Rise of the Firebird (43 page)

A door at the end of the hall opened and the
kotihaltija
vanished. The toe of a well-worn, lace up Doc Marten poked her. She groaned and opened her eyes. Eldon was standing over her.

“Big night in the forest, was it, my dear?” he asked, his gold eyes bright.

She groaned and sat up. She was wearing her jeans and a button up khaki shirt that had belonged to Trajan. She’d lost her shoes somewhere and her feet were stained with mud and leaf litter. Eldon sat down at the big table in front of a wooden tray. The smell of coffee hit Anya and she commanded her lethargic body to join him.

“Where is everyone?” she yawned and sat down. Eldon handed her a steaming cup and she breathed it in.

“They’re still sleeping. Let them, it is early. I wanted to talk to you for a while anyway.”

“You didn’t put a spell on them or anything, did you?” she asked as she took a bowl of steaming porridge from the tray, dripping honey over it in sticky globs.

“I couldn’t cast one even if I wanted to. The only magic that exists in Tapiola is at its Master’s approval. How was your night?”

“Long,” Anya said through a full mouth. “Did you know that tree’s and animals can talk to each other?”

Eldon smiled. “Yes. Did he teach you to listen to the trees speak?”

Anya remembered hearing only the breeze through the leaves. Then with Tapio’s calm voice and guidance, she heard the laughter. Anya nodded.

“What else did he teach you?” Eldon prompted.

“How to read the trail of a hawk in flight, how to command a tree to reveal its heart, how to turn the berries ripe and make flowers bloom. Eldon…he taught me to shape shift if I ever needed to.”

“What form?”

“A wolf. The same as when I was with the
Groenn Skaer
.”

“That might be your mother’s genes coming into play. Finns have many stories about their people shifting into wolves.”

“I remember her reading a book over and over.
The Wolf’s Bride
, it was called by Aino Kallas. It was the only thing I kept after I went to stay with Eikki. It had been in the car. Strange reading material for a woman married to the biggest cynic of all. Are we leaving today?”

Eldon sipped his coffee. Anya noticed his hair had become darker in places. Thick streaks of raven were now out numbering the grey. “You are asking me? This is your quest, Anyanka, not mine. It’s not my war either. Do
you
want to leave today?”

“I don’t want to leave here at all, which is why I must. The world could burn around us in this place and I wouldn’t care as long as it stayed like this.”

“I know that it might feel that way now, but it would stifle you in a short time. You’re a child of chaos and survival. People like us thrive in the turmoil. We don’t want to be involved in it but we are always in the middle of it.”

“But why, Eldon? All I want is some peace.” Anya poured more coffee and began to peel the shell off an egg.

“God granted within us the spirit of endurance and the ability to be a calm centre in the storm. When we stop is when we go truly mad,” he replied.

“Yvan is the calm centre not me. There you go talking of God again. You know what my experience with God has been? An overly righteous father trying to squash all the mystery and magic in the world with his heavy Bible. He
knew
that the family had magic in them and he made a five-year-old girl think that demons and madness were in her and that it was
her
fault. I was taken from priest to bishop and soaked in every flavour of holy water there is. The local priest thought Eikki consorted with demons and witches, and blood sacrifice, while he, a man of God, seduced every woman in the surrounding villages. That is my experience with
your
God.”

Eldon slowly buttered a piece of rye bread and handed it to her. “No, Anyanka. That is your experience with a bully and the predators hiding behind the protection of a religious cult. They are a reflection of sin within themselves, not a representative of God.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so. I have seen magnificent power, some I have wielded, but it is
nothing
when you are in the presence of True Power. We are ignorant bairns finger-painting with mud.”

“This God that you believe in so much is the one that holds you to the earth, is it not?” Anya sipped her coffee. “What kind of loving God does that?”

“It’s my penance. I deserve it. I am tired of living but I certainly deserve this punishment.”

Anya bit her tongue to stop herself from asking about the vision she had of him with the game. Was that the reason he thought he deserved such a torment? Anya wasn’t brave enough to ask.

