Chương 203: 27. What Else Have I Missed?

It's nearly dark by the time we make it back to the lakeshore on the last day of our camping adventure. The rowboat is still right where we left it, looking no worse for wear despite being left to the elements for over a week. The Degala really do know their craft. The rings in the sky are much prettier in the so-called "twilight seasons," I muse as we load the boat. They've slowly come back into view over the last few days, but appear almost inverted.

The once brilliant bands of white are dull and shadowed, while the gaps between them cast a soft blue glow as they scatter the light coming from behind them. It's still hard to see them during the day, but they are visible, and at night they have a sort of ethereal beauty to them.

"Enjoy the view while you can," Talla says.

"Clear skies are going to get rarer soon, and once we reach the Blessed Lands, it will only be visible as a band of light cutting the sky in two."

"It's almost hard to believe that your people consider it an ill omen," I sigh.

"It's really beautiful."

"That's an old superstition, these days," she replies.

"But light—or rather, [Light] is often considered to be the domain of the Goddess herself, along with [Order]. Thus, anything in opposition to those is in opposition to the Goddess, and feared as much as She is revered." I shrug. Their loss, I suppose.

"I still think it's a bit eerie," Evie confesses.

"When I was a child, I thought that the Great Wheel's shadow would swallow me up if it fell upon me."

"Doesn't it fall on everybody during the winter?" I ask. Heck, the sun already clips the edge of it. It's kinda wild to think that this world basically has regular eclipses that last almost half the year.

"It wasn't an especially rational fear," she admits.

"But it still makes me uneasy. Not unlike your fear of heights."

"Excuse me, but falling is a legitimate danger!"

"Perhaps I would excuse you if falling was your fear," she retorts.

"But you tremble at the thought of climbing in the first place." I cross my arms and pout.

"Climbing is the first dang step to falling. You can't fall if you're not high up to begin with!"

"Just don't fall." Ugh. I'm not having this argument again. Talla giggles as she watches me roll my eyes peevishly.

"Evelyn or Maggie?" she asks, knowing full well which of my headmates are most likely to hassle me.

"Evie," I sigh.

"You're not listening in?" She shakes her head, pausing to heave the last of our bags into the canoe.

"There's no need at the moment, and I've got a bit of a headache from using it so often," she says.

"I could only bring so much of the tincture with us, and it's unwise to rely too heavily on it anyway." I wince at the unspoken indictment, even if she doesn't mean it that way. We haven't stopped our daily doses since leaving Stebaari, measured though they may be. At this point, I have to admit that we're sort of taking it for regular depression rather than the magically-induced kind, but I don't know if I have the means or desire to explain that to Talla.

Besides, I know for a fact that her headache isn't from the translation spell. She's been working on expanding her magical senses under Maggie's questionable tutelage. In theory the two of them taking time to study together each night is an opportunity for them to get a bit closer, getting to know each other through their efforts to fill in the gaps in their respective magical repertoires.

In practice, though I feel bad for saying it, there's no faster way to lower someone's regard for Maggie than spending time with Maggie. Their teaching and learning styles might not be the most compatible, and I think they're already getting pretty frustrated with each other, but that's between them. With the boat all loaded up and the sun dipping low in the sky, we have to decide whether we want to leave now, or wait until morning.

On one hand, the risk of a river maw attack on the open water is low, but never zero, while on the other, our tent is already packed up and we'd have to sleep on bedrolls under the stars. A trickle of mist coming down the mountain makes the decision for us. Neither of us wants to sleep in the rain, so we're going back tonight. *"Ugh, fricking finally," I groan wearily as we pull up to shore on Degala's moving village. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

It was an uneventful trip across the lake, but my arms are like jelly and the soreness from the hiking is catching up to me. Vi offered to take over rowing halfway through, but after making her do all the hiking, I wanted to do at least this much. Fricking moron. I don't think I've been this exhausted since escaping the convergence point. Sore, sure—we've been beaten up, blown up, and even shot— but it's been a while since we've just worked ourselves ragged like this.

All I can think about right now is getting a warm meal and a soft bed. Maybe a drink. Goddess, I would kill for some of that cooling drink Maari served that one time. What was it called again? Heck, I can't remember. Can't remember much of that night at all, actually, apart from getting kidnapped and exploded. I was very drunk. The memories hit me with a painful pang that has me pining for a shot of tincture instead.

