I sat upright in the water, gasping for air.
Budding immediately put her arm around my shoulders, murmuring soothing words in my ears. "It's alright, Tiff. Everything's fine. You're safe."
Wake floated on the other side of me, wiping the water out of my eyes. "You've been asleep for a while," she explained. "Take it easy."
Min appeared out of nowhere, hovering just above the surface of the river. His sculpted face was creased with concern. "Tiff! You're finally awake! How do you feel?"
As soon as he asked the question, all of my senses jolted. I felt as if my skin had been peeled off and I'd spent a week rolling around in a pile of thorns, poison ivy, and stinging nettle. My organs felt like they were housing a colony of angry fire ants and my bones had been filled with molten iron.
I simply shook my head. I didn't trust myself to answer his question.
"The poison is mostly gone," Budding told me, "but it will take a while for you to recover. Even then, there will be some things that may never heal completely."
"I understand," I said quietly.
I didn't ask any clarifying questions. I didn't think I could handle the answers at the moment.
Min leaned forward. "What happened to you in the dream state?"
I frowned, searching my memory. "I'm…not sure…"
Budding smiled, rubbing my arm. "Don't worry about it. Whatever happened is past now. It was all a dream, anyway."
I moved my legs, testing my strength. "How long will it take for me to be able to carry Wake's baby to safety?"
My teacher hesitated. "You could do it now with some help."
"But?" I prompted.
"You're still very weak," Budding pointed out. "You should take some time to recover."
I looked out at the riverbanks. Judging by the sunlight, it was probably mid-afternoon. The protective ward around us made the air relatively warm, but I could see that there was a skiff of snow on the ground beyond the magical barrier.
I shakily got to my feet. "How long was I asleep?"
Budding also stood to lend me support. "I'm afraid you won't like the answer," she warned.
My eyes widened fearfully. "How long?"
She pressed her lips together. "A week."
I collapsed back into the river. Wake caught me, cradling me close like a young child. "She worked as quickly as she could," the water tiernan assured me.
"I truly did," Budding agreed. "There was just so much poison."
"A week," I whispered. "Oh, my mother is going to kill me."
"I renewed the spell in your room," Min offered, but he didn't look hopeful. "Maybe they think you're still there…"
I rested my head against Wake's shoulder. "Mother will never let me outside again," I groaned.
"I'm sorry, Tiff," Budding said, taking my hand.
I took several slow breaths. Nothing could be done at that point. I'd agreed to take that path, knowing what the potential consequences would be. I couldn't hide from them.
I tightened my grip affectionately. "I understand. You were doing what you had to in order to help me. Thank you."
Min nodded his approval. "That she did. She's exhausted almost all her magic to get rid of that poison."
Budding shushed him. "That's enough, now. What we need is to get Tiff dried off and let her rest."
I immediately shook my head. "I don't have time to spare. If we can move Wake to safety, we should do it right away."
The two tiernan exchanged glances.
"Are you sure?" Wake asked.
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
Mineral reached over and tucked my wet hair behind my ear. "You're already tired, little one. Carrying the seed will drain your energy further."
"I can do it," I insisted.
Budding sighed softly. "Very well. Wake will make the cradle and I'll make the anchor. Once your magic has regenerated, I will teach you how to do it yourself."
Min's expression contracted. "I could make the anchor so you don't use up the rest of your magic."
Budding waved him away. "We'll need the connection of tiernan magic since it's not the full moon."
I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I watched in fascination. Wake was the one who began the process. She extracted the glowing seed from her abdomen and placed it in the palm of her hand. Its beautiful pale blue light was mesmerizing, even during the daytime.
Wake closed her black eyes, placing her other hand on top of the seed. The light around her intensified as it focused down her arms and into her fingers. I could see millions of golden threads of magic weaving together around her hand in an impossible pattern.
All of the beautiful colors in her skin and hair began to fade, draining into the object she was making. She became a pale, ghostly version of herself holding a brilliant aquamarine stone. She opened her hands to show the seed was wrapped in a gold setting, more delicate than any piece of jewelry I'd ever seen before.
The gold was shaped like the ripples of waves, encasing the seed like a safety net. A loop at the top made it possible for it to be connected to a necklace.
