Work Text:
Hello!
How are you doing? I hope you are doing well. I am happy that we have defeated the Mad King and we no longer have to fight. However, we Gallians must help the Crimean people to rebuild their country. We are their allies. But I am happy nonetheless. Are you happy, too?
I would like to show you the night forest. Come to Gallia when it is warm, during the summertime. Summer nights in Gallia are the best. The day is too hot. If you come here at another time of year, the night forest will be much too cold and it will freeze your feathers!
I have been studying the modern tongue with Lethe and Lyre. Lethe helped me to write this letter. Lyre has taught me a lot of funny words that I do not think that I will have to use with you, because you are my friend. When you get here, I will try to describe to you the way that the forest looks while we walk through it. My friends, the fireflies, will help us. Do you have fireflies in Phoenicis? I hope so, because they are lovely.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Mordecai 🐈
Each word was a delight to read. Ulki had been hoping that Mordecai would find some way to get a letter to him through his lacuna in abilities and across the ocean, because he was nervous to do so himself. There was no real reason to be--Mordecai had been pleasant, expressed interest in doing just this--but he thought that it might be awkward, since they had met each other under such horrid circumstances that still reverberated in Ulki’s head and made him even more of an anxious mess than before. But he always seemed to find some excuse when he managed to strike up a new friendship.
Still, he wasn’t entirely sure. It might've been distressing to return to a place where, the last time he was there, it was to fight and he was surrounded by loud people that he didn't really know. The last thing he wanted to do was make Mordecai deal with his distress. Ideally, he would’ve brought Mordecai to either Phoenicis or Serenes. Both had fireflies, and Phoenicis had a little bit of wooded area inland that he would be just as happy to spend the night in. But he also didn’t want to inconvenience his friend when it was much easier for him to fly to Gallia.
A draft blew in and bit his fingers as he used them to roll and unroll the end of the paper. He peered out of the window to see bare branches framing a gray sky. He still had plenty of time to reply. Mordecai did have to account for how long it took for letters and cargo to get to this island nation specifically.
“Hmph,” he thought aloud. A solution became clear. He would give himself time to think on it, but made a promise that he wouldn't just go silent on the matter from analysis paralysis.
. . .
The Gallian rainforest was unmistakable. Good thing, because Ulki would’ve hated to accidentally take a turn into Goldoa. It was nestled beyond the Marhaut Mountain Range, where the both of them had dodged a barrage of boulders and soldiers marring its stunning natural features mere months ago. He swooped over it, trying to blot out the memory of it, the pounding of the rocks against the ground, how his feathers had nearly been crushed under one while he’d been swerving out of the way of a million other things. No, he was there to see Mordecai and have a good time. It would be fun. There was nothing to be nervous about.
He was easy to find. He sang as he walked along the forest’s edge, low and meandering. Ulki left his hawk form as he came closer to the ground, and the soil and vegetation were soft under his shoes when he landed beside Mordecai.
“Ah! Perfect timing! Isn’t the sunset over the forest beautiful? I’m so glad you decided to visit me,” he said. “How are you doing?”
It was a lot of questions at once. “Yes. I’m quite fond of the sunset. It means that everything will get a little quieter soon. I’m doing… Uh, I am alright. And yourself?” he said. Blessedly, Mordecai had the patience to let Ulki answer both of them. Most times, he’d found, frustratingly, that in a situation like this, one of the questions wasn’t really meant to be answered.
“Oh, I am so busy. Rebuilding Crimea is hard work. This will be a nice break,” said Mordecai.
His warm smile became less and less visible as the sun disappeared. A breeze blew by, the first chill of the night. It broke through a lingering layer of humidity, brushing through Ulki’s feathers.
“I’m glad. It will be for me, too. Though the hawk tribe’s involvement with the Mad King’s War was minimal compared to that of the beast tribe, Tibarn and Janaff know how to keep me busy,” said Ulki.
“Ah, you have lovely friends,” said Mordecai. “So do I. Look, do you see them?”
Even in the fading light, Ulki twisted around to see if he could spot Lethe or Ranulf, but there were only vines and criss-crossing branches cloaked in moss.
“No? I thought this was just going to be the two of us,” he said.
