Chapter 12
Well, I guess this sprite encounter is going better than the last one, Calvin thought. So far, anyway.
The wyvern grimaced. That would not be difficult. Your incompetence was on full display in the previous instance. This time, I shall guide you.
Guide me right into a sprite-versus-shifter diplomatic incident, you mean, Calvin retorted. Or have you forgotten the time you tried to ‘guide’ me when I was discussing those building plans with that architect?
The wyvern reared back, affronted. I maintain that he was misguided. What would he know?
About architecture? More than you!
Out loud, he said, “Thank you for welcoming us to your home, Sieval.”
“It’s very lovely,” Diana added. She wasn’t wrong – the area where Sieval lived was stunningly beautiful.
Was it possible for a sprite to look self-conscious? Calvin wasn’t sure. It certainly seemed that way, though.
“I am glad that you like my humble home,” Sieval said. “Though I cannot take credit for it, I guard and protect it as best I can.”
This sprite was clearly the opposite of the one that Calvin had encountered, and could surely be reasoned with. He felt the first hints of hope beginning to rise within him.
“You clearly do a wonderful job of it,” Diana said.
“This is my rock,” Sieval continued shyly, gesturing to a smooth, shiny black rock at the water’s edge, beautiful in its simplicity.
It seemed almost like it was another participant in the conversation, waiting to be introduced – and perhaps to Sieval, it was.
“Did Kieran explain the relationship that sprites have to their bonded objects?”
Calvin nodded. “Yeah, he did.”
Now that the introductions were apparently complete, Sieval gestured for them to sit upon a sun-warmed patch of moss at the water’s edge.
“Would you like to cool your feet in the water?” Sieval asked, and Calvin was taken aback for a moment. This really wasn’t anything like his previous sprite encounter.
He hesitated, wondering what on earth he could possibly get cursed with this time… but then, he decided to trust Sieval. He’d only known Kieran for a day, but he seemed like an extremely genuine guy, and Calvin couldn’t believe that he would have sent him here if there had been any danger.
“Thanks,” he said – even if the water hadn’t looked so clear, cool and refreshing, who knew? Maybe it would be rude to turn down Sieval’s offer.
He peeled off his hiking boots and socks, letting his feet dangle in the deliciously cool, crisp water, Diana following suit at his side. Unable to help himself, he sighed with happiness.
Apparently this was enough to fully establish trust, for Sieval walked into the water in front of them so that they were eye level, apparently happy to just…
stand there, Calvin supposed. Sieval obviously wasn’t fully corporeal in the way that a human or shifter was, and seemed unbothered by the prospect of standing stock-still in the middle of a pond.
The wyvern twitched slightly in his head, a little unnerved, but it kept quiet… for which Calvin was grateful. Perhaps it finally recognized that there were situations in which it was better to take a back seat.
“Thank you for letting us use your pond,” Calvin said. “I only wish that we had brought you a gift in return.”
Sieval smiled. “But you did bring me a gift – the gift of your company. It is the only thing that I cannot readily obtain that I ever wish for.” With a tone that Calvin might have almost called sly, it added, “In small amounts, anyway. I am a solitary creature at heart, but even I enjoy occasional companionship.”
“Is that something that’s common amongst sprites?” Calvin asked, sensing a way to broach what would surely be an awkward topic for Sieval. “Are you all solitary?”
“Usually, yes,” said Sieval, looking downcast. “Kieran told me about the sprite you encountered. I am truly sorry that that happened to you.”
“Think nothing of it,” Calvin said, and Diana nodded her agreement. “I’m sure you wouldn’t blame me for every bad thing a shifter has ever done. And I guess I was intruding on her home.”
“That is true,” Sieval said. “Still, I would never react in such a way in those circumstances. And certainly I would never assign a riddle to someone who visited my pond with good intentions.”
“And is that something sprites do?” Diana asked. “Ask people to solve riddles, I mean.”
“Sometimes,” Sieval said. “It is a practice less common than it used to be, as the world of humans encroaches upon the forests and we sprites become even more reclusive.” A wry smile twisted its mouth.