"This cradle is made from the remnants of my creative magic," Wake explained. "It will keep the baby alive and allow her to grow."
Budding was next. She began weaving her magic into complex patterns, connecting Wake and myself. She walked in a circle around the focal point of the river, drawing threads at regular intervals into the braid she was creating.
"The location where a tiernan is grown is just as important as the parents who created it," she explained as she wove. "The cradle holds the seed to keep it alive, the anchor keeps it connected to its source until it's ready to be planted."
The threads of magic solidified into a beautiful golden chain necklace, which Budding connected to the setting holding the seed. Wake reverently placed the chain around my neck, a single tear coursing down her cheek. She continued cupping the seed in her hands, as if reluctant to let it go.
"The last layer is the one you will need to maintain as soon as your magic recovers," Budding told me.
I experienced a spike in adrenaline as I suddenly feared I wouldn't be able to do what was required.
"This will need to be done every full moon," Budding went on in her soothing voice. "It's a way to replenish the magic used by the cradle and anchor."
I frowned. "Do I have to do it? I won't be carrying the seed that long, right?"
Wake and Budding exchanged glances, and I could see the weight in their eyes.
"If you don't do this," Budding went on briskly, "the seed will drain magic directly from you. We don't want you becoming too weak to carry it."
I nodded slowly, feeling troubled by what was left unsaid. I'd been under the impression that I would be taking care of Wake's baby while they went into hiding, but that it would be a short-term problem. After all, the Followers of Purity couldn't send soldiers up the mountain indefinitely, right?
Right?
Budding began gathering gossamer threads of magic, this time using herself as the primary source. "Watch closely," she admonished.
She folded the threads in a circular pattern, overlaying them delicately in a long line. When she was finished she began again, winding the threads in the opposite direction. "This is called the selen weave," Budding explained. "It harnesses the creative magic within you, allowing you to direct it into the anchor."
I nodded, watching in fascination as the golden color took on an iridescent hue. I'd never seen magic react in such a way.
"The full moon enhances the magic," she explained, "that's why it's best to do it at that time."
My forehead creased. "What will happen since it's not the full moon now?"
"It will use up more of her magic to make it," Min answered for her.
I could tell by his expression that he was worried about the situation. He stood near Budding's shoulder, resting a hand on her arm protectively. Even Wake's face was uneasy as she observed the process.
My frown deepened. There seemed to be a lot that wasn't being said between the three of them. My knowledge of the non-human world was so limited that I couldn't even guess what might be happening beneath the surface.
Budding finished weaving the threads of magic, then laid it over the necklace. The two merged with a flash of light.
As soon as it was finished, Budding became as pale as Wake. Furthermore, the protective barrier around the river winked out of existence, exposing us to the cold air from the outside.
I looked around, startled. "What happened?"
Min pressed his lips together. "Exactly what I warned her about," he growled. "She's exhausted her magic."
"I'll be fine in a few days," Budding said wearily. "It'll take Wake longer to recover, though, so we need to get her to safety as soon as possible."
"Let's get out of the river," I said, my teeth chattering.
I started to move, but Wake was still holding onto the seed around my neck. I paused when I saw the torn expression on her face.
Budding took her free hand. "Let it go," she whispered gently. "Tiff will take good care of her."
Wake swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the aquamarine stone. "I know," she acknowledged, but her fingers didn't loosen.
I put both my hands over hers, bringing her gaze to mine. "I promise I'll protect her with my life."
Wake released the breath she'd been holding. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you," she said.
We stood like that for several more moments until Wake felt ready. I didn't mind waiting, even though it was cold. Eventually, she removed her hand, leaving the seed solely in my care. Its warm light swirled in my palms, although the cradle subdued the amount of light that was emitted.
I could feel the thoughts of the baby tiernan dancing around in the back of my mind—but, again, the cradle contained it in a way that the river hadn't. I could sense that she was excited for us to venture forth, even though she didn't truly understand what that meant.
I held Wake's hand, giving her what comfort I could. I couldn't imagine the loneliness she must be experiencing suddenly being separated from the seed.
We waded to the shore, stepping up onto the land. The pain from removing the poison made every movement labored, but I did my best to act nonchalantly. The cold stiffened all my joints, and I shivered uncontrollably as I emerged from the water. The two tiernan shifted shape and were instantly dry. I pouted at them in jealousy.
