Summerblossom

I woke up back in the wooden hut. The elegant floorboards were hard against my back and my axe lay resting beside me. I grabbed it and stepped outside.

Dawn was just beginning to break and I watched the first rays peeking through the trees to the East. I checked the hut and then did a quick circuit of the nearby trail.

No sign of Tevor.

I made my way back to the hut and sat quietly on a rock facing the path coming from the Scorched Grove. Time passed and clouds rolled in to blot out the early morning light. Olive woke and set out wordlessly on her own route, scouting around the area. Eventually Crispin woke and began making breakfast.

“You must be hungry, Plume,” Crispin said, offering me a portion of some sort of grilled meat.

“Not now,” I replied. “I’ll eat when Tevor joins us.”

Another hour passed and the clouds thickened. It didn’t rain, but a heaviness in the air suggested a storm. The trees shook as the wind gusted through them and rattled their leaves.

“Plume,” said Olive. “The council will be expecting a report.”

“Won’t be long now,” I said, staring down the path. “Another hour.”

“He’s had quite a long time already,” said Crispin gently. “How about we leave him some food and a note?”

I nodded. We wrote a letter explaining that we were heading back to Alderheart and placed it on the table in the hut. I didn’t feel like eating so we left my portion of food, as well as Tevor’s, beside the note. I drew on the power of my ring to grow a container of leaves to protect it until he arrived.

---

The journey back to Alderheart passed by in a daze. When we arrived it was early in the morning of the following day. We agreed that we would go to the Tenders headquarters on the way to the Council. Another Tender went to wake Havel for us and we met him outside.

“You’re back already!” Havel rubbed sleep from his eyes. “How did it go? Did you identify the creature? Where’s—? Where’s Tevor?”

“I’m sorry, Havel,” I said. “Tevor didn’t make it back.”

Havel just stopped. His eyes froze in an empty stare and his arms fell limp to his sides. It looked like he was going to say something but no words came out.

“We dissipated a fire spectre and defeated an Ash Snake together,” I continued. “Tevor was very brave and we couldn’t have survived without him. And, if it wasn’t for our Cleric, he would probably be here with us now.”

“What—?” Crispin’s mouth flew open in surprise.

I rounded on him. “Don’t deny it,” I growled. “I saw that spell you touched him with before he ran off into the Grove. You bewitched him. This is your fault.”

I felt the blood coursing through my body. It was the same intensity as just before the rage takes me. I breathed slowly to get it under control. Crispin was babbling excuses but I didn’t listen.

“We should…” Havel began, blinking as if he was waking up for the second time that morning. “We should inform the Council. That’s what he would want.”

---

I stormed to the Council Chambers, keeping several paces ahead of Crispin. I continued concentrating on my breathing to hold back my rage. Birdfolk and Humblefolk coursed around us and when we reached the Council we saw it was already in session.

Speaker Bita motioned us forward. “We saw the explosion and plume of smoke from here in the Canopy. Please, tell us what you found there.”

Crispin stepped forward. I glared at him. He cleared his throat.

“First of all, a clarification,” said Crispin. “It wasn’t a fire mole. It was an Ash Snake. There is more than one of them and something else, something infernal perhaps.”

“He’s right,” said Olive. “We thought it was a mountain at first until, well, it started walking towards us. Even the Ash Snakes fled from it.”

A wizened member of the council coughed gently and got to his feet. “I have heard tales of such a creature. Normal elemental creatures like the Ash Snakes are part and parcel of Humblewood and are nothing to be feared. However, this cannot be said for the creature called the Aspect of Fire: an elemental of terrifying size.”

The Aspect of Fire. Whispers shivered round the council chambers like a winter wind.

“I thought it more legend than myth wrought from truth,” continued the council member. “But your description matches everything I have read. I recommend you to speak to the Dean of the Avium.”

“Oh yes,” Crispin chimed in. “I was accepted to study there, you know, but I had other matters to attend to—ouch!”

I stepped on his foot.

“Indeed,” said the council member, peering over his spectacles. “Remember that even large elementals are tied to the source of their power, in this case: the Scorched Grove. Alderheart is not in immediate danger until the Grove starts to spread at a higher rate.”

Speaker Bita appealed to us. “It seems you do not have to act rashly, but please act with haste. Dean Windsworth would know if there are any tomes in the Avium library that may help us. We must find out how to defeat or seal this creature away.”

The crowd began to disperse and the Council got to their feet. From beside me, Havel pushed forward against the flow of people.

“Speaker Bita,” Havel called above the rumble of conversation and footsteps. “Speaker Bita, just a moment of your time!”

The Speaker moved back to her position at the fore of the Council and held one wing aloft. The crowd quietened again.

“Please,” said Havel. He gulped feeling the gaze of the crowd on his back. “My fellow Tender, Tevor, was lost at the Grove. Given the enormity of the creature and the number of Ash Snakes… No-one but a master would have been able to survive.” He took a deep breath. “I petition the Council to grant Tevor the rank of Summerblossom in recognition of his sacrifice.”

Speaker Bita bowed slowly and gracefully. “It is so granted.”

---

We met Havel the next day before dawn at the Tenders headquarters for the funeral.

The Tenders gathered in a circle around a small plant pot containing a young sapling. An old Corvum scattered cherry blossom over the pot and announced Tevor’s promotion from the rank of Sapling to Summerblossom. He listed the new rights and responsibilities that Tevor should, but would never, receive.

There was a minute of silence. Havel’s shoulders shook but no sobs escaped his lips.

Then the Tenders lifted the tree from its pot and carried it to a nearby hole. They planted it and took turns watering the plant, saying quiet farewells to their friend. We did the same.

Havel took his time, but eventually he came over to us.

“It was a dangerous mission,” he said, “but it was important. Tevor knew that. Nobody is to blame for his death.”

Havel held out a helmet. “We wanted to give you a gift, to help you continue with your quest. It’s called The Feathered Helm. You should place a feather in the slot at the top and it will imbue you with different abilities.”

Havel took a small wooden box from his bag and gave that to us too. He gestured to me to open it. I unhooked the latch and the box opened to reveal a single Luma feather.

“This was given by Tevor,” he said. “He would have wanted you to have it.”

Finally it hit me. My anger dwindled and was snuffed out. Havel took his leave of us, and I cried.