Tarna had spent the day since her banishment perched precariously in a tree a little ways outside the City. She stared longingly at the city of Aeritha, imagining the people inside as they went about their days. Master Lewin had probably found a new apprentice or two, introducing them to the depths of the Archives right now. Tarna could almost smell the books around her, their knowledge now forever hidden from her. If only I had spent more time reading.
It didn’t matter now, not really. She was alone, and no amount of knowledge could stop her from turning into a beast. I wonder when that’ll happen, Tarna thought idly. The fear of changing had consumed her during her first few days in the wilderness, but almost a week had gone by and she still felt the same. Her hair was starting to grow back, soft and fuzzy on her scalp. Perhaps it was all a mistake. I’m no beast, the elders were wrong! The Oracle made a mistake!
Tarna considered going back for the hundredth time. She was obviously not some sort of savage. True, her skin was pale and sickly now, but the banishment ceremony had been taxing. She’d get tan again in the sunshine of the city. It has to have been a mistake!
“I know what you’re thinking.”
Tarna jumped, barely hanging onto her branch. She looked around wildly for the source of the voice.
“You can’t go back. They don’t want us anymore.”
Tarna found the speaker, a pale face hidden among the leaves in the tree next to hers.
“Wh-what are you talking about? Who are you?”
“Name’s Leif. And you can’t go back to the city.”
“I don’t know what you mean. What are you doing here?”
Leif smiled. His lined face looked much like the pale bark of the tree he sat on. “I felt the humming in the ground a few days ago, and figured I’d better come stop you going back. If you ever leave this tree, that is.”
Tarna frowned. She looked back at the small city shining in the trees.
“I can see it in your eyes, girl. You have to listen to me though - you cannot go back.”
Tarna looked back at Leif. “Tarna. My name’s Tarna. And why not? I’m not a beast! They were wrong about me! It was all a big mistake.”
Leif laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh. “Mistake? Tarna, is it? Tarna, I’ve been out here for years. Do I look like some sort of savage beast to you?”
The leaves rustled as the older man pushed them away, revealing a strong chest in a coarse leather shirt. Tarna paused, taking in his appearance. His hair dark with grey streaks at his temples instead of white. It was long but pulled back from his heavily lined features. Leif’s deep set eyes were pale, not black, reflecting the green of the foliage around him. His friendly face seemed to make up for his odd coloring.
“No. I suppose not.” Tarna sighed. Her eyes wandered back to Aeritha. But surely they would see that they were wrong.
“Tarna,” Leif said firmly. She looked back at him, pulling herself away from her daydreams. “Tarna, you must not go back. It will only hurt you.”
“Fine. What am I supposed to do then?” Tarna’s stomach grumbled loudly.
“We might find you something to eat, for starters.” Leif reached over, a small red apple in his hand. Tarna grabbed it, biting into it hungrily.
“So,” Leif said as she chewed, “what did you do?”
“Do?” Tarna asked around a mouthful of apple.
“Yep. I, uh, didn’t particularly enjoy going to gatherings. You?”
“I...” Tarna trailed off, looking towards the Oracle’s Lake, hidden and marked by the tallest trees in the valley. “I drank from the Lake - but it wasn’t my fault! Not really. These girls, they tricked me into doing it. They said I had to.”
She glanced back at Leif, whose mouth was hanging open slightly. “Leif?”
“How...?” the man shook his head slightly. “And you’re alive, girl? That’s pure magic, that is. How much did you drink?”
“Just a sip, it felt strange. I’ve never felt anything like it, like the drop I received from the Oracle when I was a girl, but nothing like that at all. I think, that if I had drank more than I had -” Tarna closed her eyes, whispering to herself, “my soul was on fire.” A tear slipped down her cheek. Her voice shook as she spoke aloud once more, “it wasn’t as bad as being banished, though. But you know what that’s like.”
“It’s best not to talk about that. Sometimes the pain of memory can be worse than the original experience.” he grinned suddenly. “Shall we go, milady?” Leif said. “You can’t sit up here forever.”
“Go where?” Tarna said absently, staring at the city once more.
“To your new home, of course. All us that were banished live in a village up in the hills. Come on now.” He disappeared from the leaves, scraping bark and rustling leaves marking his passage back to the ground.
Tarna lingered at the top. Can I trust him? What do I have to lose? she thought. With one last glance towards the City, she climbed down after the strange man.
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