Chapter Text
They both crawled in the tent, and the smell of the nearby river and his brother’s gentle breathing lulled him into his dreams.
He slept well. Better than he slept for a while, actually. In fact, he slept in too late.
A nudge on the shoulder woke him up. When he squinted up at the tent canopy, Lucien’s face was barely a foot away from his. The boy grinned down at him, the light shining into the tent making his scarlet hair glow.
Eris jolted and pulled away. “Mother’s tits,” he muttered.
Lucien only grinned wider, uncaring that he was invading Eris’ personal space. “Tanya’s pissed you haven’t fed her breakfast yet.”
Eris tossed off his blanket. The morning chill greeted his hot skin, encouraging a wave of goosebumps. He should probably ease back the swearing around his brother. But he supposed it was too late into the hunting trip for that. “Is Tanya pissed I haven’t gathered breakfast, or you?”
“Since I woke up at a decent time, I figured I should be the one to make breakfast.” Lucien grinned and stood. “So wake up! Before I feed your portion to Tanya!”
He trotted out of the tent like an eager puppy. Eris grumbled as he dressed, and when he finally pushed back the tent flap, the smell of eggs and tea filled his nose.
Lucien knelt by the fire, poking at a pair of sunny-side up eggs with a stick. They crackled and popped in the iron pan that sat in the fire. The fire that his little brother started himself. The tea hung on the stand next to it, a jet of steam hissing out of the spout.
Eris sat next to Lucien, studying the eggs. “Where did you find those?”
Lucien pointed to an oak tree that stood a few meters away. “That tree up there. I spotted the nest yesterday, but I wasn’t sure if it had any eggs in it. I went to check just for fun, and I found out that it did.”
“What a little thief you are.”
“I felt kind of bad. But I think it was abandoned.”
“Did you leave something behind?”
Lucien nodded and gestured to his jacket. One of the top fasteners, shaped like an autumn leaf, was missing.
Eris smirked. “Good. You’re learning.”
He expected his brother to roll his eyes or give a snide remark, but Lucien smiled back.
⌘
They began their hike along the river after breakfast, leaving Tanya to snooze in the tent. Eris would occasionally point out something to Lucien that he noticed: a wolf’s footprints faded in the mud; a deer trail leading into a thicket of grass; the glimpse of a faerie sprite called a Chakal. Lucien would point out things he noticed and ask questions, just like the first day of hiking. “What kind of mushroom is that?” “Can you eat these berries?” “Where do deer sleep?” He was curious about an ancient tree that was beginning to shed its eternal leaves. “Is it dying?” Lucien had asked. “No,” Eris answered. “It’s as healthy as ever. All of the Autumn trees eventually lose their leaves due to age. The lesser fae call it ‘becoming humble’”. Lucien had chuckled at that.
They had both removed their armor. Lucien again became that little, curious boy and Eris…he felt lighter. He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled this much, or when he gave a genuine laugh instead of the one he often feigned in court…his tool to mock and scorn and trick.
They both acted like the males they would have been if it wasn’t for Beron.
But it would not last. Eris knew it, and he was sure Lucien knew it too. Because when their mother gave them the clear and they would return to the Forest House, they would be forced to put on their armor again. Even the sound of a bird’s wings would remind him of the eyes that were no doubt watching them, even if it was just a cardinal or a robin, and not a Liekkiö.
They moved north, away from the river. The roaring rapids switched to quiet pastures and a young growth of trees. The town of Bakhta could be scented occasionally on the wind: manure, apples, and High Fae and lesser fae alike. But Eris and Lucien followed the map carefully, steering clear of any civilization. Their path led into the perfect mix of moors, woodlands, and clearings. The vegetation was thick; elderberries added dots of color to the already brilliant landscape, and hints of evergreen contrasted with the red, brown, and gold.
Lucien was an exceedingly quick learner. Him catching the fucking fish should have told Eris that, but his ability to read a map filled him with pride. He could point out their location by recognizing the slight dip in the topography, or the minute change in tree density.
“I think you would be the perfect pirate, Lucien,” Eris mused, rolling up the map for the third time after his younger brother aced yet another quiz.
“Pirates live on the water. They have very different maps.”
