... Mallora woke to the sun glinting in her eyes. to her surprise it was almost midday when she finally woke from her deep slumber. As she rubbed her small rodent face she wondered about Narim. Had he made it through the night? Would he think to look for her here. She felt the faint link between them but could discern no real emotions positive or negative. It would take a deeper scry to properly assess his whereabouts and state.
...don't want to leave... but she seems so nice.. she reminds me of my mama maybe.
Narim, are you well?
.
He couldn't hear her, not this way. All she could do was bear witness to his thoughts. She could see the smiling face of the girl from yesterday who'd run from him. Apparently something happened during the night to change her mind about him.
... you can help other children like you've helped me... let's go to Teville, to the children's camp...
He was remembering the encounter with such a frantic glee that Mallora didn't dare intrude any further. Narim had eased a heavy heart as a Tarik for the first time without her aid. In the end, he didn't really need her. Bound or not, it was clear Narim's purpose was unfolding before him. He would be a Tarik when one was needed the most.
She waited throughout the rest of the evening for some sign of the children to come through the field and finally, just as the sun fell low on the horizon, She could see two small figures silohuetted against the tall grass. Whoever this girl was, Mallora mused, she was no stranger to travelling safely or smart for that matter. She even, somehow, managed to keep Narim's wandering tendrils of readable thought reigned in so well that even she had a hard time reading them. Mallora nodded, satisfied.
"wait!" she heard him call out in the distance. The girl shushed him, but not before he ran a good length through the field calling Mallora's name. When the girl finally caught up to him, she chastised him concerning the dangers of being well seen and he settled to a stop. With a hand sheilding his eyes, he scanned his surroundings but to no avail.
"I guess she left without me" Narim whispered sulkily. Seizing the moment to return a favor perhaps, the girl tousled his unruly blonde mop and gave a low whistle of sympathy.
"You are a funna boy. We'll get along nicely. Now hurry 'fore the others realize we've left." And without a second thought, he took her hand and they walked away from the place Mallora had been hiding.
She didn't have a choice. She was a bound creature and no amount of built up wanderlust would allow her to break away from Narim, her master. She resolved to following from a safe distance. It was for the best.
...don't want to leave... but she seems so nice.. she reminds me of my mama maybe.
Narim, are you well?
.
He couldn't hear her, not this way. All she could do was bear witness to his thoughts. She could see the smiling face of the girl from yesterday who'd run from him. Apparently something happened during the night to change her mind about him.
... you can help other children like you've helped me... let's go to Teville, to the children's camp...
He was remembering the encounter with such a frantic glee that Mallora didn't dare intrude any further. Narim had eased a heavy heart as a Tarik for the first time without her aid. In the end, he didn't really need her. Bound or not, it was clear Narim's purpose was unfolding before him. He would be a Tarik when one was needed the most.
She waited throughout the rest of the evening for some sign of the children to come through the field and finally, just as the sun fell low on the horizon, She could see two small figures silohuetted against the tall grass. Whoever this girl was, Mallora mused, she was no stranger to travelling safely or smart for that matter. She even, somehow, managed to keep Narim's wandering tendrils of readable thought reigned in so well that even she had a hard time reading them. Mallora nodded, satisfied.
"wait!" she heard him call out in the distance. The girl shushed him, but not before he ran a good length through the field calling Mallora's name. When the girl finally caught up to him, she chastised him concerning the dangers of being well seen and he settled to a stop. With a hand sheilding his eyes, he scanned his surroundings but to no avail.
"I guess she left without me" Narim whispered sulkily. Seizing the moment to return a favor perhaps, the girl tousled his unruly blonde mop and gave a low whistle of sympathy.
"You are a funna boy. We'll get along nicely. Now hurry 'fore the others realize we've left." And without a second thought, he took her hand and they walked away from the place Mallora had been hiding.
She didn't have a choice. She was a bound creature and no amount of built up wanderlust would allow her to break away from Narim, her master. She resolved to following from a safe distance. It was for the best.
