Chapter Eleven: Destination Determined

 

Kyosti tightened his hold on Sanji's wrists until it must have been painful. “That’s not true,” he insisted, blinking rapidly. He had just been momentarily stunned, that’s all . . . this happened sometimes with snow blindness . . .

Sanji’s breath came quick and loud, close to his face. It smelled like she had eaten meat for her lunch. “I’m so sorry, but it’s true.”

“How can it be true?” he demanded, then shook her roughly. “What are you? How did this happen?”

She really did start crying then. “I told you, I’m from the north! I’m from Kenji! My parents told me I was born like this, but I think they took me to the Windfeller Eagles when I was a baby---I think the Eagles altered me.”

Kyosti suddenly realized that he was still shaking her and let go suddenly. “And they let you just walk around? You’re not safe!”

She sobbed harder.

He pushed away from her, scooting back until he hit his head on something hard. She made no move---that he knew of---to stop him, only cried quietly.

For a long time, neither of them said anything. Kyosti drew in deep, shuddering breaths, shaking uncontrollably. The woods around them lay dead silent; probably everything had been scared into hiding by their mad dash through the trees and the yelling. He pressed his palms into his eyes again, silently begging for anything to happen, but when he raised his head, the whiteness still hadn’t cleared.

Well, it wasn’t like he needed another reason to hate the Windfeller Eagles. He’d never actually seen one; the wretched birds stayed in the north where it was warm and sunny all the time. But they had unnatural powers of altering people---changing their appearances and natures. People from Kenji---like Sanji---swore the Eagles meant well, while the Chith thought they were tricksters sent to destroy humanity. Kyosti thought it was most likely they simply didn’t care about the effects of their actions.

Eventually, Sanji stopped crying and asked softly, “Where are you from? Oh you said, didn’t you? Chithoobra….do you have a family there?”

He didn’t answer her.

A sigh. “My family….is in Chithoobra. That’s where I’m heading. When you leave the Seer’s Camp, will you go back there? I….don’t know the way.”

Kyosti said nothing.

Sanji tried again. “You’re heading to the Seer’s Camp? We’re only a few days away from there. I’ll….I’ll escort you there. I’m---”

She stopped, but he thought she might have been about to say “I’m sorry” again. 

This broke through his stupor. Horror filled him. The Seer’s Camp? He’d already decided not to go there! What would he say to them when he got there? They could not get the knife!

“No, no, not the S---”

Kyosti stopped himself, a numb feeling taking over the horror as logic reasserted itself.

Where else could she take him? All the way back to Chithoobra? Could he drag her on the run with him? He didn’t know this woman, didn’t trust her. Maybe he didn’t want to go to the Seer’s Camp, but anywhere else was weeks away.

There was always the possibility the Seers knew what he had in his possession, but then again...they might not. They might not even know the Seer in the capital had died.

“Yes,” Kyosti answered softly. “Take---take me to the Seer’s Camp.”

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