Healing Ties (Ties, Book 2) | ✓

Chapter 52

It was awkward, sitting next to Yore while he and his grandmother discussed things Fanner mostly didn't understand. He tried to study the diagram Yore had drawn in the dirt with a stick, tried to figure out which directions West or North or South were relative to their current position, but none of it made any sense to him.

That was probably fine and it didn't matter because none of this involved him. It was probably weird to everyone that he was clinging so close to Yore's side when he wasn't needed. Yore would never complain because they had a deal, but it probably only made Fanner look more like a clingy and insecure Companion to everyone else.

While Yore was in the middle of adding to his diagram, Fanner got up and wandered off. He didn't really know where he was going, but everyone else seemed to just be wandering around without much concern, including the humans and other mages, so it was probably fine if he did the same.

There was something uniquely soothing about the gentle sound of waves breaking against the beach. It would be nice to live here if he ever got the opportunity. It would be nice to live anywhere at all for a long time, to have space and things of his own, to get to know people and feel safe and wanted and like he belonged. Those things had felt impossible at first, but he'd seen how the others had interacted tonight. Mages, humans, werewolves, all just talking like old friends. The only thing that truly set him apart was that he was new to this group, and he wouldn't be forever. He could have what they had.

Fanner threw up a ball of magelight and followed a path that had been worn bare and supplemented with wooden steps where necessary through grass and low bushes down towards the beach. There were others down there already, gathered around smaller campfires on the sand and swimming in water lit up by balls of magelight.

Fanner didn't really know where he was going or what he was going to do when he got there, but there was something his brain found very satisfying about that. About being allowed to simply act without thorough forethought. To simply follow his curiosity.

Someone was heading up the path towards him, a shadowy figure wearing a thick, hooded coat. Or... no, was that a coat? It looked fluffy. No, feathery. Their face was resolving into something confusingly non-human too, and it wasn't until they were within speaking distance that Fanner realised what he was looking at. They had a beak and big, round eyes.

"Are you the healer?" the bird person asked in a voice that reminded Fanner of the way parrots spoke.

Fanner considered lying. He wasn't nearly as worried about what people might do to him anymore, but this was a particularly strange stranger and they were alone and it was dark. On the other hand, if he lied, it would be awkward later when this person found out.

"Yes, I am," Fanner said.

The bird person extended their wing from their side so fast Fanner stumbled backwards and almost fell. "Fix."

Fanner brightened his magelight and brought it closer. The angle of the wing didn't look quite right. "Did you break the bone?"

The bird person flapped their wing. "Yes. Fix."

"Oh, well, um, I've never done anything like that before, but I think I should be able to. It's not a quick fix, though, so it will have to wait until everything has calmed down. I-if that's okay."

"No. Fix."

"Um, but, I mean..." Fanner could hear someone approaching from behind, but he didn't dare take his eyes away from the bird person. "I want to help you, but there are a lot of other people I need to help right now, so..."

The bird person flapped both their wings this time. "Fix!"

A hand came down on Fanner's shoulder and he jumped, but when he turned he found Yore standing behind him.