The Wasting

Chapter 8: Bimisi

As much as Bimisi wanted to argue that what Denigan had them doing was pointless, they really were learning a lot about these people. This information could come in handy; know your enemy. They had been working their "studies" for four days now, whenever Denigan wasn't out making coin. They didn't ask how he got it and he never said. Bimisi was growing impatient. They needed to get answers or her village would not make it.

It seemed like years had gone by, even though only a couple of months had passed since meeting at the crossroads under the Gichi Ojiig. "When do we get to go to the Tower? We haven't even left this part of town!" Well, that wasn't completely true. Bimisi had been sneaking into different parts of the city to sit to tea nad watch the way people interacted with each other. Denigna didn't need to know about that.

"Soon," Denigan said, but his attention was Ahanu who was struggling with clasps on a new piece of clothing.

"When is soon?" She wasn't going to just drop her question.

He sighed and moved over to Ahanu, showing him how to clasp it correctly. "I'm going out this afternoon to see what I can find out about the Tower being closed. If I can find the right person, I'll be able to get us inside."

"Mm." Bimisi narrowed her eyes at him then turned away, relenting. She looked down at her own outfit and fiddled with the useless bits of ribbon around her waist. It was pretty enough, but what real purpose did it serve? In the forest, things were built for utility. The homes were decorated for pleasure, but things they needed for their lives were functional. That didn't seem to be the case here. Everything people used and wore in this large city seemed to be for some sort of show that Bimisi didn't understand. A show that incorporated everything aside from their magic, which they used as strictly as Anishinabek used liberally. How were things so backwards?

~ ~

When Denigan left that afternoon, Bimisi decided to take the time to wander more of the city. She had never been good at sitting still, part of why she'd become a hunter; she could roam the forests all day instead of sitting to learn reading and writing. Now, she needed to wander where she could and discover more of this strange world she'd found herself in.

"You probably shouldn't leave. Again," Ahanu said, cracking an eye open as he lay stretched out on his bed.

"I can't stay cooped up. I won't go far this time." She waved a hand at him, ushering him back to his nap.

"What if you get lost?"

"I'll find my way back eventually. The city has borders; it's not like getting lost in the wild." She stood hanging in the doorway, hoping he'd give up. "I'll just follow the walls back to what's familiar."

He snorted and closed his eyes. "Yeah, in the wild I'd be less worried. Don't get hurt, Bimi."

Bimisi looked at him for a few breaths, wondering at how much their relationship had progressed. He might not see it yet, or even admit it, but Ahanu had really opened to her. She both liked and hated the nickname.

"I'll be careful. I promise."

She shut the door behind her and made her way into the odd city. Outside in the early afternoon sun, people wandered about the streets in droves. It was a busy place, and trails of magic could be seen, felt, and smelled from different shop fronts. It didn't leak from the people as it did from Bimisi, but the familiarity of it being there at all was a relief. A tang of orange slipped from a spice shop on a plume of orange-yellow smoke drawing attention to the goods in the window. The snap of sparks sounded from a blacksmith's shop up the road. Warmth that had nothing to do with the sun pooled around Bimisi as she passed a candlemaker's shop.