14. Mia
CHAPTER 14
MIA
A s he scoops me up, I can't help but feel a little flushed. The rescue, the emotions... oh and the way his big strong hairy body feels as he cradles me in his arms.
God, deep inside of course I was hoping he would come after me... and he did!
Don’t forget to make him grovel a little though...
My mother’s voice again, but this time I won’t argue. Not completely at least.
Right, but that all comes later... right now it seems there is a mob chasing us... or maybe it’s a horde?
"I do appreciate the rescue, all things considered..." I manage to say as he pauses for a moment, apparently trying to decide where we should go. "Even though I wouldn't have gotten stuck again if you hadn't have called me the C word..."
"Um, honey, can we talk about this later? But I get it. Believe me. No C word. But right now, we need to get the hell out of here..."
As he speaks the obvious answer pops into my head.
"The temple! We can hide in the temple. They’ll never find us in there. I bet they’ll run right by."
He hesitates for just a moment, then nods. "You’re not just another pretty face, you know that? But you’ll need to point the way."
I guide him through the moonlit night, toward the hole I climbed out of early in the day. “I think I can find it again, but in the dark, it won’t be easy...”
“Let’s hope you can, because I think we are out of options... if we head deeper into the woods, I think the doom dogs really will get us... if the Elder Gods don’t strike us down for all being on their sacred grounds in the first place...”
“They’ll get over it,” I quip. “We need to work on your positive attitude mister.” Thankfully the moon is bright and soon enough we come to the entrance. “There!” I spot the hole I crawled out of. Even though the vines and undergrowth almost conceal it, the large rock I remember being alongside it is unmistakable.
"Here," I whisper, pushing aside the growth. "We can slip inside and wait until they pass by."
“I’m onboard. Go!”
“See, would a crazy person be capable of such a plan?”
I can’t help it. I am going to needle him with that one as long as I can. Well, no... he doesn’t deserve that. But maybe just a little longer.
“No, you are a genius. My beautiful, irresistible little human genius. Now please, get in there!”
“Hey, what about Zoe and Olivia. Are they safe? What’s going on anyhow?”
“Kalen and Thokk will protect them. You can count on that. But one thing at a time. Let’s get out of sight.”
“Okay, okay. Gods, why so secretive? We really are going to have to work on communication ya know...” I say as I lead the way in.
“I’ll put it on my list.”
The interior is cool and dark, just as I had left it, but definitely less frightening this time with Koda's massive presence beside me.
That's when I notice it - an archway that definitely wasn't here before.
Of course it was here.
You just didn’t notice it.
Fine. What I'd thought was just another shadowy alcove is actually an opening, the moonlight spilling through from some upper chamber making it stand out now.
"Hey, look... this place is bigger than we thought. How did we miss that?" I whisper, but before Koda can respond, I hear voices drift in from that direction.
"Hello? Is this where the show is?" A random woman’s voice echoes against the walls.
What the hell?
Koda puts an arm out to move me behind him as we edge over toward the newly revealed doorway... a mysterious pale shimmering light is emanating from it now.
Along with the light I feel a subtle breeze as well.
I feel Koda’s warm breath in my ear as he whispers, “There must be a whole other side to this place... and another entrance, judging by that breeze...”
Slowly, we creep along the wall until we turn the corner and look in. I am shocked by what I see.
Peering into the newly discovered chamber I am astonished to see it is not just some little room, like where we were, but more like a hall. Columns stand at regular intervals to support to high vaulted ceiling, and like the other rooms we have seen, its walls are lined with frescoes. In alcoves spaced along the walls, magical torches give off a diffuse low light.
But most shockingly, in addition to the woman who has wandered closest to us, I recognize a few parents beginning to enter from the far end. They seem, maybe not as surprised as we are, but certainly curious as they take in the room.
At first Koda keeps me back, but then the angry grunts of the orcs sound unmistakably from the room that is now behind us, where we just entered.
