I awoke to a hand gently shaking my shoulder. It took me a moment to remember why I was propped up against a cold stone wall.
"The sun is up," Mother told me. "We should get on our way as soon as possible."
I began stretching all of my sore muscles. I was strong and sturdy, but spending the night in the fold was still hard on my body. I crawled out of the opening and jumped to my feet, continuing with my stretches. My mother followed suit.
Wake was already out. I was surprised to see how pale she had become. Had she fallen ill during the night?
"Good morning," she said with a smile.
"Are you sick?" I asked bluntly.
She chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. I've been away from water for too long. It weakens my body."
I pursed my lips. "Would that happen to me if I was away from trees for too long?"
Wake's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. Your human blood would probably strengthen you. Also, wandering tiernan have built up their endurance for such separation, otherwise, they would be limited on where they could go. That endurance is likely inherited."
I nodded. "Is the hoak still there?"
She inclined her head. "He's invisible again, but I'm certain he's close."
I glanced at the trees, but I didn't put much effort into trying to locate the small creature. If he wanted us to see him, then we would.
I picked up our waterskin, but it was almost empty. "We need to find a way to refill our supply," I muttered to myself.
Wake walked over with her hand extended. I handed her the waterskin and watched as she hefted it a couple of times before handing it back. When I took it, the container was brimming with water.
"How did you do that?" I gasped.
She laughed. "For me, it's as easy as breathing."
I took a deep drink from the skin, marveling at how cool and fresh the water tasted. It reminded me of the spring that could be found on the far side of the mountain where we lived. We didn't venture that far from home often, but we always stopped at that spring to enjoy the water there.
"Can you fill our other one?" I asked.
Wake nodded. "Of course."
I scampered over to where Mother was mashing roots for our breakfast. I swapped waterskins with her, then hurried back to our tiernan guide. She hefted that one, too, then handed it back to me, full.
I did a little dance of excitement. "Amazing!"
She and Mother both laughed at my antics. "I bet there are similar things that you could do if you learned how," Wake pointed out.
My eyes widened. "Can you teach me?"
"Tiff," Mother called, her voice sounding on edge. "Don't pester her."
Wake waved a hand. "It's not a bother," she said. "However, I doubt I could help. You need another tree tiernan to teach you."
My hopes, which had been hopping around the top of my head, fell to the pit of my stomach. "Oh," I said sadly.
Most of the time I wished that I was fully human, but right then I wished that I was tiernan instead. I wished that I'd had someone to teach me all the secrets of nature and magic. What seeds of potential were hidden inside of me?
Wake tapped her chin with the tip of her finger. "Still," she added slowly, "I bet I could find someone willing to teach you."
My mother was on her feet in a flash. "That isn't necessary," she blurted. "You needn't bother."
Wake and I were both surprised by her reaction. We stared at her for a moment before responding.
"It's no bother," the tiernan said cautiously. "It would probably be best for Tiff to learn how to properly control her abilities, rather than risk getting hurt."
Her reasoning made perfect sense to me, but Mother shook her head. "She won't ever need to know those things. We've always lived closer to humans than tiernan, so that's where our focus should stay."
Wake's eyes narrowed. She looked like she was going to say more, but Mother cut her off by motioning to me. "Tiff, come eat your breakfast. We need to get moving."
I obeyed, even though I was confused. I didn't see why we would ever decline the opportunity for me to learn more. After all, my mother often lamented my lack of education. It sounded more exciting to learn about magic than how to make sense of numbers.
I ate the mashed roots mixed with the remaining nuts and berries. This type of root was better when cooked, but I didn't complain. The nuts improved the texture, and the berries masked the sour aftertaste. I licked the spoon before handing it back to my mother to wash.
We packed up our bundles and then strapped them to our backs. Wake led the way to ascend the mountain. We were more than halfway to the summit, so I felt sure about reaching our destination before midday.
I glanced up as we began walking, and I caught sight of a pair of crystal-bright eyes from among the tree branches. The hoak was still following us.
I pointed it out to Wake. "What do you think he wants?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. This is very unusual behavior."
"Should we ask him?"
Wake smirked. "If you think he'd answer, go ahead."