Mordecai chuckled, which made Ulki prickle a little. He’d never gotten around to telling Mordecai how upset it made him to have unexpected people involved in anything that he was going to do, or any change of plans at all, really, but he was about to find out.
“Look here, in my hands. I meant the fireflies,” said Mordecai. Now it was dark enough that Ulki had to follow the sound of Mordecai’s voice to figure out where he was, and when he turned back around, there were a few fireflies flickering their light, briefly making the palms of his hands visible.
“Oh.” Right, his letter.
“Don't worry. Nobody else expressed interest in seeing the night forest. They are all asleep. Now, let’s go,” said Mordecai.
His hand had to be double the size of Ulki’s, and his fingers were much thicker. It made him jump a little, to make this sudden contact that was neither rough nor to be avoided for the sake of his survival, but it was quite welcome.
“I hope you don’t mind me taking your hand. I don’t want you to trip on any roots or stones.”
“Thank you.”
Ulki could’ve hovered right beside him, listening for his footsteps and breaths to know where he was, but he’d used his wings all day. Mordecai was nice enough to offer this alternative, anyhow. He scoured the dark landscape for the fireflies, and listened for the creatures whose home they were taking a tour of. It was hardly like anything he’d ever heard before, chirps and buzzes and whines that were endemic to this place.
“Before you tell me what the night forest looks like, I want to ask what’s creating all of these different sounds,” said Ulki. He thought he heard the flap of a bat’s wings and their squeaking.
“Ah, of course you would be curious about the song of the night forest. It must be so much richer and fuller to your ears rather than to mine. It is mostly frogs and insects,” said Mordecai.
“Yes, it sounds wonderful,” said Ulki. It wasn’t overly loud, but it was certainly more lively than the creatures that sang during the night in Phoenicis.
“Oh, look at this,” Mordecai said excitedly, and stopped so suddenly that Ulki nearly fell on top of him. He’d have to get used to walking hand in hand with someone else--it wasn’t something that he particularly had experience with. Mordecai separated their hands and instead used his to pull Ulki towards the flower that he was pointing out.
“These are orchids. Their white color is very striking in the dark, and it is, um, what is the word? Accentuated by the white light of the moon. Their petals are shaped like a wide garden spade. They have yellow centers with lots of red spots. Maybe they remind you of the freckles that your friend Rhys has,” said Mordecai. Lethe had certainly set up a rigorous study regimen for him. “There are many, many, many types of orchids. Maybe you have seen a different type in Phoenicis.”
“Yes, I have. A lot of purple ones grow right outside of one of my favorite places to hide,” said Ulki. He thought briefly of that little seaside cave wherein he let the all-encompassing sound of the ocean’s waves wash over him when the noise that other people made was too much, or he just needed somewhere to relax--or try to, at least--but he felt no need to go there. He didn’t particularly long for it. This was peaceful enough.
“Hide? What would a hawk need to hide from? You are one of the mightiest creatures in the sky,” asked Mordecai.
“Noise,” Ulki said simply. “Not so much a hawk, just… me.”
“Ah, of course. I’m sorry for asking such a silly question,” said Mordecai.
“Don’t worry. I imagine it is hard to think in my terms without hearing as much as I do.”
“You are very admirable,” said Mordecai, then reached towards the vine upon which the orchids were growing. “Here, smell. They’re quite fragrant.”
Mordecai didn’t have to put them very close for Ulki to smell them. His other senses were nothing to scoff at, either. The flowers had a pleasant, floral aroma to them that was noticeable, but wasn’t too strong. A firefly hovered by and lit up to give him a quick glance at the orchid, yellow reflecting off of white dappled with deep red for a moment. It did almost call to mind Rhys’s freckled face. He would love these… or so Ulki thought for a fleeting moment before silently admonishing himself for having his mind elsewhere while Mordecai was trying to show him his beloved haunt. Ah, he could go wherever his wings could take him, but he’d never get away from his own self.
“They smell nice,” he said.
“Don’t they? Now let me show you something else that I think you will like,” said Mordecai, and his hand slipped into Ulki’s again, more easily this time. They walked up a very slight incline until Mordecai stopped and brought him a little ways off of the footpath that they were following.
