COP S2.11 The Wyrcome
“There’s only this little bit now and most people won’t go near them. Afraid of the magic in them, the evil spirits.”
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Previously on…
The Laz of Yiat declared he was closing the city after a cursed person caused an incident at Brots. Lyn, Tass, Nia, Jor and Spiri raced to leave the city before another purge began.
The trail of people leaving Yiat headed south. We went east.
Once we were clear, we stopped at the edge of a field of estapl. The bright red leaves hid the not-ripe blue cob much of the pastries I loved were made from. Jor checked Spiri over, head to toe, noting scrapes and tender spots that needed treatment after our close encounters.
I caressed her cheek, checking her pattern and reassuring her. Though sensitive to magic, she was strong. She’d recover well enough. I could sense already she was just happy to be away from the city and so many people. “How far is the wyrcome?”
Jor came around from the other side of Spiri. “Not far. It’s just inside the treeline there.” He pointed eastward, beyond the farmer’s fields where the forest began.
“I didn’t think anyone stayed outside the city walls. Why is the wyrcome out here?”
He smirked. “Some do, some don’t. There’re no settlements nearby, that’s true. But it’s all a little silly, don’t you think? There are other towns and cities all over the north. None with walls like Yiat.”
Spoken unlike a true northerner, at least the ones I’d interacted with. “And Tass’ wyrcome? Why so far away?” Wyrcomes were housing for servants or lower-level workers provided by their employers. Most I’d seen were in attics or basements or shacks hidden away, but always close to where the work was.
“Tass…is different. If you hadn’t noticed.” He winked at me and took Spiri’s reins. “We should get moving. They’re likely to get there before us and mother will be in a state until she knows I’m safe.”
A pang struck, uncomfortable, unsettling, and full of regret. It was telling that he didn’t seem worried about Nia being safe. His trust in Tass was absolute. “Lead on.”
I don’t know how long we walked, but the forest was much farther than I had thought at first. That was probably because of the trees.
They were enormous, taller than the walls of Yiat and wider than two of the king’s royal carriages. Green and pink leaves, ridiculously tiny for a tree so large, fluttered in the breeze on their upper half. Smooth tan bark stretched down and over bulging roots that disappeared into the ground. I’d heard of the jaigeg trees, even seen them from a distance. I had no idea they could grow this far north. “I didn’t know there was a second jaigeg forest.”
“They say this is the original one. That it was all cut down and used to build the wall.”
I didn’t have to guess what wall he meant. “I thought that was all stone.”
“That’s what they say.” He shrugged his shoulders. “There’s only this little bit now and most people won’t go near them. Afraid of the magic in them, the evil spirits.”
After what I’d seen, I had to wonder if they were right. “There seem to be plenty about here in the north.”
“But not in the trees. Not these.”
As we followed the path into the grove, I read the forest. Jor was right. The pattern was beautiful, intricate, and pure. Seeing it left me with a sense of age, as if the trees had been there since the beginning of time itself. It made me wonder about the fryn again. The trees were born of the land, the land the fryn needed restored.
Spiri let out a whinny. Her head was high and her lips peeled back.
“She smells it already,” Jor said.
“The wyrcome?”
“We’re close.”
I sniffed the air but couldn’t detect anything other than a typical foresty smell. The well-trodden path between the ancient trees opened up onto an orchard. An orchard of a dozen obuoo trees stood surrounded by a much younger forest. It was like the jaigeg trees were a wall cutting off the rest of the world from the idyllic scene. A white wood and stone house was visible beyond the orchard.
Standing in front of it was Nia, hands clasped in joy at seeing us. Well, seeing Jor. She rushed to squeeze him.
He returned her embrace. “I knew Tass would get you here first.”
“Let me see you.” She stepped back and made him turn and bend close so she could examine him. “No trouble then?” She asked after deeming him whole and uninjured.
“I wouldn’t say that…” I said, the image of the young child and a frantic mother reminding me how desperate the situation had been.
“We’re fine,” he reassured her. “But many didn’t make it.” He cleared his throat. “Spiri here needs a rest and some treats to help her heal.”
“Of course,” Nia said and stepped aside.