“In any case, I have never been fond of riddles myself, either in the composing or the solving. I much prefer meditating upon the plants and creatures of the forest. Even the smallest ant is worthy of attention.”
This isn’t promising, Calvin thought, concerned. Still, he forged ahead.
Pulling the scrap of paper out his pocket, he asked, “Do you know what this riddle means? I am mother and father, but never birth or nurse. I have a bark, but no bite. I'm rarely still, but I never wander. What am I?”
Sieval closed its eyes for a moment as it thought, before opening them again. “I do know; however, as much as I wish to tell you, I cannot provide the answer to another sprite’s riddle. It is law amongst us.”
The wyvern seethed. What is the point of visiting with this sprite, then?!
This is why I’m in charge of diplomacy, Calvin muttered back.
Secretly, though, he was also starting to feel a bit gloomy about his prospects here. It was wonderful that Sieval wasn’t a – well, a jerk, like the other sprite had been. But unfortunately the result of that seemed to be that it was perhaps a little too kind to be able to help him.
Next to him, Diana brushed her foot against his leg in a reassuring motion. Obviously she was picking up on his disappointment.
Sieval looked guilty, though Calvin knew it wasn’t its fault – the powers that bound the actions of magical creatures could be quite strict, even if they seemed strange or unfair to outsiders.
Though he did wonder whether it was magical compulsion that kept Sieval from giving away the answer, or merely tradition – he was sure that the sprite he’d met yesterday would gladly break the rules to suit her own whims.
Sieval spoke up. “I can say that a sprite’s riddle will almost certainly have an answer based in nature, unless they have spent much time amongst humans. The answer is unlikely to be something like attic, or cello.”
“That is helpful,” said Diana. “Thank you, Sieval.”
And it was helpful – it meant that they could knock out a large number of potential answers. It still left them with way more options than Calvin was comfortable with, though!
“I am sorry that I could not be more helpful,” Sieval said, its eyes wide and mournful. “Is there anything else that you would wish to learn about sprites?”
“There is one thing,” Calvin said. “The sprite also asked for a tribute, but wouldn’t say what she wanted. What kinds of tributes do sprites like?”
Sieval bowed its head sadly, and Calvin already knew that it wouldn’t be giving him the answer he wanted.
“Alas, as we sprites are solitary creatures, and as I have never asked for a tribute myself, I cannot speak to exactly what this sprite would like. All I can say is that again, sprites tend to prefer things that have a basis in nature. And it is also very possible that she would like something that is linked to the riddle’s answer. ”
“Linked to the riddle’s answer,” Calvin mused. It was frustratingly vague, but, he supposed, it at least gave him a starting point. Solve the riddle, then try to work out a tribute from there. One step at a time.
Another thought occurred to him, and he almost groaned out loud. This just keeps getting worse and worse.
Steeling himself, he asked, “If I get the answer to the riddle wrong, or bring her the wrong tribute, will she curse me again?” That was all he needed – to be a walking collection of curses. He’d have to go and live by himself in the wilderness, if it came to that.
Sieval appeared to think on the matter, before coming to a conclusion.
“While I cannot say for certain, I do not believe that this would be the case. Sprites do not naturally possess the facility to curse others – indeed, I have no such ability myself, as I have not studied it. I doubt that she would be in possession of a wide range of curses.”
Calvin exhaled. “Well, that’s good news, at least.”
Sieval hovered there anxiously, obviously upset that it hadn’t been able to answer all of his questions in the way that Calvin had wished, and Calvin chastised himself for not being as positive as he could’ve been.
Sieval had been helpful – at least they had some ideas they could work from, now.
And he had enjoyed meeting it, and having the opportunity to go flying with Diana.
Forcing a smile onto his face, Calvin nodded his thanks. “Thank you, Sieval. You’ve given us a lot to work with.”
Sieval’s brow creased in disappointment. “I only wish I could have been of more assistance.”
“You were of great assistance,” Calvin said. “We were completely at sea before, but now at least we have a starting point.”
Diana nodded in agreement. “Thank you so much, Sieval. It’s been so lovely to meet you. I had no idea that there were creatures such as you right under my nose!”
