Page 60 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
“He might consider you, then.”
Isla’s fell silent. Finally, she ventured,“Pardon?”
“If you are not descended from Waaseyaa, then you could comeand belong to Brother and me.”
Tenma knew that this was a sensitive subject for Isla and ledin with a chuckle. “Are you matchmaking, Zisa?”
The tree pointed to the screen. “She likes me. I like her.Brother might choose her if he knew she would be nice to me.”
His expression was so hopeful, so wistful. Tenma had no ideawhat to say, but Mikoto wrapped his arms around Zisa and said, “Islaisnice, and we need her help. Is it all right if we talk about Impressions now?”
Zisa leaned into Mikoto’s larger frame. “Ilikeher.”
“Yes. We all do. And you can tell Uncle all about herlater.” Mikoto calmly added, “He will be glad to know you made a new friend.”
Until now, it hadn’t occurred to Tenma that a tree whose legacyhad been all but erased and who lived in hiding might be a little lonesome. Readingbetween the lines, this would be especially true if his twin’s wifewasn’tnice to him.
“Complementary genealogies aside,” Tenma interjected. “Isla,what can you tell us about Impressions?”
“Yes. Right. Quite.”He could hear the relief inIsla’s acceptance of the change in subject.“As it happens, I’ve had accessto most of the old sagas. The collection at Kikusawa Shrine remains the most extensive,and thanks to the Miyabe family’s efforts, completely uncensored.”
“Sorry, sorry,” interrupted Tenma. “By sagas, do you mean storieslike the one Kimiko borrowed for her courtship?”
“The Wolf and the Moon Maiden,”Isla supplied.“Andyes. The sagas refer to the oldest heroic tales. Some belong to individualclans. Some are shared freely, usually by storytellers during a Song Circle.Oral tradition is more common, but many clans—like the Dimityblest—are compulsiveabout written records.”
“True,” Mikoto offered. “There is a Dimityblest chroniclerattached to our family. He has preserved our whole history.”
“Really!”Isla’s fascination carried easily over thephone.“I’d love to read a record of Wardenclave’s founding.”
Before she could be further sidetracked, Tenma asked, “Sothe sagas are historically accurate?”
Isla hesitated.“Some think the stories are figurative, butthere are just as many who call for a literal interpretation. Scholars like topoint out that many of the essentials don’t change, and not only through thecompendium of sagas. There are also the songs, which are sometimes calledpsalms, countless short fables, a handful of lullabies, and the Amaranthineequivalent of nursery rhymes.”
“I know some of the fables and rhymes,” Tenma said. “When I… do what I do, I’m often repaid in stories. For many it’s all they have tooffer.”
“Oh, I want to hear more about that!”
“Another time?”
“Right. Yes. Where was I?”Isla seemed to be drummingher fingers.“Taking corresponding histories into account, the Impressionspredate Amaranthine culture. Many of the classic tales involve encountersbetween the Amaranthine and the Impressions. And in all, the imps inspire awe.They’re beautiful, desirable, and often depicted as existing just out ofreach.”
Zisa shook his head and said, “I am here.”
“So you are!”Isla agreed.“We cannot deny theexistence of the clans of earth, sky, and sea when people like you confirm thetruth.”
Tenma’s attention skipped ahead. Isla knew how his abilitiesworked, so he simply asked, “Why would I look at a human and see the same kindsof colors only found in Amaranthine?”
She hummed.“Logically, it means that they aren’t human. Orthat they’re not entirely human. Or it could mean that you are changing.”
That last one hadn’t occurred to Tenma.
It was so simple, he wondered why not.
Isla lowered her voice and asked,“Can you see Zisa’scolors?”
“Yes.” Smiling at the tree, Tenma added, “He’s glorious.”
“Can we assume that means you will now recognize anothertree if you were to meet them? In much the same way you’re able todifferentiate members of different clans?”
