Forever Misplaced, page 5
“But I came from the forest,” Kody reminded him.
“Exactly. The forest that is rumored to be the last city of the Elv. When the wizard cast his spell, he used a map to set the boundary of his magical working. The forest fell within that map, so it makes sense that you were the heir of the forest at the time of the casting, and none of the Hu ever knew about it.”
“So, what does that actually mean?”
Tristan finished wiping the last of the cuts on her legs and rested his arm on her knee while he looked up at her. “Elv have long lives. It means that out of all of us Misplaced, all of us orphans, you might be the only one to still have living parents. Family that were alive when you were taken and are still waiting for you.”
Chapter Seven
After dropping the bombshell of a potential living family, Tristan cleaned up his supplies and left the small apartment to get them food. He told her the front of the building was a tavern and meals were part of his rent.
Kody didn’t know what to think of Tristan’s pronouncement. Finding her birth family, hoping for living parents, discovering her birth name, those were all things she’d desperately wanted as a little girl, but as she grew, she knew it was a lost cause, a fantasy. There were so few scenarios that would explain her being in the system and her parents’ blameless, loving people who wanted her back. She’d given up as most did, eventually.
Over the last few years, she’d started having a different sort of dream, one where she had a family all her own. Get married, have kids. It was a faraway fuzzy dream, not one she was ready for, and not one she could picture while living with Roger, but it was still a possibility. A chance to create something she’d never had.
She feared that if she reached for that little girl’s dream of loving parents who would do anything to have her back, she would be wrecked if it wasn’t true, so she put the thought out of her mind. Maybe finding people like her, where for once she truly blended in and didn’t have to hide, would be nice, but she wouldn’t do it with any hope of finding a family. That she could endure.
Kody spent a few moments looking over her legs, and the nearly healed wounds that had been burning and stinging only a half hour before. Satisfied her legs wouldn’t fall off any time soon, she rolled down her pant legs, stood from the couch, and crossed to the desk. She wasn’t snooping exactly, but she was bored; it wasn’t like Tristan had a TV. The desk was neat and organized, a small stack of papers on one side, a book with a bookmark, in a language she didn’t understand. Even the drawers were organized with quills, ink, pencils, paper, and random gadgets like the orb.
She carefully flipped through the loose papers and saw diagrams and schematics for projects she couldn’t quite understand. Wheel sketches and mechanical levers covered several pages before something interesting caught her eye. She’d never taken an engineering class, but she knew what a basic engine looked like, though she didn’t get how it all fit in a magical world. Some pages had English on them, but nothing that let her make sense of things.
The bookcase was just as unreadable. Novels all in languages she didn’t understand, crammed in with more technical engineering books that at least had pictures, but were nonetheless boring.
When Tristan returned with a covered tray, Kody had finished snooping and returned to the couch, trying her phone again for a signal. “Trust me, it won’t work,” he said by way of greeting.
“It’s hard not to keep checking,” Kody said with a laugh. “I’m used to having this thing in my hand all day.” The smell of bread and roasted meat hit her a moment later, and she closed her mouth so as not to drool all over her new shirt.
“You get used to it, eventually.”
Tristan placed the platter on the small table and Kody followed him, eager to dig in. When he lifted the cover, she nearly passed out. A loaf of fluffy bread caught her eye first, followed by some kind of roasted meat, seasoned veggies, and two mugs of soup. Kody snatched up a mug and took a careful temperature check before gulping down the creamy broth filled with mushrooms and rice.
“Sorry, I’m a terrible host. I forgot you hadn’t eaten in a while.” He cut the bread in half and loaded one side with butter before handing it over.
Kody took the bread and tried to clear her mouth before speaking. “It’s fine. I was just thirsty before. I don’t think I could have eaten until I cooled off and drank water.” She ripped a chunk of bread off and dunked it in her soup before shoving it into her mouth. “Oh gawd. Is soo goowd.”