“Their maps are exceedingly easier than these. It’s just water. I think you would thrive sailing around and exploring unknown lands—”
“I’ve never been on a boat before!”
“You’re eight, Lu. You’ve barely been out of the Forest House.”
“Then why do you think I’ll be a good pirate?”
“I’m not saying you should become one n ow !” Eris laughed. “I’m saying it is a future career path for you. Besides, you also love adventure books, you’re a little thief who loves to hoard random shit—”
“I don’t hoard anything, I like collecting interesting stuff. And I don’t steal!”
“Jora is always going to mum complaining about his books and quills going missing. And he always points his finger at you .” Eris pointed his own at Lucien, who hid a foxy smile.
“He doesn’t even like reading. I don’t know why he was complaining.”
“A pirate is also an excellent liar and sneak. I think you would be perfect.”
“It would get me away from the Forest House and shame Father.”
“Correct. Aren’t those good things?”
Lucien’s smile widened, and Eris felt that lightness grow inside his chest. It was a soft, pleasant feeling, like a warm fire after a cold day.
“Pirates don’t have dogs, though, do they?” his brother asked, stepping over a loose root.
“I’m not sure. But a pirate doesn’t need one. A hunter doesn’t always need one either.”
“Why did we leave Tanya behind?” Lucien asked, playing with the leaf of a purple maple he found.
“I figured today would be a good day for just the two of us. You don’t know how to work with Tanya, and it’s better to learn how to hunt and track without a dog on your first go. Usually I would set traps for rabbits or have Tanya hunt them down, but sometimes it’s nicer to just sit up in a tree with your bow and wait.”
“How long do you wait?”
“It can be a couple of hours at the least. Sometimes you could be up there for an entire day.”
Lucien wrinkled his nose. “That sounds pretty boring.”
There’s ways to pass the time. Sometimes I’ll read. Or just think and watch the world. It’s not really a time to do anything: silence, patience, and attentiveness are best for hunting.” Eris stopped and squinted up at the tree branches that stretched over their heads. “I think this one will do well.” He patted the rough bark. “I always have luck with oaks.”
Lucien stopped next to him and looked up. The base was smaller than some of the older trees, but its branches were thicker, and extended lower. “How high should we climb?” he asked.
“Not too high. I don’t feel like breaking my neck today.”
Eris took his time up the tree, while Lucien went much faster. The boy maneuvered his way up with excellent agility, his feet finding the right spot of knots and branches everytime.
“I’m amazed you’re so fast,” he called up to him. “I didn’t think you could hoist yourself up with those skinny arms of yours.”
Lucien looked down at him with a grin, his red curls falling in front of his eyes in a messy tangle. “I’m much faster than you!” he called down.
“You’re much more reckless than me. But I guess I know when I’m beat.”
“You said I would be a good pirate. And pirates are good climbers.”
Eris chuckled. “Indeed.”
He finally reached the branch Lucien chose for their perch. “This is a good spot, Lu,” he admitted, shifting on his thighs so that he could lean up against the trunk. It was just wide enough to support the both of them easily, and the above branch was perfectly positioned for him to rest their arms.
“You can lean your bow and quiver up right here,” Lucien said proudly, patting the thinner branch above them. He wiggled in his seat. Eris couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or nervousness. “So…what are we looking for?”
“Rabbits.”
His brother rolled his eyes. “I know but…where?”
Eris pointed below them. “You see that thicket? The rabbit’s burrow is just underneath it. Watch around that area: they might come out of the thicket to eat, or they might be following their trail when heading back home.
Lucien nodded, slipping his bow off his shoulder. “Should we—”
“What we need to do is be quiet and listen. We don’t have Tanya with us, so we got to act a bit like her: keep our maws shut and our ears eager and open.”
Usually Lucien would flinch at that snap, or fall back into his bitterness. But he grinned at him. “I’m glad I brought my book.”
⌘
Quickly, their tree fell into a steady quiet, only interrupted by the occasional sound of Lucien turning a page.
Eris watched the ground below them, keenly aware of the silence that hung between them. Not the usual uncomfortable quiet, filled with its usual caution or hostility. It was just silence. Comforting, peaceful silence before bedtime after a good day, or the silence that welcomed a reader in a warm, empty library.