I did a quick scan above our heads before walking over to the tree that held the hoak. I raised my hand to give him a friendly wave. "Hello," I called. "My name is Theophana, but you can call me Tiff."
When I said my name I tried to infuse it with my memories, just as I had before. The hoak cocked his head to the side, his expression thoughtful.
"What's your name?" I prompted.
He continued to stare at me but didn't answer. I tried again. "Why are you following us? Do you need something?"
The hoak didn't speak.
I sighed as I moved to catch up with Wake and my mother. "He didn't answer," I said unnecessarily.
Wake chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I would be surprised if he did."
"Is it going to cause trouble for us?" Mother asked, worried.
The tiernan shrugged. "Maybe, but this seems a lot of effort for him to go to just to pull a prank on us."
"That's what concerns me," Mother murmured.
"He won't hurt us," I reassured her. "I know it."
She reached over to pat my shoulder but didn't reply. I could see that she was skeptical of my words. I didn't have any proof of what I said, but I still felt it to be true. I felt optimistic about the day, and I believed nothing would go wrong.
I weaved through the trees instead of following the path that Wake and my mother tread. First I started to hum, then I broke out into song.
Clouds across the starry sky
Hide its beauty from my eye
Rain will soon begin to fall
Giving life to one and all
Spring is waking from its sleep
Sending winter to the deep
Trees and flowers come alive
Birds in nest and bees in hive
In the daytime, we will sing
Of the joy that summer brings
In the evening we will call
Of the beauties of the fall
Now the night fades from our eyes
Winter, in her bed, will lie
Morning dawns, the sun will rise
Spring will wake and bring new life
Wake's eyebrows progressively rose as she listened to me sing. When I finished, she grinned. There was more color to her face, and she seemed less tired. "Beautiful magic, Tiff. Thank you for the gift."
"Magic?" I snorted. "That wasn't magic."
"All music is magic," Wake insisted. "You also have a tiernan's voice, which lends power to your song."
I stared at her. "My singing is magical?"
"Indeed."
I ran over to her side, tugging on her wrist. "What kind of magic?" I demanded. "What does it do?"
She tweaked my chin. "It gives life."
My eyes became as wide as apples. "I make things alive?"
Wake laughed loudly. "Well, you can't create life," she explained. "At least, not in an unusual way. But your song filled me with vitality, as well as all the other living things around us."
I pouted, but not in earnest. "So, I can't build an army of stick men and bring them to life?"
Mother and Wake laughed again.
"No," the water tiernan answered. "But you can revive a plant that is withering or give your mother a boost of energy when she is tired."
"That is magic," Mother said wryly.
"Does it happen when you sing, too?" I asked.
Wake nodded. "It's one of the few gifts that all tiernan share."
"Is there anything that all magic creatures can do?"
Mother took hold of my hand. "That's enough questions, T'phani. Don't annoy her."
"I'm not annoyed," she smiled. "I don't think there's a universal ability among non-humans, though. There's a great deal of diversity."
"Didn't you say that all music is magic? What about that?" I pressed, hopping away from my mother's reach so I wouldn't get scolded.
She gave me a stern look but didn't attempt to punish me for my disobedience.
"I suppose that's true," Wake acknowledged, "but it manifests differently for everyone."
"Even humans can use that kind of magic," I declared.
"Yes, they can," she agreed.
Mother's breathing started to become strained, so I stopped talking. In the past, she'd said that my chattering took her breath away, and I didn't want to make the climb any harder for her than it already was.
Wake, like me, didn't seem bothered by the exercise, but she was still looking pale from being away from her river. I wondered what would happen if she continued to stay at a distance from the water. Would it be like starving to death? Would she lose all her powers and become human?
Or would she become something like me—neither one nor the other?
I found myself feeling unexpectedly sad at the thought. I wouldn't wish this lack of belonging on anyone.
Above my head, I heard a strange chirp. It wasn't a sound that any bird made, so it immediately caught my attention. I searched the tree branches and saw the hoak walking along with us. Its shining eyes were directed at me, with an expression that seemed concerned.
I gave him a reassuring smile, shaking the glum thoughts from my mind. I distracted myself by studying my surroundings. I started taking note of the types of trees, the variety of underbrush, and the colors of the rocks that poked up from the ground.
