Seeing is Believing (21 page)

Still, there had to be a safer way for Asahi to cast his spells. Nesfir watched tensely as a tree branch finally got close enough to knock Asahi off balance. Asahi stumbled, and another branch, sharper and more vicious looking, drove itself deep into Asahi's arm.

Asahi's lips stopped moving, and the tree caught fire. Nesfir nearly tried to stand up, remembering his clear cage just in time. Asahi was an idiot—it was
fall
. The summer rains were gone and the forest was dry, and Asahi
had just lit a tree on fire
.

But it wasn't ordinary fire. Nesfir stared as, blindingly white, it raced up the tree's trunk, sending a rain of ashes fluttering to the ground and coating the clear box he was trapped in with pale grey.

The ash blocked his view completely, and Nesfir bit back a frustrated snarl. He needed to at least be able to see, if he couldn't hear or move. Kicking the front of the box, Nesfir cursed when all that got him was a set of sore toes. Nesfir swore again, deciding he was rescinding his welcome if Asahi had lit a forest fire.

A round, smudged circle opened through the ash, and Nesfir almost glared at Asahi. It wasn't Asahi's fault though, and Nesfir took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

Asahi was covered in ash, but he didn't seem to be paying it any mind. None of the trees Nesfir could see were ablaze, at least, but he wanted out of the damn glass box. Asahi stared at him a moment before covering his face with his hands.

Nesfir furrowed his brow, confused until Asahi pointed to
his
hands and repeated the gesture with a glare. Lifting his hands, he covered his face and hoped that Asahi knew what he was doing.

A second later the box shattered around him and he could hear again, though it was just Asahi's mutters and a few random noises from the forest.

"Hold still," Asahi ordered, and brushed bits of broken glass off his shoulders and out of his hair.

"I think I should be thanking you, but I really want to strangle you right now," Nesfir informed him, helping brush glass out of the folds of his clothing. Asahi smiled thinly, and Nesfir regretted the words. "Why didn't you get yourself safe first?"

"You're an idiot," Asahi decided, but he seemed less hurt. "I can take care of myself."

"From an attacking
tree
," Nesfir stressed, glancing over to where the tree … had been. A pile of ashes was all that was left, and Nesfir noted to his relief that none of the other trees were ablaze.

He supposed he could always make Asahi conjure a lake's worth of water to smother the flames.

"What do you want to do about him?" Asahi asked wearily, and he looked a good ten years older than he should, covered in grey soot. Nesfir brushed a bit of it off Asahi's shoulder before finally looking over at Resdi.

"I don't know," Nesfir murmured, stepping past Asahi distractedly. Resdi didn't turn his head at Nesfir's approach, and Nesfir could only imagine how angry he must be that his spell had failed.

Resdi was dusted in ash like Asahi was, making him look pale and corpselike. He coughed raggedly as Nesfir reached him, and it took Nesfir a moment to comprehend that the red staining Resdi's lips was blood and another moment to see the thick, splintered bit of tree trunk that was lodged in Resdi's chest. The stain of blood was hidden against the vibrant color of the scarf that still bound him.

Nesfir stared, unable to tear his eyes away. The wound was deep,without some sort of intervention, it would be fatal. Resdi was already pale from blood loss and his ragged breathing was loud in Nesfir's ears.

"Nes…" Resdi managed, the syllable mangled and hoarse. He coughed immediately after, blood dribbling down the side of his face. Nesfir knelt abruptly, his knees all but giving out from beneath him.

He couldn't heal the wound. It hadn't been long enough since he healed Asahi for him to recover enough for that.

Asahi's hand rested on his shoulder gently, and Nesfir glanced up at him, wondering if Asahi could do anything. But Asahi was a conjurer, and no amount of special training would give him the ability to heal. Asahi couldn't help Resdi anymore than he could.

Asahi chanted something softly, and the scarf binding Resdi fell away, scattering into hundreds of dead leaves. Then Asahi stepped away, and Nesfir could hear his steps as he made his way across the clearing. Leaving them alone while Resdi died. Nesfir's chest tightened, and he blinked rapidly, trying not to cry.

