Truths in a Rift (The Traveling Rifts Trilogy: Book Two)

Unsettling Feeling

    Aris felt  like she was floating. Her mind swarmed with all the words Hacker read.  She finally knew where she was from. And it was the last possible  explanation she had thought of. Throughout the past year, Aris had  wondered what she had been doing her whole life. Sure, she had given  thought to the mystery of her real parents, but she was more interested  in the life she lived, not the one her parents did. In some small way,  she had hoped that this rift would show her what life had been like for  her.

    But now all that was blown out of the water. She was from Aldenuur. She was an Aldenuurling. How could she even process that?

    Aris felt Sage's  wings fluttered slightly, and the girl gave a jump. She had forgotten  the fairy was perched on her shoulder. She cleared her throat and  groggily peeled her eyes from the shelf she had been staring at for the  past few hours. Hunger gnawed at her stomach and her throat was parched  with thirst. As if in response to her noticing this, the smell of cooked  fish suddenly filled the interior of the Overseer office, otherwise  known as the library basement. Aris glanced up and saw Taleryn walking  towards her, Glow Stick in one hand and two fish on sticks in the other.  Over his shoulder was her quiver.

    "Thought you may  finally be open to company," the woodland elf said. He sat across from  her and crossed his legs. Then he glanced to Hacker, who still wandered  through the shelves with the ledger. "I doubt Hacker is doing much to  start up a conversation."

    Despite herself, Aris chuckled a little.

    "Ah, I apologize, Miss Sage," the elf said, nodding towards the fairy. "I did not see you there."

    The fairy flew down to Aris's knee and shrugged in response.

    "Here," Taleryn said, handing Aris one of the fish-on-a-sticks.

    She took it eagerly  and took out her dagger. The girl couldn't remember the last time she  had eaten, and considering the way her stomach was rumbling, it had to  have been a while ago.

    "I also brought  water," Taleryn said, unfastening the quiver and showing her. "We are in  a desert-like land, so I am sure it is important to drink plenty of  it."

    "Thank you...  Taleryn," Aris said. She took a deep breath, sitting the fish-on-a-stick  across her lap and shaving the scales off. "I feel like today was a  dream."

    "It was definitely an experience," the elf agreed gravely.

    She bit into the  fish. It was flavorless, and even her hunger didn't make it taste great,  but Aris barely cared. She took a long chug of water and sighed.

    "You know... the strange thing is, I still have questions," she said.

    "I would be worried  if you did not, Aris." He started eating his own dinner, giving a little  bit to Sage. "What questions do you have?"

    "Well, for one, what's an Overseer?"

    Taleryn chuckled. "That is what is bothering you so much?"

    "No," Aris admitted. "But still. My... my mother never actually explained what it was in her journals."

    "I assume it is just  because everyone in Krälyin knew what it was. That, and she thought no  one else would read her journal. They tend to be more of the private  sort, do they not?"

    Aris grunted and continued eating. "But then what are the Logs?" she asked with a full mouth.

    Taleryn laughed and swiped a piece of fish from her cheek. She was too curious to feel embarrassed.