Sember (Forestfolk, Book 2)

Chapter 2c

I marveled at how much Foresthome's reputation had changed in the span of ten years. The Forestfolk were once considered secretive, even mythical, hidden away from the world. It had been a safe haven for the persecuted and the lost. A place where the Gifted, once called Aberrations by the tribes, could feel safe. These things were still true, only now we were no longer mythical. Siena's heroics a decade earlier had ended the constant tribal wars, reopened trade routes, and established the Forestfolk as not only real, but generous and open. Siena had made such a far-reaching impact when she was just one year younger than I was now. It never failed to humble me.

"My friend says you're going to spend the winter here. Is that true?" I asked.

"It sure is. Good news travels fast," he said with a lopsided grin.

I wasn't sure what to make of his cockiness. I hadn't seen this side of him yesterday. Then again, being knocked onto your backside by a crazy Gifted girl could put you off your game.

I tilted my head. "Would you like to meet her? My friend, I mean?"

"If she's female and not old, then yes!"

I rolled my eyes and instructed him to stay put.

I found Nirrin at the large cabin herding the youngest children for lunch. She was actually pretty good at it, considering all they wanted to do was run around playing tag. They ran away squealing when they saw me.

"Sember!" said Nirrin. "I never see you at this time. What happened?" A small boy collided into her legs, and she deftly turned him toward the door.

"Remember how you wanted to meet Dozan?"

She clapped a hand over her mouth and squealed. "You actually did it? I get to meet him? Oh, I'm so excited! I've only seen him from far away. He looks handsome with all that curly hair. When do we go?"

"Um . . . right now?"

"Right now?" she squeaked. "I'm not ready right now. I need to fix my hair and put on my nice dress and—" She threw her hands up in the air. "Sember, what were you thinking?"

I crossed my arms. "I was thinking you wanted to meet him, and now you can."

"I do, but—oh, Sember, you've never worried about your looks a single day, have you?" I must have looked crestfallen because she immediately followed with, "I didn't mean it that way! I mean you don't care. You never worry about whether you look nice or not. It must be nice. I worry all the time."

That didn't make me feel any better. "Forget it," I said as I turned around. "I'll just tell him you changed your mind."

"No, wait, don't do that!"

I stopped and looked back at her, trying to recall what had possessed me to set up this stupid meeting in the first place.

"Just . . . " Her eyes flitted around while she came up with a plan. "Take the kids to the commons, tell Bren I'll be gone a while, and meet me back here. I'll be ready. Okay?"

"Fine," I reluctantly agreed, wondering how I was going to herd these children anywhere when all they ever did was run away from me.

"Sember, you're the best!" she exclaimed before whirling around to the far side of the cabin.

I sighed and addressed the children, who were mostly hiding behind beds and peering at me from behind the doorways. "Come on, time for lunch."

Some of them ducked out of view, while the rest continued to stare warily at me.

"You want to eat, don't you? Come on, I'll take you."

"She's going to take us to the lake and burn us," whispered one girl to another.

I sighed again. "Look, Nirrin says I have to take all of you to Bren. So let's go."

Whispers floated around, but not a single one of them moved.

My hands formed fists. "I'm about to get angry. Either you guys start marching to the commons, or I burn this cabin down."

Squealing children immediately scampered from their hiding places like scattering roaches and ran out the door. Before following them out, I glanced back at Nirrin.

"Wow, you sure can clear a room," she said with a grin.

* * *

We were walking too slowly. Nirrin was following me down the lake trail and complaining that there was no need to race around like "stinky, wild boars." I wondered if she was unconsciously commenting about my body odor.

I took a surreptitious sniff of myself.

No, I smelled fine. Okay, good.

When we reached the lake, Dozan was right where I left him, fishing pole in hand, and bucket still empty. He lit up when he saw us, and I couldn't help noticing his eyes sliding over Nirrin's curves. I mentally added "boyish body" to my list of Things That Don't Attract Boys.

"Hel-lo." Dozan drew out the word as he fixed his eyes on her.

Nirrin giggled and smoothed her dark tresses.

"Hi, Dozan," I said flatly. "This is my friend Nirrin."

"Pleased to meet you, Nirrin." His eyes never left hers as he lifted her hand and kissed it.

She giggled again and said, "What a gentleman."

They exchanges pleasantries, none of which included me, and it wasn't long before I felt like an intruder on their private tryst.

"Well, I'll be going then," I called behind me as I left. Neither of them seemed to hear me. Or even notice I was gone.

I felt antsy. I hadn't gotten to my practice yet, which I hadn't missed a single day of in the last ten years, so I ran to the opposite end of the lake. It wasn't safe for me to unleash fire anyplace else. I squinted across the lake to see what Nirrin and Dozan were doing, but they had already disappeared. I shook my head and watched as a flaming arc formed between my hands.

I hoped Nirrin wasn't getting herself into trouble.

Uh-oh. What kind of trouble? Vote please? :)