Chapters 1 & 2

Loss carries a greater silence than any absence of noise.

Where the idea of sound itself ceases to exist.

And it is the price we pay when we dare to hope.

Chapter 1: Out of the Woods

Geminii found himself staring at the deadened landscape of the forest, once more holding an empty bucket, and waiting for the rains to come. They’d be here soon; he could feel it.

How was it he remained standing among the fallen trees? Bennu’s fury had left him as shattered and broken as the lands torn apart. How he longed to lie down with the trees, close his eyes and be no more.

Yet, here he was, standing, breathing, existing.

Deep in the forest, he stumbled over the battered oak trunks as he had nearly every day since he’d come back. It was as if he were stuck in a time loop, feeling inclined to return, to harvest sordaberries he rarely ate. He didn’t enjoy the forest anymore, but neither did he feel at peace in the cabin. Reminders of Pipsy Lee were everywhere, he couldn’t escape it. And yet, he couldn’t leave. The cabin had been their home, and the forest, Pipsy Lee’s favorite place. He guessed that was why he felt the need to pick her favorite berry.

He'd harvested so many, however, he’d run out of room to store them. He’d already filled pots and pans, buckets stacked in and outside the cabin, and all the cupboards in the small kitchen nook. Fresh berries layered over squishy, rotting ones, topping dried berries that lay underneath. He’d soon empty the forest if he kept this up. And still, he picked more.

Geminii knew it was ridiculous. He knew it wouldn’t bring her back. The dead do not return for moldy fruit. Maybe it was just something to do, or something to look forward to, even if he didn’t really look forward to it.

At least he’d been able to barter the berries in Aura for food and longer pants, as he’d grown so much. But he neither lingered nor answered any questions the villagers pelted at him. They knew nothing of Bennu; nor had they earned the right to know what happened to Pipsy Lee.

Geminii arrived at the massive split in the forest, with little memory of how he’d gotten there. The gap spread across left and right as far as he could see. Though the air was still and the earth silent, it seemed as if the earthquake had just happened. For he and Pipsy Lee had witnessed it first-hand. His sister had been climbing an old oak tree, fireflies and dragonflies swirling around her. As soon as her brother had coaxed her down, an earthquake split the ground and lightning had struck the tree before they fled the woods.

Now, the tree was gone, a bridge constructed in its place. It swayed angrily when villagers crossed, which numbered few from Aura, as they weren’t the venturous type.

Geminii looked down into the depths of the crevasse, unable to see the bottom, nor the old tree that had fallen. Sometimes, he’d sit on the edge and throw twigs and rocks into it. They’d soon vanish, drifting forever down. He’d stopped wondering how deep it was, for it no longer mattered.

Gazing across the gap, Geminii remembered first meeting Aspu on the other side. The centaur had come to warn them of Bennu, and journeyed with them from then on, along with Gnocti and Bacchus, who’d appeared at their doorstep the night before.

Geminii missed the cranky old dwarf who drank too much and snored too loud. He lived north of the Drylands, on the Atoa Summit, which is where Geminii would have to go if he ever wanted to see him again. Bacchus didn’t like to leave the comforts of his home unless it was necessary. Gnocti had convinced the dwarf to join them on their travels, but surely, he was back home by now.

Gnoctinio, or Gnocti as he’d preferred, spelled with a silent ‘G’, was a Seer from the Mountains of Izu. He’d come to guide Geminii and Pipsy Lee to safety, out of Bennu’s reach. But he had lied. And now Pipsy Lee was dead.

Geminii blamed himself for trusting the Seer, whose unopened letters piled high on the table back at the cabin, covered in dust and regret. He refused to open them. Why should the old man get to ease his conscience?

The letters had been delivered by none other than Felsic. The hawkish beast of rock, and Geminii’s only companion in this world, had been flying back and forth from Aura to the Mountains of Izu. The ancient bird had taken it upon himself to visit the Seer, returning with a letter each time.