The mountain was truly a beautiful place. It made me wish that we lived there instead of on our little slope near the village. It felt free and wild and full of life.
There were plenty of animals, although few of them ventured near us. I could usually approach untamed animals if I was by myself, but they wouldn't allow it if Mother was with me. Even by myself, though, they could be skittish. Perhaps, they could sense that I was still half-human—and an omnivore.
We gathered edible plants as we walked, as was our habit, so we had enough to eat when we stopped for our midday meal. Wake was starting to look less wan, so she seemed positive.
"We must be approaching the lake near the summit," she said. "We should start looking for rocky areas where the herbs would grow."
"It grows on rocks?" I asked.
"It grows on rocks," Wake answered.
A sudden thought occurred to me. "How do you know if you never leave your river?"
She gestured to herself. "I am away from my river right now," she teased before continuing seriously. "I do leave from time to time, so I've seen the plants before."
"Do you have any knowledge of the best places to begin our search?" Mother inquired.
Wake pressed her lips together. "Unfortunately, no. I guess we'll just have to try our luck."
"Or we could ask the hoak," I suggested abruptly.
The two women stared at me.
I shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt," I muttered.
"True," Wake said slowly, "it wouldn't hurt. I just don't know if it would do any good."
I answered in my sing-song voice. "One way to find out!"
The hoak watched me as I walked up to the tree where he was standing. He didn't seem to mind how close I got to him, as long as I didn't touch the tree itself.
"Excuse me," I called up. "We're looking for a plant, and we're wondering if you know where to find it. It's called alpine cluster."
Once again, I filled my thoughts with a description of the herb as I said the name. I didn't know if that form of communication worked between species, but I figured I might as well try.
The hoak's eyes narrowed as if it was debating on whether to help us or not. Finally, he gave a single nod and took the lead.
Wake stared after him, dumbfounded. "I can't believe he listened to you."
I grinned, feeling proud for no reason. I started to follow the small creature, but Mother lingered behind. "What if it's a prank?"
"Well, it wouldn't be very funny," I retorted.
"Pranks don't have to be funny to anyone but the one doing them," Wake pointed out.
I made an exasperated sound. "He's not our enemy. I know it."
"T'phani," my mother began.
"Fine," I interrupted, "how about I follow him and you go look somewhere else for the plants? Then, if I'm wasting my time, it won't make any difference."
"No," Wake insisted. "We'll stay together."
She began to walk after me, leaving my mother to stand alone. Mother stared after us for only a moment before following as well.
I could hear her scolding under her breath. "One of these days, child, I swear you will be the end of me."
"Probably," I replied cheerfully. "I'm the only one around you most of the time. If not me, then who would it be?"
I kept my eyes on the hoak as he hopped through the tree branches. Most of the time he seemed to be moving normally, but then he would suddenly blink out of sight and appear in the next tree over. His speed was enough that even we had to hurry to keep up.
We were headed almost directly up the slope, only angling slightly to the north. It wasn't an easy climb for us on the ground, who had to find places where we could safely step. If the hoak got too far ahead, he would obligingly wait for us to catch up. Then he was off again, not giving us any time to rest.
"How much farther," I gasped, coming to a stop. I knew that if we kept this pace, my mother wouldn't be able to continue.
The hoak circled around to come back to us.
"There," he said in a gravelly voice, pointing ahead.
"You speak!" I exclaimed.
He frowned at me. "Of course."
I crossed my arms. "How was I supposed to know?" I demanded. "You're the first hoak I've ever met."
He sniffed and turned his back on me. "There," he said again, looking like he was done leading us.
I started to walk in the direction he indicated, but Mother grabbed my wrist. She was struggling for breath, but she spoke with urgency.
"What if it's a trap?"
I was about to give an annoyed response, but Wake placed her hand over ours.
"I will go first," she volunteered. "You two wait here for my return."
Mother pulled me to sit down next to her, which I did with a huff. She always expected me to trust her, but she never trusted me in return. I wasn't a baby anymore!
We didn't have to wait long before Wake returned. Her expression was grim as she crouched down.
"There is a patch of your herbs ahead," she informed us. "However, there's a problem."
Mother instinctively put her arm around my shoulder. "What is it?"
"There's a large group of tiernan gathered there."