The afternoon light had faded into a gentle purple glow, dulling the brilliant foliage. Eris felt like he could drift off into the air until a noise rustled in the bushes below them, making him perk up.
A small, brown body rummaged through the undergrowth.
“Lucien.”
Lucien looked up from his book. Eris pointed down to the ground.
A large, russet colored rabbit sat amongst the fallen Autumn leaves. Its ears draped over its body, and its nose nudged at the forest floor.
Lucien sat up immediately. At first, he was silent. “Can I try it this time?” he whispered.
Something fluttered in Eris' chest. “Go ahead. He nodded at his brother’s bow and quiver, which he had set on the crook of the trunk. “Set up your bow slowly.”
Lucien’s arrows clattered gently as he reached into his quiver. His jaw was set, his eyes pinned on the rabbit below as he nocked his bow.
A strange sensation filled Eris’ chest, like a sudden bolt of lightning. “Wait—” he began.
The arrow flew through the air, making a shrill whistle. A short screech bounced off the tree trunks.
The screech. That was always the worst part. Eris never got used to it himself, even though he had shot hundreds of rabbits since that first vicious, bloody death…that first hunt…
“I got it.”
Lucien’s small voice broke the silence. Was that disbelief in his voice? Disgust? He stared down at the rabbit. At first, he was frozen. But he swung his legs down and grasped the trunk, making his way down to the ground.
Eris’ hands were shaking as he followed them. Disbelief was his first reaction to seeing his dog rip apart that rabbit. And a numbness, a whirring, overwhelming numbness.
It was Lucien’s first kill. His first time witnessing life crush and bleed in his hands.
A loud thump as his brother’s feet landed on the hard ground. When Eris landed next to him, Lucien was standing as still as a statue over the rabbit. His hair blew gently in the wind, hiding his face.
He reached out hesitantly. To comfort him or hold him back or something else. He wasn’t sure. But he froze when Lucien took out his coin purse and set down a gold coin next to the rabbit.
He knelt down gingerly, like he was placing flowers on a grave. He lifted up the rabbit—not by the neck, but by cradling it. He stood with the rabbit laying in his arms, and when he turned to Eris, he gave a small, tight smile. “Don’t worry. I still got plenty of gold left to pay you for our bet.”
⌘
Eris watched Lucien very carefully when they hiked back to camp. The rabbit swung at his side, each bang against his thigh feeling like a reminder.
But Lucien chatted as he always did. He asked more questions, he teased Eris, his curious hands plucked and poked at random pieces of nature, slowing down their walk as usual.
“Did you take all of our brothers on one-on-one hunts? Or just me?” Lucien asked after his fifth question, rolling an acorn in between his fingers.
It was different from his usual array of nature trivia, and it caught Eris by surprise. The rabbit’s body banged against his knee again. Eris pushed it to the side as he answered, “Our father took Raivis on his first hunt. And Elmar. But I took Aatos and Jora on their first before Beron could.”
“Did mum tell you to, just like with me?”
“Just with Jora,” he admitted. “He needed a lot of help when he was younger.” The sixth youngest brother was one of the first victims of Beron’s complete dismissal. The first Vanserra born after the war and with five older brothers much older and with their own harrowing battle stories, Jora was left behind. Beron and the other brothers weren’t paying him any mind at all—not during dinners or meetings—and he was getting…frustrated.
“That first hunt with you didn’t seem to help much with him being a bitch, though,” Lucien grumbled.
Eris’ jaw tightened. Jora was an absolute bully to Lucien. All of that frustration and abandonment and tension from being the youngest brother…he turned it to the only person who was below him. “He didn’t enjoy it that much,” he admitted. “He felt like I was babying him.”
Lucien kicked a rock as they walked. “You’re not babying.”
Eris managed a chuckle. “I’m glad.”
“Do you go hunting with any of our other brothers? Or do you always like going by yourself?”
“I usually go by myself. I enjoy the peace and quiet.”
It was a jest at Lucien’s excessive talking, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “Do any of our brothers go hunting with each other?”
The question amused Eris. He looked down at Lucien, who raised an eyebrow at him. “These are interesting questions compared to your usual ones, Lucien,” he mused. “What happened to quizzing me on my foraging knowledge?”