“Can you see the moonlight reflecting off of the water?” he asked. Ulki looked down to see shimmering pools of white, long and oval-shaped, wobbling with tiny ripples.
“Mhm.”
“There is water on the leaves of the bromelia. They are very long and thick and slightly concave, with spikes at the edges that won’t hurt you. These ones are green at the base and get a maroon color at the tips, but the way that the leaves look can vary a lot. They’re waxy even on the off chance that they are dry, and look very shiny in the moonlight. As you know, it rains very much here. The leaves help to channel rainwater into the center of the plant. I hope the dark does not make you feel afraid, but if it does, rest assured that there are hundreds of friends who drink from and live inside of this wonderful plant,” Mordecai explained.
“Like what?”
“Birds and other animals drink from the tank. Inside, there are salamanders, flatworms, tree frogs, snails, and even some very tiny crabs. It is like a party,” said Mordecai. He didn’t need to know that “like a party” didn’t make for a very appealing description of something to Ulki.
“Sounds delici--um, lovely,” he said.
“What?”
“Nothing, that’s awesome.” Right, cats didn't eat those. It didn’t seem like the worms and crabs were big enough for Ulki to even bother, anyway.
“I’m glad you think so. The bromelia also has a flower in the center that can be many colors, because it is a large family of plants like the orchids, but it only blooms once. While it is blooming, it produces smaller versions of itself at its base. The small plants are called pups!”
“Awww,” said Ulki. He couldn’t help but imagine long leaves in the shape of a puppy.
“Have you ever had a pineapple?” asked Mordecai as he began to lead Ulki further into the rainforest.
“Once, a long while ago. Janaff stole it from a marketplace in southern Begnion because he thought it looked funny.”
“The pineapple is a delicious part of the bromeliad family! Next time you see one, look at the leaves.”
“Mmm, I didn’t really like it. It was much too sweet and acidic. And very messy and sticky. I prefer more salty and savory flavors.”
“Hahaha, I see. You’re right; one must clean themselves very thoroughly after eating it. Many fruits in Gallia are that way, but grooming each other is a common part of life among the beast tribes, so it is not a problem.”
“The birds, too. We preen each other’s feathers. Phoenicis can be quite windy, so we often get dirt, dust, and seed pods blown into them. Even still, it’s usually more of a bonding activity than anything,” said Ulki. “But I am very particular about being touched, so I usually just end up doing it myself.”
“Oh, really?” said Mordecai.
“I don’t mind. I do a very good job, sometimes past the point where it’s necessary,” said Ulki.
“Ohhh, I see. I have heard of birds over-preening their feathers when they are stressed. Are you stressed?” asked Mordecai.
“Not right at this moment. I am just a skittish person. But I have been enjoying myself tonight,” said Ulki. He tried to put a little bit of levity in his voice so as not to concern his friend.
“Ah, okay. I have been worried that this may be stressful for you, since you still cannot see,” said Mordecai.
Right. They weren't marching towards their next goal to defeat the Mad King anymore. They weren't at war anymore. They weren’t there on the orders of any king. If Ulki was stressed, they could just… stop. It would actually matter. They could worry about that instead of surviving the next fight.
“Thanks for being so considerate. I am just fine. Quite well, actually,” he said.
“Good.”
“Oh, speaking of things that you can eat!” said Mordecai, and guided Ulki towards another tree. The fireflies lit up to bathe yellow-brown pods in their light. “These are cacao pods. They are not much to look at, but they are very important to us because they can be made into chocolate. We like to make it into a spiced drink in the Winter. It takes a lot of work, so we only have it for special occasions. Have you ever had any?”
“No, we never showed much interest in it when we saw it on Begnion ships. We wouldn’t know what to do with it,” said Ulki.
“Ah, yes. In Gallia, we pass down methods and recipes for preparing this from generation to generation by teaching our young. It is quite a long and complicated process, with lots of work with a mortar and pestle. I often do not have the patience for it myself,” Mordecai said with a laugh.
“That sounds relaxing,” said Ulki.
“Haha, you think so?”
