Terramancer

Chapter Twelve

The sun had just risen, and the day was uncharacteristically warm for Eyabe Winter.

Sometime just after we had left the inn, Iza had fallen asleep, his head resting on my shoulder. His warm breath tickled my neck as he breathed steadily.

Imryll eyed us from across the carriage.

"What are we going to do about Iza's Transformation?" Imryll finally asked.

"Ece told me he was weak when he Transformed," I began. "Likely because he is only a half lycan. Apparently he just cowered."

Imryll leaned her head into one of her hands. "That is good. If he is not dangerous when he Transforms then we can stay in the carriage whilst he stays outside."

I frowned. "Is he at risk of killing any animals?"

Imryll shrugged. "If he's weak, I doubt he will, unless the animal is already well on its way to dying."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good."

Imryll nodded and fell silent again.

We had entered a small village, not unlike Okphis. The wooden houses with straw roofs that were completely impractical brought memories of my home flooding back. Seeing the stalls that lined the street made me feel nostalgic and homesick. I did not like Okphis by any means, but it was where I had grown up, and I missed it, despite myself.

The people of the village peered at us. I suppose it made sense. We must have looked completely out of place in our nice clothes. I knew that if I were back home in Okphis, and I had seen us walking through the streets I would have been curious, too.

We passed a little girl who tugged at the fabric of my dress.

"Is it silk?" she asked me, so softly I could barely hear her. I squatted down so I was face-to-face with her.

"No," I replied. "I wish, but it is a material made to replicate silk. It is not as comfortable as silk." I smiled at her and she giggled.

She was a girl of about six. She was skinny, painfully so. Her face was all bones, and her brown eyes were big and wide. Her hair was blonde, but it was covered in so much dirt that it almost looked brown. She wore dirty rags.

My heart ached. She reminded me so inexplicably of myself when I was younger. I wondered why this girl was out on the street all by herself, but Iza touched my back gently.

"Mary Sue," he said, his voice gentle. "We need to go."

I looked at the little girl again. "I...I must go," I told her. Her face fell, but then brightened again.

"I suppose you have adventures to head off on. You're probably here from Eighsea on a quest, right?"

I smiled at her again. "Yes. Many adventures." I stood up and the little girl walked away. I watched as her small frame disappeared into the throng of people. I felt as though my heart had broken. I did not know that girl, or even her name, but I knew that she belonged somewhere better. I did not want her to have to do what I did growing up; fend for herself.

Iza's arm rested on the small of my back and I shook it off. He looked up at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I..." I trailed off. "It's just...that little girl. She reminded me so much of myself, is all."

Iza looked sympathetic, though I knew he could not possibly understand how I felt. "I know," he said. "I am sorry. It must be hard coming back to a place so similar to Okphis."

I laughed a little, despite the fact that nothing he had said had been funny. "Yeah," I replied. "It is."

Iza and I caught up to Imryll and Ece outside a small restaurant.