Circles of Ciridia: The Windtalker's Amulet

Chapter Fourteen ~ A Fox Family's Lilac Bush

The children raced through the forest, their misty bodies rippling with the wind. They wound their way along the edge of the hill, letting it lead them. Though they were too afraid to travel on the hill anymore, they stayed in the forest within sights of the hill as it curved its way across Ngaherahe toward the mountain.

Soon enough they came upon a town that was nestled in the hill. It was a very homely place, but Kiäna feared the idea of a beastmen town. They stayed clear, giving the dwelling a wide berth, and Kiäna only once saw a beastman with fox ears and a red fox tail and a little fox at his heels. The man went into a house with a giant lilac bush in the front yard.

A moment later, two children with fox tails and fox ears came running out of the forest, right at Kiäna as she raced by. She dodged the children, who both gasped and cried out at the sight of a misty person running by so quickly.

Kiäna! Vespera said. You must watch where you're going.

I didn't mean to almost run into them. I was distracted by the lilac bush in the yard.

I saw it too. We have plenty of lilacs. We don't need to stop for more now, especially not in such a crowded area.

Alright. Kiäna kept on going, following behind Faira as he led the way around the fox beastmen town. She kept watch on her friends as they brought up the rear, always going just slightly slower than Kiäna and the panthers wanted to go.

Eventually, Kiäna grew weary and then she noticed that the sun was getting low, back behind her. The clouds in the sky slowly turned pink and orange.

We need to find a place to rest for the night, Vespera said.

Do you know where we are?

Faira and I are trying to figure it out. Stay here. We're going to the hill to have a look.

Be careful.

Kiäna slowed down and then stopped. Her misty legs felt so shaky she worried they wouldn't hold her up.

She looked back behind her to see the children way off in the forest, lagging far behind. In the shadows of the sunset, they appeared ghostly white. Chadwick stumbled forward, his misty legs heavy with fatigue. He collapsed on the ground, dismissing his mist makutu with a whoosh.

Thea and Tajana knelt down next to him and shook him, and their misty states melted away too. He rolled over and sat up, giving an apologetic smile at everyone.

The children all canceled their mist makutu. We'll have to stay overnight here. Is it safe, do you think?

Safe enough, Vespera said, though his mental voice sounded wary. We don't see any beastmen, but there may be a village close by with a hunting party coming out in the wee morning light.

Good point. Where should we sleep then? Kiäna looked all around, seeing some trees tall enough that their hammocks might look like simply part of the canopy of trees.

Yes, that will probably be our best bet, Vespera said, following her train of thought.

But climbing that far up would be impossible and if the children were too tired to create their amazing flying clouds, then they may be in trouble.

Kiäna mist-walked back to the children and cancelled the makutu. She knelt down with them. "Maybe we should eat," she suggested, motioning with her hand to her mouth. They all nodded, and she took out the rest of their food and handed out almost all of it.

What? We're almost out of food? Vespera sounded outraged.

I guess we're eating more than I thought we would.