“I said I was working towards the hard-hitting questions. And I feel like I learned enough about the different mushroom varieties and trees and whatnot. But I feel like I don’t know shit about our family—”
“When we get back to the House,” Eris interrupted, suppressing his laugh. “I do not want to hear you cussing like that. Especially around our poor mother.”
Lucien put his hands on his hips and glared at him. “I can just tell her it was part of your hunting lessons. You swear more than me.”
“I don’t swear around mum though—”
“Can you answer the question?”
The corners of Eris’ lips quirked up. “I know Galeti and Elmar went on their first hunting lesson with each other,” he said, continuing down the trail. “Beron took them together.”
“I bet that was fun.”
“I know when they got back Beron gave them five lashes each for whatever happened.” Eris rolled his eyes.
“Really? You don’t know what happened?”
“I think it was their usual nonsense. You know how those two love fighting with each other.”
Lucien grinned. “They have matching scars on their ears. Do you think they got those during the hunt?”
Eris laughed. “No, that was from another fight of theirs. But that is much too long of a story to tell.”
“It sounds like one that’s best over a campfire and some rabbit stew.”
Lucien continued to pelt him with more and more questions after that. The rabbit’s body hit Eris’ thigh as they continued on their walk, but answering Lucien’s inquiries made him forget about it. Hearing that innocent curiosity and excitement made him forget.
Preparing the rabbit for dinner was easier than he expected. Lucien didn’t flinch when he cut carefully into the body; he watched, fascinated, as Eris pulled off the pelt with a single move.
“Are we going to bring the rabbit pelt to the Forest House?” he asked, feeling the soft pelt as Eris prepared the fire.
“If you want. Here Lu: start the fire for me.”
Lucien gathered up the wood with giddy excitement, and Eris watched him as he finished preparing the rabbit. As the sun set around them, his whirring thoughts dulled into a gentle, quiet acceptance. Even the thought of going back to the Forest House did nothing to quell his happiness. This peace that he swore he hadn’t felt in decades.
There was nothing to worry about , he said to himself. Nothing at all.
⌘
“Galeti’s ear was dripping with blood and when he turned, Elmar had his bow up and aimed right at him.”
“Really? Was he trying to kill him?”
Lucien and Eris sat around the fire, the evening long behind them. The leftovers of their rabbit was being gnawed on by Tanya, who crunched on the bones happily in the door of their tent.
Eris chuckled and continued to sharpen his knife. “No. The dumbass didn’t see that Galeti had walked in front of his target board.”
“Elmar is a dumbass and Galeti is the younger dumbass. Who walks in front of a target board during practice?”
So much for not swearing. Eris grinned. “Dumbasses who want the tip of their ear shot off. But Elmar decided to lie and say that he shot at Galeti’s ear on purpose . After Galeti yelled at him, Elmar just looked at him and sneered. ‘you’re mad that I have better aim than you, not because I shot an arrow at your head.’”
“And what did Galeti have to say to that?”
“Oh you know our brothers, Lu. They always manage to compete with each other. Galeti demanded in front of the entire Cauldron-damned court that he could prove otherwise.” Eris leaned forward, resting the knife he was polishing on his knee. “He dared Elmar to a challenge, but Elmar refused.”
“He refused?”
“Of course. He just sneered and said it was pointless. Galeti dared him at least a dozen times a day for almost a week, but he refused to let in.”
“Why? If he accepted, then he could prove that he was a better shot than Galeti.”
Eris pointed his knife at Lucien, grinning. “Exactly. He refused because he knew he was a worse shot, but didn’t want Galeti to confirm that. He would just sit and sneer and say that his aim was so good that he could trim off Galeti’s other ear. ‘To make it even for you’ , he had joked. ‘Maybe people could take you for a human.’”
“I bet Galeti loved that.”
“He got more and more angry as the week went on. But on the fifth day of Elmar’s mockery, Galeti made a deal with little five year old Jora.” Eris scraped his polishing stone against his knife and continued, “Galeti paid him six gold marks to stand up in the middle of dinner and put an apple on Elmar’s head. And Galeti took his bow and two arrows out from behind his chair, stood up, and shot them both in less than a second. The apple was pinned perfectly above Elmar’s head, and the second arrow was next to his ear covered in blood.”
Lucien’s jaw dropped open, his mouth stretching into a smile. “I bet Beron was pissed.”
