Gifted Pelt

Chapter 68

Kyma mutters to herself. "My mother is going to kill me. Lyss too."

Astrila frowns. "Why?"

"I was only allowed to go because Lyss was going to be with me. Lyss is angry that she won't get to do her duty as well. When we leave, she's going right back home to tell my mother. I might get ordered to return."

Astrila frowns. "How is she going to order you?"

"If we're far away from each other, we can send messages through the water. Kind of like a message in a bottle, but far more reliable."

Astrila gives her a look. "I have absolutely no idea what a message in a bottle is."

"Essentially, you put a paper with a message in a container. Then you toss the container into the ocean and hope it gets to the right person. The merrow messaging actually goes to the recipient. It is directed to them by the water gifts and it moves quickly. I don't know how to send them yet though. Lyss was going to teach me, but I can ask the Eastern merrow Kingdom for assistance when we arrive in the old land."

Astrila nods. "That's smart. Can you send it to non-merrows?"

Kyma smiles, giving Astrila the sense that she knows exactly why Astrila asked that question. "Yes, but they can't send messages back the same way."

Astrila gives her a small nod. "Should we go over the plan again?"

"Sure. Walk to the edge of the ice or at least to somewhere I can create a boat of water. Then we travel in the boat using my water powers and your wind powers to increase our speed. We keep going like that until the water is warm enough for me to shift and not die of hypothermia. Then we swim the rest of the way to the old land."

"Good. Speaking of when we can get in your water boat, there is a channel up ahead. It should be wide enough for a canoe."

Grinning, Kyma bounces forward only to sink knee-deep into the snow. Astrila giggles and helps her back out again, creating a cushion of air beneath her feet. Kyma stumbles, tightly gripping Astrila's shoulder. Astrila winces and Kyma flushes, releasing the shoulder in a flash.

"Sorry."

She wobbles again, her hand automatically going back to Astrila's shoulder. Astrila grins.

"It's alright. It might take some getting used to at first. Just take slow, easy steps and you'll get the hang of it."

Kyma does after only a few steps, each one growing more sure. It only takes them about ten more minutes to reach the channel and Kyma forms her boat in a heartbeat. It is just barely wide enough to fit in the channel, but they easily have enough room to sit. There's enough room for their baskets of supplies as well. Mainly food, dried so it lasts a while. By itself, it's only enough for a week or two, but they can supplement it with fresh fish they catch along the way.

Kyma climbs into the water-made canoe first, twisting around to take the supply basket from Astrila. She sets it down behind her, nestling it snugly into the bottom of the canoe. Then Astrila climbs in, perching just behind the basket. Kyma twists around again to grin at Astrila, her snowy white hair whipping in the wind despite her best efforts to tuck it in beneath her parka hood. Her blue eyes are shining with excitement.

"Are you ready?"

"Of course I am!"

There is a spout from ahead of them, where the channel opens up into wider ones, rivers between the ice floes. Their boat shoots toward it, stopping when another spout comes up right in front of them. The black and white body of an Arluq appears before them, but one glimpse into its dark eyes tells Astrila that it isn't an Arluq. It's an Akh'lut, Atka.

"Hello, Child of Wind and Sea, Snow and Stars. Hello, Child of the Tides and Waves."

Kyma's voice is meek. "Hello."

"Listen, both of you." The girls nod. "Child of Tides and Waves, be wary around the river and its creatures. Control your mind. Child of Wind and Sea, Snow and Stars, listen to your magic, not your mind and body. Your magic will speak the truth. You will find what you still must know with the Forest King." Kyma opens her mouth to blurt something out, but Atka cuts her off. "Child, do not fret. If your mother does try to call you back, just tell her who ordered you to go. Even she, who knows so little about the creatures of the north, will listen to my commands. I wish you both luck on your journey."

Kyma nods and Atka sinks beneath the waves once again. It only takes a moment for the boat to begin moving forward once more, pointed toward the Old Land waiting across the sea.
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What do you think Atka's words mean? What will they find in the Old Land? Tell me your thoughts!

We're done! A Gifted Pelt is complete after 2 months. A Kelpie of Rowan is up now too!

Happy reading and I'll see you next book!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.