“Shit, so much for being sneaky! They found us!” I murmur.
But now Koda seems torn. Which way do we go? As we try to stay concealed in shadow, more confused parents begin to stream in.
“There must be another entrance at the far end of this new chamber,” he again whispers in a voice for me alone. A look of grim determination, and confusion cross Koda’s face as he seems to weigh our options.
But the choice is pretty obvious, and just as we begin to make our way into the hall, the orcs come around the corner behind us, followed closely by the elders. Their torchlight further flooding the hall, as they too now gasp, even as they close in on us.
“What do we do?”
Before Koda can respond, Thokk and Kalen appear, along with Zoe and Olivia right behind them – all being pushed along by the guards. They are not tied up, but the orcs and trolls have their clubs at the ready. Even the witch, Elowen is among them, also clearly under guard.
I still have no idea what exactly is happening, but this hardly seems to be the time to ask Koda for an in-depth explanation.
We're completely surrounded now... or boxed in at least...
“Now I know how Butch and Sundance must have felt.”
Koda just looks at me, “Butch and Sundance?”
“I’ll explain later – if we live.”
“You do have spirit my mate,” Despite the situation, I see the hint of a smile play upon his lips.
Before we can say more, I hear Elder Faelar’s exasperated, and somewhat alarmed voice piercing over what is the fast-rising din of arriving parents. “What in the name of all the Gods is going on here!”
But the Orcs and Trolls don’t seem to care, as they begin to close in. I recognize the tall one and the short one from the other day. Grunk and something. Boardgame? No... Borgin... that’s right. They seem particularly pleased to have us cornered.
“Back away!” Koda growls as the guards close in.
But even as the guards surround us on the left, a wall of confused and anxious parents is closing in from the right, apparently having spotted me.
“Miss Mia, what is happening here?” I vaguely recognize the little elven woman from the square.
“What’s this about a show!” it’s Mrs. Bramblewood again.
“Where are our children!” This time it’s practically a chorus!
“Koda!” We are truly screwed... angry parents on the one side and really angry trolls and orcs – and elders – on the other...”
But just as we are being caught in a pincer movement between Mrs. Bramblewood and the other parents on the one hand, and Borgin and Grunk on the other, something extraordinary happens. A low beat starts to emanate through the space – something akin to a hand clap accompanied by a high tone drum beat.
My ears perk up immediately. It is oddly familiar.
Then, almost instantly all attention focuses on the central area of the hall as maybe ten or so small figures emerge from behind pillars, their clothes sparkling with some kind of fairy magic.
“Rowan?”
“Scamper!”
“Grimclub?” One of the Orcs exclaims in shock.
But rather than run to their parents, or even acknowledge them for that matter, the younglings all seem to move into some sort of positions.
“Oh my God!” I bring a hand to my mouth as I look at Koda, delight blooming in my heart.
“What’s going on, Rowan? What are you doing?” Mrs. Bramblewood isn’t handling this well.
“By the rains of Marwon, what is happening” Koda thunders, a perplexed look coming over his face.
The others are all equally confused. I can see Thokk and Kalen as well as the guards looking around, trying to make sense of the strange turn of events...
And then all of a sudden it starts...
“Don’t you see? They are putting on a show!” I beam at Koda, pride swelling inside me.
Of course I have no idea what it is – we didn’t get that far – but I can’t wait to find out!
A high, twangy sound begins to match the beat and fills the air as the pixies join in with the wing-song technique we had practiced. The floor beneath us begins to pulse with magical light!
The witchlings! They move in synch as the massive stone blocks of the floor begin to flash in colorful flashes in time with the beat. The little witchlings’ faces are masks of concentration.
Oh my God. How did they put this together so fast?
No idea.
But they did.
The beat kicks in, and suddenly, there's Whisper, front and center, moving with a confidence I've never seen before. His voice rings out, clear and strong:
No way. Now I know that beat. It’s unmistakable.
