The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (22 page)

When she was younger she had to tolerate people
s’
stares and hurtful suggestions.  Now she took every chance she got to explore the woods around Plarn. Her parents understood and let her, with the promise that she would never go beyond the mountains. Breaking that had been extremely tempting a few times. But she just could not leave them for the town to dishonor wit
h‘
I told you s
o’
s
.
”

Her frequent visits to the woods gave her many chances to find the local wolf pack, Russ
y’
s family. Many would wonder at her choice of goal. She chose it, because the wolves fascinated her. She felt drawn to them. They were misunderstood as she was. They had been shy of her and tended to vanish like smoke. Her persistence paid off and she became part of the pack. Russy was born with her instated as pack member. He followed her whenever she was in the forest. She was the only human he liked, although she was the
only
human he met. She kept the pack away from Plarn. The Plarnese would kill Russy and his kin on sight. For all their independence it was surprising they listened to her. But then wolves were often smarter than humans pictured them. They probably already knew they would not be welcomed among the sheep.

Russy came toward her and bounced her hand onto his scruffy neck. Terana closed her eyes to listen to the calming woods as she obligingly scratched the fluffy incarnate of trouble.  Birds sang their conversations and somewhere a squirrel scolded a woodpecker for bothering its afternoon nap. A bird squawked somewhere nearby and there was a rustle above her. Terana peered up at the mapl
e’
s canopy. Russy followed suit; his ears focusing on sounds beyond hers. She could swear she heard somethin
g…
talking?

“
Nice birdie, nice birdie. Birdie wo
n’
t like Zeeve. Zeeve all scrawny and stringy. Eehe wo
n’
t like at all. All yucky! Al
l…
al
l…
Waaaa
!”
Terana rolled out of the way as something fell with a thud. Russy sprang backward
.“
Zeeve do
n’
t feel so good anymore
.”
It groaned.

Terana stood, dusting leaves and dirt off her thick wool pants, blouse, and vest. All had been dyed her favorite colors; forest green and sky blue. The fact she wore pants had sent the town into such a riot. But she had been as stubborn as an ass when they complained. Her parents had begged her to get back into her proper garments. She told them that a dress was nothing but trouble in the forest; the skirts getting snagged on everything. Her father came up with a workable compromise. In town she was to wear a dress, as she should. In the forest she could dress as a man.

Her fingers absently picked a stubborn burr out of a blue sleeve. Her attention was taken mostly by the little pile of furs.
 “
Ar
e…
are you alright
?”
She asked hesitantly. Russy approached it, sniffing curiously. The furs moved. Russy yelped and sprang back, seeking Teran
a’
s reassurance. The furs shifted again and a little man-like thing appeared. He had little pointy ears that stuck out of little holes in his cap. Tuffs of curly brown hair stuck out from under the ha
t’
s brim. He reminded her a little of the drawings of lvessa in fairy tale books. Except he was shorter, a
lot
shorter. He looked around the clearing a little lost looking.              

“
Zeeve do
n’
t remember this place at all
.”
He lifted up his hand, which he first had to roll up the over sized sleeve to see, and began to tick off his fingers
.“
Zeeve find nest with tasty eggs in it. Zeeve try to take one little egg. Zeeve got in big trouble with hungry looking mam
a…
hmm
m…
big blank, and then Zeeve find big hard open area
.”
He stood up then.

“
I take it then yo
u’
re okay
.”
Zeeve started and looked at her. His eyes got big as he stared at her feet. They got bigger and bigger and she began to fear that his eyes would pop out of his head.

He cursed and before she could blink, he dove under the leaf litter. Russy made to follow when Terana called him back. She looked around without moving for fear of stepping on the strange creature.

“
Umm, little thin
g…
guy
?”
She amended quickly
.“
Uhh where did you go
?
”

“
Zeeve ai
n’
t here
!”
Came a squeak from somewhere nearby.

Terana sighe
d“
Then who am I having the pleasure of speaking with
?
”

There was a silence
.“
Tivi
.
”

“
Tivi? Well Tivi, can you tell me where that tiny Zeeve ran off too
?”
Terana, in all her innocence, did not realize what she had done. 

“
TINY
!”
Zeeve nearly exploded. He abandoned his hiding place in one bound. His already comical sight was enhanced when he spread his feet with hands on his hips and his little chest puffed out. His furred trench coat brisling like it was alive.
 “
Tiny? Zeeve not tiny
!”
Russy peered at Zeeve from around Terana. Then glanced at her to see her reaction to this noisy creature. He looked back to see what Zeeve was up too.

“
Oh no
?”
She asked innocently.

