Page 35 of A Brat's Tale
I nod, unable to speak anymore. If I do, I’ll start crying again. There’s already an ache in my chest telling me to beg Bayaden not to send me away; I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself if I open my mouth. I pull my new hair taut and mercilessly hack it back to the length it was.
We take two horses from the stables, and it’s easy for Bayaden and I to pass through the palace gates and then the ones past the marketplace, to head up to the cliffside, since we have many times. Bayaden’s trying to emulate stone, but he’s got tells, and I know them. “Andothair will get over it. He may not speak to me for a while, but I’ll live.”
“I see you’re heartbroken about it.”
He smirks. Bayaden respects his brother but enjoys peace from him on occasion.
We’re quiet as we carry on, but eventually, Bayaden breaks thesilence. “I hated you so much when you first came here, never did I imagine getting rid of you would be so hard.”
“How unbelievably romantic,” I say, and he laughs. “I hated you at least as much and I wanted to leave, but now I can’t imagine going. My brain is still telling me we’re just going on our usual trek to the mountainside, that we’ll go back at the end of the day like usual.”
I stop talking when I tear up again. Goodbyes are hard.
“How long have you been planning this?” I ask, to take my mind off leaving. I’ll think about that when we get to it.
“Not long; I have been in conflict for a while. Father approached me, but I had some time before I had to seriously think about how I’d get you out of here and then I heard whispers that Corrik was looking for you. If you have to go, I knew that’s where you’d want to go. When one of my warriors was found with his eyes carved out, I knew that was likely Corrik. I consulted with my uncle and he agreed with my perspective on things. He offered to help. Uncle Taj is going to take you to him.”
I nod. “What about the war? I know Andothair and your father want to join the seven realms or destroy them.”
“I don’t have an answer for that one. For now, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Regardless of what happens in the future, this is what’s right in this moment.”
A lone rider comes into view as we approach the forest’s entrance. Bayaden’s Uncle Taj sits on a horse like Bayaden does, which is a comfort to me, at least he’ll be with me in a way. I remember my hair that will grow back by nightfall and I’m glad I’ll have it to surround me when Bayaden is gone.
Uncle Taj is quiet, watching us as we hop off our horses. “Uncle, we’ll need you to perform the unbinding ritual.”
I made a promise to Andothair through magic that I would not leave. Maybe that’s the real reason I don’t want to go and for a moment I hope so. I know we’ll be saying our final goodbye in a few moments, the thought alone hurts, perhaps it will be less painful afterward. Uncle Taj nods. “Only someone like my uncle could do such a thing, Tristan,” Bayaden explains. “Andothair used powerful magic.”
Of course, he did.
“Come Tristan,” Uncle Taj says. “I must analyze your energy.
I stand before him, after receiving silent approval from Bayaden it’s all right. I don’t think about it, I look up to him, used to it being this way. What’s going to happen when he’s not there?
I allow Uncle Taj to run his hands over the air surrounding me until he’s satisfied. “Andothair wrapped it tightly. I can loosen it enough so it won’t be painful for you to leave, and then it will fade over time.”
“Will it be easier to leave when the spell is loosened as you say?”
His eyes shift between the pair of us. “If you mean will your heart be less heavy, then no. It will only bring you more ease physically since the spell will not stop you.”
“Right then. Let’s get this over with.”
“Will it hurt him, Uncle?” Bayaden’s voice is strained.
“Yes. I have to pull magic from him that’s tightly woven into his cells. You’ll feel it too, but not to the extent Tristan will. The vow was from his end, you’re merely the tether.”
Bayaden grabs me. “I shall hold him then.”
“Ready, Tristan?”
“Ready.”
Bayaden holds me to him, my back against his chest as his uncle holds his hands over my heart. When Ando did the spell, his hands were in the same place and white light gathered, pouring into me. It didn’t hurt; I filled with buoyancy and was surprised by the lack of reaction. Ando assured me that the magic was conscious and if I tried to leave, it would know and stop me.
I never tried.
Now nothing is happening. Not a single thing. I don’t feel pain and I don’t see any white light. Uncle Taj tries harder, his face scrunches forming the wrinkles his face would have if he were a human as old as he is. Sweat pours from him, his muscle clench, but nothing happens. Then he gives up, taking a breath, sighing. He seems to be looking for something on me that isn’t there. “Uncle,” Baya says fed up, surely ready to call this whole thing off.
His uncle smiles, serene energy surrounds him. “Ah, I see why what I’m doing isn’t working. You’ll be fine, Tristan. We can go now.”
