Rising From the Ashes: The Chronicles of Caymin (16 page)

“What is it?”
asked one of the cubs.

“I thought… I have been thinking of Ash, missing her,”
Broc said.

“I miss you, too,”
Caymin said.
“How I wish I could be with you again.”

Broc curled into a tight ball, resting her chin on Caymin’s hand.

Dawn was breaking when Caymin woke in her bed in Enat’s cottage. She rolled over and tucked her hands under her head. She sniffed her hand and smiled as she realized it smelled of badger.

CHAPTER 10

The White Worm

A
s Enat had promised, once Lughnasadh was over, she gathered all of the apprentices together.

“Gai has asked for lessons on communicating with animals,” she told them. “Caymin and I are willing to try and teach any of you who wish to learn, though, as I explained to Gai, only part of it is learning to talk to them. This is a gift not all can ever learn, but we must always remember that they may not choose to talk to us.”

“But all the animals speak to Caymin,” Daina said.

Caymin shook her head. “Not all. On my journey here with Enat, the animals I encountered would not come to me. They did not know me and were suspicious of my ability to speak with them. It was never something I thought about growing up with the badgers, as it was something I did from the time they saved me.”

Enat looked around. “Do any of you know how to do this already?”

Niall nodded. “I can sense when animals are near, or in pain, but I’ve never spoken to one.”

Enat glanced at Caymin. “We’ll need help with this. Can you call Beanna?”

“Beanna? Are you busy? We have need of you.”

The others looked around as nothing happened for a long time. A caw and a sudden flapping of wings announced Beanna’s arrival. She landed on Caymin’s shoulder.

“You called?”

“Yes. The others wish to learn to speak with four-legs and winged ones like yourself,”
Caymin said.
“Are you willing to help?”

Beanna cocked her head, her bright black eye looking from one to another of the students gathered in a circle. Her head bobbed in a clear sign of amusement. The apprentices glanced at one another.

“I will help,”
she said.
“Though they may not like what I have to say.”

Enat smiled. “She has agreed to help.”

“So you can hear and speak to them?” Cíana asked.

“I can.” Enat reached out to stroke the sleek black feathers of Beanna’s breast.

“And can animals understand us when we speak like this?” Daina asked.

“Beanna can. She has been a friend to me for many seasons. Other animals may pick up the odd word.” Enat turned her attention to the circle. “Close your eyes and just listen for now. Not with your ears. Listen with your mind.”

Diarmit frowned at this, but closed his eyes along with the others as Enat and Beanna carried on a conversation about nothing in particular – Beanna’s recent flight to a distant valley beyond the forest, the Lughnasadh celebration. For several heartbeats, Caymin listened as they spoke. She watched the others. Méav gave a small gasp and her eyes fluttered open as she heard. Ronan also smiled as he heard them. Diarmit’s face was screwed up in concentration, but Gai’s was a mask.

“Some of you heard and understood?” Enat asked them aloud.

There were nods from the few who had heard, but frowns of discouragement from the others.

Beanna hopped down from Caymin’s shoulder, waddling to face Daina. Fixing Daina with her gaze, Beanna said,
“Listen to what I say.”

Caymin watched as Daina strained to hear while Beanna repeated the phrase over and over. Daina shook her head, but next to her, Cíana suddenly smiled. Beanna looked at her.

“You heard?”

“Yes.”

“Now, you must learn to speak with your mind, not your mouth.”

Cíana laughed and then scrunched her eyes shut as she concentrated.
“I will try.”

Daina gave a sigh of exasperation as she could only watch this, to her, silent exchange.

Beanna moved on to Méav and Ronan, speaking with them both for a little bit. Caymin watched Gai as he listened, but she couldn’t tell if he heard or not.

Beanna hopped over to stand on Gai’s knee. She tilted her head, looking at him.
“You, I remember.”

To Caymin’s surprise, Gai answered.

“Yes.”

“You remember what I said the last time we met?”

Gai’s gaze flickered to Enat and back.
“Yes.”

Beanna considered him for a long moment.
“Many two-legs make the mistake of believing they are the only thinking creatures in the world. Remember, that everywhere you go, in the forest and beyond, your movements and actions are being noticed.”

Gai bowed his head.
“I will remember.”

Beanna fluttered over to face Una and Niall. Niall was able to communicate with her, but Una could not. Lastly, Beanna hopped onto Diarmit’s knee.

“Have you heard anything we have been saying?”

Diarmit blinked as he looked down at her.

“This one has a head of stone,”
she said.

“But a heart that is true,”
Caymin replied. Her brow creased as she noticed that Diarmit’s cheeks flushed though his expression remained blank.

Beanna flew back to Caymin’s shoulder.
“Not badly done for their first time.”

“Thank you, Beanna. May we call upon you another day?”

The crow gently tugged on Caymin’s ear.
“You may.”
She turned to Enat as the others chatted amongst themselves.
“One thing more. When I flew beyond the forest, I heard whispers of invaders approaching from the open water to the west. Beware.”
With a loud caw, she flapped her great black wings and took to the air.

Enat frowned for a moment and then returned her attention to the circle.

“I’d say that was well-done,” she said. “More of you could speak with Beanna than I expected. ’Tis a rare gift and not one to be swept aside lightly. Much can be learned from non-humans if we but take the time to listen.”