Even when Felsic was nearby, he kept his distance from Geminii, who hadn’t flown on him since they’d returned. He deeply missed flying, but every time he thought of riding Felsic, Geminii flashed back to that terrible day. He just couldn’t do it. And he knew Felsic sensed this. Perhaps that’s why the Nadru stayed away. He couldn’t bear Geminii’s grief.

He'd give anything to change what happened, for a chance to reverse time and make things right. But he also couldn’t think about it. When the memory flooded him of flying on Felsic and approaching Elyippse, he shoved it down. He would not go there. He couldn’t.

Geminii knew his anger with Gnocti was misguided, but it helped assuage his own guilt. Bennu had to be destroyed, no matter the cost. But it had been an unbearable cost for him.

The extended tree trunks creaked, rolled, and groaned as Geminii swiftly crossed the bridge. He’d traversed it many times and could easily have done so blindfolded. And as he hiked further into the woods, his thoughts lingered on the night he first met the Seer.

Geminii had been stunned to find the stranger sitting in his chair on the front porch. Calmly puffing his pipe and acting as if he owned the place, Gnocti had leaned too far back and the chair broke and collapsed underneath him, flumping the old man to the ground with a thud. They’d laughed about it later over campfires during their travels.

It lay in pieces now. And Geminii had no interest in repairing it. When he’d arrived home without Pipsy Lee, he’d been overwhelmed in anguish at the sight of it sitting stationary on the porch, as if they’d just left, mocking him. In a rage, he’d smashed it to pieces, kicking and scattering wood scraps everywhere.

Now, whenever he left the cabin, he passed by the debris, refusing to repair it or clean up the mess. And he liked it better that way. If he were to again mend the chair, wouldn’t he be accepting everything else that happened? As if he could just pick up the pieces, put everything back the way it was, and move on?

Anger licked his insides at the indignity of his own thoughts. As if it were that simple? As if everyone assumed that’s what he wanted or should do? Not that there was an everyone, or anyone for that matter. Geminii was alone now.

No, he would not pick up the pieces. He would not simply move on. He’d continue instead to revel in stubbornness. Why should he repair it? Why should he clean and tidy up, or cook, or even bathe for that matter? She was gone. And she was never coming back.

Passing shrub after barren shrub, Geminii wandered through the forest, lost in thought, and thinking about nothing. He spotted no sordaberries till late afternoon, and plopped down with his bucket, feeling weak and weary.

Gulping water from his flask, he popped a few berries in his mouth, as he hadn’t eaten that day. And as he plucked the sordaberries and dropped them with a thud into his bucket, a strange sensation swept over him. He paused as the feeling engulfed him, of time having reversed. For a moment, it was as though the world had righted, and he was harvesting berries while Pipsy Lee played nearby.

This feeling was so strong, Geminii felt that if he were to turn around, he’d see his sister there, climbing a tree with fireflies buzzing around her. He could almost hear her laughing, even arguing with him about picking berries. He could feel her.

Geminii wished he could freeze time and live in this moment. But he couldn’t help himself, he had to see.

He turned around. But the spell broke as soon as he did. He saw nothing. Nothing but lonely trees in the forgotten forest. And his heart broke again.

He shouldn’t have done that. He knew better. Why did he expect something to change? For her to come back? Why did it have to hurt so much?

Geminii grabbed the bucket and threw it from him as hard as he could. It tumbled much farther than he expected before coming to rest under a fallen tree. Geminii watched it as unbidden memories overwhelmed him. Again, he flashed back to the day the earthquake and storm had swept upon them. He remembered Pipsy Lee screaming, and his old bucket bouncing in the tremors and falling through the split.

He stood, panting, waiting for his heart to stop racing. I should be grateful, he thought, that she didn’t die that day. But he wasn’t. For he had lost her all the same.

