As golden sunlight slipped through the small cracks in the shed's walls Anna came bounding towards the doors. She stopped before entering and shouted, "It's time for breakfast." Then ran away giggling. Hirow sat up and stretched, yawning. He looked over to Talia, still sleeping peacefully. Her white hair glistened in the few rays of sun that reached her. He remembered what she said last night and smiled. Hirow tapped her shoulder and told her to wake up. She stirred and then slowly opened her eyes.
"Anna says breakfast is ready. I'm going to head to the house."
"Okay, I'll be right behind you," Talia yawned. She stood up and brushed the dirt off the blankets, folding them in the process. As she entered the door, she saw Lucy frying eggs on the stovetop as Ann waited impatiently next to Hirow at the table. "Excuse me, Lucy, where should I put these," Talia said, holding up the blankets.
Lucy pointed behind her, "Just lay them on Anna's bed."
"Is there anything we can help you with since you gave us a place to sleep and food to eat?"
"There is," Lucy said, scooping the eggs up, "if you don't mind."
Hirow walked over to Talia as she came out of the backroom. "We really shouldn't stay here long," he sharply whispered. "We don't know how close the soldiers are. The longer we stay, the more likely they will find us."
"We'll only be here for an extra day. It'll be fine. This house is way off any main roads."
"Come on, let's eat," Anna said, squirming impatiently in her chair as Lucy set the rest of the food on the table.
"We're staying," Talia started towards the table, "Be right over."
They both sat down as Hirow reluctantly accepted. He piled food onto his plate and asked, "So what would you have us do?"
Lucy thought, then responded, "Talia will help Anna in the garden, and you will help me trim the vines around the house."
They finished eating and went outside to be greeted by a peaceful morning. Hirow could now see the whole clearing in the daylight. He noticed a sizable garden in the corner with a stream flowing nearby that then snaked its way back into the forest. Anna grabbed Talia's hand, dragging her towards the garden. Hirow turned towards the house and saw the vines wrapping themselves around the structure. They touched even the highest part of the roof and found their way back to the ground.
"We got a lot of work to do, so follow me," Lucy said as she pointed to the shed.
They got to the back of the shed and found a set of rusted tools leaning against the wall. Lucy handed Hirow a pair of hedgers.
Hirow held the tool up and examined it, "What are those for?"
"Every once in a while I have to trim the vines around the house." Lucy and Hirow exited the shed. "If I don't then they start covering spaces that shouldn't be covered, which confuses Anna. Over there," Lucy pointed, "they're starting to cover the water well, and I really wouldn't want Anna to fall in."
They both leaned down and started clipping away the excess vines. They knelt with only the sounds of nature and the clicking of the metal filling their silence. There is still so much about the world I don't know, and yet I'm here next to someone who knows a Luminary.
He wasn't sure if he should ask, but the words came out anyway, "So what was your husband like with him being a Luminary and all."
"You're bold. You want to know more about him even after what I said last night," she said coyly. "Well, I'll tell you only a little bit." Lucy sighed, "Other than being a coward he had magnificent control over starlight. He would twist and pull at the light-like liquid in his hands and make these magnificent displays. His name was Ace but his people called him Ace Sway after a great artist in their history named Mon Sway. I couldn't care what he's doing now. Whatever it is, he must think it's more important than us."
"Do you miss his art," Hirow said.
Do I miss his art," she said as if it was a ridiculous question. Lucy set her hedgers down and sat on the ground as she frowned. "I've never really thought about it since he left. Of course, I loved seeing his dazzling displays, but that doesn't change his cowardly nature nor how I feel about him now."
"I wish I could see something like that."
"Maybe you will. It sounds like you and Talia still have a long journey ahead of you, and who knows what you will see."
Hirow's eyes grew wide with excitement, "what was it like seeing his displays."
Lucy smiled at his enthusiasm, "It was like a fireworks show but better. Ace would create images of all sorts of animals that would dance around in the sky among a sea of flowing starlight. He would then throw powder into his creations to fill them with color. Then as it would all end the light would merge flowing like a river back into the sky."
They had both stopped cutting vines as Hirow stared at the sky trying to imagine the scene. He turned to Lucy, "Did Anna ever see it."
"No, she didn't," Lucy paused, letting the realization sink in. "She was barely a year old when he left, but she would have loved it."
Hirow didn't know how to respond.
Lucy turned to Hirow, "I said earlier I didn't care about what he was doing, but I do wonder one thing now and again. I wonder how often he thinks of Anna." She chuckled to herself, "That's enough sentimental talk. We have vines to cut. " She took a deep breath, recomposed herself, and picked up her hedgers again, "Let's finish, we're almost done."
Anna and Talia arrived at the garden. Anna walked around inspecting the plants and then took a firm stance that belied her age. "Okay, Mommy wants us to weed this whole garden by the time she's done."
Talia grinned, "You seem so serious about this, Anna."
"Of course I am. This is to make up for not getting firewood last night. So let's get started."
They both began pulling up weeds one after another. Talia was surprised at the precision Anna had. She would find even small weeds nestled deep into the overgrowth of plants.
"How do you tell the difference between the garden plants and the weeds," Talia questioned.
"The way the light flows through them is different." Anna pointed at a weed near her. "This is drawing life from the plants around it. Mommy told me weeds make the other plants die by taking life from them, so by seeing the flow of the light I can tell it's a weed."
They both continued pulling until each had a pile of weeds next to them.