Enat, Ivar and Neela spent the next two days huddled with Timmin in the meetinghouse, leaving the apprentices on their own.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Una wondered.

They listlessly practiced archery and sparring but, with their attention diverted, the practice was haphazard at best.

Caymin wasn’t certain if any of them had caught Beanna’s parting warning and, as Enat had said nothing aloud about it, she had thought it best not to say anything, either. Nevertheless, she felt certain the elders were discussing the reported invasion.

Sure enough, when Neela emerged from the meetinghouse late on the second day, she called the apprentices to them. They filed inside to find the other elders seated around the table with the large map laid out in the center. The apprentices sat on either side of the table.

“We’ve learned,” said Ivar, “that there may be invaders coming to our island from here.” He pointed to the west side of the map, where the land was indented in several places. “These bays make easy landing places from the sea, and this is most likely where they’re coming ashore if the reports are true.”

He pointed next to the upper middle of the island, near a long, narrow lake. “Our forest sits on the boundary between Uladh and Connacht. The power of our forest should protect it, but as we’ve told you, if the invaders travel with their own mages, then they may breach the magical protections that are in place here.”

Ronan looked up. “How can we help?”

“We want you to go in pairs,” Neela said, pointing to a different map, one that showed the forest in greater detail. “Ronan, you and Caymin will go here. Stay for two or three days, find a vantage point that will allow you to see any smoke. If they’ve come, they’ll likely be burning villages as they move. Remember, all of you, you cannot leave the forest or you will not be able to re-enter. The birds and other animals can cross the boundary. Ask them to help you. Ask if they’ve seen anything.”

She assigned the other apprentices two by two, older and younger together, distributing them along the western boundary of the forest.

“You’ll leave as soon as you’re packed. Bring enough food for three days; take steel and flint,” Enat told them. “If you see anything, ask a bird to fly to us and give us the news. We’ll come to you.”

“Take weapons as well,” Ivar said.

Enat opened her mouth to protest, but Timmin spoke for the first time, saying, “It’s what they’ve been training for, Enat. The forest is theirs to protect as much as ours.”

They all left the meetinghouse.

“I’m going to get a spear,” Ronan said to Caymin. “Do you want me to get a bow for you as well?”

She nodded. “I will gather food and fire starters. Get a cloak to sleep on and meet me back here.”

Enat accompanied her to the cottage and helped to pack a basket of food along with fire starters and some tinder. “I know you can start a fire now without these, but save your energy. You may need it for other things.”

Caymin rolled up an old cloak and stuffed it into the basket. Enat took her by the shoulders.

“Remember all you’ve learned, but don’t forget who you are.”

Caymin frowned at those words.

By the time she returned to the village with a basket slung over her shoulders, Ronan was ready with a bow and a quiver of arrows for her, a spear for himself, and a cloak rolled and slung across his chest. He had a bulging water skin tied to his belt, and she noticed a small roll of parchment tucked into his belt.

“A small map,” he said. “In case we need to send word back to the elders.” He pointed to the basket. “I can take that.”

“Later,” Caymin said, hoisting the straps higher on her shoulders. “I will take it for now.”

He looked at her as if to argue, but she turned so he could strap her bow and quiver to the basket.

When he was done, they set out, going in a direction Caymin had never been. Ronan, she thought, looked like a warrior, tall and agile, carrying his weapon off to meet a potential enemy. She limped along beside him.

They walked well past sunset as a bright moon rose in the sky to light the way. Caymin grew tired but didn’t want to complain or ask to stop.

“Enough,” Ronan said at last. “I don’t know if you’re tired, but I am. We need to stop for the night.”

Caymin dropped the basket and slumped to the ground, rubbing her shoulders.

“Were you just going to keep on?” Ronan asked, reaching into the basket and grabbing a couple of oatcakes. He stuffed one into his mouth, holding the other out to Caymin.

“I do not want to hold you back,” Caymin said, accepting the oatcake gratefully.

Ronan laughed. “I can barely keep up with you. You’ve nothing to prove to me. Tell me when you need to rest. Chances are, I do, too.”

He eyed her as she ate. “You don’t say much, do you?”

Caymin shrugged. “I had nothing to say.” She glanced at him now, the moonlight gilding his head. “Do you want a fire?”

“Aye. I think a fire tonight, for we’ll not be able to light one when we get to the forest’s boundary tomorrow. You light some tinder and I’ll gather wood.”

Soon, they sat beside a cheerful fire. She felt the presence of many animals around them. Probing with her mind, she asked them if they had seen any sign of invaders, but they all replied they hadn’t. She returned her attention to the fire and Ronan.

“How old are you?” Caymin asked.

“I have sixteen winters. I’ve been here since I was your age.” He looked around. “I should be finishing my studies here soon, going back to my family. But this forest has become home. I don’t really know my family any longer. I expect my brothers and sister have all made matches by now.” He frowned as he snapped a branch in half. “It won’t be the same.”

Caymin had never considered that the others would return to homes and families much changed in the time they were studying here in the forest. She, who had no human family to return to, could go anywhere she liked when she finished here. As they bedded down for the night, she wondered for the first time where she would go and what she would do.