Hoping he hadn’t destroyed it, Geminii went to retrieve the bucket, feeling just as miserable as before he threw it. Wedged under a battered branch, he tugged until it came free, launching its remaining berries into the air. He was about to turn and leave when a flash of white caught his eye. There was something partially buried in the earth the bucket had dislodged.

Curious for the first time in ages, Geminii dug something out from a thick layer of dried mud and leaves. He peered at the small item in his hand. It looked like an old flour sack. Turning it over, he brushed off a chunk of mud clinging to it, revealing its round top, and worn string looped around it. Pipsy Lee’s flour sack doll. The one he’d made her long before they’d known anything about Bennu. The one she’d lost.

Geminii dropped to his knees. He couldn’t believe he’d found it after all this time. He bearhugged the doll to his chest, and his wail of despair echoed throughout the woods. He wept, feeling as though Pipsy Lee had just died. He cried until darkness fell, wishing he could sink into it, and never wake up.

***

How many tears can the body produce? Geminii wondered dully, wiping more away. He felt calmer, although his breath still came in gasps, his nose congested. A dazed feeling of nothingness enveloped him, and he didn’t mind at all that he was deep in the pitch-dark forest.

An owl hooted in the distance. Few animals remained after the earthquake, but some had begun to return. The sound reminded Geminii of the time an owl had accosted Bacchus in this very forest. He’d flailed and panicked as it had swooped down, hunting a mouse underneath the dwarf’s blanket.

He grinned. Perhaps he was going mad.

Leaning against the fallen trunk, Geminii held his sister’s doll in his hands. It was smaller than he remembered. When had she dropped it? The one time he could think of was when they’d all hid under a pile of trees as Bennu’s rage enveloped the wind, breaking tree after tree. But she had found it that time, after climbing over Bacchus and stomping on the dwarf’s protruding belly. Geminii had sat huddled with his sister, Bacchus, Gnocti, and Aspu, waiting for the winds to calm, and had spent the time wondering about his parents.

He'd never fully given up hope he’d find them one day. But after Pipsy Lee died, Gnocti had told him about his mother. How she was an Ekkemtu, like Pipsy Lee, and how she’d gone to the Mountains of Izu to lure Bennu away from her daughter. She’d also left to find their father, who’d gone to speak with the Seers about what they could do. But he never made it, and neither were ever seen again. His father, his mother, now Pipsy Lee. All gone.

Geminii had accepted they’d died. Otherwise, they would have returned by now. Though he wondered if he’d ever fully accept without knowing what happened. Without seeing them one last time. But if they’d been alive, they would have come to the ceremony on Pindu, honoring Pipsy Lee. Word had spread across the lands along the Zurisees River of Bennu’s end and what Pipsy Lee had done. All accept Aura, that is.

Hundreds upon hundreds had gathered to pay tribute to his sister. They had covered Antasubba, the third mountain in Luniscovno Pass, and swarmed Pindu at its peak, along with local dragonflies that flew around and breathed flames into the surrounding fires. Geminii had felt terribly alone during the ceremony, even in the throng of Luniscovnians, Seers, dwarves, and centaurs. They came from the Mountains of Izu, the Seruzies Drylands, the Atoa Summit, and Lamastu. All but his mother and father.

Tears flowed as he held the doll in the forest and remembered his sister. Her small round face and hazel eyes. And her obsession with fireflies. He could still see her perched on a rock, serenading a chorus of lights as the lightning bugs beckoned to her will. Pipsy Lee had had a way with fireflies.

Geminii hadn’t seen any in the Mellebruce Forest since she’d died. Probably just a coincidence, he’d told himself. Love and sadness consumed him as he thought of the firefly fort she’d made in the cabin, and their battle over pots and pans, and throwing flour in his face under the table. Her stubborn little pout.

He thought of her pet dragonfly, Spittle. A gift from the Luniscovnians, the Pindu dragonfly had grown at least two feet long, to Bacchus’ displeasure. Geminii couldn’t remember the last time he saw Spittle, and hoped he’d found his way back to the Luniscovnians.