“A repetitive task with my hands sounds difficult to mess up. I have always liked working with things like a mortar and pestle. All that I have to do is grind whatever is in the mortar, and people leave me alone because they can see that I’m focused on something. Most of the time.”
“Ahhh. Well then, you are welcome to come by here in the Winter and help me. I would be very happy to show you how.”
“I won’t say no.” It was a nice thought, quietly sitting by a friend doing something that he had a low likelihood of messing up. Ulki trusted Mordecai to be a good teacher, and, tentatively, himself to be a good student.
Then Mordecai began to walk down the footpath again. As they made their way through the forest, a rancid smell made itself known, whisps of it hanging in the air.
“What is that? Did someone forget about their leftovers?”
Mordecai laughed. “That, my friend, is why the footpath leads this way,” he said, even though Ulki couldn’t see which way it was.
“That is the smell of the rafflesia. It is a parasitic flower that likes to grow on grape vines. It smells so bad because its main pollinators are flies, which are attracted to the smell of rotten meat,” he explained.
“Oh, I’m so happy that we don’t have that in Phoenicis,” said Ulki. It almost made him miss the catchweed and the burrs that always found themselves in his feathers there, which nearly made him a liar for telling Mordecai that he did a good job preening them.
“Hahaha, it is a fascinating plant nonetheless. It is the biggest flower in the Gallian rainforest. We could probably sit in it.”
“I will pass on that.”
Both of them laughed and continued walking the opposite way of the rafflesia. Fireflies revealed patches of vibrant greens and reds tinged yellow. It was enough. Though Ulki couldn’t see the night forest, Mordecai’s descriptions were enlightening, and he could still hear it, of course, but smell it and feel it, too. He liked the sensation of wood and moss brushing against his wings as they hung in his way. Or maybe he was in their way.
Amongst all of the unfamiliar sounds, Ulki’s ears perked at something that anyone would recognize no matter how far they were from home. He began to ball the fabric of the end of his sleeve up between his fingers as he heard the hitched breaths of another person, coming from some way down the path that he and Mordecai were headed.
“Mordecai, do you hear that?” he asked.
“Probably not. Your ears are very good. And you will have to be specific, because there are a lot of sounds.”
“It sounds like another person!”
“Ah, maybe someone else is out enjoying the night forest after all.”
“They don’t sound like they’re enjoying it. Maybe they’re lost,” Ulki said as he thought he heard disgruntled muttering, almost obscured by the hoot of an owl.
“Oh, then we must help,” said Mordecai. “I think I hear it, too.”
“We must?” But it was too late. Mordecai was stepping over ferns to take Ulki towards this other person, crushing twigs under his feet.
“Oh!” Mordecai said as the sound became louder.
A scream nearly made Ulki launch himself towards the forest canopy. He wanted to wriggle away from Mordecai, but knew that he would get lost until the sun came up and cause unnecessary chaos if he did that. He began to wish that he hadn’t come, that he was home instead, asleep on the island. Maybe he should’ve just shoved Mordecai’s letter in a drawer.
“Hey, don’t worry!” called Mordecai.
“Aaah! Who’s there?!” yelled a voice that Ulki had always dreaded hearing around the camp. What luck.
“It is only us,” said Mordecai as he slowed down to step over a log. Ulki nearly tripped over it.
“Oh, Mordecai! Um, fancy seeing you here! Oh, and--! Umm… No, not Janaff, the other one,” said the other man.
“Makalov! I am glad that you are enjoying the bounty of the rainforest instead of spending the night at a casino!” said Mordecai.
“I wish you were at the casino,” said Ulki. What was Makalov going to do?
“Eeek! It wasn’t my idea! I wish I was at the casino, too! This guy named Shinon and I were at the tavern, and he offered me five hundred gold if I could spend a night alone in ‘stinkin’ beast country’. Uhh, his words, not mine!” said Makalov. Ulki strained his ears, and thought he heard a snicker in the distance.
“Five hundred for all of these wonders? Ulki, we are fools. We are doing this for free,” said Mordecai.
“Wonders? I’m wondering how I’m still alive!” said Makalov.
“Me, too,” added Ulki, arms crossed. He dug his fingers in so he wouldn't pick at healthy feathers.
“The forest is not so dangerous,” said Mordecai.