I started after Jor. She was my horse to take care of. After all, I wasn’t paying them to help me anymore. That arrangement was left behind in Yiat.
“Wait,” Nia called. “Tass said to send you in as soon as you got here.”
“In?”
“The wyrcome. Down the hall, second door on the left.”
“Got it.”
She grabbed hold of my arm. “Thank you, mim, for getting him out safe.”
I gave her a curt nod, burying the pangs that rose in my chest yet again.
Tass was right where she said he’d be. He was hunched over a map spread out on a table. A kyboillo sat on the corner and another hung on the wall by the door. Besides the table, there were a few wood stools and a bench along one wall. A fire snapped and crackled in a fireplace that seemed way too tiny for the room.
“Let me guess. You used a portal to get here fast and avoid the crowds.”
His green eyes reflected the light from the kyboillo as he stared at me. “Don’t. Not here. Close the door.”
I did, and he motioned me closer. “Workers from Yiat live here, or come and go. I suspect more will arrive before too long, if they make it out.” He fingered the spiral pendant. “We’ll need to leave soon. Mise says a pair of helpers is on the way to meet us near Hofton.” He mashed his finger on the map, near a huddle of houses. “After what just happened, we need to be swift.”
“Spiri needs a rest. She has some injuries that need treating too. Plus, it’ll be dark soon. I thought no one liked to be out after dark.”
“You forget I took you out in the dark?”
The memory of shit and vomit came rushing back. “Fine. You’re obviously…different.” I really just wanted a chance to rest, to make sure Spiri was fully ready before heading into more danger. “I won’t leave until she’s ready.”
“You know she heals quickly, right?”
I gritted my teeth. “I’ll say when she’s healed and ready.” It was true that percira healed faster than the average horse, but I didn’t need him telling me that, or assuming I didn’t know my horse.
He groaned. “Don’t you ever tire of sparring? Is your ego so large it matters more than…doing what we need to do? Especially after today. We can’t wait until—“
A gentle knock came from the door.
Tass glanced down at the map, then opened the door a crack. “Nia. Come in.”
“I brought some ale,” she said, sliding through the opening with two mugs in hand.
“Thank you,” Tass said, taking one.
“Yes, thank you,” I added. “But you don’t need to take care of us anymore.”
Nia looked uncomfortable. “Yes, I do, mim. You all need it, and I need to do it.”
“But—”
“We appreciate it, Nia. More than we can say.” Tass squeezed her shoulder and led her to the door. He glanced back at me and frowned.
It took all my strength not to burst out at him. I really did appreciate Nia’s help, and didn’t think she needed to hear Tass and me fight. He whispered something to her that brought a smile to her face. When the door closed, I let it out. “What is your problem? Am I not allowed to say anything anymore?”
He pressed his temples and closed his eyes. “We can’t keep doing this. There’s too much at stake. If we don’t find who is behind the ruins, then things will go from bad to worse in Yiat.” He turned to face me. “I know you aren’t the most altruistic type, but you’ve agreed to do whatever it takes to clear yourself of the d—your trouble. Going to Hofton is the first step. We agreed, didn’t we?”
“Not altruistic? Who—” The words caught in my throat. A sense of cool water flowed over me, a now familiar song played in my head, the beat-beat draining the fight out of me.
We stood in silence as the fryn’s magic did its work. I grew angry at not being allowed to be angry, but that dissipated even faster than my anger at Tass.
“It wants us to fight,” he said so quietly I almost couldn’t hear him. His face relaxed. “Not that we would get along well without its influence, but it’s pushing us apart.”
Considering his words, I didn’t know if I could agree. Just earlier that day, my pattern had been reset, the Demeid’s influence almost eliminated. Yet, I could also see how quick we were to be angry with each other. And not anyone else. “Thank the fryn then, for stepping in. Even if I don’t enjoy being cut off.”
He tilted his head. “Thank the fryn. But we still don’t have time to waste.”
The urge to argue that waiting for Spiri to rest and heal wasn’t wasting time died before I could act on it. “Do you…can you get us there faster then? Let Spiri rest here?”