He didn't hesitate to take Resdi's hand when Resdi reached for him.

"I'm sorry," Nesfir whispered. Resdi's eyes flashed with anger—the last time Nesfir would see him angry. Nesfir closed his eyes, and didn't let go of Resdi's hand.

*~*~*

Asahi wanted nothing more than to be able to crawl into bed at this point. He ached all over, and his arm throbbed where he'd been stabbed by the tree. At least it wasn't bleeding anymore. Asahi had managed a clumsy bandage, and that would do for now. He ached magically too; the spells he'd cast were not easy, light spells that took only a hint of energy. The protection spell he'd cast and maintained had drained more energy than he liked to think about.

It was hard to feel sorry for himself though. Asahi exhaled slowly, his eyes trained on Nesfir.

He hadn't lost a brother today. A
twin
even, and Asahi knew that was likely worse. So he couldn't complain, and he'd cast any spells he needed to to make sure Nesfir's brother was put to rest properly.

Nesfir stood slowly, his face pale and miserable. He stared at his brother for a long moment before turning away and taking a few steps towards Asahi.

"I want to bury him here," Nesfir said, his voice hoarse and his eyes blazing. Asahi nodded, and started chanting quietly, conjuring a pair of shovels.

He handed one off to Nesfir wordlessly, following Nesfir's lead to a spot on the far side of the clearing. It was a peaceful spot, and Asahi started digging. The pain in his arm flared, but Asahi ignored it and Nesfir didn't notice.

Asahi dug in silence and tried not to think. Technically, this was his fault. He hadn't meant to kill Nesfir's brother. He hadn't even been trying for it at the time, but he'd dodged, and at some point, Resdi had gotten in the way of a tree branch and been unable to get
out
of the way because of the bonds Asahi had put on him.

Nesfir's silence was unnerving. He was moving dirt at least three times faster than Asahi, but that could be attributed to his lack of injuries and previous physical prowess. At least Asahi could take a little comfort in the fact that he'd managed to keep Nesfir physically whole. That was something. Especially against a murderous tree. Asahi hadn't seen that trick before.

Asahi cursed softly as his shovel hit a rock, jarring his arm painfully. They were only a foot or so beneath ground level at this point—not deep enough to keep the scavengers away. Shifting his grip, Asahi winced at the blisters he was getting, but ignored that too. He could take a little pain. He'd had worse before.

Digging his shovel into the ground awkwardly, Asahi snuck a glance at Nesfir, only to find he was being watched in turn. Nesfir stared at him for a moment, thrusting his shovel into the ground forcefully and leaving it.

"You shouldn't be digging," Nesfir scolded, sounding almost like himself but too quiet. He pulled the shovel from Asahi's unresisting grip, frowning at Asahi's hands.

"I wanted to help," Asahi answered, shrugging a little but letting his hands drop. Nesfir didn't need more things to feel bad over.

"You have," Nesfir said, smiling a little crookedly. It was nothing at all like his regular smiles, and Asahi wanted to make it better with a ferocity that shook him.

"Hah," Asahi scoffed, unable to hide a wince when Nesfir cupped his arm, just above the elbow, to guide him out of the grave.

"You're hurt." Nesfir scowled at him. Asahi rolled his eyes, batting Nesfir's hand away.

"It's a scratch. Barely noticeable," Asahi declared, lifting his eyebrows challengingly. Nesfir shook his head, stepping closer and tugging gently at the poorly tied scrap of fabric Asahi had wrapped around the wound. It was part of the hem of his shirt, another ruined piece of clothing, and Asahi was not happy about that.

"That is not a scratch," Nesfir debated, tearing off the ragged tatters of fabric that comprised the rest of his sleeve. Asahi glared, because really, this was one of his last shirts, but he didn't protest. "That's a hole, and you're not digging with that."

"I—" Asahi began, but Nesfir cut him off.

"Not digging," Nesfir reiterated. "Not at all. You'll sit there and watch me, or you can go home."

"Fine," Asahi muttered, because the look on Nesfir's face suggested that he'd enforce that any way he could manage.

