The Colorless Land

Chapter 35: The Heart of Jadiria

Then the moment passed, and he put on a grin, ruffling her hair. "What, did I worry you?" he said cheerily. "I'm just a bit tired. No need to panic!"

"Hey!" Jolette exclaimed. "You liar—"

But Evariel had already pushed on ahead, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

"Leave him, kid."

Jolette spun around in surprise. The one who had spoken was Zamrod, who rarely said anything unless spoken to first.

"Sometimes people don't want to talk about things," said the dwarf. "Don't pressure him. Won't help you."

"But him," Jolette muttered, but Zamrod shook his head and kept walking.

Edmian, at least, seemed to be doing more or less fine. With wide eyes he took on the endless summer around them, the evergreen plants and colorful blossoms and strange insects and birds, regarding everything with an amazement as if witnessing summer for the first time. He probably did, Jolette realized. He had come to Firland in autumn, and there were no proper summers in the Colorless Land.

Jolette was glad. She had become so used to worrying about him that this was a much-needed break, though that thought itself disturbed her. Some part of her became anxious at the thought, wondering if he would still need her if he went on like this. Wondering if, at this rate, she might not be the one to need comfort from him.

She didn't know what scared her more, the possibility itself or the fact that she was thinking such things.

Forcibly trying to distract herself, she focused her gaze on the landscape around them. The view was ever-changing. The grasslands they had first entered only lasted a few days, then the road began to bend steeply downwards, leading them past terraced fields and south-facing slopes where grapes grew. The sun became ever warmer. The breeze began to carry the faintest scent of the sea.

"We're close to the ocean now," Saryana explained. "Soon we'll be turning southwest to follow the coast."

And then, at long last, they came to a stop above a tall cliff and looked out upon the ocean.

Jolette held her breath. Many, many times she had seen the sea back in Firland, but it had never looked like this. Here it was not cold and greenish under the cold wind and cloudy skies. Here it was blue, a dark, rich shade of blue, endless and glittering in the bright light of the Jadirian sun. Ships with colorful sails and flags passed over the water. Two large gray fishlike shapes jumped out of the waves and landed with a splash, their fins poking out as they raced alongside a boat.

"Dolphins!" Saryana exclaimed. "It's the dolphins! We're in luck!"

Jolette held her breath. Dolphins. She had only ever heard of these creatures in tall tales that came up from the south, a million times falsified and embellished. Nellary claimed to have seen one once as a young woman, but when Maithea had laughed and asked her to describe it, her description had been vague. And nothing at all like the real thing.

If only the two could see this sight with her now. How they would love it! The sea, and the colors, and the sun, and the dolphins...and the cliff on which they stood, and the well-maintained road, and the stone pines and palm trees on every side...

If only they were here. If only Jolette didn't stand here without them, enjoying something they should have enjoyed together.

Mama...Mommy...are you out there? Can you hear me?

Of course they couldn't, Jolette knew that. They were hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. And here she was. Enjoying a trip when she should be putting all her strength into saving their lives.