Tristan grinned and dug into his own food. Kody watched him while he ate. Something about his smile made her heart bubble up in her chest, and she didn’t think it was just the attraction to him she was trying to ignore. When Tristan smiled, the expression seemed uncomfortable on his face like he didn’t do it often. It made her want to make him smile more, and maybe see if he could get used to it. He puzzled her, not at all what she expected.
When her stomach stretched to capacity, Kody eyed a few last roasted potatoes on her plate. She speared one with her fork. She could eat past the pain. It would be worth it for another bite. But the thought of lifting it to her mouth made her stomach cry, so she set it down and leaned back. Maybe she would wait a few minutes, let things digest, then she could finish the tray.
Her change in posture must have been a signal to Tristan, for he set down his tea and met her eyes. “I think we should head out in a week.”
Kody blinked, more ready for a nap than to figure out what he was talking about. “Go where?”
“To the forest. A week would give us time to do a little research. I know a few people I could ask for gossip about the Elv, and it would give us time to prepare supplies for a trek.”
“Are you sure you’re okay leaving? I don’t want to take you on a wild goose chase on my account. I could go on my own, or just not go at all.”
Tristan shook his head. “This is too important. You need to find out who you have left, see if you have a home to return to. Most of us didn’t have that option, but you do.”
“And what if there’s no one there?”
“There’ll be someone. Maybe not family, but someone who knows your story, knows where you came from. Isn’t that enough of a reason to go? You don’t have to stay, but wouldn’t it be nice to know your own story?”
Kody didn’t reply. It would be nice. It was something she’d always wanted, but . . . “What if they’re weird?”
Tristan snorted. “The Elv as a whole? Well, they probably will be. There’s always culture shock, isn’t there? But you’re gonna get that whether you stay here or go there. Look, I haven’t taken a vacation in two years. This will be fun.”
“Well, I guess I need you either way. I don’t speak the same language as anyone else.”
Tristan sighed. “There are spells for teaching people languages, but they’re expensive. I got one when I was six and the magical university scooped me up to test if I had magic.”
“You grew up in a magical university?” Kody grinned, thinking of something with moving staircases and talking portraits.
“No, I don’t have any magic. But I had to understand the examiners for them to be sure, so I got my languages for free. Some of the others had to learn the old-fashioned way. I have a—an acquaintance who’s an Enchanter. I will see if he knows the spells and can send one.”
“And until then?”
Tristan nodded. “Until then, I have a few projects I need to finish. I can show you around town a little, and we can figure out what to pack for our trip. Sound good?”
Kody nodded. And then, because she was a masochist, she ate another potato.
Tristan’s neighbor stopped by to provide more clothes for Kody, and Kody was, for once, relieved she didn’t speak the same language. The woman was cute, maybe a few years older than her, with golden brown skin and tight black curls. She had a bundle of clothes, all airy and light, but in colors brighter than Kody usually wore, and nothing with long sleeves. Kody fascinated the woman. She kept grabbing Kody’s arm and trying to trace a swirl before Tristan would say something Kody didn’t understand. She talked nonstop, asking her things and gesturing for Tristan to interpret. Did she have magic? Could she make plants grow? Finally, Tristan stopped translating and fielded all the questions himself, which Kody appreciated.
While thankful for the clothing, the neighbor’s presence taught Kody one thing. She had absolutely no desire to meet anyone else who would marvel over her green skin and oddly shaped ears.
For the next three days, Kody didn’t leave the apartment. She woke each morning to an empty apartment and a cold breakfast waiting for her. Tristan would meet her for lunch, then return in the early afternoon when it grew too hot to work. In the evenings, they played card games and Tristan tried to teach her a few words in what he called the common language, or he told her everything he knew of the Elvman, which wasn’t much. He’d asked around about sightings of Elv over the years but hadn’t gotten any great leads. Their plan, for now, was to enter the forest and travel north.
