The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 17

Syble's breath condensed in the evening air. The long shadow of Allmau stretched from the cliffs across the Sounds. High above, the skies were darkening, and the galactic garden blossomed. Tizeal held her close, both huddled under a thick fur blanket where Ahna would sit, watching the canyons. They were far beyond conversation at this point. Syble had little to say but Tizeal sat pensive to every movement she made.

A deep sigh condensed the air. Concerned for Tizeal, Syble spoke hoarse, "You should go back to Oz,"

"Oh, he's fine," she replied with confidence, "The boys are looking after him. Right now, he just needs rest." Tizeal seized the moment to suggest, "It is getting cold though."

"I know. You go back, I won't be far behind."

"I'm not falling for that." She said, "If I need to, I'll just go get more furs."

Syble broke a smile and buried her head into the blanket, then sighed. As she looked up, she caught the sight of someone leaving the bramble marsh under cover of darkness. A long flowing shadow that almost danced out of the forest. A lantern swung out from beside it, revealing Evelyne with a flower stalk in hand, swinging it through the air gaily.

"Now what is she doing out here?" thought Tizeal.

Evelyne caught sight of the pair, she didn't flinch and try to hide – she did quite the opposite, waving the flower stalk madly in the air with a bright cheerful smile, gorging on the attention. She quickly climbed the slope towards the pair.

"A spot of late-night camping, is it?" she cried cheerfully.

"We're watching for Ahna," Syble said.

"Oh, still not back yet?"

In her arms, Syble's mood was palpable to Tizeal, "There's an awful lot of space up there to search, my dear." Tizeal said, dryly, "It was a city."

After a second's assessment, Evelyne read the room, "Oh I understand. Yes, yes, of course. Silly me. I mean there's a lot of big strong men up there looking for her right now. It's a good thing they're still out there, rather than having given up early, you know?"

Tizeal punctuated her ramble with a stern cough, "So what were you doing out there in our forest? It's not a safe place to be, especially at this time."

"Oh, I know," she said, with a sickly-sweet smile, "I just wanted to have a little explore. Touch some grass, or swamp."

Tizeal didn't seem to buy what Evelyne was selling, and she quickly moved on, "Have you smelt these flowers," she rushed the flower stalk across Tizeal's face, "they're disgusting!" Tizeal wretched, then shot to her feet.

"There's this..." Evelyne fished for words, "Macabre cloy about them. The sweetness of death, if you will. I love it."

Syble feigned a smile and looked to the canyons again, Evelyne turned to Tizeal and shrugged.

"I should have gone up there with them." Said Syble.

Before Tizeal could say something, Evelyne interjected, "With the men? Why? What could you do to help?"

Tizeal glared while Syble thought for a moment, "Please don't get me wrong, I'm sure you have your talents, we all do. But yours might not be suited for," she gestured to the wilderness, "that."

"But I can't just sit here, like..."

"Like little Ahna?" Evelyne asked, clearly ignoring Tizeal's chide, "This is poetic. Sad, but poetic. I completely understand why your sister did what she did. Being sheltered from the world makes one very curious about it."

"And you'd know about that?" asked Tizeal.

"Oh, I'm quite the mischief maker." Said Evelyne with gleeful, yet oddly threatening, pride, "It's what happens when you try to lock someone up. They'll find a way to stretch their wings."

An awkward pause ensued, and Tizeal tended to Syble's brooding sense of ineffectiveness.

"Look, I meant no offence. But don't beat yourself up for not going up there with the rest of them. You'd only slow them down or distract them."

That wasn't really the salve Syble needed: but was exactly what Tizeal expected. Syble seemed to implode at that notion, her expression collapsed as she felt so helpless and useless to her siblings plight.

"Now!" Evelyne cried with sudden and dramatic flair, "There it is. Grasp that feeling and don't let it go! Turn that feeling, that despair, that sorrow and self-pity, turn it all into something wonderful."

Syble paused to think, Evelyne continued "I don't care what it is. Learn to shoot, learn to hunt, learn to climb, lead, love, kill – ANYTHING! Turn it into something that would be useful up there." she cried, "Even pain and sorrow have a purpose in life and it's to stop us being so pathetic."

"Alright, that's quite enough." Said Tizeal boldly, "It's too cold. Let's get inside for a brew, rest our minds and nerves, yes?"

"Oh!" Evelyne squealed in delight, "Me too?"

Unable to turn down company, Tizeal conceded,"Sure."