"It looks like we're almost done," Talia said. She stood up and offered Anna a hand. "By the way, what you said in the forest about me being bright, what did you mean by that?"
"When I look at you, you're brighter than anything I've seen. Your glow is huge." Anna stretched her arms, emphasizing the size. "Mommy says that the brighter something's glow is the closer they are to the source of life. I don't understand it, but I think your glow is very pretty."
"Anna, Talia are you working, or are you just chit-chatting," Lucy called out from the doorway.
"We're done," Anna started skipping towards the house.
"Wow, you got it done so quickly."
Anna embraced her leg, "Does this make up for the firewood?"
"Of course it does." Lucy reassured, "I told you, you didn't need to worry about it, silly girl. Talia, are you coming?"
Talia snapped out of thought, "Yes."
Talia came through the door as Lucy started prepping lunch. "Do sandwiches sound fine," Lucy tilted her head back, waiting for an answer.
"That sounds great." Talia plopped herself down in the chair next to Hirow. She glanced at him. Hirow gazed despondently at the floor with his arms folded on his lap. "You okay," Talia said, placing her arm on his shoulder.
"Yeah. I was just thinking."
"About where we're going next?"
"Something like that," Hirow yawned and sat up in his chair.
Lucy brought over a plate of sandwiches and settled herself at the table. Anna shot out her hand and grabbed a sandwich as soon as the dish touched the table. Lucy smiled, leaned back, and spoke, "I never asked, but where do you two plan to head next?"
Hirow hesitated, "The Kings Mountains."
Lucy's relaxed demeanor stiffened "Why there? It's not something to do with those Luminaries."
"It's just something we decided. We don't have a boat to go across Lilans Sea in the West."
"They don't allow outsiders," Lucy retorted.
"I know."
"Then how do you plan to cross the mountains?"
Hirow took a deep breath, "We'll figure it out when we get there."
"Why are you crossing them anyway? Why not just stay here in the West?"
Hirow glanced over to Talia who nodded. "Talia is being hunted. We know her pursuers are in the West. We know that the journey east won't be easy, and I don't know if the east will be any safer, but we have to try."
"You should just stay with us." They all turned in surprise at the suggestion from the little girl.
"No, no, we can't trouble you like that," Hirow insisted. "I would feel horrible if anything were to happen because of us."
Silence fell over the table. Hirow eyes darted between Lucy and Talia. Talia rubbed her hands keeping her eyes fixated on her slender fingers. Lucy furrowed her brow with a look of concern.
"He's right, Anna. They can't stay with us. We have no way of protecting them." Lucy sighed, "I suppose there's no point in telling you not to go."
Hirow stood up and pushed his chair in, "Thank you for letting us stay, but we should probably start packing now." He motioned to Talia, who followed behind him. Before exiting the doorway she parted her lips to speak, but nothing came out, and she continued.
They reached the shed in the back and began to pack up their belongings. Hirow grabbed his sack and shoved his book and a few clothes in. Reluctantly Talia placed her belongings into her bag.
She stopped and leaned against the wall of foliage. "Should we be leaving them like this?"
"What choice do we have? There's no reason for us to stay any longer than we have to."
"Anna thinks we'll be killed out there. Wouldn't it be cruel to make her worry about that," Talia pleaded.
Hirow threw his sack down, "And what are we going to do about that!" He stepped closer, "What happens if we stay? We endanger our lives and theirs. Look at what happened in Celestate when you were there. I promised to help you, but I'm not going to let you needlessly drag others into our problem."
Talia sunk to the floor and pulled her hood over her head.
"Finish packing your stuff. I'll be waiting out in the garden." Hirow shrugged his sack over his shoulder and left.
"I'm being a burden again," she muttered to herself.
Hirow tapped his right foot impatiently while examining his surroundings. He heard the creak of the shed door being opened and turned to see Talia walking out. Her hood covered her eyes.
"Do you have everything?"
Talia shifted the sack on her shoulder, "yes."
"Then let's get going."
They started making their way towards the edge of the clearing. The dark forest lay ahead. Hirow looked down as he advanced. The shadow of the forest engulfed his foot as soon as he exited the clearing. He took one deep breath as he brought his other foot forward. A voice called out, and he glanced behind to see Lucy running towards them.
"Wait," she said, exasperated. "Since you've decided to go through the King's Mountains, I have something to give you." In her right hand was a letter that was beginning to wrinkle at the edges, and in her left was a small bag. "Could you give this to Ace if you see him?"
"Your husband?" Hirow stared at her with a confused look.
"Yes, I wrote this letter years ago. I never had the intention of sending it to him, but since you're heading that way, could you give this to him."
Hirow took the letter apprehensively. "Only if we see him."
"Thank you. I don't expect anything to come out of it, but I think it's time for me to move on a bit." Lucy raised her other hand and offered the bag to Hirow. "Here is some food. It should only last four or five days but hopeful it's helpful."
Hirow grabbed the bag and put it in his travel sack. "Thank you."
Anna peaked around Lucy's leg and tugged on Talia's cloak. "Please be safe," She whimpered.
Talia leaned down and placed her hand on Anna's shoulder. "I'll try my best. Promise me you'll take care of Lumy. I'll want to see him if I ever come back."
"You will come back, right." Anna grasped tighter onto the cloak. "Once you're safe and those bad guys are gone you'll come back."
Talia trembled at the journey ahead, but she forced a grin. "Of course, I will. It'll only be a bit. You don't have to worry about me at all."
She stood up and let her hand slip off Anna's shoulder as she followed Hirow back into the forest.