The desk drawer glowed several times a night, but Tristan never answered. Kody, antsy from isolation, wanted so badly to know who was on the other end and what they wanted that she nearly answered the calls herself, but then she remembered her lack of makeup and the obvious green swirls and left the orb in the drawer.
When language and history lessons grew dull, Kody tried to get Tristan to talk more about his own story, but it was like pulling nails.
She tried again during a game of rummy using cards Tristan had bought and modified to match what Kody knew from Earth. She pressed him when it seemed like he was close to winning and being annoyingly smug.
“So do you like being a blacksmith?” Kody discarded to end her turn.
“Yes.” Tristan snatched up her discard and grinned.
Kody rolled her eyes at his one-word answer. “What do you like about it?” He gave her a sharp look, as if trying to dissuade her from talking. Did he expect her to sit in silence or something? “Oh let me guess, you like the fire bit, don’t you?” she asked.
He rolled his eyes and discarded a card she didn’t need. “I like making something out of nothing.”
Wow. That was a bit deeper than she expected, but from experience, drawing attention to it would just make him frown and clam up. Kody drew from the stock, getting a card Tristan needed, but she didn’t. She held onto it and discarded a king. “So like, turning an iron lump into nails and horseshoes?”
“Sure.” Tristan pulled from the stock and laid down four aces.
Kody ground her teeth. “What about more complex things? Like maybe an engine?”
Tristan looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing to slits when they met hers. “Been snooping, have you?”
Kody rolled her eyes and drew a new card. What else did he expect her to do all day? She could only play solitaire so often. “Come on, it’s not like I understood anything. I majored in business.” She finished her turn before pressing further. “So how would it work, exactly? Would you mine for fossil fuels in this world or something?”
“No need when magic is a free renewal resource.” Tristan picked up her discard again, and she was sure he was close to winning.
“I thought you didn’t know magic.” Kody rearranged the cards in her hand and picked up Tristan’s discard and started laying down her matches, so she wasn’t caught with them at the end of the game.
“I don’t,” he said, his chin resting on his hand as he watched her unload her hand.
“Oh, is that friend of yours able to help with that part, then?” She shot an obvious glance at the desk drawer, currently pulsing with an unanswered call on the orb hidden within.
Tristan made a face as if the idea was unpleasant, but he didn’t respond. He was the only person she’d seen for three days, and he couldn’t even hold a proper conversation. It made her want to lash out. “Or is working with others a little too group project for you?” she asked.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Whatever,” Tristan muttered and laid down all the matched cards in his hand, going out. Then he left the table.
Kody sighed and tallied his win and her losses on their running score paper.
On her fourth day trapped in Tristan’s apartment, Kody was well past stir crazy. She wandered from window to window, watching the traffic below. The people on the streets all wore bright colors like the ones she now owned, but now and then she spotted someone in a long cloak, hood pulled up over their heads, shading their faces from the sun. Finally, she wandered to Tristan’s coat rack and ran a hand over the lining of his cloak. It would be warm, and maybe a little too long on her, but it would work. She found her shoes and draped the cloak over her shoulders.
Her heart beat a little faster as she descended the staircase, but she didn’t let herself rethink her choice as she stepped out into the late morning sunlight. She was still in the discovery phase of her plan. Find out how this world worked and choose where she wanted to start her future. She could make a life here in Tristan’s town, working at the tavern Tristan always went on about and being an openly Elvwoman living in a Hu city, but before she could commit to that path, she needed to give the Elvman life a chance. Once Tristan finished his pending work they could start on that journey.
She found Tristan’s forge easily. The guide she met on her first day in the village, Peet, sat on a stool in the doorway, chatting along while Tristan struck a piece of metal with a large hammer. It took them a moment to notice her, and Peet smiled and waved before saying something to Tristan.
Tristan raised his eyebrows at her but didn’t say anything or miss a beat while striking his hammer.
