When The Moons And Mirrors Rise

Chapter 31

"Did anything unusual happen last night, Promise?" asked Lulu over breakfast. I told the group about the death servant's visit, leaving out Ris' twin's name.
"That's worrying. Not only is Symmetry going to this gathering of shadows, but it means she's left her territory and might cross our path. She is well past the point of becoming dangerous, and she is volatile and mercurial," said Kestrel.
"What should we do if we do meet her?" Ris said.
"Avoid combat -- but keep your daggers on you, just in case."
"Would she be able to hurt me?" I asked.
"I don't know."

We packed our stuff up and got underway, keeping alert. Ink went ahead to scout a couple of times, but otherwise we stayed together. I spent most of the day being dormant to avoid raising a false alarm. They didn't stop for lunch, and instead ate as they walked. They did have a break in the afternoon though, when they came to a creek. A small troop of death maidens and servants came by, and thankfully they didn't stay to talk. They seemed a little startled to see us, and hastened on. Leyin thought they were kind of cute, and although there was a certain charm to their appearance it didn't change the fact that they spooked us. Once the group left the creek, Ris spoke aloud of what her magic showed her. The way the light trickled down through through the leaves, the cadence of each person's voice when they spoke, the way Leyin's fingers moved as if they were dancers, the rhythm of their footsteps as they fell in and out of sync with each other, the sound of the kits' bird-like calls, the smell of dirt and new growth, the crunch of dry leaves scattered across the road. And, too, how close they'd all become. There were times we didn't have to speak a word and we'd still understand -- I guess that's what happens when you spend three months travelling with each other. Have you ever felt that? Not just telling a friend's mood from their behaviour, or asking what's wrong when they're quieter than usual, but answering a question before they even think to ask it. Even back in Orsilnon with Saryar and Rumour, Ris hadn't been able to do that. Here, with turtledoves she'd found trying to save the wyvern-star king, she was comfortable and free and so much more than she had known she could be.

When the sun set, our luck faded as quickly as the day. More death maidens and servants came skittering around our camp, soon followed by the wraith herself. Everyone jumped up, weapons out. Symmetry stopped and regarded us for a second.
"What do you want?" said Ris firmly.
"Your voice is the one on the wind," she remarked. "I am going to Rithesanlyr, to bring people to their knees so they can free those who go with me. These souls have waited too long for release, and they are not the only ones. Shadows will be freed as well. They should not be tied to the Cursed, and nor should they be so monstrous. You there, mirror's companion, rogue as you are, you should join me. Why do you not turn on these?"
"They are my friends!" I cried.
"Shadows have no friends," she answered coldly.
"I won't join you."
"Then I shall sunder the tie between your life and hers. This girl has lost her shadow, the Fay's one is too timid to be her own person," she scoffed, "Kyrell killed his counterpart and joined the ranks of the truly free. It is not so often that shadows who have the courage to be their own person are even treated as such, but as a rogue or wraith you would have power to demand that respect."
"I am treated with the same care and love as any of my friends here! And I won't let you kill Ris!"
"Oh?" Symmetry raised one eyebrow. "Try to protect her, then."

She lunged at Ris, fingers outstretched with their long, pointed nails, howling like a banshee. It all happened so quickly, despite time seeming to pause and stutter. I leapt forwards, pushing Symmetry away. We tumbled into the brambles. Scrambling to get up, I felt her nails digging into my arm. Ris came at the rogue with her dagger held high, shouting something. Kestrel commanded the brambles to climb up around Symmetry's torso and hold her in place, although she soon tore free. Ink swooped down with a knife in his beak -- the same knife from the cooking utensils we'd given Leyin so she could protect herself -- and successfully wounded Symmetry. But she was an old shadow; it was not nearly enough. We could not kill her. We'd be lucky to survive this encounter. Leyin slunk between everyone, returned knife in hand, and slashed at Symmetry's calf. Shrieking, the wraith spun around to retaliate, but found no-one there. Leyin was quick-footed and faster than Stella. Lulu swiftly took her place, dagger in hand. Symmetry moved to take hold of her. Ducking, Lulu carved new lines into the rogue's legs, before straightening up and kicking her on the side of the head. Symmetry reeled back, and Ris managed to stab her back before Lulu got another kick in. Ink swooped in with the knife again, this time missing his agile target. Screeching, the wraith closed in on Ris, who'd let her guard down amidst the turmoil. Ris backed away, raising her dagger and snarling. Lulu gave a shout and leapt towards them, and bit Symmetry's arm. While Lulu held Symmetry off, Kestrel bound the wraith with tree roots. The earth rumbled, trembling, and rose up around her as an extra precaution.

I grabbed hold of Ris' hand and we ran.
"She's not the mirror!" Symmetry called after us, venom in her voice. Ignoring her, we kept going. Finally, when we could run no more, we fell to the ground, still panting. Everyone drank some water as soon as their breath evened out again, and we took a moment to process what had just happened.
"She was trying to kill you, Ris!" said Leyin. Ris was still in shock at it all, and just stared for a second.
"Wait, so Kestrel, does that mean you just saved my life?"
"Oh. In a round-a-bout way, I suppose I did. Promise did most of it, if she hadn't jumped in you would have been dead before anyone could do anything about it anyway." Ris suddenly embraced me, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Thank you, Promise!" she said between sobs, before wincing and pulling away. Blood was seeping from several long cuts on her arm. The same cuts were on my arm, as well as the ones from when Symmetry grabbed my arm. Injuries caused to a shadow's companion didn't hurt their shadow, but this was possibly the first time I myself had been hurt. It stung and ached and burned all at once. It seemed Kestrel and Ink had gotten away injury-free, but Kestrel was drained from using so much earth magic all at once. Leyin got up to help Ris and me since she'd grabbed all our packs when we'd fled, and realised she'd sprained her ankle. Lulu had too, but she didn't care as much, so she got the things out to clean us up and bandage our wounds -- not that mine really needed bandaging, since shadows don't bleed.

We made camp a little way away from the road, where we were less likely to be seen if the rogue or the death maidens and servants came along it in search of us. They dared not risk a fire, and after they'd eaten they burrowed under their blankets. I stood watch, pacing around my turtledoves, turning over the wraith's words over and over in my mind -- 'Why do you not turn on these? ... Shadows have no friends ... Then I shall sunder the tie between your life and hers.' They stung. I knew her words were false, she did not live my life, but they cast sparks of doubt into my heart. Still they stung; I loved my friends so very much, and they loved me. They trusted me to protect them from her while they slept! Hush, hush, I won't let Symmetry's lies turn me against them. Go away, get out of my head! I paced back and forth, determined to banish the thoughts from my head, but the harder I tried the more intense they became. Death maidens and servants skittered around the camp -- I whipped my head around and saw their robes flash between bushes and trees. What if Symmetry found us? I was alone in the night. If she tried to kill someone, I probably wouldn't be able to stop her. A small voice in the back of my mind asked, and what if she tries to kill you?