“He actually found it very amusing. I think it was one of the only times I can remember him laughing that hard.” He smirked at Lucien, whose face was flickering with harsh light and shadows from the fire. “And that is why Galeti and Elmar have matching ear scars.”
“Elmar always said that his was an accident from sparring.”
Eris shrugged and continued to sharpen his knife. “I suppose it could be perceived that way. But—”
He stopped, his body suddenly going still at the sound of something rustling in the distance.
Lucien frowned, turning to the sound. “What—”
He hushed Lucien, who fell still too, his eyes staring anxiously into the dark. Tanya, who had been lying quietly in front of the tent, lifted her head. Her ears flattened, and she let out a low, warning growl.
Eris stood. The scent of the woods gave away nothing: there was only the smell of the bonfire and the damp must of the undergrowth.
But the entire forest was silent. The birds and crickets that had sleepily chirped their chorus fell into a hush. Even the wind seemed to still.
The rustling continued again. And something that sounded like a groan, like tree branches rubbing together.
Eris turned on his feet at the sound of that same rustling barely a few feet behind him. He stared into the pitch-black woods, sniffing into the air. But he only smelled the campfire and the musty, earthy scent of the woods.
Tanya began barking louder, tugging at her lead.
“Eris—” Lucien began.
The dark mass of a nearby bush rustled. Eris turned to it, his knife out. The bonfire light did not reach this far, so shadows casted around him.
But something was in the bush. The tangle of branches shifted wildly, as if something was rising out from its center. But no, it was as if the branches themselves were moving, gathering together and rising like a grotesque bundle of skinny limbs—
The bundle of twigs and leaves turned its gnarled eyes to them. A mouth filled with thorns stretched into a snarl. The creature leaned forward, placing a hand formed from branches onto a nearby tree.
Lucien screamed. Eris shifted his stance as the monster stepped forward, its foot resembling a gnarled root.
Its eyes transfixed him. Deep inside two gnarls that perched in the center of a decrepit wood, were two red balls of mystical light. Like coals just starting to heat.
The devil squinted at him, the knots warping and shifting. A slit in the wood opened wider to reveal thorns for teeth and a gaping black pit, dark enough to swallow even the light of the bonfire.
Eris’ fire snapped and hissed in his fist, and Tanya howled, straining at her leash. “Get back in the tent, Lu—”
The beast moved so fast he could barely react. Lucien’s eyes were wide, his mouth open in fear. Eris’ arc of fire just barely missed the beast as it leaped forward, its haunches creaking and snapping.
“ Fire, Lucien! Use your fire! ”
He sent a second blast of his own at the monster, but only managed to hit the top of its shoulder. A few twigs protruding from its collarbone were lit with flame, but did no damage.
It turned to him, putting its back to Lucien. Its claws twitched and it hissed and cracked its shoulder in a distorted move, blowing out some of the fire.
Eirs gripped his knife in front of him, willing the flame in his veins to lick up his arms and fingers—
He felt the blast before he saw it. Not his own flames, but a heat against his back, like the hot afternoon sun—
Sunlight filled the clearing, blasting the forest with a brilliant gold. The wooden beast shrieked and stumbled forward, away from the light as if the feeling of it burned its mossy flesh. It nearly blinded Eris too, but as he squinted, he saw the form of his brother…bathing in sunlight and his red hair aglow—
His knife sank into the beast’s wooden chest, right where the bark folded over a gap in its limbs. He pushed it further in, hitting what felt like flesh instead of wood. The monster shrieked, swiping its claws at him, but another blinding blast of light knocked it further onto Eris’ blade.
Eris snarled as he twisted his knife. With his free hand, he sent another rip of flame across the beast’s shoulder. It made its landing flawlessly, and he barely had time to step away before the beast staggered forward, shrieking and clawing at its burning flesh.
It staggered forward and collapsed. The golden light faded as fire began to consume the mass of bark. Black blood and what looked like the red, mossy flesh dripped from its writhing body. But Eris turned away from it, heaving.
Lucien was standing before the fire. The halo of light that had erupted from him was mostly gone, but a faint glow remained.
Eris ran to him, nearly tripping over the bonfire logs. The stained knife fell to the ground as he threw his arms around him. “Are you okay?” he gasped.