I almost squeal with delight, as their sound fills the room...
"Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk..."
I clap a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. Our quiet, shy Whisper, doing his best John Travolta strut in the middle of this ancient temple.
"I'm a woman's man, no time to talk..."
The other younglings join in, their different monster sounds blending perfectly with the rhythm, just like we practiced.
Well, not exactly like we practiced. The individual skills, yes, but where did they get the idea for this?
And Whisper... Whisper is absolutely crushing it!
All eyes are on him as his voice commands the space, and his very presence – wow what a presence! – fills the room!
The magic builds as more children join in - trolls providing the steady backing beat on their seed pod drums – and look at them! They are grooving right along with the rest!
“They have choreography!” I exclaim to no one in particular.
The pixies are nailing the guitar sound with their wings as they fly in beautiful swirling patterns, leaving little trails of sparkles as they move.
As Whisper struts, he starts popping his hips and swaying his shoulders even as he delivers the iconic lines...
The little witchlings are going off! The floor pulses with multicolored lights... even as one has created a pretty convincing disco ball effect high above them. Somehow, they have taken all my ideas and encouragement and made them their own... into this.
It has become something positively transcendent.
I feel tears in my eyes as parents begin swaying to the music, their anger, fear, and confusion all but forgotten. Even some of the guards can't help tapping their feet.
"That's my boy on drums!" I hear one of the orc guards whisper proudly to his companion. Was that Borgin?
As the song builds to its climax, Whisper's voice grows even stronger, with Rowan, Scamper and a group of little faeries joining in to deliver the chorus. In this moment, I realize that they're not just singing, they're finding their roars!
“Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother you’re staying alive, stayin’ alive!”
I look around and everyone is absolutely transfixed.
“Ah ha Ha HA staying alive staying alive”
“You’re staying aaaaliiiiiivveeeeeee!”
When the final notes end, suddenly the room is pitched into darkness. And Instantly the temple erupts in cheers.
“Huzzah!”
As the magical torches relight, parents rush forward to embrace their children, all thoughts of punishment seemingly forgotten.
The room is full of overlapping conversations all at once, as praise is heaped upon the younglings and their show. Everywhere I look are astonished, delighted, smiling faces.
"Did you see Lirael's light work?"
"And little Thundertoe’s drumming!"
"They're incredible!"
“And oh my God that Whisper! Who knew?”
Then all of a sudden I am face to face with um.. what’s her name, an orc woman - an orcress? – Narga I think her name is... Ms. Narga?
Instinctively I take half a step back.
I sure hope she doesn’t want to hit me.
“Ms. Mia, right? I just want to tell you what a difference you have made for little Thundertoe. I mean, it has been night and day... and this show!”
“Oh... why thank you...”
“And if anyone so much as breathes a bad word about you from now one... well you just tell them to come see Narga...”
“Okay, I will most certainly do that. And thank you!”
As she rushes off, presumably to scoop up little Thundertoe, I turn just as Koda spins to face me as well. “That was incre-“
But no sooner does he start than the flat voice of Elder Luminara cuts through the celebration from off to my left.
"An impressive display," she says coldly. "Perhaps your... methods have some merit. But this changes nothing. You all still must be pun-"
I barely have a chance to prepare myself for whatever she has to say when she is in turn interrupted...
"Holy hopscotch and dead spirits alive!"
What the...
Elowen's shout makes everyone jump. Me probably the highest! I turn to see the witch staring at her book, thumbing through the pages with an almost rabid intensity as it shines with a strange golden light. She’s addressing... who? The Elders? Us? Or kind of everyone all at once. "During the – what exactly was that anyhow? Performance? I don’t know... but I think I almost understand now!"
“Elowen, what happened? You understand what?”
"It's actually kind of warm too!” Elowen dances in place, even as she rifles through the pages, pausing intermittently. “Yes, yes, of course...” she continues, as if Koda hadn’t just asked her a question.
“Elowen, are you feeling alright.” Koda has pulled me close.