The trouble we— I— made for Draga that night was one of the weapons Shaa used to justify killing him. Obviously she was going to do it even without justification, but he offered us his protection and we took it for granted. The fact that it was Maari who provided the written testimony against him is just salt in the wound. We were only her guest in Sagaasi for a day, but I thought she was a friend. She was the one who introduced us to Jira, and even looking back at it, I can't think of any signs.

That scares me—the fact that I trusted her. Even now, I would make the same decisions. What else have I missed? My thoughts are interrupted by a group of tribespeople approaching us, along with Msshi and Fargo. We've just about finished unpacking, so the extra hands would be welcome, but something in the cast of Fargo's expression tells that's not what they came to meet us for.

"You look like someone about to deliver bad news," I sigh, tossing him one of the bags. He catches it smoothly and smiles in good humor—only slightly strained.

"And you look like you can wait until tomorrow to hear it," he replies.

"It's not urgent. Did you find what you were looking for out there?"

"Sort of?" I hedge.

"I think I found a direction to go in, at least." Msshi's tongue flicks out to taste the air as they adjust the posture of their coils ever so slightly. Serpentfolk body language is still a bit of a mystery to me, but their sibilant voice sounds approving as they speak.

"Then you have found your path," they tell me.

"And your journey was a success. May it lead you to the Great Road." That last bit is a little tricky to parse for me. It's not a phrase I've heard them use before, and my first thought is that the Great Road is where the People think souls go after death. I'm assuming Msshi doesn't mean they want me to find my death, though, so I think it's more to do with the idea of the Great Road as the final stretch of one's lifelong journey—the fulfillment of one's destiny.

"Thanks! By the way, when we've got some time I want to double down on our lessons on the People's tongue." They cock their head to the side, flicking their tongue. I swear that thing has something to do with their expressions.

"I'm not opposed, though I had thought it a simple curiosity. A way to improve the levels of your class. You're unable to speak it, and have little use for it besides. Has this changed?"

"[Yes it has]," I reply in perfectly accented Serpentfolk, aided by my new skill. Msshi blinks.

"Oh! How interesting." The tribespeople take care of putting the boat away while our companions help us carry our things back to our quarters. Though Fargo said the news could wait until tomorrow, Talla is curious enough to pry the cliff notes out of him.

"We've received word from the mainland," he explains.

"Things are starting to move, but we're not sure what to make of it. Captain Jira suggested that we should wait on the word of a noblewoman more familiar with the Empress' court before committing to action." Talla grimaces.

"She's attended that court more than I have. But fine, Allie's pretty insightful about this stuff too, so maybe she can help. What's the trouble?"

"Remi and Jira can tell you more, but the gist of it is that the new Matriarch Shaa has finished consolidating her power. Given her current enmity with the tribe, Remi worries that the tribe will soon be forced to flee the empire." That really is bad news. Though until we've heard more, it's hard to say how well founded those fears are. If my own predictions are correct, then Mira is more likely to turn her attention ringward, towards the Blessed Lands, rather than pushing her claim against the tribe.

Then again, I'm not sure that I really trust Lady Mira to act rationally given that the first time we met she dang near knocked my teeth out over a backhanded compliment. It's not impossible that she'd go after the tribe out of pettiness. Even if her target is the Blessed Lands, I could see her justifying action against Degala anyway, since their ships are the fastest and most reliable way to get there.

A march by land would have to follow the river closely, and would be a long and drawn-out affair, especially after the road ends and they'd have to cross the mountain. A fleet has its own problems, but notably pushback from other clans isn't one of them. A marching army can be turned back—a warfleet, once deployed, is a loosed arrow. But all of that is assuming that I'm right about their ultimate target, and while I think it makes the most sense, I know that I'm not infallible.

We need to talk to Remi, Jira, and the tribe elders in order to get the full picture.

"I think you're right, Fargo," I say with a yawn.

"This should wait until tomorrow. Whatever is happening isn't going to change overnight, and I desperately need a good night of rest in a real bed." My stomach growls audibly, and I blush at the arched look Fargo gives me.

"Right after a good meal," I sigh.

"Tell me they've got something better than fish stew today."

"I believe I can convince the supplymistress to part with a few of the day's catches, if you'll permit me to grill them myself," he offers.

"I know a recipe that pairs quite nicely with stingroot wine." The thought of it has my mouth watering already. Vi might be able to live on unseasoned meat cooked over an open fire, but I am absolutely dying for something with actual flavor.

"Now you're speaking my language!" I grin.

"I knew there had to be a reason Taaka keeps you around."