Lucien nodded against his chest. “Eris…”
Eris pulled away, still clutching his brother’s shoulders. Lucien was looking at his hands as if the light was still lingering under the skin of his palms.
“How…” He swallowed. “How did—”
“I don’t know,” his brother whispered.
Tanya was still barking frantically, growling and snarling and the smoldering creature. Lucien pushed past Eris and went over to her. He knelt down and whispered to her in a calming voice.
Eris was frozen. Watching his little brother. Thoughts pounded in his brain like a hammer, like his own racing heart.
Lucien didn’t turn to face him. “Is this why mum wants me away?”
It was the same thought Eris had. “I think so,” he whispered. He stepped forward, hesitant. Lucien and Tanya looked up at him, their eyes seeming to match each other’s anxiety and fear. “We won’t tell anyone. Anyone , Lucien. You understand?”
A tear rolled down his little brother’s cheek, but he simply nodded. Only when Eris wrapped his arms around him again did Lucien begin to weep.
His whisper was muffled against his chest. “What if the birds are listening?”
Eris felt as if his heart had shattered. Emotionless. Cold. Unfeeling. That’s how my sons should always be.
Eris felt tears fall on his own face. He murmured, “I am happy to shoot every single one of them down for you. You can make a thousand feather bookmarks.”
⌘
Day Court. That was… Day Court powers .
The infidelity felt like a piece of a puzzle Eris didn’t even know had been missed. The way Beron treated Lucien was just as violent and cruel as the way he treated the rest of his sons, but there was always something deeper to it. A frustration that flickered in Beron’s eyes whenever he stared at his youngest son.
And their mother, the infidelity …for some reason, he felt oddly happy for her, despite the circumstances. That she found some sort of happiness outside of Beron’s clutches. Unless the male was some cunt who fucked her and left without another word.
It was still better than what Beron did to her. But even still, she would never feel that happiness again. Because this …this was dangerous. For their mother, for Lucien…And that would only grow worse with age. An encumbrance they were forced to hide, one that would only grow stronger and more precarious.
It made sense why their mother wanted Lucien gone when the meeting with Day was over. Did his father suspect? Was he planning something? Should he bring Lucien back at all?
A bastard in the Forest House.
“What are we doing today?”
Lucien’s voice echoed in the quiet wood, stirring Eris from his thoughts. They had woken up early in the morning, before the sun had even risen. Tanya trudged next to the boy, her paws heavy with sleep. They left the beast’s smoldering body behind to decay in the sun.
Lucien had been quiet for most of the morning. The events of last night consumed the air between them like a rolling fog. But at least he was trying to start a conversation. Unlike Eris, who had been stewing in his own anxious thoughts all night.
His little brother was handling this better than him. The dead rabbit, the wooden beast, the secret that hung over their heads like a broken branch ready to break—
Eris cleared his throat. “It’s a surprise.”
Lucien kicked at a loose rock. “Is it a fun surprise? Because the last surprise a brother gave me was a stinky fish under my pillow.”
The joke broke a bit of the tension between them, like sunlight shining through a foggy clearing. Eris managed a chuckle. “It’ll be a much better surprise than that.”
“Can I guess what it is?”
“You can try.”
Lucien hopped on a fallen tree, spreading his arms out for balance. “It’s a secret cave made of crystals as tall and wide as trees.”
He gave a tight smile. “No.”
“Fine. You’re taking me to an abandoned pirate ship on the eastern shore.”
“I would never take you on an abandoned pirate ship. I would lock you up in a trunk and bring you on a real one and wave goodbye from shore as the pirate crew carries you under deck.”
Lucien rolled his eyes. “You finally found a place big enough to store your ego and you want to show it to me.”
“It would have to be a big enough place for both of our egos.”
Lucien hopped off the log. Leaves crunched under his boots. “It’s a hidden faerie village high up in the trees.”
“I feel like that’s your closest guess.”
Lucien’s eyebrow quirked up. He continued to guess, but to no avail. His questions soon dwindled into silence, and the fog again rolled over them, consuming Eris’ thoughts.
But as the landscape shifted into a rocky cliffside, those thoughts were replaced by the need to not fall and break his neck. Lucien of course showed off his climbing skills: as the hike turned into a near climb, the boy clambered ahead of him, holding onto exposed roots and rocks.