Miss you, Pips, Geminii thought.

This was the first time he’d spoken directly to her, even if it was to himself. He hadn’t said her name aloud even once. But it made him feel worse, and he felt his heart would crush under the weight of loss. Tears turned to sobs, and his body shook against the trunk.

At long last when his tears finally dried, he was ready to go home. Stretching wearily, he looked up and thought he saw a dim light flicker in the distance.

Geminii’s entire body stiffened.

But as soon as he focused on the light, it vanished. He wiped his face and rubbed his eyes, then sat still, waiting. Nothing happened. He must have imagined it. What had he been thinking about, anyway? He’d momentarily forgotten.

Oh, right, he thought dully, feeling rather than seeing Pipsy Lee’s doll.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Geminii sat straight up, eyes wide in the darkness. He had seen flashes again, this time in different places. He waited, watching.

Blink… Blink… Fireflies flashed in the night.

Geminii jumped to his feet and climbed on top of the fallen tree, astounded. One by one, they glowed in the darkness, scattered between the trees. Their numbers swelled to dozens and dozens more. The twinkling lights edged closer and all around Geminii, who watched in amazement. It was as if they’d been summoned to the forest.

He stayed in the woods all night, watching the fireflies glow. Hundreds appeared, flashing within the tree canopies, illuminating the forest in twinkling lights. Although he didn’t understand, Geminii knew that somehow, this was Pipsy Lee’s doing. It had to be. Goosebumps covered his skin. He missed her so much, and yet, she felt closer than ever.

He longed to talk to her, to see her one more time. But he hadn’t even been able to say her name out loud.

Geminii’s heart thudded as he summoned the courage.

“Pips?” he said aloud for the first time.

He held his breath, waiting. But only the empty, cruel silence he’d grown accustomed to replied.

His shoulders slumped in disappointment. He was so desperate to see Pipsy Lee, to know that she still existed. Had he imagined this to be a sign from her?

He felt foolish. Pipsy Lee had nothing to do with fireflies returning to the forest. The idea was as ridiculous as gathering sordaberries. She wasn’t there. She couldn’t serenade anything. She was gone.

Distraught, Geminii sat and watched for hours more. Somehow, the lights eased the terribleness of missing her. Fireflies would always remind him of his sister, and for that he was grateful. Perhaps blinking bugs in the forest would be as close to a sign that he’d ever have.

Geminii hadn’t noticed the darkness fading, it was though he could suddenly see in the woods again. Near dawn, he placed Pipsy Lee’s worn doll into his empty bucket, but he wasn’t ready to leave yet. He watched the fireflies without really seeing them, until he noticed something odd.

Rubbing his weary eyes, he focused on the lights. Was he imagining it? Had he been awake too long, his mind playing tricks on him? The fireflies had indeed slowed, but a rhythm emerged. A ripple of light moved left-to-right across the forest and repeated the pattern.

Geminii watched, captivated. The flashes had synchronized!

“What?” he whispered, bewildered.

And then, all the lights went out.

“Gem?”

Geminii nearly jumped out of his skin. Pipsy Lee’s voice had called out to him. He looked around, frantic.

“Pips?” he gasped.

“Pips!”

Nothing. Geminii stood still, waiting. Not a single firefly glowed again. But he’d heard his sister call to him. Not somewhere in the forest, but from within, and it was her voice.

Pips! he called, this time to himself, mystified.

This is like Ittu, he thought. As an Ekkemtu, Pipsy Lee had had the ability to venture into a world invisible to everyone else. But it had been a real place. Geminii had found her there and helped her get out, even though he wasn’t an Ekkemtu. It was their bond that enabled him to do so. And he’d tried to find her for weeks after that terrible day. Not only had he failed to find Pipsy Lee, but he couldn’t reach Ittu either. He thought the place might have vanished along with her.

