Retreating shadows

CH3

Erok met her at the main entrance to the caves.

"Veice would meet you here this morning, you said?" she asked.

"Yes." Erok yawned and sat down on a tree stump.

Sunchild sat down on another, conveniently close-by tree stump. Veice could show up anytime from right then to just before the sun would reach the peak of her path. Those in the mountain had existed for millenia. They could not sleep, eat, or do much of anything beside observe stuff. This had rather messed with their perception of time.

Of course, both Sunchild and Erok had, each of them, seen centuries. A morning spent waiting was really only a slight inconvenience, given that it is not fire-clan sanctioned.

When Veice appeared, Sunchild had been made aware of a very many things. Erok was nervous in the face of their prospective meeting with the fire clan and concealing it with extreme bloodthirst (as he was prone to doing every year in the buildup to said meeting). After some deliberation, he had decided on wearing blue. His conflicted thoughts as to the fairness of sitting in chairs when there are earth clan centaurs present had remained conflicted. The two of them had just been discussing the merits of using autumn leaves for art when Veice interrupted.

"I am here," they stated with some gravity. The shadow of that particular stalagmite had sat just there for a while. It was now somewhat surprised to find itself inhabited by a consciousness.

"Veice. We have decided that you can accompany us to the gathering of the clans." Erok said this a bit slowly. He didn't know, exactly, whether it helped Veice understand him or not, but in his opinion, trying never hurt.

Had Veice had a neck, they would have nodded. Sadly, such a gesture didn't translate very well to the shadowy glob of their body.

"At this gathering, I can observe the creatures living elsewhere as I observe the little flames in the caves?"

"Maybe it would be best if you called them 'people' instead when interacting with them. And don't mention that you guard the prisoners to the other fire clan members," Sunchild said. Those from the caves always quite quickly showed a lack of understanding of the intricacies of personhood. This, Sunchild found herself thinking optimistically, was no reason not to point out the largest potholes in a road of social acceptability.

A lengthy silence followed as Veice collected their thought.

"I will only observe. I do not want these people from other clans to return and burn the forests again."

This particular attachment to shadow clan plant life had come to be roughly seven decades ago. Veice had made a temporary home in the shadow of a tree not far from the beach to look at the waves. When bored fire clan soldiers had chosen that afternoon to indulge in some stereotypical pyromania, Veice had been trapped in the tiny shadow of an abandoned boot until nightfall. This mild inconvenience had fuelled a slight distaste for both fire, war, and any combination of the two near vegetation that could be lit on fire. Given that the fire clan was generally very adept at setting things alight efficiently, this was every type of vegetation.

"That's alright then, I suppose," Erok supposed.

"Tomorrow, when the sun is at her highest, we will discuss the trip in the temple the fire clan built near here. All eight who are undertaking the journey will be there." Sunchild stood up from the tree.

"I will discuss tomorrow, yes." said Veice. They disappeared deeper into the caves.

"Could have been worse." Eroks grimace looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Definitely. They were very polite," said Sunchild. The two of them headed back to the seaside village Both were a little disappointed that Veice had not been more stubborn about confronting other fire clan members. They talked about this at length then, as such talk would soon be discouraged at that blasted meeting.

All eight soon-to-be shadow clan representatives had gathered for the first time. Eib had informed Piroce and Pirocessa. The latter displayed an excitement that Sunchild thought would be more suitable for a two-week-long party.

"I can't believe it took all of you this long to realize I should be going to the meeting! The fire clan will be sweating buckets full of—whatever it is they sweat—at a mere glance from me. They'll be too scared to think about attacking us ever again," she said cheerfully.

Sunchild sighed. She wasn't at all convinced that Pirocessa's violent tendencies would contain themselves to threatening looks.

She didn't blame her for it, though. In the distant past, all shadow clan members had been sculpted from the shadows themselves by the cavedwellers. But that was generations ago. Pirocessa was the exception. She had been made by Piroce during the war. Pirocessa's birth had left her with two things: an unusually deep well of energy and the largest dragonform in centuries, and a strange childlike mindset despite her adult body. Born an adult during an occupation, she had had no childhood at all.

"We do not want to provoke anyone, least of all the fire clan," said Agon. His brother, standing next to him, looked bored.

"Provoking the fire clan is never necessary. Eventually, one of them ends up provoking us," Erok said.

"That's just because you bare your teeth at them while stomping around in full armour," Eib supplied helpfully.

"Hmpf."

"Be that as it may, there are some things we need to discuss. The first day of the gathering coincides with the summer solstice. We will fly there the night before, I presume. Any objections?" said Sunchild

There weren't

"We need to secure some robes for Veice and Piroce," Agon said. "Do you have colour preferences?"

Those from the caves only had a physical body if there were shadows around for them to manifest it from. Those cast by their own clothing could serve this purpose wonderfully.

"I would like white and yellow, to match the solstice sun," said Veice.

"Sunset-red," Piroce added.

And thus, the preparations were made.

Omik had made her a necklace of shells. They jingled softly as she walked. Sunchild and her sons were right there in the same room at that moment, yet she missed her family immensely.

"It's beautiful, dear,' she told Omik. "I'm very sorry, but I don't have anything to give you in return. Would a hug be fair?"

"No." he said immediately. "But I want it anyway."

Sometimes, when the feeling crept up on her, the guilt of bringing children into a life of waiting took her off-guard with its intensity. But in a moment like this she wouldn't have traded them for the world, moon and sun. It was the only blasphemy she allowed herself.