Out of the Shadows: Part Three

     "Ticherai," Maijitesa murmured finally, and Ticherai leaned his long neck down to put his ear close to Maijitesa's mouth. "We are being followed. I am going to let you down. It will be difficult, but if we should be attacked, I want you to get away. Don't worry about me, just get away as fast as you can. We are not far from Mephaira's house now."

     Ticherai's head didn't move, but Maijitesa knew he had heard him. After a moment, he nodded, just the barest motion of his head. Maijitesa was relieved. Insane Ticherai might be, but he had a deep sense of loyalty, and Maijitesa had been worried he would refuse to leave his side. He would be no use in a fight now, and they both knew it. Moving carefully but as quickly as he could, Maijitesa knelt again so Ticherai could slide slowly off his back.

     Finally there was a low growl from the bushes. They both immediately froze. "Go," Maijitesa whispered, moving to put himself between Ticherai and the place from where he thought the sound had come. As Ticherai began to move off, Maijitesa scanned the underbrush for any sign of the creature.

     The blue eyes appeared, glowing in the shadows. The Acara growled again, and Maijitesa braced himself for attack.

     "You," came the voice from the underbrush. She snarled wordlessly and leaped onto the path.

     Maijitesa stood his ground, watching her. He couldn't see Ticherai, but could hear him limping away. Though it was far too slowly for his liking, he knew that was all his friend could manage. He hoped that if the Acara attacked, she would go for him and not Ticherai.

     The Acara crouched before him, ears flat against her horns, claws digging furrows in the dirt.

     Without taking her eyes off him, she lowered her head and took a step forward. Maijitesa lowered his own head, pointing his horn at her, and pawed the ground. He turned up the heat on his hoof-flames, and they crackled menacingly around his legs. This gave the Acara pause---she clearly remembered having her fur singed last time, and he noticed it hadn't yet grown back---but it only lasted a moment before she leaped, snarling. Maijitesa rose up on his hind legs again, striking out with his forefeet and turning his flames up even more.

     "STOP!"

     The cry was powerful, and brought with it a stream of blue fire that arced between them like lightning. Maijitesa twisted to the side and pivoted sharply to identify the source of the sound. The voice sounded very familiar. The Acara shrieked and tried to pull out of her jump before the streak of magic hit her, but the momentum from her powerful leap was too much. She only received a glancing blow, however, scorching the edge of one ear. She landed heavily on the path, scrambling and skidding in the dirt, snarling in pain and rage.

     Mephaira stood at a bend in the path, her staff pointed menacingly at the Acara. The Acara shook herself and gathered herself for another spring, but this time toward the Zafara. "Oh no, you don't!" Maijitesa shouted, but before he could so much as move, Mephaira shot another blast of blue flame from her staff, which hit the Acara square in the chest. Instead of wounding her, however, it covered her in a haze of blue light, and she fell over onto her side.

     Maijitesa damped the flames roaring around his legs as the Acara struggled to right herself. He knew Mephaira possessed magical abilities, but he had never seen her use them, and he had never thought she'd be this powerful.

     "You might as well give up," Mephaira said as she began to hobble toward the fallen creature. "The shield will hold no matter what you do." The Acara snarled again and redoubled her efforts, but Maijitesa could tell they were in vain. Mephaira paused a few steps away and grounded her staff. Maijitesa closed the distance between them at a trot. He could see the Acara would be no threat now, but he didn't want even the slightest risk that she could hurt Mephaira.

     Mephaira reached up and patted his neck without taking her eyes off the Acara. "I think you've caused enough trouble for today, youngling," she told her. "What is your name?"

     The Acara's eyes blazed in fury at her confinement, her lips lifting in another snarl.

     "You might as well tell me, youngling," Mephaira said patiently, smiling. "I'm not going to let you go until I'm satisfied. We can stay here all day. I have nothing else planned."

     Maijitesa managed not to smirk.

     "Tiyesa," the Acara finally hissed. At this, Maijitesa blinked. The name meant "evil." Perhaps, he thought, it was an assumed name, as Ticherai's was. He hoped so. If that was truly her given name, it might explain some of her issues.

     "Very good. I am Mephaira. This handsome creature is Maijitesa." She nodded at him.

     Tiyesa glanced at him briefly, then turned her eyes back to Mephaira.

     "Now that we have been properly introduced, may I ask why you have been attacking my companions without provocation? Ticherai says he did nothing to provoke your attack, and I believe him."

     "The Haunted Woods is a dangerouss place," Tiyesa said. Her voice, as well as being hoarse, also had a sibilant quality, with occasional drawn-out s's. "Anyone could attack him."

     "It is a dangerous place," Mephaira agreed. "But there is an understanding among those who dwell here: live and let live. We do not attack here without cause. You are new here, I take it?"

     Tiyesa nodded, but reluctantly.