“Really? An owl almost ate my face!” said Makalov.
“That’s odd. Usually an owl would think that a person is too big,” said Mordecai.
“That’s what I thought!”
“Maybe you can come with us, and I will make sure you don’t get hurt while I show you the beauty of the Gallian rainforest.”
“NO!” cried Ulki. Makalov and Mordecai were both quiet. “Wasn’t part of your deal to be alone, anyway?”
“...Yes,” Makalov said after an audible gulp.
“Then you should uphold your end. Shinon would take any excuse not to give you the money,” said Ulki.
“I-I suppose you're right,” said Makalov.
“I am right. He is not very kind. Try to enjoy it. Spending time with me when I don’t want to spend time with you would be worse,” said Ulki.
“O-okay! I believe it!”
“Right. Let’s go this way,” said Mordecai, and Ulki felt him tug his hand in the opposite direction as gently as he could. After a short trek across the ferns, moss, bushes, and logs, wherein they had to duck under a few branches, they were back on the path. Makalov’s muttering faded back into the thick blanket of sound.
“Sorry,” Ulki said once they were totally ensconced in the forest again.
“What for?”
“Being an irritable jerk. I just get undone at the idea of spending time with people that I didn’t expect to. It makes me anxious. And, well, Makalov is Makalov.”
“Well, then, I don’t think you had an unreasonable reaction,” said Mordecai. “I didn't really want to spend time with him, either. It is just my first instinct to respond to someone who is frightened.”
“Ah, see? You are kind,” said Ulki.
“It can be a problem. Makalov could’ve just said no to Shinon. Really, it is his own problem to sort out,” said Mordecai. “I’m glad you were there to stand up for what you need, even if you don’t like the way that you did so. It saved both of us a lot of irritation. And I didn’t believe what he said about an owl eating his face for a second.”
“Yeah, me either,” said Ulki. “Um… Thank you.”
“Hm? I should be thanking you,” Mordecai said with a cautious chuckle.
“Oh, um. Sorry… uh, for confusing you. I just meant that I’m happy that you didn’t get angry with me,” said Ulki.
“Ah, it takes a lot more than that to make me angry. What got me more annoyed than anything was Makalov’s insistence on saying ‘stinking beast country’! He is not the one who has to smell the rafflesia because he does not pass through here like the beasts do,” said Mordecai.
“I had not even thought about that. I was too busy being mean to myself,” said Ulki.
As Mordecai went quiet, the rest of the forest seemed louder, louder, louder, until a quiet chirp sounded like a scream. Ulki followed his act with a stillness that his head thought would make him undetectable. He’d done it again, made the whole thing about his own feelings. It was exactly what he’d weighed against the benefits of visiting Gallia. Not even five minutes of talking to Makalov and it was all systems down. A jolt of frustration made him dig his nails into the palm of his other hand. Mordecai had absolved him of his wrongdoing, and yet he still couldn’t stop getting worked up about it. The conversation should’ve ended. The worrying should’ve ended.
Something brushed up against his heel. He jumped before it passed by again and he realized it was Mordecai’s tail, lashing about behind him. There was nothing he wanted more than to let go of his hand and dart off into the dark. He didn’t have to be able to see; he just had to be able to get away. Cats lash their tails when they’re angry, was the only other thought that he could hold in his mind. Stupid, stupid bird, always ruining everything!
“I’m sorry. I was only trying to think,” said Mordecai, startling Ulki out of a spiral that was probably making his grip around Mordecai’s hand unbearable.
“Hm?”
“You are still upset, no? Your hand feels shaky and tense. And you are frowning more than usual. I don’t like it when you feel mean. I want to help,” he said.
“Um. Okay,” said Ulki. “But, your tail--”
“Here, come this way. There is a nice stump that you can sit on,” said Mordecai, and Ulki followed him until he practically picked him up and placed him on the stump himself. It was covered in soft moss, like a nest.
“I hope that is alright,” said Mordecai.
“It’s… fine.” Sitting and feeling the anxiety ratchet up like a giant snowball was better than standing and feeling the anxiety ratchet up like a giant snowball. Being picked up or not didn’t really make a difference.