"The spell! It was the portals! I knew it worked... but I didn’t know how it worked!"
"What nonsense is this now?" Luminara demands, but even she takes a step back as another surge of light pulses from the tome, before the glow begins to fade.
"It seems so obvious now. Well maybe not obvious but..." Elowen's practically vibrating with excitement.
“Speak plainly witch,” Thokk finally rumbles.
“Thokk, be nice.” Zoe reprimands him gently.
"The portals! This book, okay so it was blank remember? But somehow words appeared... just now! First, I noticed a glow coming out of my bag! And pretty quick I saw it was the book! So, I pulled it out and powerful pixies but when I opened it there were words! I could read it! It wasn’t blank at all.”
“And this means what?” Luminara asks, her patience, once again wearing thin it seems.
“It’s a sort of guide book to a secret network of portals the society created! The secret society we have been learning about! This book is a few hundred years ago! This is how they traveled between the outside and our town!"
"What does that have to do with anything," Luminara sniffs.
"But don't you understand?" Elowen whirls to face her. "This book maps out all the portal locations, both on the outside, and here! I had it with me the night at the Bullhorn when I cast the mate summoning spell! I've been puzzling over it for weeks. I knew this book was important!
“So, the book is why we all came here through different, what? Portals?” Olivia asks.
"Yes! Yes! Exactly, yes! See, it must be that the book was designed to be invisible – not invisible, but unreadable – it just looks like a blank book – that was to guard their secret!" Elowen explains quickly, her words tumbling out. "But it’s not empty - when I cast the spell, and had the book with me, somehow the book got pulled into the spell – or you could say it became an unwitting accomplice of the spell – and since the book is about the portals, the spell used the portals to summon your mates! Incredible! Pretty smart spell huh? I’ve never seen anything like it!”
"The spell interacted with the book," Zoe breathes, looking over Elowen’s shoulder at it. “That’s rad.”
"Ah," Olivia breathes, "And I bet it must be location-locked. Like it can only be read within the temple. Like you said, anywhere else it just looks blank! That way it ensures the secret stays, well – secret!"
“Right! I add... or maybe there was something about the song too... or the community all coming together? Maybe that’s a part of it too?”
“Perhaps, Elowen, concedes. But the key thing is that this explains without a doubt the where, they why and the how of what seemed like the random appearances of our new human friends here! It’s all marked down on its pages, see-” She thumbs through a few pages. “Here’s the watchtower portal. Says right here that it connects to Charlotte’s estate. And what does it say here?”
Zoe instantly speaks up... “Enter all who st-“
“Still believe!” Elowen finishes with her. Exactly! This proves it!”
“That’s what I said! That’s what it says on the wall in the basement!”
“Yes!” Elowen looks like it’s Christmas, Halloween and whatever else witches like, all in one day - a solstice maybe?
I catch Luminara's scandalized expression and have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. She looks positively disappointed. I still haven’t gotten the full scoop, but it sure seems she had it in for me and my friends. That much is obvious. If Elowen looks like it’s Christmas, it must be hmm... maybe tax day for Luminara? I don’t ... but a bad day for sure.
Elder Faelar, on the other hand, looks like Feast Day came early.
I don’t have a lot of experience with these elders yet, but my suspicion has been that despite his tough words, the little elf dude’s heart really hasn’t been in this, kinda literal witch hunt. Certainly not like this Luminara character. People weren’t kidding when they say fairies aren’t just about sunshine and rainbows.
Chic is an absolute buzzkill.
"Dad?" Whisper's voice draws my attention back to what really matters. "Was I... was that okay? Did you like it?”
Koda bends down, pulling his son - our son? - into a fierce hug. "Was it okay? Are you kidding me! It was incredible son... beyond incredible.” His pride is evident as Koda stands and bellows to the room. “My boy! That’s right, my boy did that!” It seems he can hardly contain his joy as he goes back to addressing Whisper. “That was more than okay, son and I have never been more proud of you."
