"That hoak tricked us," Mother accused.
"No, he didn't," I said indignantly. "All he did was show us where to find the medicine. He can't control who will be there!"
"Theophana," Mother began, her voice tight.
Wake put her hand on my shoulder. "She's right, Evangeline. Even if the hoak is a spy, he's been with us the whole time. He didn't have the opportunity to report our position to anyone."
She took a deep breath to calm herself, but I could see that she still didn't believe us. Her eyes were hard, fixed on the ground. And she had used my full name—never a good sign.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
Wake rubbed her chin. "I'm not sure. I didn't get a good look at who's gathering, so I don't know which faction they belong to."
I blew some air through my teeth. "What would they do to us if they're our enemies?"
"I'm not sure," she repeated. "They might warn you to leave immediately. They might attack you. There are groups in various degrees of action."
I scanned the branches until I spotted the hoak. "Excuse me," I called softly, "do you know anything about the tiernan up ahead? Are they friendly to humans?"
He was sitting with his back against the trunk. His eyes were closed as if dozing, and he didn't respond to my question.
I picked up a stick from the ground, took aim, and threw it at the small creature.
It hit him in the face, and he squawked in surprise. "Muddy puddle!"
I burst into laughter. "What?"
He glared at me, looking surprisingly fierce. "Listen here, you muddy child. Unless you want a face full of dirt, I suggest you keep your pranks to yourself."
"I asked you a question," I insisted, ignoring his threat.
"Go ask them yourself," he retorted. "How am I to know what those hoity-toity idiots are thinking?"
An idea popped into my head. "Would you go gather the herbs for us?"
The hoak barked a laugh, which sounded more like two rocks hitting each other. "No."
"Please?"
"No."
He disappeared into thin air before I could attempt to negotiate. I tried to locate him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
I sighed. "Well, it was worth a try."
"At least we know that he doesn't work for them," Wake offered. "Hoaks don't insult their masters."
Mother smoothed her hair away from her face. "That's not a bad idea, though," she mused.
"What?"
Her eyes turned to Wake. "You could pretend you're one of them and gather the medicine for us."
Wake quirked an eyebrow. "That won't work."
"Why not?" she asked.
The tiernan sat down, resting against one of the trees. "Because," she explained, "they know I'm not part of their faction, whichever it is. They will think that I'm a spy and treat me accordingly."
"You could just pretend that you are passing through," Mother suggested.
She raised a finger. "If I was just passing through, I'd give that gathering a wide berth."
"But if you're there to gather plants-"
"Why would I be gathering plants?" Wake interrupted. "Why am I so far from water? It's suspicious at a glance."
"What about me?" I asked slowly. "I could do it."
"No," Mother rejected immediately.
"I'm a tree tiernan, so I'm not out of place," I went on.
"Absolutely not."
Wake's eyes narrowed. "That actually might work," she considered. "A tiernan's magical presence is unstable when they are young. If no one looks too closely, you may just seem like you're in flux."
"No," my mother repeated, her eyes blazing. "I will not allow it."
I lifted my hands in the air. "Then what are we going to do?"
She started back the way we'd come. "We'll find a place to hide and wait for them to leave."
"That could take days," Wake warned. "Tiernan are not succinct when it comes to meetings."
"That doesn't matter," Mother declared.
"What about Aunt Ellie?" I said, stopping her in her tracks. "How much time does she have?"
I could see that she was frozen with indecision, so now was my time to act. I tugged on Wake's sleeve. "What should I do?" I asked quietly.
She immediately understood and started moving me in the direction of the gathering. "Act like you're playing, and don't pay attention to anything that they do. Keep your thoughts on plants—only plants."
I nodded and hurried off, pretending not to hear when my mother called after me.
The trees opened up to a glade after I had been walking for about five minutes. I remembered that Wake had said that there was a "large" group of tiernan, so I had prepared myself to see a crowd. What I saw, however, were a dozen or so figures sitting in a wide circle.
I tried to cover my confusion by weaving through the trees as if I was playing a game by myself.
It'd be harder to go unnoticed with so few people to hide behind. They'd probably already seen me. My plan suddenly seemed extraordinarily foolish. Was it too late to turn around?
I started to walk back the way I'd come, but I paused.
My own question drifted through my mind. What about Aunt Ellie? What about Mother? My mother would be heartbroken if something happened to her younger sister. This was still the best plan to get the alpine clusters as quickly as possible.
Also, I knew I'd get scolded no matter what when I got back. I might as well make the punishment worthwhile.
Think about plants.
I reached down and picked up a pinecone. It was still tightly closed, not ready to share its seeds. I rolled it between my hands, silently reciting to myself everything I knew about pine trees. I hummed tunelessly and started to skip in a direction that would eventually take me out into the open.
Pine resin can be used for wood crafts, but it can also be used medicinally.
I stooped to pick some flowers at my feet. I thought it would be best to pretend that I wasn't gathering anything in particular. One of the flowers was a poppy.
Poppies can also be used medicinally. It's like nature was made just to heal us. I smiled at the thought.
I spotted the patch of alpine clusters. They were growing along the rocks where the tiernan were seated. I would have to get much closer in order to gather them.
This is willowherb. It's edible, but only when it's young.
"…interference with humans."
I was close enough to hear the conversation between the tiernan. I was also able to get a better look at them.
None of them had taken on strictly human appearances like Wake had. They all had brightly colored skin and animal-like features. One had horns, another had a long snout. They all chose to look different, but I could still tell that they were the same. I could sense their kinship, even though one was shaped like a blue elk and one was a yellow humanoid with bird wings.
