V2Ch123 New Rings

Through our conversation over food, I learned that Mimi was half-fairy half-fae. An unusual combination. She can change her size at will but due to her fae half, she can't hold a different size for long. Her natural size was almost the height of a five-year-old child with an adult human shape.

Zeggy was actually a treant. They usually have a more tree-like shape but he managed to condense his body further into this smaller, more compact shape. Well, smaller for a treant anyway. He still towered over me. It's also what gave him such great power.

I set up a cooking fire and made a stew from ingredients that Zeggy and I had foraged from the area.

"All this food is from the forest? I had no idea that so much flavor could come from a stew-like this."

"You would be surprised, Mimi. I can show you many things the next time we forage."

Zeggy offered her.

"Speaking of. You seem to know a lot about foraging, Lake. Have you been in the forest long?"

"No. I learned a lot from a friend a long time ago."

Thoughts of Atouk strobed through my mind. Images of the many times we had searched for food and the occasional times when he let me learn what was good and what wasn't, through trial and error.

It seems like it wasn't that long ago but, I was out of it for almost 60 years. Is he still alive and well?

"I just got through the Swamplands last night. My friend went on ahead to Oofo. I am to meet up with her in another two days or so."

"Three days? It takes longer to get there than three days."

Go figure.

"Well, she said to give her at least three days. So, she might be counting the time after she gets there. I'll give it three days here before I start heading in that direction."

"You would leave her alone?"

"Uh... She left me alone. She wanted me to stay behind for a bit."

"And you would let her go off on her own? I can't imagine letting Mimi go off on her own."

"Can it, bark face."

*Tonk*

She smacked him on the cheek with her spoon. The sound it made was amusing.

"But, Mimi!"

"I said, can it. I can fend for myself. I just don't want to."

"Not all women are helpless. Babur is definitely not helpless."

"Babur? The Lead elder's granddaughter from Oofo?"

Zeggy asked.

"You know of her?"

"She... She was exiled from her homeland some years ago."

That story she told me before. The person who failed the fourth trial. I had a feeling that person was closer than I thought.

"She was..."

"That's enough. If she wants to tell me the details then, I'll wait for her to tell me. I don't want to find these things out from another source."

"Sorry."

"That's okay. You didn't know. I think I'm gonna go."

I stood up and started removing a few things from my backpack.

"Wait, I'm sorry if I offended you."

"It's not that. And, you are hardly one to apologize. I took you up on that fight and almost got Mimi killed. I'm sorry."

I pulled out the tent and the rest of my cookware. I left my blanket and a few other necessities behind before I mounted my backpack on my shoulders.

"I thought you were leaving. Why are you taking all these things out?"

"A parting gift. I don't really need them. Make use of them however you see fit."

Mimi looked a little starstruck. She walked over to me and placed a hand on my leg.

"Let me heal your leg. I'm sorry I stabbed you."

"No need. I'm fine."

"No you aren't! It could get infected and..."

I pulled up my pant leg. I wiped off the dried blood to reveal my truth to her.

"What? But, you're human. How did you heal so fast?"

I was surprised. I never told her about my human condition.

"How did..."

"The fae can see humans in a different light. We can pick one out of a crowd of thousands. Every race has a different aura. Even mixed races like myself. My mixed blood is why I'm shunned among the other fae. I haven't seen a human in over 50 years though. I was surprised when you showed up and toppled a tree... Wait. Are you human? Humans weren't always that strong, were they?"

I leaned down to her as I removed my hood.

"Why do you think other races were so scared of humans..."

"EEP!"

Mimi ran and hid behind Zeggy.

"Hahaha. I was just playing around. No. I'm quite unique, even among humans."

I looked down at my feet.

"What remains of humans, anyway."

A sudden realization hit me. I started browsing around the area. Nothing seemed amiss.

"Something wrong?"

Zeggy asked.

"Uh... You wouldn't happen to know if there are any lesser spirits around, would you?"

"Not out here. They gave their lives to the trees of the forest. Any that remain are in Wart Forest. The main city of the Forest Lands. Why do you ask?"

"Eh... They tend not to like me. I just wish I could know when they are around or not."

"Check with The Ent. They may know a way to teach you how to sense lesser spirits."

"Can you sense them? Can't you teach me?"

"No. For a treant, sensing spirits comes as naturally as breathing does to you. It's not something we can teach. The ent is the only one I can think of that may be able to help you."

"Really? Is he in Wart Forest? Where is that?"

"They. And, yes. Wart Forrest is due south. It is in the very center of the Forest Lands."

"Well, I think I know where I'm going now."

I turned and started to leave. I was stopped by Zeggy's hand.

"Wait. Let us give you something."

He held out his hand and a few small branches began to grow from his palm. They started to twist around each other in two different spots. Each knot began to form a complete circle. The edges that were connected to the rings had started to die off. The rings fell to his palm and he tore off the branches that had grown.

"Here, Mimi."

He brought his hand down to her. She placed both hands over the rings and started speaking a strange language I had never heard before. Her hands started to glow a green color.

When everything seemed to be done, she picked up both rings and reached up to me with them. I carefully took them from her tiny hands.

"I imbued them with a tiny portion of my life force. If you wear one and give the other to someone you care about, you will always be able to sense when each other are near. You may even be able to sense each other's feelings if your connection is strong enough."

My first thought was to give one to Babur.

"What if it doesn't fit?"

Zeggy stood up straight with a smile.

"They will. A small part of my life force is in those rings as well. They will resize as needed."

"This seems like something very special. Why go so far for me?"

"It's just a gift. Think nothing of it."

He seemed happy to give the rings to me. I looked at Mimi and she seemed to shy away into Zeggy's embrace.

"Well. Thank you."

I gave a simple wave of the hand and covered my head once more as I went on my way.

As I walked, I placed one ring on the middle finger of my right hand. I was about to place the other on the same finger of the left hand when I paused. Instead, I placed it on my ring finger and held my hand up to the light.

"This is what it feels like..."

I could feel my face go flush at the thought of Sophie and Babur wearing rings.

As much as I consider Sophie my wife, a pinky promise just doesn't feel like we officially sealed the pact. The thought of giving her the expensive present I purchased a while back got me all giddy.