Sieval’s mouth broadened into a smile. “It has been lovely to meet you both, too. I would appreciate it if you kept my location and existence a secret from all except those that you deem most trustworthy, but I would certainly be happy if you came to visit again. And even if I remain within my rock, you are always welcome to enjoy my pond, if you so wish.”
“We’ll definitely be back,” said Diana fervently, and Calvin agreed.
Sieval inclined its head gracefully. “Thank you, my new friends. But if you have no further questions, I will return to my rock now, for I am unused to regular company and grow weary. But you are welcome to stay at my pond for as long as you desire.”
“No questions,” said Calvin. “Thanks again for your advice.”
“Thank you for your company,” said Sieval – and then, suddenly, it disappeared in a flash of blue light. Blinking, Calvin looked across the pond just in time to see the last of the blue glow disappearing inside the obsidian-black rock that Sieval had indicated earlier.
“… Wow,” Diana said, after a few seconds’ pause. “If I’d seen that yesterday, I would’ve freaked out. As it currently stands, I’m only mildly freaked.”
“Believe me, this is new for me as well,” Calvin replied.
He sat there for a minute, letting his feet soak in the cool water and mulling things over. It felt rude to voice any of his disappointment out loud while they were still at Sieval’s pond, so he simply ran the riddle over and over in his head, half watching the tiny fish darting about in the water.
“Lunch?” asked Diana, breaking the cycle of pointless rumination. He turned, to see her holding out one of the sandwiches that Kieran had packed – slightly smushed, but still edible.
“Thanks,” he said, taking it mechanically and eating it without tasting it. He wasn’t really in the mood, but he supposed that their chances of solving this problem would be slightly higher if they weren’t half-starved and dehydrated.
Chewing absently on his lunch, he wondered what he would do if they couldn’t get this curse lifted. Could he live his life in Girdwood Springs as some sort of eccentric, technophobe fitness freak, who walked everywhere and never used any devices of any kind?
He could get by, he was sure, but it wouldn’t be fair to put that kind of pressure on Diana and Ash.
He didn’t want to do anything that would make them the subject of gossip, or mean that they had to pick up the slack when it came to performing chores or earning money.
It wasn’t as if he could work on a construction site – or pretty much anywhere else – if he couldn’t touch anything that ran on electricity.
Your melancholy is irritating, the wyvern snapped, though Calvin could tell its heart wasn’t in it. Do not be so defeatist. You will live in exactly the same fashion as millennia of wyverns before you.
Great, he spat back. A dank old falling-down castle on some forsaken misty mountain? Is that what you really want for our mate?
Before the wyvern could get out its retort, Diana spoke up. “As much as I would love to stay here, I think we should start heading back – I need to pick Ash up from the community center at four-thirty.”
She placed her hand on his arm, and he could’ve sworn that he felt her love and concern flowing through the mate bond, along with a strong, fiery determination: We will solve this problem.
Feeling renewed, he nodded, pulling his feet from the water. “Just give me a minute to dry off, and then we’ll get going. We can’t keep Ash waiting.”
He let his feet dry in the ever-shifting patches of sunshine, trying to push aside the lingering gloomy feelings and just enjoy the simple sensation of warmth on cool skin. The wyvern loved to bask, being cold-blooded – and, Calvin had to admit, he also saw the appeal.
“Oh, darn,” said Diana, standing up and holding her phone over her head.
“No signal. I was going to let Kieran know how we went, but I’ll text him later.
” She paused for a moment. “Will you be okay walking back to my place from the B&B? I’ll need to take the car to pick up Ash, and as much as I’d love to take you along for the ride, well… ”
“No, I totally understand,” Calvin said, pulling his socks back on. “No point in killing your car as well. I can find my way back easily enough.” He paused. “Though if we don’t manage to get this curse sorted out soon, I may need to invest in a bike.”
Guiltily he thought about his own poor dead car, halfway back down the mountain in the parking lot. He’d completely forgotten about organizing a tow truck… though he thought he had a pretty good excuse for it.
I’ll get back to you as soon as this curse is lifted, he promised. And hopefully there won’t be too many parking tickets waiting for me.
Looking up, he saw Diana, haloed in sunlight, holding out her hand to him.
Reaching up, he took it, and let her help him back onto his feet.