"One cannot split a tree and expect both halves to be unharmed," said an orange tiernan, no larger than a rabbit.
As he spoke, the visualization of his words filled my mind. I saw, felt, smelled, and experienced what he said—not just heard the words.
"We are not a single organism," responded a tiernan that appeared to be composed of mist.
A brown tiernan with a tail raised its finger. "That may seem so to the individual components of a tree."
I had the sweeping mental image of a tree that became magnified so that each element could be seen individually. Each leaf became enormous, with rivers for veins and grasslands for flesh. The bark rose and fell as mountains, with sap flowing underneath like magma.
The tiernan who had spoken turned her eyes to look at me. With a jolt, I realized I had been staring at them for several moments without moving.
Plants, plants. Think of plants.
I hurried to turn my back to them, crouching to touch the petals of a columbine. There was an alpine cluster just within my reach, so I extended my hand to grasp it.
Success!
Now, if I could just gather a few more.
I glanced over my shoulder, but the tiernan had turned back to the conversation. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Every leaf falls when winter comes," said a small voice. "It is the way of nature."
I didn't risk looking at the speaker, even though I was curious about the source of that miniature sound. I picked up a stick, trying to ignore the vivid pictures being painted in my thoughts by their words.
I traced designs into the dirt, whispering plant names to myself.
A hand took hold of my arm, causing me to gasp. The brown tiernan gently led me back to the treeline, away from where the meeting was taking place.
I stared up at her, panic bubbling from my chest to my throat.
This was it. I was certain. This was where my meager life came to an end. What would happen to my mother? Would she finally be allowed to go back to her family? I wished for her to be happy, even though I'd be gone.
The tiernan came to a halt once we had reached the cover of the trees. "What is your name, young one?"
My thoughts scrambled to find something that sounded plausible for a tiernan child. "I…um… My name is… Willow. Branch. Willow Branch."
The tiernan slowly morphed before my eyes. Her fur receded—though her skin stayed brown—and the tail disappeared. She grew long curly hair, braided without her touching it, and a strong human form covered in modest clothing.
Her brown eyes stayed the same, twinkling at me as she grinned. "What is your name?" she repeated.
My shoulders slumped. "Theophana."
I could see that she received the mental pictures I sent with the name. She nodded with approval, just as Wake had. "A lovely name. I am called Budding."
I visualized the first signs of spring growing from the tips of trees—the promise of warmth and renewed life. It filled me with a flush of hope and joy, making me smile despite my precarious situation.
"I love your name," I breathed.
"Thank you," Budding replied, tapping the tip of my chin with her fingers. "I see you have already met Mineral."
She gestured to a tree branch, where I spotted the hoak that had been following us. His name brought to mind the minerals that cause sand to sparkle in the sunlight. It was such a cheerful name, that it seemed unfitting for such a grumpy creature.
He looked at Budding with such an adoring expression that I almost didn't recognize him.
"Is he yours?" I blurted.
She smiled at him. "I suppose it could be said so," she acknowledged. "He's been with me since I was born. He's my friend and caregiver."
"Why was he following us?"
Budding tilted her head to the side. "I don't know. He is bound to me, but I don't command him as a servant. He makes his own decisions."
I studied the hoak, frowning. Why would he go to the trouble to help us if he wasn't commanded? Had he brought us to his master on purpose?
"What's brought you to this mountain, Theophana?" Budding asked gently.
My eyes snapped back to her. "Oh, you can call me Tiff," I said nervously, suddenly remembering that I'd been caught in the middle of my plan. "I'm here with my mother to get some medicine."
"Your mother is human?" she prodded.
I choked on my reply. "Yes."
"Who is your father?"
I shook my head. "I don't know his name. He's a wanderer."
Budding's green eyes widened. "There aren't many of those left," she mused.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting," I said quietly. "Am I in trouble?"
The corners of her lips curled. "No, you're not in trouble. I am not an enemy of humans. Besides, we are both tree tiernan. That makes us sisters."
I gaped at her. "Sisters?"
I'd never had any family other than Mother. My heart immediately latched on the title, filling my core with warmth.
Budding held out her hand and opened her fingers. On her palm rested a small bouquet of alpine clusters. "Your thoughts were very loud," she chuckled. "I could hear that you wanted these."
I snatched them from her grasp, holding them to my chest. "Thank you!"
"Where do you and your mother live?" Budding inquired.
I pointed. "On the other side of the valley, in the forest on the foothills."
I could picture my home with vivid detail, and I knew that my sister tiernan could see it in her mind's eye as well.
Budding nodded with a smile. "When spring comes, I will visit you."
I hopped in the air, clasping my hands together. "Really?"
"Really," she replied. "Your father is not here to teach you, so it is the responsibility of all other tree tiernan to give you the knowledge you need."
"You'll teach me how to use magic?" I gasped.
She reached over and brushed a lock of hair from my face. "I'll teach you how to be you."
I had to restrain myself from squealing with excitement. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to learn anything about the tiernan side of me. Honestly, I'd never even considered it before coming to the mountain.
Wake had first suggested the possibility, but I'd been disappointed to learn that she couldn't help me. I'd thought that chance was gone before it had even come. How would I find someone who was able and willing to teach me?
Yet, here she was: a new friend—a sister—who volunteered to help me without me asking.
I rushed forward to hug her tightly. "Thank you," I enthused.
Budding laughed and stroked my wild hair. "Go back to your mother, now. I will see you when the sun warms the earth."
I waved farewell to her, then stuck my tongue out at Mineral as I passed by.
He glared at me. "Muddy child," he muttered.
I laughed and hurried on my way. I had so much to tell Mother!