“
No. Zeeve tall
.
”

Terana bit her tongue to keep from laughing
.“
Where in? Where is six inches tall
?
”

His mouth dropped for a second before he ground it shut again
.“
In Zeevria
.
”
 
She could not control it anymore. Terana fell to her knees and laughed for all she was worth. Russy backed away from her. Zeeve lost his hysterical posture and stared at her in utter confusion
.“
Umm, Miss Giant? Miss Giant! Zeeve want to know what is so funny
.
”

She laughed harder. His bubble of prideful anger deflated at her laughter. His shoulders slumped and his fur coat hung limply about him. She rolled onto her back giggling uncontrollably. Zeeve climbed onto her forehead and peered into her eyes
.“
Zeeve want to know wha
t’
s so funny
!”
He repeated. She shook her head and he went sailing, coat and all, back into the leaf litter.

Russy whined and began to wash her face.

“
Blugh! RUSSY
!”
She protested. The wol
f’
s wet and smelly tongue ignored her. It even went so far as to clean her teeth for her
.“
Tugh, you can stop now
.”
Terana pushed the wolf away from her
.“
Lyuck
.”
She scrubbed wolf slim off her face
.“
Why did you do that
?
”
 
She glared at him indignantly. The wolf only peered at her
.“
Yuck
!”
Seeking to cleanse her mouth, she spat.  The wolf whined and Terana scratched Russ
y’
s ruff to sooth him. It was then that she remembered Zeeve
.“
Zeeve
?”
She asked the nearest pile of leaves
.“
Zeeve, are you okay
?
”

Zeeve peered at her with little brown eyes from behind a large oak leaf he was holding before him
.“
Zeeve wants to know if Miss Giant is safe now
.
”

“
I have always been safe
.”
She protested.

Zeeve dropped the leaf looking slightly disgruntled
.“
Then how did Zeeve end up flying into leaf pile
?”
He asked gesturing behind him.

Teran
a’
s brow lifted at that
.“
What do you expect? What would you do to keep a tiny man from getting hurt when you are in the middle of giggling
?
”

“
Zeeve never had tiny guys climb all over him
.”
He said shrugging.

“
I wonder why
?”
Terana asked sarcastically getting up and dusting leaves off her pants.

“
Zeeve just had to wade through ladies
.
”

“
What?
!
”

“
Zeeve say nothing
!”
He said rather too quickly for that to be true. Blushing did not help his case either.

“
Did
n’
t you say something abou
t‘
wading through ladie
s’?”
Terana pressed.

“
No. Zeeve say nothing
.
”

“
Hmm
.”
She studied him before shaking her head. It was evident that he was not going to tell her. Fine. She probably did
n’
t want to know anyway.  She crouched next to her forgotten doeskin knapsack. She flipped closed her sketchbook and snatched the charcoal stick before a fluffy something remembered it and shoved it into the bag. After a second thought she took out an apple preserve pastry. She bit into it, savoring its sweet essence. A tiny rumbling and a whine made her look down and she almost lost it again. Zeeve was looking at the pastry with the biggest puppy eyes she had ever seen and Russy was hard put to win the cute contest. It was a nose to nose tie
.“
Let me guess, yo
u’
re hungry
.
”

“
Zeeve not hungry. Zeeve starving and about to die of tummy gurgles
.”
He said matter-of-factly.

Russy wagged his tail hopefully. Even if he had won, she would not risk giving him human food.

Terana chuckled and Zeeve backed away a little
.“
Do
n’
t worry;
I’
m hopefully not going to lose myself again. Here
.”
She handed him a piece of pastry with sticky filling. Russy looked as if he could not believe Zeev
e’
s luck. He looked sadly at Terana
.“
Sorry,
I’
m not feeding you. I wo
n’
t feed you table scraps
.”
Russ
y’
s head and tail dropped. Zeeve stuck out his tongue over the pastry. Russy glared at him.  The piece was about the size of bulgy grain sack compared to Zeeve. Zeeve looked at the piece for a second then began munching loudly. Terana stopped chewing in mid chomp as the piece disappeared into thin air. Zeeve wiped his face on his sleeve and looked at her again. She swallowed
,“
Satisfied
?
”

Zeeve nodded
.“
For the moment. Where does Miss Giant live
?
”

“
In the town down there
.”
She pointed down the slope toward Plarn
.“
By the way, my name is
not
‘
Miss Gian
t’
. It is Terana Carpenter
:
”

“
Terana
.”
Zeeve repeated
.“
Zeeve remember
.
”

Russy snorted.

Zeeve rounded on him
.“
You do
n’
t think Zeeve remember name
?”
Russy barked
.“
Well, Zeeve will
.”
The wolf shook his head with a look that expressed disbelief
.“
See here fluffy mutt; Zeeve has better memory then you
!”
Zeeve declared.  Russy growled at the implied insults.