"Good. Do you have anything clean to bandage that with?" Nesfir asked, and Asahi shook his head.

"Just a second," Asahi muttered, and started another spell. At least conjuring a bit of cloth didn't take much energy, or a long, complicated spell. He handed the strip of fabric off to Nesfir as soon as he finished the spell. He wasn't going to butcher another attempt at binding the tree's wound.

"Hold still," Nesfir muttered, carefully wrapping his arm. "You should wash that later."

"I know," Asahi grumbled. "I should wash all of me later."

Nesfir cracked a real smile, tying the bandage snuggly. "Be careful with your arm."

"Yes, yes," Asahi waved him off, eyeing the shovel he'd abandoned for a moment before deciding it probably wasn't worth it. Nesfir would pester him to death if he tried anything.

Still, just because he wasn't digging didn't mean he couldn't be useful. Asahi stepped away from the hole as Nesfir resumed digging quicker than before. Settling down under a nearby tree, Asahi watched Nesfir for a long moment before starting to chant slowly. It was a complicated spell, and he didn't want to mess it up.

He was even more tired when he finished. Leaning against the tree trunk, Asahi settled in to watch Nesfir dig. He wasn't going to go home, not until he was sure Nesfir was alright, or at least as close as he could be under the circumstances.

*~*~*

Asahi was dozing when Nesfir climbed out of the hole. It was as deep as Nesfir's waist, and Asahi let Nesfir help him to his feet without protest. He'd give a king's ransom for his bed right now, and he had to wait a moment to steady himself after standing before he could trust himself with walking.

"Can you help me move him?" Nesfir asked quietly, his eyes dim in the setting sunlight. Asahi nodded, smothering an inappropriate yawn. "Even with your arm?"

"Yes," Asahi replied simply, not bothering to snap in irritation. That would take too much energy and Nesfir didn't really deserve it right now. He followed Nesfir across the clearing, nearly running into Nesfir when he stopped suddenly in front of him.

"Did you—"

"Yes," Asahi offered, touching Nesfir's arm lightly before moving to Resdi's silk-wrapped feet. He didn't know the burial customs here, but it seemed appropriate to dress Resdi's body in silk. For Nesfir, at least. Nesfir smiled painfully, but squatted to lift Resdi's shoulders. Together they maneuvered the body into the grave, and it only took a few minutes of workfor them to cover the grave, with Nesfir shoveling and Asahi kicking dirt in.

Nesfir stared at the mound of dirt for a long moment before turning abruptly and hugging Asahi tightly. Asahi smothered a yelp, startled. Nesfir smelled of sweat and dirt, and Asahi blushed, awkwardly patting Nesfir's back.

"Thank you," Nesfir murmured, and Asahi blinked back his own tears because this wasn't fair. Nesfir wasn't sad. He was optimistic and happy and obnoxious for it, but that was the way he
should
be. Asahi hated Resdi just a little more for trying to ruin that. For actually ruining that, and he could only hope that Nesfir bounced back quickly.

*~*~*

Asahi wasn't normally stupid. He had his moments, he'd admit that. Storming off after the fight with his parents and getting on the first ship he saw hadn't been the best idea. Neither was every time he defied reason and tried to cook something.

But risking getting himself kicked out of the first town to welcome him in this forsaken country? That was a whole other level of stupid that Asahi hadn't hit before this evening.

It was all Nesfir's fault too. Asahi scowled at the crackling bonfire, wondering what was wrong with him that he was contemplating this. He should leave it be and focus on getting himself settled and not do anything stupid.

Except he didn't think he could walk away now. And that was Nesfir's fault too. Asahi shouldn't care. He should be annoyed and dismissive and
not
worried about Nesfir. Asahi's scowl slipped away as his eyes landed on Nesfir again.

Nesfir was sitting near his house, mostly hidden in the shadow of the tree next to it. He hadn't moved to join in any of the festivities, and Asahi had heard the villagers whispering about it. They were worried too, and much more open about it. And unsubtle, because half a dozen—three women, a gangly teenage girl, and two men, none of whose names Asahi could remember—had approached him and pointed out where Nesfir had taken up residence.