Partner

I quite enjoyed writing about the canopy. I also enjoyed Una's reaction near the end. It's not often that he's surprised, it seems.

Read, Review and Enjoy.




A day or so to settle. Mik wandered the central tree and found himself amazed at Paw’s delight. The Sidhe had heard of trees such as this, that grew out and out but had never seen one, let alone believed that he and his tribe would own one. The central tree, Paw decided, they would call the Great One and the trees around it, those whose leaves and branches were intertwining into the Great One’s canopy would be the Inner Circle.

Original, no?

The Inner Circle, Paw told Mik, would grow into the canopy of the Great One until the branches were nearly inseparable. Their children and grandchildren would nest in the upper reaches of the branches during the summer and migrate towards the Great One’s central bowl during the longer winter nights. There would be no need to split the tribe, no need for the division of families. As the tribe grew, so too would their home.

For free? No, not quite. The Sidhe and the old time trees had something akin to a symbiotic relationship. One that was mutually beneficial but not necessary. Sidhe protected the trees from the people. They fertilized the tree. Via the most basic bodily functions of relieving themselves in placed pits. Sidhe controlled the population of dangerous insects and, it seemed, attracted butterflies. The butterflies, once every twenty years, on years such as that specific year, pollinated the flowers of the old time tree. Once pollination was done the Sidhe went about their usual activities with the butterflies.

Which sounded dirty, Mik had thought. Paw had reassured him that it could be very dirty but at the same time most just played the game.

They built their nest in the central bowl, beside the hardening heart wood of the old time tree. Blankets and sheets and pillows stuffed with feathers. The mesa slept between them, for protection, Paw said, and Lillow slept between Mik and the hardening wood.

…

The… center piece…

Hohi slept up in the branches, making it very clear that he was happy up there and that he thought Paw was crazy for ‘confining’ Lillow to the lower reaches of the Great One.

A few days to settle in and then Una magically appeared. Hatless, shoeless.

The show off climbed up the side of the tree like the Sidhe did and even managed to sneak up on Mik, sending the man’s heart racing and putting him through a troubling dizzy spell. Una helped Mik back to the nest, from the edge of the great trunk, and settled Mik into the blankets before the immortal sat by the nest but not touching it.

“I need Hohi,” Una muttered, “technically I need Lillow as well, but as she is still underage I cannot ask that of you. The tribe is having a meeting tonight and they will need at least Hohi. Rel knows about Hohi and has interacted with him, the young man will look for the warrior.”

“Alright then,” Mik murmured, eyeing the thing strapped to Una’s shoulder, “what’s that?”

Una blinked at Mik, not realising what the man meant for a moment before he reached up and slid the long thing off and over his shoulder. He set the wrapped object between himself and Mik and motioned to the man to look at it.

“It’s a very important, very precious weapon.”

Mik flipped open the wrapping and eyed the black metal, the inlaid silver dancing across the blade that almost made shapes and constellations. He had seen a movie with this sword in it, so he had to ask.

“It’s a prop, from that movie, right?”

“What prop from what movie?” Una asked in an acidic tone.

“The movie about the one sword to rule them all and it was the path to the heavens or something. Though half of this map is missing.”

“That is because you still need the seal to slide into that grove,” Una muttered, “why is it you know about the path, but Rel does not? And this is not a prop, this is the real thing.”

Mik shrugged, “movie came out while he was in jail, I think.”

“I suppose that might explain it,” Una sighed out, “this blade is called a broadsword-”

“I may be people, but I’m not a complete idiot. A broadsword is a heave sword that the wielder needs two hands for, it’s meant for cutting and is a double edged blade.”

“Good, you’ve the body that can hold the muscle necessary to wield a broadsword, so I am placing this in your care. Later I will teach you how to use it, should you heal, of course. This sword once belonged to Rava, and has since been passed from one warrior to another, but at the forming of your nation, warriors and their traditions were abandoned and so the sword was willed to the Tahluen, who placed it, in accordance to the wishes of the last master to use it, under lock and key and as a hold for me. I picked it up and brought it here.”

“Hence why the wrapping looks so old?” Mik muttered, unwrapping the entire blade finally. The hilt was wrapped in leather and at the end was a hollow place where something had obviously once sat, “what’s this,” he muttered, peering at the hollowed end.

“That is the heart of- what in the name of the gods?”

“It’s a hollow,” Mik said quietly, “that usually implies there is supposed to be something on the end.”

“Yes, Illuva’s heart.”

“Illuva’s heart was on the end of this blade?”

“Yes.”

“The real one or a stone that was just called-”

“The real one!” Una snapped out, sounding panicked, “Rahl-ta stole it from the blade, handing it over to De who thusly gave it over to Illuva’s father, who had been the original owner of the heart. Rava then placed it back at the end of the path, there, at the end of the hilt. And now it’s gone!”

“Huh. Wonder where it went…”

“There’s enough power in that stone to run the entire nation for a generation,” Una growled, standing and easing his weight onto his left leg, “I have to find it.”

“Why? No one knows how to access that power.”

“Oh. There is one who knows how to. And he’s planning something and I’m afraid of the consequences if he uses Illuva’s heart to complete his plans. It could destroy Illuva.”

“Or it could set her free.” Mik mumbled, adding at Una’s glare, “just a thought.”

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