Now, once more in the Mellebruce Forest, Geminii wondered. Was it possible to reach his sister? Could she still exist in Ittu? He wanted to try, but he was scared. He didn’t know if he could handle more disappointment. More loss. But he knew he’d just heard her.

Geminii closed his eyes and thought of Pipsy Lee, imagining seeing her in Ittu.

Pips? he called hesitantly in his mind.

Silence.

Pips!

The lack of sound was deafening, and doubt lingered like an unwelcomed shadow. Numbly, he gathered his things and headed home. By the time he crossed back over the bridge, he couldn’t be certain he’d heard Pipsy Lee’s voice at all.

Chapter 2: Bitter Tea

Arriving home hot-tempered, Geminii kicked a few broken pieces of chair for good measure before going inside. He tossed his bucket aside and closed the door, ignoring the absence of a sign that once hung there.

Geminii placed his sister’s doll on the mantle above the fireplace. Even though it was weathered and mud-stained, it felt sacred. He set it next to a blue glimmering stone. The amulet of moonstone, once clasped to a heavy golden chain, shimmered eerily. Geminii had used the amulet to find Felsic in Haapsia Canyon, once Gnocti had finally persuaded the Luniscovnians to hand it over. They’d even taken it back, at one point. Selene, who’d led them through the Valley of Notingioc, had demanded its return, his task having been accomplished. But at Pipsy Lee’s commemoration, she’d given it back to him.

Geminii meandered through the small kitchen, choosing to brew tea instead of rest. Dusting off the kettle, he lit a fire and set it to boil in the fireplace, only to realize he’d forgotten to add water. Cursing, he clumsily filled it, then sat waiting, staring at the flickering orange flames as he let his mind wander.

So much had happened, that events like today’s blurred together with his past. As intense as it was, it felt like another layer added onto the heap of memory, much like the layers of sordaberries smelling up the place. One more tossed in an overflowing mound of rotting fruit that Geminii didn’t want to sort through. For the deeper he combed, the worse it would be.

His thoughts drifted instead to Serse and Sven. A Seer from Izu as well, Serse and her young protégé, Sven, had run into them in the Mellebruce Forest near the Drylands. Well, crashed into them. Sven had stumbled downhill and smashed right into Bacchus, who’d been muttering all day that something unlucky was bound to happen. All because he thought Aspu had stolen a stone from him in the night- which he had.

Geminii missed them both. Serse was kind and affectionate with Pipsy Lee. He remembered her fondly, though just as enigmatic as the day they first met. Serse was a Hajjattu, meaning her appearance differed to everyone. Geminii saw her as old and short, while Pipsy Lee had said she’d looked tall, had long hair, and blue markings on her hands and feet. Bacchus had said she’d looked like “an old hag covered in dung”, and often wrinkled his nose in disgust in her presence.

Slightly older than himself, Sven was funny, clever, and a bit clumsy. His light-hearted nature made times like crossing the desert on foot much more bearable than it should have been. Geminii had even considered writing to him. Pipsy Lee was a great loss to him, too.

The Luniscovnians had gifted Sven with a Seer’s staff, made from the branch of a blue willow tree. And the Seer-in-training had saved Pipsy Lee during an earthquake in Haapsia Canyon. Geminii had been searching for Felsic in Miqtu, a foreboding cloud of ash no one else could enter. Sven had been struck by lightning, and burns scarred his arms in the shape of lightning bolts. Later, the same lightning-shaped pattern appeared carved in his staff after he’d slammed it into the ground.

By the time Geminii came to and heard the screeching wail of the kettle, half the water was gone. But he’d filled it too much anyway. He brewed tea and abandoned the mess of the cabin for the front porch, sitting on the steps as he no longer had a chair.

He drank ruefully in the late morning sun. As he’d run out of clean mugs, the only one left wasn’t a cup, but a bowl. Not that he hadn’t cleaned since he’d returned, but he’d done less and less as time passed. How long had it been now? He couldn’t be sure. Time was strange, rushing forward and dragging at the same time.

