Wheezing, Jai-Jai tried to move her knees as they crushed into her ribcage. Entire body constricted she tried to twist her head to see anything. Darkness surrounded her, but what she felt was not the cement of the tunnel, but thick, twisted vines. Tuning out the mumbled sounds of men, she reached her arm out to her left.
A quiet groan announced that she wasn't alone in this wood cocoon.
"Rhistel?"
"Not anymore. A think me face may be permanently damaged."
Trying not to laugh, Jai-Jai winced as her knees crushed further into her. "I didn't know my body could fold like this. My knees might have broken a rib."
Rhistel choked out a pained chuckle. "Ye're telling me. How am a supposed to that the eye a feel swelling up wasn't from anyone but myself? What happened? A blacked out for what felt like seconds at most. We canna be in a cell."
"Last, I remember a sword was shoved into my face when the floor shook, and the vines grew around us."
Well, at least our back is finally able to stretch.
"There's only one person I can think of doing this," Jai-Jai started.
Rhistel's voice was raspy, "Kraneia's power canna reach this far, can it?"
Their wooden cocoon started to shake. The swords hacking at the vines surrounding the women were sounding dangerously close. A small flame flashed as Rhistel turned her head to look at her companion. Jai-Jai could see she was tired. The elf's usual confidant appearance had sunken into her dark circles, lips cracked from dehydration.
The fire flickered before it went out.
Staring at the elf, she felt a newfound admiration for her. At age nineteen Jai-Jai didn't think she could go through a mission of this magnitude. She was so immature at that age, filled with an immeasurable amount of anger and still consumed by it.
A dry cough erupted from Rhistel. "A think...a saw something?"
"What?"
"A face in the wood?"
"Is tha' possible?"
A larger flame burned.
"Put that out before you singe my nose off," The wood spoke.
Rhistel yelped, and the flame extinguished. "Kraneia?"
"Of course not," The voice sounded irritated. Underneath vines started to shift.
"Who are ye then?"
A leaf softly brushed past Jai-Jai's arm.
"I'm part of the mother."
"She's yer Ma?"
"No, we are of the same body."'
"But, ye called her mother."
"The mother tree, yes."
Regretting licking her lips, Jai-Jai tried to get a better handle on the situation. The feeling of her tongue was like sandpaper, which was less than pleasant. "How did you find us?"
"Mother seeded the human. I was planted to help if trouble arose."
We're going to have to tell that tree to keep her offspring to herself.
"Yer bum's oot the windae!"
"She may speaking in tongues," the vine's voice was calm.
"Where bloody were ye when me sister was shot. Ye're no' much help are ye?"
"Please elf," the vines started to constrict, "I am knowledgeable in most tongues spoken. But, yours is wagging around and yet, saying nothing."
A bony object pressed against Jai-Jai's side. It was a hand first, then Rhistel's arm crashing into hers. Both girls were pushed up against each other.
"We're never going to leave here are we?" Jai-Jai moaned under her breath.
It's not too late to burn everything.
"It might be."
Kraneia's daughter piped up again, "Is the human speaking to herself?"
"Ye she does that a wee bit. Now, are ye goin' to squish us or let us oot?" Rhistel's voice shook as she tried to gasp for air.
"We're already out." The face in the vines blinked as she loosened her hold.
The first glow of light blinded Jai-Jai. She shut her eyelids tight. A squeak came from beside her, followed by a soft thud. Peeling one eye, open Jai-Jai spotted a hole in the bottom of their vine pod, her companion gone. Both eyes widened as the wood beneath her pulled away, dropping her roughly onto the ground. The plant withdrew; it's wooden legs twisting out and under the ground like octopuses tentacles.
The two companions were alone again. The chilly wind nipped at Jai-Jai's fingers. Slowly inhaling, she stared at the sky. Sunrise was ending, the last streaks of colour fading into the blue of day. A pillar of smoke created a blanket of grey in the distance. Although several miles away from the burning city, vegetation was sparse and no animals could be heard nearby.
