Born of Water

Born of Water Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

the KITH

The sword was an awkward weight in Lavinia's hand. Sweat from the humidity and the run dampened her palm. She had to hold the grip tight.

Ferns whipped her legs as she raced through the forest of massive trees, strange creatures yelling at her from the canopy. Startled birds and winged lizards scattered before her. Gasping for breath, she realized she could no longer taste salt in the air. The sea was far behind her, but from the sounds of it, Ty was catching up. Lavinia burst forward again, running deeper into the forest.

The forests had risen along the shoreline on the sixth day of the journey north. Lavinia first saw the trees in the light of the moon, thinking that the land had become hilly. Then one of the last outlets on the delta of the river Turcot opened along the shore, the sound of the rushing water audible in the quiet night. Then she realized the rolling mounds were the beginnings of the Forest of Falin. Those trees were tall, larger than anything Lavinia had seen in her life. They were nothing compared to the behemoths that rose from the land here, around Drufforth.

Lavinia stayed on deck when Ty came up that the morning. She knew they were close. The forest grow larger, the trees rising to over five hundred feet. Mist clung to the leaves in the midmorning sun. Flashes of animals and colored birds darted among the green. Finally, the shore pulled back in the swoop of a harbor and the strangest town Lavinia could have imagined came into view.

"Is that it?" Ria asked, her voice thin as if she were ill.

"I don't know. What else could it be?"

Niri must have been expecting to arrive today as well. She came on deck within moments of their conversation and let out a slow breath at the sight of Drufforth.

Massive roots flowed out from shore forming living wharves while runners plunged into the sea formed support pilings. Along the shoreline, knots of trees had been bent and grown together to create the supports and trusses of houses. Above everything, the enormous trees rose to lofty heights.

"Drop the sail. I'll take us in," Niri said to Lavinia.

They met Skree and his wife Gaylin as they tied the Grey Dawn to the largest wharf. Only three other boats were in the harbor. Innocently, Lavinia thought Gaylin and Skree were Kith.

"Nah, we aren't the Kith. We are just like you." Skree's gaze rested mostly on Ty's dark-eyed face. The faint scar on Skree's cheek was visible beneath laugh lines. But he rubbed the white marks over his knuckles as though they still bothered him. "We found some peace and decided to stay."

Gaylin smiled fondly at her husband. Her hair was more gray than russet, but that was the only age on her face. "You'll know the Kith when you see them, dear."

"We'll go ahead and move ya off the boat and into the inn. Get ready for work on her." Skree said, leading them to a table at the inn located at the foot if the wharfs. The trees that made the structure were so old that they had almost grown together. Narrow windows filled the gaps, letting in light.

"You think it will be that simple?" Niri asked.

"You being a Water Elemental and all?" Skree asked. Niri blushed but did not deny his comment. "I don't see any harm in ya. They'll see the truth of the matter and make their decision. We'll send a runner tomarrah to let them know yer here."

After so many days of sailing with the group divided as night and day, Lavinia had wanted to believe it was going to be that easy. They would stay in this quiet place made of living trees along the sea. Then as they gathered their belongings from the boat, Ty found Lavinia pulling the sword out of its hiding place.