Len pulled me over to a rock near the camp's entrance. We crouched behind it, and Len wrapped his fingers around mine. "Don't freak out, okay? It's going to be fine."
"Saying that makes me feel like I should be worried," I whispered, shifting inside of Eli's hoodie. If I closed my eyes and tugged his hoodie real close, I could almost imagine that his familiar scent still clung to it, almost as if he was here with me. I held onto that thought like a lifeline. "Are you sure about this?" I asked Len.
Before I could ask any more questions, Len pulled me on top of the rock. From up there, I could get a perfect view of the small village in front of me. Mostly, it was composed of many tents clumped together in the forest, with a few small cabins here and there. Inside one of the tents nearest, I could catch a glimpse of stacks upon stacks of leather-bound books, piling into the ceiling.
The ground beneath us was worn down to dirt from walking paths, with small patches of grass where groups of people gathered. On one of the patches, a woman with tan skin and long, black hair read a book to young children. The canopy overhead sent dappled patches of sunlight along the camp, filling the camp with an almost-light, a tint of gold among the shadows of the forest.
As I took in the camp, a crowd of people began to grow beneath us, staring up at Len and I on top of the rock.
"What's going on, Len?" A man near the front of the group asked. At the sound of his voice, more villager began to wander over, squinting up at me. "Who's that?"
"This is Marlow," Len announced from our placement on the rock in the front of the village. People looked up at us, their faces wrinkled with confusion. A murmuring rose from the gathering crowd as people exited their tents and looked up at me. I kept my fingers wrapped tightly around Len's, trying to keep myself from trembling. Despite my nerves, Len was confident and cocky, his chest puffed out and his eyes glowing.
An older woman shoved through the crowd, anger radiating off her movements. Long blonde hair swirled past her shoulders and eyes like a lightning storm glared up at us. I flinched backwards. "Len! Get down from there! You were missing from chores all morning!" A laugh echoed through the people in front of me, but the woman quickly silenced it with a flick of her hand.
Len crossed his arms over his chest and knelt to look the woman in the eye. "But, mother, look what I found!"
For the first time, Len's mom looked up at me. Without Len standing beside me any longer, I felt exposed, and I swaddled myself in Eli's hoodie for comfort. "Who is this?" She demanded, her face hardened.
"That's Marlow!" Len said again, looking back from his mom, to me, and then to the crowd of village people. "They're a human," He whispered, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
Len's mother gasped and took a step back. The rest of the crowd followed her movements, playing follow-the-leader. I watched as their gazes all shifted to steady on me, unmoving. I felt like a wild animal under observation.
"A human?" Len's mother hissed. The crowed began to murmur once more, pointing at my hoodie and my backpack and my face. My cheeks felt red and hot. "How did it get here?"
Shrugging, Len chewed on his thumb nail. "They said they just walked here, and then a mountain lion led them to the water border on the south side – where I found them. They keep talking about a brother or something."
Rage like a smoldering fire kept Len's mother's cheeks a bright, distinctive red. Her mouth formed a thin line. "Come with me," she snapped, sending Len a meaningful look. Len reached behind himself to grab my hand again, guiding me down from the rock. We marched through the crowd like a funeral procession. They parted to let us through, leaving enough space on either side to stay far away from me. I felt like a fish out of water, scrambling to breathe, and these people were the fishermen planning to chop me up for lunch. Milo hid in my shoulder, crouching in the shade of my neck.
We disappeared into a tent at the end of the camp, the largest tent there. Len's mother marched, her head held high and her shoulders pushed back, to a large desk at the back. She gestured for me to sit at one of the high-backed chairs, and Len took a seat beside me. After pouring us both mugs of tea, she paced around the desk in circles, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Your name is Marlow?" She asked, her lips pointed out in a pout.
"Yes," I whispered, keeping my face pointed down, looking into the steam rising from my tea. I wanted to cry from how good the fresh mint smelled, wafting from the mug. I wondered if they had food at this camp, real food – not just granola bars. My stomach rumbled at the mere thought.
"How old are you, Marlow?" She leaned over the table, her palms pressed into the raw wood. With how intense her expression looked, it felt a lot like an interrogation.
I pressed my fingers to the ceramic mug, relishing the way it burned into my fingertips, the proof that this wasn't all a dream. "I'm fourteen years old." Tears welled in my eyes, all at once. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be on a camping trip with my brother, a way to escape everything that had happened back at home. We'd run from the fire and into the flood, from tragedy to tragedy.