The uncomfortable moment broke as Tapio pushed open the main door to the hall. Mychal was with him, his frown deeper than Anya had seen in a long time. She didn’t think it was possible to be that worried in Tapiola. Tapio smiled expansively when he saw them. More food appeared on the table and soon, their sleepy eye companions joined them.

“You smell of wolf,” Izrayl grunted as he sat down on one side of Anya and sniffed in her direction, “and elk. Did you go hunting?”

“No, we were tracking,” Tapio said. “She’s very good.”

Yvan sat down on the other side of Anya, a smile on his face. Heat was radiating off his body like a small furnace. “The firebird is happy this morning,” he said by way of explanation. “How was your night, wild lady of the woods?”

“Busy but good. I’m not going to be concerned about getting lost in the forest ever again. We really need to be getting a move on today.”

“I shall get some of my
kotihaltija
to gather supplies for you,” Tapio said with a nod.

“You’ve already done so much for us, thank you, Lord Tapio,” Aramis said and bowed his head. “I hope one day I’m able to repay such kindness.”

“I would only ask you to come back and stay here again one day. I want to hear all of your stories and that of the times to come. It’s so very rare to find good company.”

A hearty breakfast later, they stood at the gate of Tapiola, laden with their gear. Anya found her boots beside the bed she didn’t get a chance to sleep in, though she was sure she had them on the night before.

“I have asked the trees to clear a path for you. By nightfall, you shall reach a small settlement. They are friendly, good people. They’ll give you food and shelter for the night. In the morning, Anya find a birch and do as I showed you, the trees will guide you and in three days’ time, you will reach the borders of Pohjola,” instructed Tapio. “Beware of Louhi. She will not be as friendly as Tuoni. If anything, she will distrust you more for what has happened between you and her father.”

“Sounds familiar,” Anya murmured.

“Do you ever stop to think you aren’t much of a people person, Anya?” Izrayl joked.

“Why would I need more friends when the ones I have are such class acts?” Anya pulled a face at him.

They said their farewells to Tapio and left Anya alone. Yvan stopped on the tree line to wait for her. She hesitated only for a moment before hugging Tapio to her. He chuckled and kissed her forehead like an affectionate uncle.

“Go on, little one. Go and make me proud. When all is safe, return for healing,” he said as he let her go.

“I will. Thank you for your hospitality, your wisdom, and your guidance.”

Anya didn’t turn back as she crossed the wards, her magic flickering as she did so. Yvan held out his hand to her and she took it, grateful for the warm touch.

“That would have to be one of the strangest encounters I’ve ever had,” Yvan said as they walked. “The firebird wasn’t eager to leave.”

“He’s not the only one,” she replied. Eldon and Aramis were in a lively conversation by the time they caught up. Walking with them, Aleksandra and Mychal in front, Kata and Izrayl laughing in the distance, Anya could almost forget the reason why they were there and just enjoy the moment, stolen moment though it might be.

As they walked, the birch grew sparse and the pines grew thicker. Blackberry bushes grew in formidable clumps and large orange mushrooms sprung up in abundance. True to his word, the forest opened before them like Tapio said it would, clearing a path for them. Anya wasn’t sure if it was sleep deprivation or her night spent with Tapio, but her senses were tuned to the sounds and sights around her. When they unexpectedly came across a glade of wildflowers, she almost burst into tears. She could hear the birds in the trees building their nests and if she allowed herself to be calm, she could feel the life grow around her and a deep prevailing order to the seemingly chaotic life.

Late in the afternoon, they could smell fires burning and finally came to a small settlement.

“Look there! Tapio sends us visitors,” a woman called from the front step. While Anya wouldn’t have said the woman was old, there was something matronly about her. A red scarf embroidered with flowers covered her hair and her face was ageless. She could have been anywhere between thirty and seventy, her round face smiling and happy.

“How did you know we came from Tapio?” Anya asked. The woman patted her cheek.

“Because I see with more than my eyes. You have the mark of
metsä aarre
about you, girl. Welcome, all of you! I’m Anikki and you are our guests tonight.”

Anikki led them through the village while people stopped and stared. They spoke a variant of Finnish similar to Eikki, but it was quicker.