“Maybe you’re taking me to a bear den so the momma bear can eat me—”
“Maybe!” Eris called out, panting as he searched for leverage on an unstable rock. Tanya scurried in front of him, her long legs quick and nimble on the steep path. “Why don’t you keep climbing and find out?”
Lucien shouted back something he couldn’t decipher, and Eris couldn’t help but smile.
When the three of them reached the top of the rocky cliff, it was as if they suddenly stepped into another world. Ancient trees greeted them like a huddle of giants, their bare branches waving in the wind thousands of feet above their heads. Their pale, gnarled trunks towered over them, draping them with a calm but oddly still presence. Like they were not only living, but…filled with magic.
Eris placed a hand on an expansive trunk. He swore he could feel an energy buzzing under his palm, like thousands of tiny insects creeping under the ancient bark.
Lucien stood with his mouth agape. The sight of him made Eris smile. He walked over and clutched his shoulder. “The trees are beautiful,” he agreed. “But they aren’t exactly what we’re here for.”
Lucien remained fixated on the bare canopy. The sky between the naked branches almost looked blue. “What are we here for then?”
Eris pointed north. “Keep walking.”
The sound of roaring water met their ears less than a minute walk later. When they met a clearing, Lucien gasped.
“Oh wow!” He stared down, his russet eyes bright and filled with wonder. “This isn’t on the map.”
A waterfall cascaded down into the hidden spring nearly a hundred feet below them. Roots of the trees creeped out from the cliff, creating stairs and balconies. It was like a stadium of a god who had the power of water and trees and time. Time stood still here. They could feel it in the very air.
It was a place of healing. One of the few places in Autumn where Eris found true solace.
The rustling of the ancient trees and the rushing water filled Eris was a sudden peace. He took a breath of air breathing in the mist and the past and all his fears and doubts. “It’s one of my secret spots,” he said finally, his heavy heart lightening with every breath. “It’s a secret you’re supposed to keep. Okay?”
Something flickered in Lucien’s eyes. He nodded, his lips pulled tight. But unable to help himself, he grinned. “Can we go swimming?”
“If you want,” Eris laughed. “Have fun climbing down.”
As eager as a puppy, Lucien tugged off his backpack, quiver, and bow. He tossed the former on the ground but gently placed the latter against a tree trunk. His cloak dropped to the ground and buttons nearly popped off his shirt from his enthusiasm.
“Cauldron boil me, the water isn’t going anywhere but here, Lu.”
Lucien trotted away in his undershorts, beaming from ear to ear. His clothes, of course, were crumpled on the forest floor.
Eris chuckled as he picked up his shirt and boots and placed them gently on an exposed root as wide as a fallen log. “Mother’s tits—” Eris laughed as he lifted up Lucien’s cloak. It felt like it was weighed down by rocks. “What in Cauldron’s name do you have in your pockets?”
“A bunch of stuff!” Lucien called, crawling his way down to the spring.
Eris shook his cloak, and a bunch of things fell out. A raw piece of jasper, a fossil of faerie wings; a cluster of acorns; what looked like the tip of a squirrel’s tail; and a handful of bones.
As he picked up a smooth, flat stone, Lucien shouted, “Hey, don’t lose anything!” He was nearly to the bottom, his knees covered in dirt and twigs.
“I think this is a witch’s stone.” Eris held up the flat rock and peered at Lucien through a hole embedded in the middle.
A splash echoed throughout the clearing, and Eris chuckled to himself. As Tanya nuzzled next to him, Eris took out his notebook and began writing.
⌘
Lucien clambered out of the spring an hour later, his red hair soaking wet and dripping down his back. He picked up his shirt Eris had folded neatly on a tree root and wiped himself down. “What are you doing?” he asked, nodding to Eris’ journal.
Eris flipped through the pages, counting his progress. He had written several pages as Lucien swam. “I’m writing out a training regime for you. To practice your fire.” Planning always brought him peace. Laying out the future, examining the map. Taking down every detail and every possible outcome.
Lucien was quiet for a moment. “Do you think it would help? With…”
His voice faded away. A tension fell over them again, one that not even the waterfall could cool. Eris looked up at him. “So you understand that you have to keep it a secret?”
