his
clothes.
“Tor!” I squealed, turning away when he entered the corner
of my vision, completely nude.
“What?”
“You’re naked!”
“I’m putting pants on.”
“But—!” My cheeks burned and my heart pounded in my chest. I’d
seen my mother naked a thousand times. Why did the sight of Tor’s bare legs as
he walked past me in the morning light make me feel so... awake?
Elgon scooted in front of me. I turned to the side, enough
so I wasn’t looking at him but not so far that I could see Tor.
With a “Thhhhhrup!” he leaped forward and crouched in front
of me.
“See, he’s fun,” Tor said, dressing in his dark pants and
ill-fitting shirt.
Elgon looked up at me and then to Tor. He cocked his head to
the side and snorted before shooting out into the forest.
“Where’s he going?” I wondered.
“To hunt, probably. He’ll be back later. He usually sleeps here.”
Tor walked back to the pond and picked up his bag.
“Don’t you worry about him?”
“Like I said, he’s not my pet. He can take care of himself,
probably better than I can. So, are you hungry?”
“Yes. What time is it?”
“Late, but you needed the sleep.” He pulled his bag higher
on his shoulder. “Let’s find something to eat.”
Tor entered the cave. I wasn’t sure what he intended, but I
followed him instead of staying alone. Nothing I knew applied anymore. There
was no ocean to fish, no garden to harvest, no chickens to feed. I had to start
over from nothing. The enormity of that was too much to face. Instead, I
followed Tor into the cave, content to let him lead.
Inside he dug through a pile of clothes and tossed things
aside before returning with something in his hands.
“For your feet. They aren’t perfect, but they tie on.”
“Thanks.” I sat down against the cave wall and slipped the
leather over my foot. It was loose, but the ties cinched around my ankle and
calf. With both shoes tied in place, I stood up and threw my bag over my
shoulder.
“Leave it,” Tor said. “No one knows where we are. Your bag
is safe.”
“It’s all I have.”
“Huh,” he replied with a nod before walking deeper into the
cave.
I peered after him. Where had he had gone?
“Tor?”
No response.
“Tor?” In the darkness, I tried to force my eyes to adjust,
but the blackness past the opening was complete. Nothing penetrated it.
“You can’t see?” Tor’s voice came from far away, like an
echo inside a jar.
“No. Where are you? Why are you back here?”
The ethereal glow from the previous night cut through the
darkness. It was dim and farther away than I expected, but its radiant light
shone with clarity. Small and impossible, it grew larger as Tor approached me.
His face glowed, bathed in the light that flickered in the hand he held before
him. The air warmed as he neared and brought his magic with him.
“How do you do that?”
“How do you breathe underwater?”
I shrugged. “Because my mother could.”
“I don’t know who my mother is. Maybe that’s why I can do
this.”
I reached out to touch the orb. It was beautiful and shone
with the brilliance of a small sun. The closer I came, the hotter the air grew
until it was too much and I pulled away.
My voice cracked a little when I spoke. “It doesn’t burn
you.”
“No. But it burns everything else.”
I looked up to catch a wave of something dark flash across
his face. It vanished again just as quickly, and he returned to his normal,
stoic self.
“Where are we going?” I asked when he walked farther down
the tunnel. The fire he carried gave off enough light for me to see where I was
stepping. I avoided walking into the emptiness, but the interior space was vast
and I couldn’t see the ceiling or the cave walls.
“This part of the mountain is full of caverns. I’ve been
exploring them for years since I can see fine in the dark.”
“Mother once told me Sualwets could see better than
Erdlanders, but I guess not.”
“No. I’ve
clothes.
“Tor!” I squealed, turning away when he entered the corner
of my vision, completely nude.
“What?”
“You’re naked!”
“I’m putting pants on.”
“But—!” My cheeks burned and my heart pounded in my chest. I’d
seen my mother naked a thousand times. Why did the sight of Tor’s bare legs as
he walked past me in the morning light make me feel so... awake?
Elgon scooted in front of me. I turned to the side, enough
so I wasn’t looking at him but not so far that I could see Tor.
With a “Thhhhhrup!” he leaped forward and crouched in front
of me.
“See, he’s fun,” Tor said, dressing in his dark pants and
ill-fitting shirt.
Elgon looked up at me and then to Tor. He cocked his head to
the side and snorted before shooting out into the forest.
“Where’s he going?” I wondered.
“To hunt, probably. He’ll be back later. He usually sleeps here.”
Tor walked back to the pond and picked up his bag.
“Don’t you worry about him?”
“Like I said, he’s not my pet. He can take care of himself,
probably better than I can. So, are you hungry?”
“Yes. What time is it?”
“Late, but you needed the sleep.” He pulled his bag higher
on his shoulder. “Let’s find something to eat.”
Tor entered the cave. I wasn’t sure what he intended, but I
followed him instead of staying alone. Nothing I knew applied anymore. There
was no ocean to fish, no garden to harvest, no chickens to feed. I had to start
over from nothing. The enormity of that was too much to face. Instead, I
followed Tor into the cave, content to let him lead.
Inside he dug through a pile of clothes and tossed things
aside before returning with something in his hands.
“For your feet. They aren’t perfect, but they tie on.”
“Thanks.” I sat down against the cave wall and slipped the
leather over my foot. It was loose, but the ties cinched around my ankle and
calf. With both shoes tied in place, I stood up and threw my bag over my
shoulder.
“Leave it,” Tor said. “No one knows where we are. Your bag
is safe.”
“It’s all I have.”
“Huh,” he replied with a nod before walking deeper into the
cave.
I peered after him. Where had he had gone?
“Tor?”
No response.
“Tor?” In the darkness, I tried to force my eyes to adjust,
but the blackness past the opening was complete. Nothing penetrated it.
“You can’t see?” Tor’s voice came from far away, like an
echo inside a jar.
“No. Where are you? Why are you back here?”
The ethereal glow from the previous night cut through the
darkness. It was dim and farther away than I expected, but its radiant light
shone with clarity. Small and impossible, it grew larger as Tor approached me.
His face glowed, bathed in the light that flickered in the hand he held before
him. The air warmed as he neared and brought his magic with him.
“How do you do that?”
“How do you breathe underwater?”
I shrugged. “Because my mother could.”
“I don’t know who my mother is. Maybe that’s why I can do
this.”
I reached out to touch the orb. It was beautiful and shone
with the brilliance of a small sun. The closer I came, the hotter the air grew
until it was too much and I pulled away.
My voice cracked a little when I spoke. “It doesn’t burn
you.”
“No. But it burns everything else.”
I looked up to catch a wave of something dark flash across
his face. It vanished again just as quickly, and he returned to his normal,
stoic self.
“Where are we going?” I asked when he walked farther down
the tunnel. The fire he carried gave off enough light for me to see where I was
stepping. I avoided walking into the emptiness, but the interior space was vast
and I couldn’t see the ceiling or the cave walls.
“This part of the mountain is full of caverns. I’ve been
exploring them for years since I can see fine in the dark.”
“Mother once told me Sualwets could see better than
Erdlanders, but I guess not.”
“No. I’ve
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