Chapter 3
“Right now, we’re here.” Eli tapped a finger on the map, then drew a wide arc. “If it’s alright, I’d like to travel along the southern border, where it’s warmer. The towns are farther apart, but they’re bigger. We’d have a better chance of finding the ruler there.”
She darted a glance at Kotori while explaining. Her companion was studying the map intensely, brow furrowed and mouth pursed in concentration. She nodded with every sentence Eli said.
“And if we don’t find them there, then we can cross the river - here - and move north, up to the mountains. I have a friend. She can… well, help us look.” More like See. Eli hadn’t seen Nozomi in a few years now, not since the Seers had spirited her away to their temple to foster her talent. It was important work - but Eli wanted her best friend more than she wanted accurate visions of the past, present and future when they were burying her mother.
Shaking off her drifting thoughts, Eli turned to Kotori. “Not that I don’t trust your abilities,” she added quickly. “But we can only spend so much time searching before I have to go back. This is the most efficient way I can think of.”
Kotori only hummed, tilting her head this way and that, as if the map would suddenly sprout a third dimension if she looked hard enough. Eli ventured, “Is this route acceptable.”
A few seconds later, Kotori looked up. “I have no idea where any of this is,” she confessed with a bashful smile. Her hands wrung lightly in the way Eli was starting to recognise as Kotori’s nervous tell. “So I’ll trust you to lead us! I’ll be in your care, Eli.”
Normally, Eli would have been annoyed with somebody not giving their own opinion, but Kotori was innocent in the ways of the world through and through. She hadn’t even seemed to know how to handle the pocketknife Eli gave her for a last resort weapon, holding it awkwardly until Eli had given in and showed her how to tuck it into her new belt.
But it wasn’t Kotori’s pure inexperience that made Eli duck her head and mumble yes, same for her, she’d be in Kotori’s care too. It was the look of faith Kotori gave her - the steady confidence in Eli’s reliability, despite having known each other for less than a day.
And she hadn’t even known what Otonokizaka’s Seneschals were.
Eli rolled the map back up, tucked it away into her bag, and stood. Little remained of their lunch: Kotori had asked the name of every piece of food, and tried to eat it all. She packed an incredible amount away for being so slight and taking such small bites.
Kotori wrapped Eli’s cloak back around her shoulders. Though they had cut slits in her new clothes for her wings, they still needed to be covered up. She was getting much faster at it, though.
“Shall we?” asked Eli, holding a hand out to Kotori. Kotori accepted gladly. The pressure of her hand on Eli’s was light but warm from the morning’s walk.
“Let’s,” agreed Kotori, and they set off.
Kotori’s curiosity was boundless. She pointed out animals, objects, buildings (”Eli, is that a sheep? Ohhh, it looks so soft!” “Eli, can we take some of the fruit? No? Ah, no, I didn’t realise it’d be stealing - nevermind!”), whatever caught her interest. Eli answered her patiently each and every time.
And it was infectious: when Kotori cooed at a flower bush coming into blossom, Eli looked at it with new eyes, even though the same species was planted all around the castle. When Kotori admired a flock of birds turning on the wing, Eli found herself entranced by the sight, too. When Kotori stretched her legs into the sunshine, sighing as it warmed her, Eli did the same to humor her - and then revelled in the simple feeling.
As they exchanged more and more words, Eli found her formality melting away under Kotori’s relentless cheer. And, gods help her, she couldn’t remember why she’d needed it in the first place.
It wasn’t until the sun was dipping towards the horizon and they were approaching the first town that Eli remembered with a start why she was journeying to begin with.
“Do you, uh, sense anything?” she asked Kotori. Strangely, horribly, she found herself hoping Kotori didn’t, so the journey wouldn’t be over so soon.
“No,” Kotori said thoughtfully, and Eli squashed her relief with quick brutality. “I should be able to feel them if they were in this town, but not much farther out than this. It looks like we’ll need to look a little farther.”
“We can do that tomorrow,” Eli decided. Despite how pleasant the walk was, the previous night’s vigil was taking a toll on her. Her limbs hung heavy with tiredness.
They were lucky. The town boasted three inns, the best of which still had several rooms available. Eli paid in silver - with a silent prayer of thanks to Nico, who had thoughtfully converted it from the royal gold coins - and the innkeeper was immediately all smiles, showing them the way to two rooms on the top floor.
