An Exchange of Gifts
Syffox and his small mission emerged from the forest with the sun rising behind them. They stood in the last cool shadows they would feel until they returned. They had long left the city of Derabel, leaving with only half their companions. The others were left behind as attendants of the new temple being built to Vantaiga and the grand magical orchard the Goddess bestowed upon the city as their reward.
Now the small mission was on the opposite side of Vantaiga’s domain, where the land was dry and hard. Small shrubs and tufts of grasses stood out from what was otherwise a jagged plain of rocks and dirt. The people who lived in this land were known to be as harsh as their landscape. A nagging doubt crept into all their minds that it would be hard to convince the people of such an unforgiving land of the beauty and sanctuary the forest had to offer, let alone the reverence it deserved.
Syffox drew in a breath and pushed aside his doubts. With a smile to his remaining companions and a “let’s go,” the group stepped out onto the rocky expanse. They had a long distance to cover over the rugged ground. They would probably not arrive at the city gates until after nightfall. Syffox scowled at the heat of Coronus on the back of his neck. It bothered him that not only would he have to endure ragged rocks and dusty air but also the god mocking their every step.
He stopped and turned back to the sun god and thrust his chin at him in contempt. With a wave of his hand, thick, tall mimosa saplings erupted from the ground next to each member of the mission. At the top of each sapling, a single branch fanned out a thick bloom of leaves. Syffox grasped the sapling next to him and commanded it to let go of its roots to become his walking stick. He gestured to the others to do the same.
They grabbed their own small trees, but none of them knew how to detach the roots. A few members stumbled as their saplings refused to walk away with them. Syffox suppressed a chuckle, and with a slice of his finger in the air, he severed the trees for them.
It was late evening by the time the missionaries of Vantaiga reached the gates of Kundz. The city’s high walls were dotted with torches and silhouetted by the stars in the featureless landscape. The walls and city stood as a fortress protecting the fertile lands behind it; the people of Kundz were known for protecting those lands brutally well.
The small group set up a camp away from the city walls. The gates were closed for the night, and the hostile, untrusting looks of the guards made Syffox think it was best to give them some space. Syffox reassured his companions they would have a better reception in the daylight. He did not like lying to his young devotees, but he felt that a decent night’s sleep was more important to them than knowing the truth.
***
The morning came quietly and uneventfully to the forest people camped by the city of Kundz. A young priestess stirred in the chilled air of the red dawn. She looked up to see Syffox sitting on a rock close by. With some groans and stretches of her sore muscles, she rose to sit beside the old mage. “Morning, Master.”
Syffox smiled warmly. “Good morning, Sarah. You are up early.”
She rubbed a sore leg before replying. “The ground here is rougher than the forest. I think I’ve slept all I could. Will we be having breakfast soon?”
“Maybe. Would you like some rabbit for breakfast?”
The young woman’s stomach growled at the thought. “That would be great. We haven’t had rabbit since before Derabel.” She looked around at the flat, desolate plain. “Did you set out traps last night? There are no rabbits here.”
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Syffox pointed to a rock outcropping several hundred yards away. “There is a pair of desert hares by those rocks.”
The novice cleric squinted into the distance. “Really?”
Syffox tapped a finger next to his eye. “Magic.” He placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder.
She let out a gasp as the distant rocks appeared to race towards her. She braced herself to keep steady and quell a fear of losing balance. Once her eyes adjusted to the new perspective, she could see two brown rabbits foraging through a dry patch of grass at the base of the rocks. She blinked in awe for a moment before the rocks blurred and her vision rushed back to normal.
Syffox began unwrapping his bow. “Two rabbits should be a nice little breakfast for us.”
His disciple blinked to clear her eyes. “How will you get both of them? If you shoot one, the other will hide.”
Syffox placed his bow behind him and through his legs. With the tip and curve of the bow hooked in front of one leg and the handle behind the other leg, he lined up the string and bent the bow forward around him. Strain in his voice revealed the effort required to string the weapon. “I’ll just have to hit them… both at the same time.”
The young woman’s eyes lit up.“You’re going to fire two arrows at once?”
Syffox laughed. “No, you can’t hunt anything with a carnival trick like that.”
“But how, then?”
Syffox nocked an arrow from his quiver. “Like this.”
He studied the far-off rocks before pulling back the string and aiming the arrow high into the air. With a light thrum, he let it loose. He then drew a second arrow and paused. After a moment, he gave a quick, heavy pull and released with an ear-ringing snap that startled the rest of his disciples awake. The second arrow vanished towards the rocks on a low course over the ground.
Syffox continued to stare after the arrow for a tense second before he turned to the priestess. “There you go. Two rabbits for breakfast.”
The young woman laughed. “Really? Can I see?”
“Sure you can.”
The priestess looked to the distant rocks and waited a moment. She soon started to feel awkward as Syffox was not moving his hand to use his magic on her. Her grin dropped as she looked at him, bewildered.
“I shot them.” Syffox gestured his head towards the far-off rocks. “You go get them.”
The young priestess half huffed and half laughed at Syffox’s turnabout. She finally conceded with a grim smile and began walking into the distance.
A young priest groggily approached Syffox. “What was that all about?”
Syffox began unstringing his bow. “Oh, just a little demonstration.”
The priest looked confused. “For Sarah?”
“No.” Syffox leaned into him. “For the guards watching us on the walls.”
***
The group enjoyed their casual rabbit breakfast while the morning sun burned away the night’s chill. The guards at the gate continued to watch them but were becoming bored with the task. It seemed to them that any group of travellers that would waste half the morning eating was not a threat to the city, even if they did come from the forest.
With their breakfast done, Syffox and his companions ventured to the daunting stone walls and a small gate. A guard holding a bronze-tipped spear approached them with a serious look on his face. “What business have you with Kundz, strangers?”
Syffox greeted the suspicious man cheerfully. “Good morning, sir. We are emissaries from the forest. We wish to speak to the lords of your great city.”
The guard looked over Syffox’s tall, attractive companions. With the plain colours of their sleeved shirts and long-legged pants, they were unlike any emissaries he had ever seen before. “The lords won’t speak with you. They have no business with forest dwellers, even ones that shoot rabbits more than a seir away.”
“Well, we would like to change that. We wish to discuss what the forest has to offer and how the city of Kundz can benefit from knowing more about it.”
The guard thought for a moment. Syffox could tell he was trying to find excuses to delay them further. He started to wonder if the guard wanted money. He began to feel a bit foolish that he had not thought to bring any. He wondered if it would be too much of a spectacle to summon up gold right there before him.
The guard finally spoke in a curt, irritated voice. “The lords are busy. They do not have time for strangers.”
Syffox’s tone turned more serious. “Perhaps it would be best if the lords made that decision themselves. I’m sure you and your comrades have enough of your own duties than to hold account for the city lords.”
The guard looked blankly at Syffox for a moment and then over at his companions. He was trying to maintain his stern demeanour, but the veteran priest could see him calculating if this confrontation was really worth the amount of effort it was taking.
The guard finally nodded and curtly announced, “You may enter.” He abruptly turned and joined his group of fellow guards, who watched the conversation with idle amusement.
Before the small mission passed through the gate, Syffox broke away and trotted over to the retreating guard. “Excuse me, sir. As we are strangers to the city, could one of you guide us to the council hall?”
The guard stopped and looked to his comrades. They only responded to him with slight smiles and some snickers. His shoulders dropped for a moment. Then, he straightened up and turned to the gate. He passed Syffox with a gruff “follow me.”