Ethereal

~Marcie~

Over the next few days, there were three things that I became very sure of.

The first was that Ashan was the kinder of the two who watched over us. He and Tennin would take turns, Tennin standing at unwavering attention at the door and Ashan sitting in a chair by our beds, telling us stories and laughing. Once, he even brought us a game--two small sticks. When Charlotte and I looked at them confusedly, he stood up and pointed to the wall where one of the knots was glowing. I ran over and tapped it with the stick, and a new one appeared over Charlotte's head. Like bored kittens, we found this game was exceedingly entertaining.

The second thing was that it seemed like we would never set foot outside of our little room. Once, I tiptoed past a sleeping Ashan and made it almost to the end of the hallway before he lifted me up and slung me over his shoulder, none too gently. That was the first time I saw him truly angry.

But the third thing was perhaps the most unsettling of all, and it was the presence of Tennin. On the first day of our capture, I sat him down in a chair and stared at his badges, symbols and scripts running through my mind until frustrated, I decided I could not read them. It was only later when Ashan taught some of them to me, and I had time to stare, that I realized Tennin was a very important person indeed. My presentation of this news to Charlotte was met only with a shrug of slight annoyance.

Tennin still refused to call her by her name. I could understand it, almost. To him, Koreask must have been a word of hope. But sometimes, even I felt the snideness behind this name, and I regretted the one time I called Charlotte that jokingly--tears of hurt sprang to her eyes.

But on the matter of Tennin, the last thing that bothered me was this--that he would always fix Charlotte with his unwavering gaze. Once, I joked about how Tennin could have just been the Koreask himself, if not for his stupid brown eyes, and immediately Charlotte corrected me.

"Hazel," she said softly, turning over in her bed. "His eyes are hazel."

I watched Tennin closely after that.

And then, once we had lost all track of time and I had turned my hour marks on the wall into doodles of trees, Ashan opened the door.

"You have a visitor," he said, and I wasn't the only one who jumped out of bed excitedly.

The figure that entered our room was stooped, hunched, and old. At first I almost didn't recognize her without her basket, but as she shakily lifted the hood of her cloak I smiled.

"Hello," I said, grinning widely. I couldn't quite explain why I was so happy to see her. Perhaps just because she was a new face. Perhaps because I had seen her on the day of my capture, and to me she represented freedom, to walk the streets.

But mostly it was her aura. And as I squinted in concentration, I could see that it was a bright, shimmering pink that snaked tendrils across the room and made everything bubbly and perfect.

Although that was the opposite of her appearance. She seemed old, fragile, and like she was about to fall apart. I helped her over to the bed.

It was the first words out of her mouth that endeared us to her forever.

"Now, my dear, what is your name?" she said, turning to Charlotte.

Her expression was of wordless happiness. She opened her mouth and closed it, and I gave her a minute so she could say it herself.

"Charlotte," she whispered happily.

"What a beautiful name," the woman said, taking a careful seat on my bed. "Mine is Haiga."

"Aren't you--why don't you call me--" Charlotte stammered.

"My dear, I'm quite sure by now you know what you are. And should you need reminding, there are two young lads willing to help you. But as for me, I shall address you by your name. I am a word-weaver, you see. Just like--" she turned to me, putting a hand on my shoulder and smiling. "--this one,"

My eyes lit up and I grinned.

"Word-weaver, Word-weaver!"

Charlotte and I didn't even acknowledge Mushroom's voice, but the old woman looked up at the ceiling with an annoyed expression.

"Pesky goblins," she muttered.

I looked at Charlotte.

"Now," she said, leaning back into the bed. "I have much to say and very little time to say it. You--" she pointed at Charlotte. "You are being hunted. I suspect at least Lodorvrin knows of your presence, and by now, Descar-Dran is readying it's ships. No amount of guards and wards will find you safe here."

"Wait," Charlotte interrupted. "What are these places? Why would they want me?"

"You are the Koreask," I said, standing up and pacing suddenly. "In darkest Night...I knew it!" I turned to the woman. "The prophecy doesn't refer to Sub-Tërra, does it? All the kingdoms..." I looked at Charlotte. "All the kingdoms want you to make everything right again. They all want you."

Charlotte's face paled and I looked at Haiga.

"You're right," I said. "We're not safe here."