He sipped, trying to savor the tea’s hints of orange peel and cinnamon. But sensations like taste no longer mattered. And as he drank from the red bowl, his fingers brushed the white etchings of a dancing centaur. He felt the sliver of moon with his thumb, and his heart ached with regret. The bowl had been part of a set, another gift from the Luniscovnians.

They’d also given Geminii a sword. An uncomfortably large and heavy sword, he’d used it to slice through the last remaining root of the ancient blue willow tree, Sulpaea. The root had been exposed after Bennu caused an earthquake in the Valley of Elyippse, where a volcano had raged since the Age of the First Fury. But the earthquake hadn’t merely cracked the earth, it had severed the world in two. Felsic had flown Geminii down into the darkening chasm as lava cascaded around them. It had taken all his strength to wield the sword against the root.

And while he’d been falling into the darkness that split the world, his sister had been in Ittu, coaxing Bennu to her. It had been the Seer’s plan all along to use Pipsy Lee as bait, luring Bennu to them so that in its fury, it would rupture the earth and destroy Sulpaea.

And Geminii had let it happen, convinced that there was no other way. So convinced that he’d let Pipsy Lee stay in Ittu instead of getting her out while he flew down with Felsic. If he’d only gotten her out first… The thought was too much. It was unbearable to think what if.

“We’ll get to the ifs as they come,” Gnocti had said.

Regret, anger, and bitterness boiled within Geminii. He didn’t like to think about Elyippse, and usually stopped himself before he went too deep, too close to that terrible moment.

He distracted himself by thinking of Felsic. He expected him any moment now, probably returning from Izu with another letter clutched in his beak. The letters… Perhaps it was time to open them, to finally read what Gnocti had to say for himself.

Geminii poured out most of his tea and returned to the cabin, stacking the bowl perilously on top of the mound of dishes. He grabbed the bundle of letters and sat near the fireplace. Flipping the stack over, he dusted off the first envelope Felsic had delivered however long ago. Geminii read his own name scrolled in neat, flat writing. He opened the letter.

Dearest Geminii,

I hope this letter finds you as well as can be expected. I was pleasantly surprised to find Felsic this morning, tapping his beak on my kitchen window. It appears he knew I wanted to write to you, and I do hope he returns with this letter. I do not know how skillful he is at parcel delivery, but I hope for the best.

Again, my condolences to you, Geminii. You are on my mind often.

I was quite sad to see you leave, but I understand the need to return home. I hope it has served you well. Your sweet sister, Pipsy Lee, is terribly missed by many. Serse, Sven, and Aspu send their regards. We speak of her fondly, remembering her kindness, joy, and spritely ways. Bacchus misses her too, I am sure, and plans to leave the comforts of the Atoa Summit and visit here soon.

Speaking of which, have you considered my offer? You would be most welcome, and it might do your spirit good to spend time in these mountains. The burden of grief is yours to bear, but you do not have to carry it alone.

Please send word that you are, indeed, alright.

Hoping this letter finds you and finds that you are well.

Yours sincerely,

Gnocti

 Finding him well was a stretch, Geminii thought wryly. As was alright. He’d never be alright again, for he was no longer the same. He was broken. Fractured. A small piece of who he’d been before. The boy Gnocti and the others knew no longer existed.

Geminii read the letter twice more. It wasn’t at all what he expected, but it helped to know that Pipsy Lee wasn’t forgotten. He felt a twinge of regret for waiting so long to read the letters, and a twinge more for not letting Gnocti know that he was at the very least, physically okay. He opened the second parcel, which was twice as thick as the last.

 Dearest Geminii,

Did you know that the Nadru likes apples? I had no idea that a bird made of felsic stone would feel the need to eat anything. Come to find out, he has quite the appetite for them. Felsic ate the entire bushel I’d just brought home, cores and all. It was marvelous!

