enough getting back here.”

Liam pushed himself up to the window, leaning out and looking from side to side.

“We can probably get a decent view from here,” he said as he ducked back in. “Fireworks go up high, don’t they?”

“I don’t know,” Trista said. “I’ve never seen any.”

“Me neither,” Liam said. “We’ll have to see.”

“You’re staying here?”

“Of course.”

“You don’t have to,” Trista told him. “You should go down to the water. See them properly.”

Liam gave her an incredulous look. “It’s a festival, I’m not going to leave you here all by yourself, with what could very well be no view at all.”

“If we can’t see it, you’ll miss it.”

Liam considered her for a moment. He raked his hands through his hair, tying it off at the nape of his neck, and pulled his shirt on, and his coat. He sat down at the table, turning the chair out so he could face her while putting his boots on.

“You’re just worried about someone knocking into you?” he asked. “Like your tail getting stepped on?”

“Not stepped on,” Trista said uncomfortably. She still wished she could have hidden that from him, and Laura. “Just that I’ll get noticed. Someone hit their head on my horns earlier.”

Liam nodded and stood, holding out his hand to her.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Where?”

“To the bay, to see the fireworks.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I just told you.”

“I’ll make sure no one knocks into you, or feels your tail,” he assured her. “Or hits their head on your horns.”

“You can’t promise that. Not with so many people.”

“I can and I have,” he said, his hand still extended. “We can go down to the bay together, or stay here together.”

Trista sighed. She could hear the resoluteness in his voice, and as much as she dreaded going back outside, she didn’t want him to miss something wonderful just because she was afraid. It wasn’t his fault that she was a monster.

Nodding, she took his hand, and he pulled her back up.

“It’s going to be alright,” he said, leading her back outside.

“Alright,” she said quietly.

There were fewer people outside already. Trista could feel everyone moving towards the water as the light began to fade. Liam moved behind her, his hands on her shoulders, and they followed the festival down to the bay.

As they drew closer, the crowd became just as dense as it had been before, worse even. She and Liam were forced together, close enough that his knees bumped into her tail every time they took a step. It was alright for him though, and as promised no one else could get behind her. He moved with her, and seemed just as aware of the humans around them as she was. When someone came up alongside, or got too close, he moved between them, guarding her with his own body.

The docks were packed with people waiting for the fireworks. She felt Laura some ways off, and the small pains near them were near staggering. Trista would have never thought she could glut herself on something as small as a stuffy nose or sore feet, but there were so many, all in one place, all at once. And that strange thrum beneath.

They followed the movement of the crowd until they found a place against a warehouse where they could stop and look out at the bay. The people pressed in front of them blocked their view of the water, but the sky overhead was clear. Hopefully fireworks were something that went up high.

Hawkers moved among them, selling roasted nuts and honey candies. As the crowd shifted to make way for them, Liam put his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. Trista sucked in a breath, raising her hands to rest on where his arms crossed her.

“Sorry,” he said, loosening his hold. “Is this alright?”

“Yes,” she said quickly, holding onto his arms in case he might let go.

“It seemed the best way to keep you in front of me.”

“Yes,” Trista agreed. It was the best way to do that, but it was also…what was it? She liked him holding onto her like that. What was it?

It felt good when Laura had held her. Trista remembered feeling safe and consoled. This was much the same. She felt safe, trusted, and a near overwhelming sense of warm contentment. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to lean her head back against his shoulder and drift off to sleep, or turn towards him and wind her arms around his waist so more of them would touch.

That would defeat the purpose though, wouldn’t it? He was guarding her back, after all.

“You did very well at the performance today,” Liam said as they waited.

“Thank you,” Trista replied quietly, shifting even further into his embrace as more people pressed onto the docks. “For coming to see, and also…for helping the other night.”

“Anytime,” he said. “It was fun, running around with you.”

“It was…something,” Trista replied. Liam snorted.

“I promise not to run you ragged next time you need to practice,” he said.

“Thank you.” There was a strange feeling in her stomach that she couldn’t place, and she was grateful when Liam continued.

“Laura’s around here somewhere.”

Trista nodded, pointing towards her sense of Laura, further along the docks.

“She’s over there,” she said. “Should we go find her?”

“No,” Liam said, a hint of laughter in his voice. Trista could feel his breath on her shoulder.

Overhead, something exploded with a flash of light and a resounding crack like thunder. Trista startled, and felt the moment of shock ripple through the gathered humans–through Liam–before it was whisked away by something her senses didn’t perceive. The bright light broke apart, scattering across the sky before floating gently downwards and fading into nothing.

“Whoa,” Liam breathed. Trista silently agreed.

The next crack sent a shower of blue sparks in all directions, followed by a shimmering rocket of green. They filled the sky, one after another after another. Trista could feel the sound of them in her stomach, like a pulse in the air. The muscles in Liam’s arms jumped with each thunderous bang, accompanied by a brief pang of fear. Trista leaned into him, squeezing his arms reassuringly.

“I’m alright,” he said softly between bangs, and hugging her a little closer. “Thank you.”

Lights danced across the sky, showers of sparks and swirling fire as vibrant as gemstones.

It was beautiful.