Book 5, Chapter 10: The Best Breakfast
The smell of bacon woke me up. And I was a touch chilly. Bacon?
A smile broke out on my face as I sat up. Morry was making breakfast. But my smile faded when the realization hit that I’d have to leave him behind. I was far too dangerous for anyone to be near me. Like the poor foxes I’d cooked defending myself. Worse if the mages came. Much worse. I didn’t like it, but better him alive than keeping me company.
Holding me at night.
No, nope, I did not think that!
“What’s that, Princess?”
“Nothing! Stretching, I’m just stretching. Good morning. How are you today?”
“Well. Though it was on the ground, my best sleep in ages. I was worried about you.”
“Worry no more, for you have found me.” I cringed at how awful that sounded, “Uh, I mean, now you can sleep well.” Ok, that wasn’t any better. Sitting there, I did something I never understood after waking, which was yawn, then stood and stretched my still sleep-tight muscles.
Ravens and crows cawed to greet me, foxes ran here and there under the trees, keeping some distance from the fire.
“Bacon and eggs, ready in a moment.”
“How did you bring these?”
“They’re the last, I’m afraid. Plenty of dried rations, though, but it would be good if we could hunt something along the way. Or find a farmhouse. But they’ve likely all been pillaged from here to the river crossing.”
“Uhm, did you bring tea?”
“Steeping right now.”
“Oh, great! I’ll be back in a moment.”
Morry just smiled as I rushed off to the little princess’ room. Or, tree or clearing or whatever it was out here. In one sense, the world is a giant outhouse for everything that lives upon it.
I didn’t want to have the conversation I needed to have with him. Maybe I could postpone it? Yes, as long as the mages didn’t attack he was safe. I didn’t have to send him away until an hour or so before they attacked. Or anything startled me.
***
“This egg, these bacon . . . heavenly! Oh my god, I swear, days and days of nothing but dried rations and roadkill, this is so good!” I ran the bread through the deep orange egg yolk, mopping it up before savoring the taste.
“Road . . . kill?”
“Uh, what the foxes bring me. Just before you arrived, I guess. Not really so many days. I’m rambling.”
“I didn’t realize we were so close to a road. Perhaps we should move deeper into the forest.”
“Right. Yes. Deeper. So, the rabbit and the grouse. It’s awfully nice of the foxes, but I don’t really know how to skin the damn things.”
“You didn’t snare that rabbit?”
“Nope.”
“The foxes led me to your jewelry, then they led me to you. And they’re bringing you food. You have the most amazing affinity with these animals. I wonder why they’re behaving this way around you.”
Because, I did not say, they’re mine. Not quite ready to share that with him. I’d become too secretive, self-isolating. Instead, I said, “It’s not, it’s not me. I mean, I didn’t do anything.”
“I’ve never seen other mages with animal friends before.”
“I no longer think I’m like the other mages, Morry.”
“No?”
“No.”
He pointed his fork at me, “Etienne suggested you are a deity, maybe this has something to do with it.”
“Yeah, alright, ok, sure.” I stared off into the forest, through the evergreens and more evergreens beyond, and every so often a black bird raced between them. “I don’t know. I’m hoping the temple has answers.”
“Etienne’s book. You have to open it this morning.”
“But . . . you just got here! Maybe we can just keep heading north. Have a nice day walking and chatting, and then-”
“Princess.”
I put my fork down on the plate. “Alright, ok. Yes. You’re right. Just, I don’t know, give me a moment.”
“This book contains Etienne’s research into your, ah, scarification and magic? Don’t you want to know what he discovered?”
“Everything will change! Once I open that book. You won’t look at me the same!”
“Princess, I’ll be right here, I’m not leaving. And the book isn’t going to change you. It’s just information. That you need to know.”
“I won’t, I won’t be the same.”
There was mirth in his eyes as he said, “You are who you are and you will still be you after opening that book.”
“I don’t see the humor here.”
“I don’t believe anyone in the history of books has ever had as difficult a time as you with this one. Shall I open it for you?” He moved toward the satchel.
I picked it up quickly. “You don’t understand! I know what I am.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.”
“I’m an uncontrolled, terrible power restrained only by the whims of a teenage girl! And I am very, very dangerous and deadly to all who are near me. I’ve already killed so many people. Some of the foxes died just because they stood near me! Morry, you have to go. You have to. I can’t protect you when the mages come. I can only kill you. You can’t stay with me, you can’t take me to the temple.”
“Is that what the book says?”
“I don’t know!”
“Then I don’t believe you are a danger to me.”
“Morry, you-”
“Princess, I am your protector and I won’t be leaving your side. And you,” he stood, scraping off his plate into the fire, “need to stop being a child and open that book.”
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