“This is something that often helps my friends when they are upset. I hope it helps you, too, but I know you said you are particular about being touched,” said Mordecai, then there was the sound and the faint green glow of transformation.
“It’s… okay as long as you don’t do it suddenly,” said Ulki, and it was only a half-truth, but he trusted Mordecai not to do anything rash. He felt the weight of a tiger in his lap.
“You can run your hands through my coat, if you would like. It helped Mist a lot, when we fought together,” said Mordecai. He shifted around to get comfortable.
“Okay. Um, thank you,” said Ulki, hardly finding his voice. It wasn’t… unpleasant. It was quite soothing, really, once the initial shock went away. Tentatively, he reached one hand out, and was struck with a vision of frying his friend’s fur with pure nervous energy, but nothing of the sort happened. Mordecai’s fur was softer than he’d expected. His hand hung there, resting right between his ears, unsure, and he expected Mordecai to say something like “don’t be shy”, a well-intentioned but ultimately unhelpful tidbit that seemed to follow Ulki everywhere, but he didn’t make a peep.
Slowly Ulki began to run his hand down his neck fur, with the tacit confirmation that his touch was okay. This had been Mordecai’s idea, but it still took until his hand was halfway down his back for him to feel as though he’d truly been granted permission. It was alright. Everything was alright. He could… relax. It was their common goal. As he lifted his hand for another ginger stroke, he found himself thinking back to the lovely plants that Mordecai had described to him rather than the encounter with Makalov. Instead he tried to put himself in the place of someone grinding the cacao beans, around, around, and around, the same motion of the pestle eventually breaking them apart. He imagined what the bromelia might look like in a light that he could see by, all of the critters living in and drinking from its tank, what it might be like to walk--or maybe swim was a better word--among them. He envisioned picking the orchids, plucking them gently, arranging them so he could give a bunch of them to Rhys, this time without telling himself that it was a stupid thought. Rhys would love them. Or maybe he was more of a rose guy. One day.
“Do you feel better now?” Mordecai asked while Ulki was silently debating between carnations and tulips.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Good, because I am running out of the strength to transform,” Mordecai said with a laugh. Then a veil of green whisked its way across him and he sat up in his bipedal form.
“And don’t say that you are sorry. I offered to do that for you, and it helped you,” he continued.
Ulki only nodded, but he felt his cheeks warm up. He hoped that if they turned pink, there wasn’t enough light for Mordecai to see the change in color. It made him squirm to feel known, for Mordecai to intercept another apology before it even rose in his throat.
“Would you like to keep walking through the forest? I still have so much to show you,” said Mordecai. “But if you would like to rest a little longer, then I will do so, too.”
“Let’s go,” said Ulki, and he felt the circulation come back to his legs completely as he stood up from the stump.
“Oh, then I must show you the air flower. And the pitcher plant. And the water lily!” said Mordecai.
“Could we do so, um… slowly? Please?” asked Ulki.
“Yes, of course. I was just excited. We won’t go any faster than we were before. We could even go slower,” said Mordecai. “I could use a nice slow walk, too.”
And even slower they went. Ulki had grown so unaccustomed to doing things slowly, enjoying them. He’d spent his time with Ike’s army rushing through anything that he had to do so he could get away from everyone, thinking and moving fast to survive--a hawk has fragile bones and his main line of defense was swooping out of the range of attackers. It was a relief to listen to Mordecai betray an even wider wealth of knowledge of the Gallian flora, to stand in one placid place for several minutes talking about this and that.
It was nearly like being with Tibarn and Janaff--perhaps with a little less teasing--in that Ulki could rest assured that he was in good hands. Mordecai had shown himself to be an adept handler of things going awry. He was light and breezy, much better at putting his kind heart in front of his imposing figure. Now there was somewhere else that Ulki could go on Tellius and know that there was someone who wouldn’t make it worse if he got out of sorts. A place that he thought would carry terrible reminders had become a haven with Mordecai’s enthusiasm for it. He would leave it in the morning, perhaps after a light breakfast and a snooze, and Mordecai would go back to helping to rebuild Crimea, but he didn’t think on that too hard for as long as the moon shone bright in the dark sky. Besides, there was an açai palm to learn about.