The boy looked at his hands as if he could feel that seed of light inside his palm. “Yes,” he said quietly.
“Do you understand why?”
Stern, cold words. But for some reason, Eris knew it was more comforting than anything else he could offer. Secrets they both had to keep. Together.
That sweet, desperate naivety and boyish nature was still there. But it meshed together with an understanding. The deep, unfounded understanding that he held something dangerous in the palm of his hand.
“I don’t want to talk about this. Not now.”
For the first time since last night, Lucien's voice cracked. But now was probably the best time to do it. Now. Such a terrifying word.
But as Eris opened his mouth, a snap cracked through the air. A plume of smoke rose up to the ancient branches as a single leaf of parchment suddenly appeared out of thin air and drifted to the ground between their feet.
Eris snatched it up, his heart suddenly pounding. His mother’s delicate, spindly handwriting drifted across the paper. He read it as quickly as he could, his fear fading away with each letter.
Dear Eris and Lucien:
I hope you have been enjoying your hunting trip. I’m eager to hear all of your hunting stories, and to see if you brought any fresh game back for me. I have been wanting a new pair of mittens.
Eris: the kennel master wanted to let you know that Marjatta has finally given birth. All seven of her pups are healthy and happy. Raivis is very eager to get his hands on them, but I told him to wait until you two come back from hunting.
I pray to the Cauldron for your safe return,
— mum
It was safe.
“Mum says we can come back.” He handed the letter to Lucien, who took it cautiously.
“Lucien.”
His brother looked up at him. Fear rippled in his eyes.
“It’ll be okay.” He had no idea if he was trying to comfort his brother or himself, but still—the tension in the air switched to something calmer. Acceptance.
⌘
They were careful to time their way back to the House. Anyone could be watching: the trees, the birds, any High Fae or lesser fae eye. Eris winnowed himself, Tanya, and Lucien three times until they finally landed at the front entrance of the Forest House.
Their mother was sitting in the north wing’s parlor. But the usual entourage of ladies in waiting were nowhere to be found. Instead, Beron sat next to her, speaking to her in a low voice.
Their mother caught Eris’ eye. Slipping her hand out of Beron’s grasp, she stood. “You’re back.” She gave Eris a hug first, and then knelt down next to her youngest son, blocking Beron’s view. She brushed Lucien’s hair. “Did you catch anything?”
“Eris shot two quails on the first day,” Lucien chirped. “He taught me how to pluck them for dinner, and we made these feather bookmarks. And on the second day I caught a fish . With my bare hands .” He held up his palms with a grin as if the water was still dripping from his fingers.
“With your bare hands? I don’t believe you,” she said teasingly.
“Eris showed me how! He showed me his usual spot for hunting rabbits too, and we camped up in this tree all day. I shot one for dinner, and Eris showed me how to skin it too.” He grinned, his smile bright enough to light the room.
Beron remained seated in his armchair, balancing a glass of wine in his ringed hand. His eyes were fixed on Eris. “I did not realize you two were going on a hunting trip.”
“I told you they have been planning this trip for a while now, my love,” their mother said smoothly. She brushed Lucien’s hair again and looked up at Eris. “Everything go okay?”
He put his fists in his pockets. Out of the corner of his eye, Beron was watching him carefully as he sipped his wine. But he slipped on his mask. “It was enlightening,” he said, feigning boredom and dismissiveness. “For both of us.”
Lucien looked up at him. Something stirred in his eyes. Thank you , it said. Thank you .
But a single blink wiped it away to reveal his usual childish joy. “Can we go see Marjatta’s puppies?” he asked.
Eris gestured to the exit dismissively. Their mother pursed her lips. “I’ll come with you, love.”
As the Lady of Autumn took Lucien’s hand and led him out of the hall, Beron spoke.
“Are you tired of babysitting your brothers, Eris?”
His father’s cold voice made him tighten his fists instinctively. But he turned, making sure his face matched that coldness. “I like to see what I’m up against. And little Lucien has nothing special to offer me.”
The corner of Beron’s mouth quirked up. But Eris turned away, his mind rattling with too many thoughts to quell.
He thought Lucien could grow to learn how to protect himself. But he discovered it was going to be much more complicated than that.
So he went up to his bedroom chambers, took out his journal, and continued to write.