I was happy to see him return, though disappointed he carried no message from you. Perhaps it was lost in route? I do hope this letter finds you. And I have included some extra paper in the off chance you did not write back because you had none of your own.

My invitation still stands. The Mountains of Izu could be your home. And Pipsy Lee’s as well, for she is forever with you, is she not?

The people of Izu are planning a festival to celebrate the end of Bennu and the dawning of a new age. It would mean a great deal to all of us if you attended, Geminii. But I understand if it is too much.

How is your health? Are you getting enough sleep? Eating well, I hope? Splendid, splendid. I shall assume you are until I delightfully receive word telling me how very wrong I am. Again, stationary provided.

Looking forward to your reply with plenty of apples on hand for Felsic.

Yours sincerely,

Gnocti

 Geminii stared uneasily at the blank pages Gnocti had provided.

“Oops,” he muttered, re-reading the letter.

After the ceremony on Pindu, he’d declined the Seer’s offer and abruptly left for Aura. There was no way he would’ve gone to Izu or anywhere else. This was where Pipsy Lee had lived. They’d spent years in the cabin, nearly Pipsy Lee’s whole life. Though, if he were honest with himself, the true reason for rushing home was his desperate hope that somehow, he’d find Pipsy Lee waiting for him, alive and well. But that didn’t happen. He’d found nothing but cobwebs and a small mouse scuttling along the floorboards upon his return, and the disappointment shattered him.

As time passed, her absence didn’t get easier, but he’d learned to live with it. And oftentimes in the morning, Geminii felt like she was still there, asleep in her bed. He’d wait for her to get up, yawning, asking for breakfast. But she never did. He waited for hours feeling stuck, unable to start his day.

And part of him knew that she wasn’t coming back. She’d never wake up and ask for breakfast ever again. And the Seer was right, she would always be with him, in his memories, his thoughts, even in her absence.

Geminii opened the third letter, noticing for the first time the handwriting on the envelope was different. It was messier and tighter, and whoever wrote it had spelled his name wrong.

 Hey Gemini,

This is Sven! Gnocti told me how Felsic keeps showing up, so I’ve been hanging around his place hoping to see him, and I finally did! Gnocti fed him about a dozen apples, and he even stole one that I was eating! Felsic, that is, not Gnocti.

How’ve you been? I’ve been pretty busy here, practicing Seer stuff. It’s pretty boring, actually, but I’m improving. Serse’s been taking me all around Izu with her, visiting people and helping to sort through debris. Lots of people lost their homes with all the earthquakes that happened. Aspu’s been helping, too, lots more than what we’ve done.

I really miss Pipsy Lee.

It’d be great to see you again. Gnocti mentioned he invited you to Izu? Are you going to move here? That’d be great! I hope you’ll at least visit and come to the festival. I’m really looking forward to it. There’s going to be honeysuckle cake!

Well, your bird is staring at me, so I guess I should wrap this up. I hope you’re okay. Gnocti’s getting worried because you haven’t written back. I’d write soon, if I were you, before he shows up on your doorstep.

Bye,

Sven

 Geminii was glad to hear from Sven, although a slight panic unnerved him. He really should’ve read these earlier. And it felt strange to read about life outside his own. Sven looked forward to things. Geminii hadn’t noticed how small his own life had become, that it merely comprised the cabin and forest, and on rare occasion, the Aura.

Anxious to read what Gnocti wrote next, Geminii reached for the fourth letter. This, however, was a stack of three, bundled together with twine. Curious, he untied it, recognizing the Seer’s fluid penmanship on the first envelope. The second, however, was written by someone else.

Geminii stared at it, tracing his name on the envelope with trembling fingers. The handwriting matched the message on the old sign that used to hang on the door. He’d thrown it aside one day in a fit of anguish, breaking it in two. The letter was from his mother. Underneath, the third letter was addressed to Pipsy Lee.

He opened Gnocti’s first.