     "You have a lot to learn about living in the Woods. You are lucky it was Maijitesa and Ticherai---the bird---whose path you crossed and not someone more prone to violence with a shorter fuse. Now, am I right in assuming you attacked Ticherai out of a need for vengeance because he tried to steal your food?"

     She flattened her ears. "Yess. And him---" she jerked her short muzzle at Maijitesa "---for attacking me and burning my fur."

     "He was only protecting his friend. You cannot blame him for that."

     She sniffed in annoyance, but did not refute the statement.

     "Ticherai has promised to stay away from your nest and not to steal food. Maijitesa, would you likewise agree to leave Tiyesa alone?" She looked up at him.

     He nodded. "Of course, provided she leaves us alone."

     Mephaira turned back to Tiyesa and raised her eyebrows.

     "I agree," she said in a low voice. "Now will you let me go?" She struggled again, but it was halfhearted.

     "Give me your word."

     She sniffed again, but nodded, and it was almost a bow. "I give you my word."

     Mephaira lowered her staff until the top knob touched the Acara's forehead, and the blue glow vanished from around her body. The Acara got to her feet, braced her paws and gave herself a shake.

     "Be off with you now," Mephaira ordered. "Live well, Tiyesa."

     Tiyesa backed away for a few steps, not taking her eyes from Mephaira and Maijitesa. She then turned and scampered back into the shadowy underbrush from which she'd emerged.

     Mephaira sighed, leaning on her staff and staring at the place the Acara had disappeared.

     "How is Ticherai?" Maijitesa asked.

     "He's resting a bit farther on," she replied. "I gave him a bit of healthshroom to get his strength back up. He'll be all right. The break is clean and should heal well."

     He nodded. "And Meseni?"

     "Resting back at my house with a whole Pyramicake all to himself."

     Maijitesa chuckled. "He'll like that."

     She smiled. "Yes, he seemed rather pleased by it. The poor little mite fairly collapsed on my porch, but when I saw the feather, I knew what happened.”

     Maijitesa nodded. “Did you walk all the way here?” Though she had wings of her own, Mephaira couldn't manage more than a short glide. "Too old and too bottom-heavy," she often said.

     “Yes. I can move quickly, when I need to.” She grinned. “I am glad I caught you before things progressed too far, though.” She straightened. "Come, we must get Ticherai back to my house. He still needs much care." She turned to head back the way she'd come.

     "Mephaira," Maijitesa called. When she turned, he lowered himself to one knee in front of her.

     "Maijitesa?" she said hesitantly.

     "Please, Mephaira. You walked all the way here, and likely pushed yourself harder than you should have. This is the least I can do after all you've done for us. I already let Ticherai ride on my back to this point, until Tiyesa made her appearance, so it seems I am to be a noble steed today."

     “Very noble.” The Zafara smiled and slowly and carefully clambered onto Maijitesa's back. She gripped his mane with one paw and laid her staff across his shoulders. He began walking slowly.

     "Have you always been able to do magic like that?" he asked, curious about the power she wielded. Though they were friends, he realized, none of them knew very much about the others.

     "It takes a lot out of me, these days, but yes. I still have a few tricks up these dusty old sleeves. I only use that kind of power in the most dire of circumstances, but it's good to have it at my disposal."

     He nodded. "I can imagine. I'm glad you used it today."

     Mephaira chuckled. "That girl needed to be taught a lesson. Hopefully it's one she actually learned."

     "Yes," Maijitesa said. "I hope so."

     They found Ticherai, lying on the ground a bit further up the path, but he looked better than he had when Maijitesa had found him: more alert, eyes bright, his color better. He perked when he saw Maijitesa, but the sight of Mephaira riding on his back made him blink.

     When they reached him, Maijitesa leaned down and gave him a tiny but affectionate nudge with his muzzle. "I'd carry you too, but you'd probably crush Mephaira.”

     Ticherai chuckled. "I feel better,” he said. “Just let me lean on you," Again, using Maijitesa's shoulder for balance on his uninjured side, Ticherai climbed to his feet, and leaned against him as they began to walk toward Mephaira's shack.

     In the weeks that followed, Ticherai stayed with Mephaira while his wing healed. At first he disliked the confinement and inability to use his wings, but as he regained his strength he began to help the Zafara with her housework and time seemed to pass more quickly. Maijitesa and Meseni visited often to keep him company, and they both eventually got roped into helping with chores as well. To get himself back into condition, Ticherai started with short flights around Mephaira's property, gradually making them longer and longer until he was flying normally again. Maijitesa often went with him on these flights, matching his own pace to Ticherai's, so the Lenny did not get too frustrated with his slow progress. In time, the broken wing healed perfectly. On occasion, especially when the nights were cold or rainy, Ticherai complained of some stiffness, but other than that, there was no indication that he'd ever been so badly wounded.

     All of them stayed clear of the area of the Woods where they'd first encountered Tiyesa. Even so, for a long time afterward, every time one of them heard something unseen rustle in the underbrush, they would pause and look to the shadows. In the Haunted Woods, one could never tell what was lurking unseen.

The End