Kavio
In the next few days of travel, Kavio tried to forget what happened with Gremo. He told himself the best way to have a peaceful trip was to stay away from other people. He decided to do that.
Thank you, Rthan, Kavio thought with a small, hard smile as he paddled. Your boat has made my journey much easier.
But he had other problems. Many travelers moved toward the tribehold in large, protected groups. Kavio saw them from the river. They walked along the trail that followed the same path. Tavaedies guarded groups of Initiates.
She was gone.
One group made him stop and stare. Some of the Initiates wore the hexachrome-maze-on-white clothing of Rainbow Labyrinth tribesfolk.
Were they slaves? Exiles? Traitors?
He did not know. He was not the kind of person who should judge others. But the sight of them made him feel uneasy.
These travelers also slowed him down. Every time he saw people, he hid his canoe in the thick plants near the shore. He waited until they passed.
Life would be so much easier if there were no people in the world, he thought as he pushed his canoe into a hidden pool.
Ahead of him, a tree had fallen across the river. Moss grew on it. Someone stood on the tree.
A young woman.
She was alone, which surprised him. She had left her backbasket and outer clothes on the riverbank. Her hair hung loose, long and thick. She began to cartwheel back and forth across the log.
The sun was setting behind her. She looked like an eclipse, all light and dark. She did not seem like a Tavaedi doing a ritual. She looked like a faery at play. Her flips and handstands were as easy for her as walking.
Her beauty and power made Kavio hold his breath.
She must be from the Rainbow Labyrinth tribehold, he thought. In no other place in Faearth did people test children for magic at age seven. In other tribes, testing happened later, during Initiation.
Kavio had always thought waiting until fourteen was a mistake. It was too late. This young woman had clearly been training since childhood.
He imagined her whole life. She passed her test at seven. She trained for many years. She became famous. She faced danger.
He wondered how many Chromas she had. How many men had asked her to marry them?
He wanted to float under her bridge and speak with her. He wanted to ask what it was like to grow up as a prodigy.
Did people laugh at her, like they laughed at me when I came here as a child Tavaedi? Were they jealous of her skill, like they were of mine? Did they push her away? Did she build a wall to protect herself, like I did?
Would she look at me and hold out her hand? Would she invite me to join her on the bridge?
Or would she just see me as another annoying fool?
The sun sank behind her. Light wrapped around her like a glow. She looked as powerful as one of the Faery Ladies.
He had to look away.
When he looked back, clouds had covered the sun.