“We talked about me needing proper boots for our trip, and you taught me the word for it, so maybe I can manage,” Kody said.
Tristan clanged his hammer a half dozen more times before setting it down and shoving the metal rod back into the fire. He breathed heavily, sweat dripping down his bare chest, and Kody tried not to notice how his muscles flexed when he took a deep drink of water. He turned to her, slightly out of breath.
“If you’re up for it, Peet will go with you. He can make sure you don’t get swindled.”
Kody nodded, and Tristan turned to Peet. They spoke for a short time, Peet grinning and nodding to Kody enthusiastically. Tristan turned back to her. “I told him you should also get a cloak that fits you, and a few long sleeve shirts for the forest.” Kody grinned, but Tristan rolled his eyes. “It’s pointless to cover up all the time, but it will protect against bugs and some scrapes.” Tristan dug around in a drawer and pulled out a small pouch that clinked when he tossed it to Peet. “Have fun.”
“Ah! Fun!” Peet said to Kody in English and grinned, gesturing for her to follow. Tristan gave her a last nod before pulling out his red hot metal and picking up his hammer once again.
Peet chatted as they went, and Kody, at first tense and on edge, drifted into a relaxed mood. No one watched them pass or stopped and stared. With Peet at her side, Kody felt a sort of confidence, knowing he would engage anyone necessary, and she could stand by, hood low, and enjoy the afternoon.
The boot seller saw her face, and his stare was obvious, but not intrusive. Peet chatted with him until he relaxed and sold them a pair of worn caramel-colored leather boots that hit just below Kody’s knees. She didn’t relish lacing them every time she put them on, but they were so cute and fit an aesthetic she’d never have pulled off on the streets of Pittsburgh.
The seamstress also saw her swirls. They were impossible to hide as she measured Kody and handed over long-sleeved shirts in more muted colors Kody had picked. She had obvious shock at the sight of Kody but didn’t treat her differently, and she seemed enthralled with Peet’s conversation. Kody began to think maybe life in this town wouldn’t be so bad. She could handle a few looks and curiosity. It was just another part of her life now.
Kody picked out browns and neutrals for her shirts, but the seamstress insisted on throwing in a few greens, for reasons Kody didn’t want to think about. Her new cloak was mahogany and lightweight, with simple embroidery along the edge.
With their tasks complete, Peet led Kody to a spot in the market where the divine smells of varying foods wafted until her stomach growled. They ate seasoned meat on skewers, roasted nuts, something close to french fries smothered in a cheesy white sauce, and buns filled with jam. Kody tucked four extra buns in her pockets to share with Tristan later, in hopes of eliciting one of his grins.
They wandered the rest of the market, Peet pointing out odd or beautiful things as he chattered away. Kody didn’t understand more than a word like good or bad, but she enjoyed herself all the same. She was looking through pretty scarves, dyed in ornate patterns, just to look, not to shop, when she picked out a few words from Tristan’s language lessons, “Elv” and “woman” from a nearby conversation. She glanced over and saw two men in uniform. Her guard went up, and she pulled her hood lower over her face. The men weren’t looking at her or gesturing in her direction. They didn’t seem to notice her at all, but still they repeated those words. She found Peet and pulled him away until he understood she wanted to leave. If people were already talking about her, spreading rumors of an Elv woman in the city, would her presence really go overlooked for long?
Chapter Eight
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Tristan said, as he washed up in the bathroom while Kody recounted her day in the market. “Yeah, there’s going to be talk and gossip, but the only way to avoid that is to live with the other Elv.”
Kody deflated at his words. “So that’s it? My answer is to go back to my people?”
Tristan sighed and looked at her. “Come on. It’s not like that.” He moved to the bedroom and dug around in a drawer for clean clothes. “The Hu don’t hate the Elv. They’re just curious. If you stayed here and lived here, that would be fine too. Once people get used to seeing you around, the looks will stop.”
