Page 28 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
To Ginkgo’s surprise, Mikoto answered in kind, greeting themwith polite formality. “It is my honor to welcome you on behalf of Wardenclave.May the coming season find you stronger for your efforts and richer for thebonds we will share.”
Nice words, nice guy, if a bit serious for Ginkgo’s tastes.But he was the sort Kyrie usually sidled up to. Quiet, conscientious types.Probably because they were slightly less susceptible. The kid clammed up fastaround folks who couldn’t help themselves.
Pleased, Ginkgo turned to urge his brother forward, only torealize his hand was empty.
Lilya, who had a sense for these things, blurted, “Where’sKyrie?”
Before he could break for the door, a hand hooked his arm.“Wait. He has not gone far.”
“I’m responsible for him,” protested Ginkgo.
The new guy, who was right about the same height as Ginkgo,smiled. “As your host, I have a share in your responsibility. He is safe.”
“You’re Waaseyaa.” Ginkgo allowed the man to hold him back.“Where’s my brother?”
“With mine. In a sense.” Dark eyes dancing, Waaseyaa said, “Yourbrother is climbing the tree.”
Kyrie knew better than to go off by himself withoutsaying anything to anyone. It was a basic rule, especially when in strangeterritory. And he hadn’texactlybroken it. Fend had seen him slip away.
Leaving his shoes among the roots, Kyrie touched the tree,which was so big, it was almost like facing a wall of wood. The surface wasn’trough bark, but smooth and rippling. Like the tree’s trunk was made of manysmaller ones that had twined together as they grew, folded together like thebraids Aunt Sansa often wove into Lilya’s hair.
If he used the grooves for footholds, he wouldn’t need todig his claws into the flawless surface of the wood. It would be a shame toleave marks. Probably rude, too, since this tree was special.
He searched for the best starting point, only to discoverhoop of metal jutting out of the wood. It must have been there for a long time,because the wood seemed to have grown around it. Kyrie tested it. Definitely arung!
Peering up, he spied another and smiled.
Someone else had been climbing this tree. Quite possibly insecret, or at least in private, since the hoop was set with a crystal.
Wards didn’t work very well against Kyrie, especially whentheir anchor was purple. He touched the soft lavender crystal, which seemed towhisper its welcome. Reavers favored stones from the amethyst range aswardstones, but Kyrie had discovered that purple stones liked him best. Theyforgot what they were doing if he was nearby.
Barriers let him pass right through unless they werereinforced with sigilcraft to exclude him. But that only happened at home. Andnot so much anymore, since he was old enough to respect boundaries.
Balancing on the hoop, Kyrie reached for the next. Whoeverhad created this path was taller, so he had to stretch and scramble until hemade it up among the limbs. Then his options multiplied with every branching path.And he began to search.
The song had ended, but a scent pulled at him. Stronger now,as if one of the barriers had been holding back the fragrance that teased himonward and upward.
Heedless of how high he’d come, Kyrie searched for theflowers, wanting to know their shape and their color. Then he could tell Ginkgoall about them. Maybe even add a tree like this to their garden at home. Thatway, he could enjoy this scent all the time. Or at least as often as the treewas in bloom.
He accidentally found the flowers by walking into themface-first.
They were unlike any blossoms he’d ever seen before—cuppedpetals like bells, cascading in clusters. Vividly orange and heavy with pollen,sticky gold dust that tickled until he sneezed. The noise sent several Ephemerazipping away like startled fish. But they came drifting back, as enamored ofthe flowers as Kyrie was.
He liked Ephemera. Dad’s glass garden was filled with allkinds.
But these were new. And wild, of course. So when he offeredhis fingertips, they scooted away. With a whole summer ahead, maybe he couldtame one. Bring it home to give to Dad. Ginkgo would probably help him.
Six-legged lizards nuzzled into the orange flowers, likethey loved this tree.
Such a lovely tree.
Being here made Kyrie feel fuzzy and warm and glad … and alittle bit sleepy. So he found a forked section right up among the flowers andlay back. Just for a little while.
Such a lovely tree.
Kyrie was so relaxed, he didn’t notice that there wassomeone else nearby until he spoke.
“You are a long way up.”
