The Adventure of Fel

chapter nine

       I frown. Did she not just listen to everything I've said? I'm lost, a wanderer. I don't know what's next. I don't even know what direction I'm going in. I should have planned this out – bought a compass, put together a group of people. Something besides throwing chocolate in a bag and calling it preparedness.

       "I don't know," I say, staring at my bowl. "Any suggestions?"

       "An ocean," Birdy says immediately, standing up. "You've been moving North, and you're going to reach the ocean in a few miles. You'll need a boat."

       "A boat?" I almost choke on excitement and disbelief. I never thought about actually sailing anywhere, though I'm not sure how else I would expect to get anywhere outside of Burr. I suppose I never thought I'd be leaving Burr, to be honest.

       "Yes!" Birdy's dress swings dramatically as she heads to her bookshelf. "There are plenty at the coast, yes, but you'll have to buy one...yes, what would they want?" She places her hands on the hawk tapestry and puts her upturned nose to it, muttering a few words before ripping it off the wall. I want to yell something, something like "hey, you should be more careful, you probably spent years on that!" but I don't. I just watch in awe as Birdy slides some of the stones underneath the tapestry and reveals a secret compartment, no larger than my water box back at home. My leg starts bouncing up and down. I just saw someone open a secret compartment behind a tapestry!

       I flick Leo on the shoulder and his head jolts up immediately. I point at Birdy, who's facing away from us and muttering something. He nudges Gwen with his tail, and she looks up too. We watch as Birdy turns around, a small wooden box in her hands. She clutches it excitedly and grins wildly as she brings it to the table. She slams it down with a bang. I'm startled – just a minute ago, she was a calm, contemplative soul – now she reminds me of a little kid going to the Market for the first time. I think of three-year-old me, pointing at the richly colored dresses, sparkly glass knickknacks, and perfectly frosted cakes.

       Birdy pries open the box with her short nails and carefully places the lid to the side. I sit up straighter, craning my neck to look inside.

       Crystals. Dozens and dozens of crystals.

       Clear, pink, smooth, sharp – I have never seen so many.

       "They're an abundance in the forest if you know where to look," Birdy says, grinning. "But not many people do. Any shipmaker would trade a boat for one of these. Just one could be worth a house. Don't ask why – they're so beautiful, The City places a lot of value on them."

       My eyes dance over the gems, and I want to hold them, line them up on a pretty white shelf, stare at them forever.

       "Enchanting, aren't they?" With that, Birdy slams the lid back over the box. The cats and I jump.

       "You can have whichever one you want. I just ask for one favor in return."

       I stare up at Birdy. Whatever she wants, it's clear she's been waiting for it for a long time.

       "Anything," I whisper, meeting her golden eyes. She smiles and sits back down across from me. We both cross our hands, leaning towards each other.

       "Careful, Fel," Gwen mews quietly. I reach over and give her a pat, my eyes never leaving Birdy's.

       "It's my brother," Birdy says. "His name is Alan. I haven't seen him in five years, not since I was thirteen. We...we got into a bit of an argument, you see. I've been trying to find him, but it's hard to stay connected in this world. I know he's still in Burr – at least, that's the last I heard. But I can't go looking for him myself. I'm sick."