A hand grabbed at hers, startling Jai-Jai. The bones in her neck cracked as she turned to look at Rhistel. The girl's eyes watered, and she squeezed her hand.
Rhistel whimpered, "A cannae move nowhere. A don't want to face what might have happened tae my sister."
In a rare moment of kindness, Jai-Jai squeezed her hand back. "Do you want to hear something pitiful?"
"A donnae think two sad things cancel each other out?"
"It doesn't hurt to try."
Sniffling, Rhistel bit her lip.
"I'll deny this to the grave if you tell anyone."
"A believe ye."
"This is the first time I've ever held hands with someone that wasn't a handshake."
"Haud yer wheesht!" Rhistel broke out into loud laughter.
Jai-Jai choked. "What in the New World does that mean?"
"Ye know, haud yer wheesht. Shut yer mouth. Tha' canna be true? Didn't your Ma ever hold yer hand when ye was little?"
It was Jai-Jai's turn to laugh. "I've met my mother twice. The first, when I birthed. The second." The laughing stopped. "Was many years later. I happened to see her walking the halls, visiting-"
Stop.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter. But, she didn't recognize me."
"What! Ye own Ma didn't know who ye were?"
"Nope."
"That's bollocks."
"Yup."
Silence settled between the two.
The elf hiccupped. "That bloody vine may 'ave broken me arse."
Behind, a twig cracked. The elf jumped to stand, one hand blazing, the other trying to rub some life into her backside.
"Not interrupting anything are we?"
Ignoring Sen's remark, Jai-Jai pulled herself up to sit. A tangle of plants had grown over the hole where the ground had spat them out. Focusing, she could hear the human soldier's confused cries muffled underneath.
Kraneia's daughter must have tunneled through the cement. That tree may be more useful than we thought.
Twig walked into her view, kneeling beside her. "Are you okay?" Her brows furrowed and hands glowed.
The magic weaved its way through her. It felt like a million butterflies in her blood flew around her veins, up her arms, and down her back.
Stop, her subconscious warned.
Grabbing Twig's wrists, the fairy startled. Her wings flapped, spreading a fine mist of sparkles around the two. The glow surrounding her hands vanished, taking the butterflies with it. "I'm not hurt," the words coming out gruffer that Jai-Jai expected.
Twig cocked an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.
Gently releasing her grip on Twig, Jai-Jai spoke softer, "how's Alanis?"
Rhistel's breath hitched, and Twig's eyes started to water. "She's okay. Thank the Gods Sen got her there in time. The poison hadn't embedded itself too deep into her. She's resting with Kraneia a little ways from here."
Shoulders relaxing, Rhistel sunk back to the ground. Twig dug her hands deep into her trouser pocket, pulling out a small cardboard box. Handing the cigarettes to the elf, Twig winked.
"Don't tell your sister I gave you these. As a healer, I can't condone the use of this toxic junk. But, after the day you've had, it's okay." Shrinking, Twig took off.
Rhistel inhaled, her whole demeanor changing. She resembled the elf that Jai-Jai had met at Tanvell, only with a little more hair. The elf offered Jai-Jai a smoke. After being declined, she shrugged.
Another presence blocked Jai-Jai's view of the sun. Sen stood tall above her. He didn't speak but stretched out a hand towards her. His muscles bulged as he pulled her to standing.
"Thanks," Jai-Jai said quietly.
Sen mumbled back, "You're welcome."
"Would ye two stop being awkward an' hurry up? Those plants won't stop those men for long, and a've been around enough silly mud humans with pointy sticks for today. No offense Jai-Jai." Rhistel dropped her cigarette bud, crushing it with her toe while lighting another.
"Truly, none taken."
Twig fluttered in front of the group leading the way back to the others. Rhistel followed closely behind, whistling an upbeat tune. She was so happy that Jai-Jai wouldn't have been surprised if she started to break into a dance.
Why is he walking beside us?