He shifted his gaze around the room, as if he thought someone else might have appeared to listen to us vaguely talk about traveling through portals. “Yes. To near Hofton. Nothing close enough to…where we want to go.” He sucked in air through his teeth. “To be clear, I never suggested you ride Spiri before she’s ready. We have other horses here. We should take them.”
Riding into a cursed area without Spiri was like walking into a pub without my shirt on. She was an added layer of protection I relied on when traveling. “That’s not ideal. For me. But it’s best for her. Do you trust the stable hands?”
“Jor probably won’t let anyone else near her. But yes, I do.”
“Hold on. I wouldn’t think a servant’s home would have its own stable or supply of horses. This isn’t just a wyrcome, is it?”
He chuckled. “No, and yes. The stables hold the overflow for many of the rich in Yiat. They fare much better here than in the stables under the wall houses.”
“Even with all the superstition about being outside the walls?”
He scoffed. “Most of the superstition comes from the Laz. Hole up in the citadel, he imagines all sorts of things that aren’t true. The high-livers go along with him, some might even believe, but most don’t. At least they didn’t.” A rush of footsteps in the hallway drew his attention. “They probably all do now.”
He cracked the door open. Even silhouetted against the kybollio, I saw his face pale.
“Tass, help!” A female voice begged. Other voices chimed in.
“Just a moment.” He closed the door. At the table, he rolled up the map and slid it into a pocket inside his coat. “I need to take care of them.” He tilted his head toward the hall. “Not long. We should go after.”
A cry sounded.
He swung the door open. “Let me help.”
A moment later, he was carrying in a child, followed by several young women. Their off-white smocks had a colored sigil on the right side, identifying them as domestic help for a specific family. Not being from Yiat, I didn’t recognize who it was they worked for, but one wealthy enough they wanted their people identified. They all had scrapes and bruises blooming. Blood had crusted on the gash Tass was now tending.
I slipped out the door to let him do his thing. Down the hall, I heard Nia. She was humming while bustling about, sweeping along the baseboards of the dining room.
“Oh, mim! Can I get you something?”
“No. No.” I closed the distance between us. “If I offended you before—“
“Please, mim. We’re all a bit frazzled after today. Keeping busy, that’s the best thing for it.”
Her broad smile put me at ease, as it always did. Given what I suspected about her, it made me wonder if she also had emani magic like Steffan. Only she used hers unconsciously, and perfectly, to make her guests relax and feel at home. “Of course. I understand. And agree. Have you seen Jor? I need to get some of my things.”
“Yes, mim. He put your bags upstairs. I’ll show you.”
We walked to the back of the house. Just to the left of the kitchen, a set of stairs led up. A narrow landing gave access to four doors. Nia led me into the first one.
“Tass says it’s all common space up here. The beds are all spoken for, though, at least until, well, until.”
She didn’t need to finish her thought. Depending who made it out before the gates closed, there might be no beds, or many, available. The long room held twenty, ten on each side. Some had a small chest at the foot. Some had even smaller ones snug underneath them.
“Here they are.” She pointed to the corner closest to the door. “I can find a blanket for you. And maybe a pillow.” Her forehead wrinkled up.
“Thank you, but no. Tass and I will be leaving soon.”
“Oh?” Her furrows deepened.
“Yes. We went to Yiat to get my things, and Spiri, for the journey.”
“Just like Tass to rush off to do good. You too, mim. Let me make you something. I don’t imagine either of you has eaten your fill in some time.”
Before I could say she didn’t need to go out of her way, she was gone. Left alone in the room, the silence weighed on me. It wasn’t really silent, though. I could hear voices from outside, some yelling, others in flurried conversation. Steps, heavy and fast, thumped up the steps and down the landing. The door flew open. A young couple fumbled inside.
When they saw me, they stopped and stared. They exchanged looks, then moved down the row of beds. With their backs to me, they whispered to one another. I’d made it a rule to never let others make me feel out of place. But I was. A stranger in someone’s home. A lot of someones based on the number of beds in that room alone. There were three other doors off the landing.
I grabbed my bags and went to wait for Tass. It was time to get moving and face the first step in whatever it was we were doing. To free myself of the Demeid, maybe save the world, and get back to a life I knew.
Next episode on Saturday May 31, 2025.
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