Initially I hang back, giving them their moment, but am surprised – and delighted really, when Koda reaches for my hand, drawing me in. " We both couldn't be prouder." He takes my chin in his massive hand and plants a soft kiss on my lips.
“Daaad!” Whisper complains at the P.D.A., but Koda ignores him.
“And you are incredible Mia.” His blue eyes lock onto mine. "I don't know how I could have been so blind to what you were giving the younglings. That show, and the way he sang that song. Everything is still sinking in."
I could definitely get used to this new level of praise.
Elder Faelar hurries up, practically tripping over himself as he chatters excitedly to Zoe and Olivia. “Oh, I don’t know where to start with an apology. I am truly mortified, I tell you. It just... oh, you don’t know what council politics are like... but we will make it up to you, I assure you. Certainly, I will. But anyhow, this is an extraordinary find Mia... we must begin studying it immediately, of course it will require extensive restoration-"
"I can be a little, um... strong willed maybe, or I don’t know. My ideas are maybe, different ...” I could swear I notice Koda shift on his feet a little, and is that a smile curling his lip? “So I can see how it maybe rattled people...” I twist one of my bangles nervously. “I am just relieved it seems we are on the same page now – or at least closer.”
“Yes, yes, much closer. What a show! Very impressive!”
“Thank you, Mr. er, Elder Faelar, I just hope the sasquatch council are so forgiving, this being sacred ground and all...”
“When they realize the cultural significance, I am sure they will come around. And, don’t you worry, we will put in a good word for you. It’s the least I can do. Gods, but I should have known not to listen to those two,” The elder elf's gaze finds Borgin and Grunk, who suddenly seem very interested in studying their boots. "Or the other elders for that matter." He lets out a deep sigh.
“Hopefully, we can all learn from this little... um, misunderstanding .”
No wonder Koda is chief of his kind.
Quite diplomatic.
“Indeed, indeed,” The elf nods his head enthusiastically.
“However, if I may suggest, Elder Faelar, I think those two might be just the ones to begin the more strenuous aspects of the temple’s renovations.” His eyes find Borgin and Grunk as well. "Manual labor might help them adjust their attitudes. I find it purifies the soul as well."
“I think that is a fine idea,” Faelar says, obviously impressed with my mate’s suggestion. And totally onboard.
Suddenly I'm surrounded by townspeople, all wanting to share their children's accomplishments. Far from being the nervous troll mother of earlier, Mrs. Bramblewood seems transformed as she gushes about Rowan's harmonizing.
As the crowd swells, Mrs. Thornberry approaches.
What is she doing here?
For a split second I tense up, preparing for her to spoil the moment. But almost instantly it’s clear her whole demeanor has changed.
Her previous rigid posture is now softer, almost apologetic.
"Ms. Mia," she begins, her voice surprisingly warm, "I must say, what your younglings did today... The harmonies, the way they supported each other..." She shakes her head, a genuine smile replacing her earlier disapproval. "I was wrong about you. Completely wrong."
“But what about your chickens?” I manage.
“Ah, whatever. A little excitement won’t kill em. Come to think of it, maybe that’s what Fablewood has needed – a little excitement.
I'm momentarily stunned, and just for once have nothing to say as she wanders off. I can barely process all this appreciation.
It’s a total one-hundred-eighty-degree turn.
Another parent chimes in, "Our children have never been so excited about learning," one of them adds. "Maybe the banging on pots was a little loud at first, but I have to say, whatever you're doing, it's working. I’ve never seen Briar so excited about anything before."
The shift in the community couldn’t be more complete and I send up a silent prayer of thanks to the universe or whatever powers that be.
Gods, what a difference a day makes...
Or a week.
I let out a little chuckle as I catch Koda's eye. His radiant smile and piercing blue eyes tell me everything I need to know.
“Well, glad that all worked out. I think your apology tour can now begin in earnest.”