Her harsh expression softened, sympathy flooding her features. "Where is your mother?" She asked, voice calmer than before. "Who is taking care of you?"
My bottom lip poked out. Here were the tears, coming beyond my control. I tried to hold back, ignoring the burning feeling in my throat and the tip of my nose. "Dead," I choked out, my eyes frozen on the table. I could feel Len and his mother's gaze drilling holes in me, but I couldn't dare to face them. "It was just Eli and me, but Eli is gone. I don't know. I don't know."
"Len. Go get Marlow some food, okay?" Len's mother said, confident and commanding. I heard Len's chair squeak as he got up, but I didn't lift my gaze. I felt a soft hand land on the top of my head, smoothing back the ragged strands of my hair. "Marlow. My name is Alexia. I am the chief of this camp. We can help you."
I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, thick sobs leaving my throat in chokes and coughs. I tugged my hands through my hair, pulling out thick sections of knots and tangles through my fingers. Alexia pulled my hands away, instead using her fingers to work out the rough sections. Her smooth fingers against my scalp felt calm and caring, and I felt my cries subsiding, slowly.
"Can you tell me anything about yourself, Marlow? I don't know much about humans. Len is kind of the camp expert. Are they still complete harlots?"
I giggled, smiling through tear-stained cheeks. "I feel like I'm required to say we're not, but..."
"But what?" She laughed, sitting down on the chair next to me and sipping at Len's tea. "Well, maybe that was silly of me. You don't seem like a harlot."
"You guys look sort of like humans, though. What are you?" I asked, blowing on my own tea before I took a drink as well. The warm liquid calmed my burning throat. It felt strange, talking to Alexia. She'd gone from complete hostility to being the first comforting presence since Eli. I didn't want to feel safe, not until I knew Eli was too, but through mere existence, Alexia wouldn't let me get away with that.
"We're a lot like humans," Alexia admitted, brushing a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. "But we have a stronger connection to energy than you – what you call magic. Our souls are more tied to nature, I suppose. And it is our purpose to protect forests. We're called Symphia, people who are half human and half part of the wild."
"So you're like nymphs?" I asked, recalling the name from a book I'd read on mythological creatures.
Alexia furrowed her brow. "What is a nymph?"
"A spirit that protects forest and stuff, I think. But they're all girls."
"That's....strange." Alexia laughed, folding her hands together on her lap. "You humans are so silly! You almost got it right, but not quite."
Len walked into the room, a tray of food in his hands. He grinned at me, all confidence and soft edges. "I brought you the best we had to offer! Charred rabbit, fresh bread, and grilled vegetables. You better enjoy it." He set the plate down in front of me, looking at me expectantly.
"Thanks," I said, my voice thick. The food smelled incredible, and regardless, I was so hungry I would've eaten anything. I lifted up my fork and began to eat immediately, nearly choking from how fast I ate.
Watching me, wide eyed, Len grinned. "I'll assume that means you like it! Be careful not to eat too fast, you might get sick." I forced myself to slow down at his advice, mentally complaining all the while.
Alexia stood up, patting my back and wiping a smudge of dirt off Len's cheek. "I'll be back. I'm going to see if there's place for Marlow to sleep in the training tent. Len, stay here with Marlow. You're dismissed from chores, but just for today."
After Alexia left, I tried to hide a smile as Len did a victory dance. He hopped around the room, shaking his butt in the air and twisting his hips in a circle. He pumped his fists towards the ceiling and then glanced back at me to gauge my reaction. When he saw my amusement, he beamed, glowing in the spotlight.
"Oh, I hope you get the sleep in the training tent with me! I can introduce you to Evera and Briar and Lark." Len bounced back to sit next to me, propping his elbows on the table to watch me eat.
We sat in silence for a while, as I tried to pace myself through my food and Len tried to hide his excitement. I took the quiet moment to survey the tent, trying to memorize every detail I could. The brown canvas of the walls, the dark wood of the table. Shelves, stacked with books, and a rack filled with decorated swords and shields. Maps pinned to the walls of the tent, marked with tiny smudges of black. And Alexia, as she walked back in, her shoulders pushed back and her chin held high – the posture of a leader.
"You can sleep in the training tent, with Len. But first, we have some talking to do," Alexia said, her mercury eyes boring into mine.