Dearest Geminii,

My concern for you, dear boy, is growing (assuming, of course, that Felsic has indeed delivered my letters to you). If that were not the case, I do not believe the Nadru would continue to show up here. The apples cannot possibly be that enticing. Perhaps he leaves before you get the chance to give him your reply? If that is the case, I’d recommend having your responding letter ready well ahead of time.

I had hoped to give you the enclosed letters in-person. However, I sensed you would not appreciate my patience in keeping them.

I am truly sorry to tell you again that your mother has not been found. I fear she and your father are lost to this world. And you have suffered so much, Geminii, that I did not want to add to your burden. But I am sure you’ve been wondering. ‘Tis difficult, if not impossible, to find closure when a loved one has gone missing. Many families here have suffered similar. There has been much loss and grief in Bennu’s wake.

I hope her letters bring you comfort. I, of course, did not read them. They are for you and you alone when you’re ready. I am very grateful to have known your mother, but for a short time. Iress was kind, courageous, determined, and so very proud of you. You and Pipsy Lee were her light and joy in this world, and I’m certain your father felt the same.

Anticipating your immediate reply.

 Yours most sincerely,

Gnocti

 It took Geminii three attempts to finish the note. Tears blurred the words, and his throat constricted as he held the letters from his mother. He desperately wanted to read them, but also wanted to wait. These were the last words she’d ever say to him. And should he read what she wrote to Pipsy Lee? That felt wrong in some way. That letter wasn’t meant for him.

Geminii placed the unopened letters on the mantle next to Pipsy Lee’s doll and the amulet. Taking the Seer’s advice, he’d wait till he was ready. Considering his second piece of advice, Geminii knew he needed to write back and be ready when Felsic returned, but there were three letters left. He chose to finish them first and opened the next one.

 Dearest Geminii,

I am now gravely concerned. You have my utmost attention. Felsic has returned, absent any word from you. I am assuming all is not well. The Nadru seems most agitated. He has been pelting Sven with apples instead of eating them. Kindly respond immediately. If I do not hear from you, I shall journey to Aura, myself.

Sincerely concerned,

Gnocti

Truly panicked now, Geminii didn’t know what to do. Felsic hadn’t returned yet. He reached for the second to last letter, this time from Sven.

 Dear Geminii,

I’m sorry I spelled your name wrong in my last letter. Your bird is back, and he’s acting really weird. Are you okay? I think Gnocti’s about to fly him back to check on you.

Hope you’re okay,

Sven

 “Oh, no!” Geminii groaned.

He glanced around, wondering how much time he had before Gnocti’s arrival. And when had the cabin gotten so filthy? And where should he start?

He could at least get rid of the rotten berries and the fruit flies buzzing all over them. That would help with the smell, too. Speaking of which, when had he last bathed?

Panicking, Geminii heaved a large pot from under the sink, dumped the moldy berries out of it, and filled it with water. He placed the pot on the fire, willing it to boil faster.

At that moment, thunder clapped angrily in the night, causing him to jump as if the cabin just caught fire. He waited for an earthquake that never came. Instead, water splashed down from the sky all at once. The rains had arrived.

Geminii stood still, waiting for his heart to stop hammering, and looked around the cabin. Where to start cleaning? It was overwhelming. He couldn’t clean the dishes because they were piled in the sink and all over the counter, and where would he put the ones in the sink to empty the sink? He supposed he could stack them on the table, but he’d have to clear off more dishes and laundry first. But he couldn’t even get to the dishes because he’d just dumped a bunch of sordaberries on the kitchen floor!

A second wave of thunder rippled through the air.

Cursing under his breath, Geminii hurried to grab the broom, knocking over a chair in the process. But halfway through sweeping the berries he’d spilled on the floor, Geminii realized he’d forgotten to read the last letter. Abandoning the broom, he made his way under the table, where he’d dropped the letter when he went to boil water.

He opened it with trembling fingers. And as he hastily read the four words scratched on it, footsteps hammered up the front porch steps.

 I’m coming over.

Gnocti