“Anya, what’s going on?” Yvan asked her.

“Just go with it,” she told them. “They are offering us hospitality for the night.”

A crowd had built up and Anya smiled as a group of fair-haired children pulled at her clothes. They were taken to a moderate hall in the centre of the town. It was a meeting hall with benches built around the sides for people to sit on and a fire pit in the middle. Women were building a fire and rolling balls of sticky dough in bowls of flour. Anikki took Yvan’s hand unexpectedly.

“He is from Skazki?” she asked Anya. Her smiling face losing some of its enthusiasm.

“Yes.”

“He’s of royal blood.”

“Yes, but he has no kingdom, nor does he want one.” Yvan watched the exchange, tension building swiftly in his stance.

“There’s something very different about him.”

“There’s something very different about all of us. We mean you no harm,” Anya assured placing her hand over where Anikki gripped him. The other woman removed her hand.

“Tapio wouldn’t have sent you if you had. You should know that the ones that travel from Skazki will be viewed suspiciously in Karelia. We’ve heard that there have been battles there and we want no war here.”

“We’re trying to stop them. That is why we have come.”

“Then we shall help you. It’s fortunate you have come tonight. A rune singer has arrived and will be singing for us.”

“We will be honoured to hear him.”

“Sit and be at ease. The food will be ready soon and we shall all join you.” Anikki moved to help the other women, giving instructions.

“
Shalosť,
should I ask what she said about me?” Yvan set his bag on the ground before sitting down. Anya rested her hand against his arm.

“It’s fine, Vanya. We are safe here. She was concerned because she has heard of trouble in Skazki.”

“I look suspicious?”

“Really big, dark Russian that looks like he wasn’t taught how to smile? No, nothing suspicious about you at all.”

“Mychal is more suspicious than I am,” Yvan said.

“Mychal is…gone,” Anya looked around but there was no sign of Eldon either.

“They’ll be fine. They know where to find us.”

“Do you want to tell me what is wrong?” Eldon asked. Mychal had let the crowds take the others away while he slipped away. Not so easily from Eldon. He’d found Mychal sitting on the banks of a stream watching the sky turn and the shadows grow long.

“What makes you assume anything is wrong, Bard?”

Eldon flopped down on the grass next to him, “You’ve let Aleki out of your sight. Something must be wrong for you to allow that.”

Mychal played with the stone in his hand turning it over and over.

“You went out with Tapio early this morning, Mychal. What did he tell you that has upset you so much?”

“He said that he didn’t know I had been reborn. He claims to have met me before.”

“Ah, these creatures tend to lose their grip on reality, Mychal. You live long enough times and…”

“No, it was more than that. He was genuinely confused that I didn’t remember him. He said we had met in a forest during the last world war. How could that be possible?” Mychal tossed the stone into the creek.

“You think there’s any truth in it?”

“I want to reject the whole thing but there is…something. A feeling maybe. I know when someone is lying, Eldon. Tapio wasn’t lying. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“How are the nightmares? Getting worse?” Eldon asked. He picked a blade of grass and began to shred it in his fingers.

“They’re always bad but they are becoming more frequent. Aleksandra knows and is doing her best not to ask me about them. There isn’t anything I could tell her that will ease her mind anyway.”

They were silent for a long time. Eldon watched the first stars begin to flicker and he waited patiently for Mychal to rally the thoughts that were bothering him the most. “Eldon, do you believe in God?”

“You know that I do.”

“And you’ve never doubted that God existed? Questioned it? Even when you were very young?”

“Of course I did. I was a very stubborn young man who thought he knew everything until I was shown I knew nothing at all. Everyone doubts at some point. “

“I don’t. I never have. I’ve known that there is a God since the moment I came into the world. There was never a doubt.”

“And this is a problem for you?”

“I know that I’m different, Eldon. I’ve been hunted by demons since I was a little boy. I can kill them so easily. It feels good and right when I do so. There are walls in my mind and I don’t know how to pull them down, even if I wanted to. What if what Tapio said was true and I have been here before. But I don’t believe in reincarnation. I don’t know what to do.”