"Come here, pebble," Min beckoned.
I knelt next to him, not far from where my clothes had been folded. He reached out his narrow fingers and touched the top of my head, sending a warming sensation through my body. All of the water dropped off of me as if it had been repelled.
"Get dressed now," he encouraged. "Winter came to the mountain while you slept."
I gave the hoak a quick hug. His eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't complain.
I pulled on the clothing I had borrowed from my mother before leaving the house days before. I tucked the necklace underneath the layers of clothes, hiding the light from any onlookers we might encounter.
Having the dress and the underclothes hurt my body just by having anything touch it, but it also provided support to help me stand. The boots, especially, were a double-edged sword in that regard. There's no way that I could've walked barefoot, but wearing the boots also caused a great deal of pain.
Budding watched me, her brown eyes filled with concern. "Can you walk, Tiff?"
I forced myself to nod. "I'll be fine."
Mineral glanced around nervously. "Now that the barrier's down, we'll need to hurry."
Wake frowned. "Why?"
"Things have escalated over the past few days," he explained. "The human soldiers got into a direct conflict with Tip's group, and his younger brother died."
In the way of certain magical beings, his words conveyed images into my mind. I could see that the name indicated the tip of a stone above the surface of the ground when a much larger body was below. I could also see that Tip was a rock tiernan, something that I'd never encountered before.
"Who's Tip?" I asked.
Budding's expression was pinched. "He's the leader of the tiernan who are against humans," she replied grimly.
"Oh." The gravity of Min's words settled in my mind and my mouth dropped open. "Oh, no!"
"Exactly."
I instinctively put my hand over my sternum, where the tiernan seed rested. "What are we going to do?"
"The most important thing is to get you home safely," Budding insisted.
My other two friends agreed emphatically.
"What?" I sputtered. "I thought I was going to escort you to the hiding place."
Wake shook her head. "That was never part of the arrangement. You have the seed, now you need to take her to safety."
"The hiding place for everyone trying to stay out of the conflict is on the other side of the mountain," Min explained. "There's no way we'd want you to make that journey with us."
"We'll take you home on our way," Budding repeated.
I thought back to the early conversations we'd had when I'd first come to the mountain. I supposed that they had only asked me to carry Wake's baby to safety. Nothing had been said about their destination.
I shrugged unhappily. "What if something happens to you along the way?"
"We'll send Mineral with updates," Budding reassured me.
My eyes went from one pale tiernan to the other. They both looked so weak. I would've felt uneasy with the situation even if there wasn't a full-scale war boiling just below the surface.
What could I do, though?
The helplessness I felt ate away at me like acid.
I couldn't keep them safe—I wasn't even certain that I could keep Wake's baby safe. There were no secret hiding places that I knew of where they could wait out the storm. I couldn't follow them around the mountain and protect them from soldiers.
There was nothing that I could do, and I hated it.
Budding recognized the emotions flashing in my eyes. She put her arm around my shoulders, resting her head on mine. "I know, darling. I feel the same way."
Wake took both of my hands in hers, sharing in our sorrow.
I knew that my distress couldn't compare to theirs. This mountain was their home, and it was being destroyed before their eyes. I felt that I might choke on the emotions welling up in my throat.
With a heavy sigh, Budding helped me to my feet. "Come along," she encouraged. "We shouldn't stay here."
I knew she was right. I stood with some effort, wincing from the pain that shot down my limbs. Min paced around us nervously, watching the trees.
"They aren't far," he warned. "They know the barrier is down."
Wake pointed. "Let's follow the river for a while before climbing away from the banks. It gets easier over there."
We began picking our way along the river shore, finding a spot where it wasn't as steep to crawl up to the terrace. I was already panting for breath by the time we reached level ground. My muscles ached like a raw wound, even though we hadn't traveled far.
I estimated it would take at least half a day for us to reach the village at that pace, probably more. Would I be able to walk for that long?
I clenched my jaw as I forced myself to keep moving. I'd already promised Wake and Budding that I'd do my best to keep the tiernan seed safe. I couldn't do that if I gave up before even leaving the mountain. It was true that my entire body hurt, but I reminded myself that there were worse things than pain.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a small voice spoke to me.
It's not as if I haven't died before…