Edie in the Forest

…Re-yak held Vaanika’s gaze a moment longer then stepped away to face the Del-e [Edie] who had risen to her feet with a crazed sparkle to her topaz eyes.

The Del-e face split into a fiendish smile. “Well, well, Ti Bé Ha’an-co, look at what you’ve grown into. Your parents would be proud.”

Re-yak’s outward appearance didn’t react. “Arr-fest Guo’içi-keedee.”

“What have you brought me son of shadow.”

“She’s not for you.”

“You wouldn’t have brought her here unless she was for me.” Guo’içi-keedee’s [Edie] reply spilt from her lips quickly and with ease.

Vaanika normally would have shivered hearing such words, but for some reason she didn’t. Instead, Vaanika felt empathy. Then wonderment at how the Del-e knew so much English.

The Del-e female’s eyes snapped to Vaanika and she spoke to her directly. “You poor thing. What’s it like being his pet?”

Re-yak cut in to take back the conversation. “We’re here to let you free Guo’içi-keedee. But only if you agree to a contract.”

The Del-e named Guo’içi-keedee snapped her yellow eyes back to Re-yak. “A contract is not freedom you naïve bastard. You think you’re the first zo’i-ta-ka-sha to come offer me freedom?”

Vaanika knew the Del-e had spoken a great word of insult just by the change in atmosphere. She could sense Re-yak’s upset but he did not engage with it.

“Either way. You get to leave this tower before the sun is high or not at all. Which do you choose?”

Guo’içi-keedee walked a small circle, causing the metal chain to wrap around her ankles. Vaanika’s core weakened in perturbance upon noticing the Del-e’s legs for the first time. From the knees down, the limb was mangled with chunks of muscle missing from her calves covered by large scraps of discoloured skin. Her feet were so mutilated it was a surprise she was still standing on them.

“Well, go ahead. Give me the details. I hope you surprised me, you’ve not the tact I thought you’d have. ”

“You will travel with us to Fuga-sha’sh, then onto Ming-si-wana, to N-tevi, to dJu’m’n…”

Guo’içi-keedee laughed.

“Then you will come with us to Chel-No’l.”

She whipped her head to Re-yak. “You mean S-no’l-k-no’l.”

“Does it really matter at this point?”

“I assume you’ve come to me of all people because of my nature to copy?”

Re-yak nodded.

“What will prevent me from escaping?”

Re-yak looked back at Vaanika. “Sa-la’rk mar.”

Guo’içi-keedee’s topaz eyes landed on Vaanika too. She tried not to squirm under their attention.

Re-yak spoke again, this time directly to Guo’içi-keedee to see her reaction. “Mar Nora.”

The Del-e let out a deep chested snarl. Her human-like face was shred into one of a beast as she tried to attack Re-yak, failing only because of the thick chain that held her in place.

The sudden craving for violence in the room made Vaanika’s heart thump fast. Re-yak walked toward her with a look of reassurance.

The creature across from them slowly transformed back into Guo’içi-keedee. “Look out for that one girl. He plays dirty.”

Vaanika didn’t fail to notice how Re-yak’s face twisted with some guilt before hiding it to face the Del-e again. “I hope you got my point. In the end, this is for the Fen.”

“Then what do I get in return?”

Re-yak crossed his arms, his gaze dropping to the stone floor. “To leave your usual quake of carnage on history.”

Guo’içi-keedee’s eyes stilled on his face and Vaanika saw the moment when the Del-e finally succumbed. Her topaz eyes moved to Vaanika. “What do you think of all this human?”

Not about to let on what little she had understood from the conversation, or how she was beginning to doubt Re-yak’s plans, Vaanika drew from her own style to making a deal. She walked up to the Del-e who was still crouched on the floor and held out her hand. “My name is Vaanika.”

That feral sparkle lit up Guo’içi-keedee’s dark yellow eyes once again and she slowly rose to her feet until she was the one looking down at Vaanika. “I always liked the Fen.” Guo’içi-keedee accepted Vaanika’s hand. “You may call me Edie.”

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…Edie on the other hand, who had maple sugar skin and chestnut hair would have passed for human, even with her topaz eyes if it weren’t for her uncanny behaviours. Not only did Edie enjoy sitting like a frog or darting her eyes every which way like a cat who spotted a bird, but she was always investigating something. Whether it was turning over a rock and sticking a bug in her mouth or sniffing the moss, the female had no restraint or shame. Vaanika didn’t recall ever seeing the Del-e servants in the mountain act out with such animalistic tendencies. But perhaps it was something they had grown to hide in front of the No’l-et’l.

Watching her more closely, Vaanika also began to wonder how old Edie was. For that matter, neither did she know how old Re-yak was.

Vaanika asked them both how long their species lived for. Edie was the first to reply.

“Too long.”

“What do you mean?”

Edie crawled across the stream to Vaanika and handed her a mushroom. “It’s safe I promise.”

When Re-yak gave her a nod, Vaanika took a bite, grateful for something to fill her stomach since breakfast. When she’d eaten the whole thing, Edie gave her more, along with some dark leaves and berries. She gave the same to Re-yak as well.

“Where did you find all these?”

Edie laughed, but kindly. “Where do you think little human.” Edie settled herself on the ground next to a tree. “The Del-e never really die. Luckily, the No’l-et’l do. But it’s much harder to kill them than it is humans.”

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Vaanika blinked in awe at that idea. “So… if it’s not too rude… how old are you?”

Guo’içi-keedee [Edie] let out a burst of cackling laughter. “He’s just a baby!”

Re-yak set his jaw. “I’m 44.”

“How old are you little one? You look to be a baby yourself.”

“I’m twenty-ff…” Vaanika realized she’d been away from her world for some time, a year could have passed. “I might be twenty-five, twenty-six.”

“Awww. How adorable you are.”

“That’s enough, we should keep moving.” Re-yak rose to his feet swiftly and offered his hand to Vaanika which she accepted.

But as Vaanika go to her feet, she cringed as the bite of several blisters became apparent over her toes and heals. Seeing her discomfort Edie pointed to her shoes. “That’s why it’s better to go barefoot.”

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Re-yak caught her just in time. “Guo’içi-keedee. It’s time to find an Ul Del-e.”

Edie jumped into view from behind an oak. “Would you like to do the honours son of shadow or did your mother fail you in that regard?”

Vaanika could have sworn she heard a light snarl come out of Re-yak but then it was gone. “Da’on-é Guo’içi-keedee.”

Edie snorted but walked off into the growing darkness. Re-yak guided Vaanika after her as they left the path.

They stopped a hundred yards in or so at the bottom of the thickest tree Vaanika had ever seen. She’d seen pictures of larger trees back in her world, but this didn’t make the one before her any less astounding. Edie had her palm up to the smooth trunk with her head bowed. Re-yak did the same thing and on instinct, so did Vaanika…

~ Thanks for reading!