The rooms were small but well-furnished: thick mattresses, a pile of blankets, tall wardrobes for those staying longer, and most importantly to Eli, a basin of gently steaming water and a washcloth.
“We can clean up and head downstairs for dinner,” Eli said to Kotori, dropping her pack and sword belt onto the floor with a relieved sigh. “Would you be alright with an early start tomorrow? I’d like to visit the markets and pick up some other things.” Since she was here, Kotori may as well experience better human food than travelling hardtack and beef jerky.
“That sounds lovely.” Kotori hesitated, looking around the room. Eli didn’t notice, thinking the conversation over, and too busy scrubbing the day’s travel dirt away with the washcloth, until Kotori said in a small voice, “Well, bye.”
Eli turned, but the door was already swinging shut behind Kotori. Had she done something wrong?
Kotori didn’t mention anything when they rejoined outside, though; once again, she was all smiles, leaving no room for Eli to delicately ask. She immediately led the way down to the common dining room. Food called, and they answered.
And what a summons it was: thick lamb casserole, fluffy bread, buttered potatoes, and fresh-pressed juice. Eli waved away offers of drinks. She had the feeling that an intoxicated divine messenger was something best witnessed in private.
Once or twice, the inn’s patrons did a double-take at the sight of Kotori. Inwardly, Eli agreed with them; she was stunningly beautiful, and dressed like a noble in Eli’s cloak and the castle’s best travelling clothes to top it off. Outwardly, Eli gave them her best glower. Drunkards with poor pick-up lines were the last impressions of humans Eli wanted to give Kotori.
Thankfully, Kotori was oblivious. She avoided talking too much and exposing her ignorance in the busy room, but she stared around with wide eyes, taking in every detail of human life. Eli could practically hear the questions being fired at her as soon as they went back upstairs.
When Eli pushed her bowl away at last with a satisfied sigh, the night’s drinking was just getting into full swing; but Eli’s eyelids were drooping, and Kotori was nodding every so slightly. She looked up with relief when Eli pushed back her chair.
“Bedtime, I think,” Eli said, and offered her hand to Kotori. Kotori hesitated - then carefully grasped Eli’s hands with both of hers, looking at Eli seriously.
A snort escaped Eli. “Sorry,” she muttered, shaking the grin away. “It’s just manners. Holding a hand out for a lady to take, so she can get up from her seat easily.”
“Doesn’t that mean that I should be holding a hand out for you too?” Kotori pointed out.
“No, I’m not… well, I am a lady too, but I’m not that kind of…” People were starting to glance at them, so Eli hurriedly said, “I’ll explain upstairs. Let’s go?”
Kotori gave her a dubious look, not entirely convinced of this lady business, but stood obligingly. She trailed behind Eli like a duckling following its mother, both hands still on Eli’s one, as Eli forged her way through the crowded room and up the stairs.
Once safely ensconced in Kotori’s room, Eli sat cross-legged on the floor as Kotori perched on the bed. “I am a lady, since I’m of noble birth and a female,” Eli explained, “but you outrank basically everybody in this world since you’re, well, a divine being. So as far as etiquette goes, I should be the one helping you up.”
Kotori considered this with a heavy frown. Then she said, “But I don’t need help getting out of a chair. I can do that myself.”
This was going to be harder than expected.
By the time Eli finished giving Kotori a rundown on the basic do’s and don’t’s around humans, the candles had burned down to stubs. Even the clatter downstairs had started to die down.
“We should be getting to sleep,” Eli said, heaving herself upright with a sigh. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Kotori. Call me if you need anything - I’ll be right next door.”
Kotori’s fascinated face dropped. She nodded silently, gaze downcast. Eli paused. “Is something wrong?” she tried tentatively.
“I’m sorry to be a bother bout I don’t like being alone when I sleep and especially not when I can’t see an easy way into the sky,” Kotori spilled in a rush. “Could I stay in your room, please? I promise I’ll be quiet…”
Eli blinked. Her hesitation seemed to encourage Kotori, who looked up and grasped Eli’s sleeve. “Please?” she said again, eyes round and piteous.
That look was definitely some kind of divine power.
Eli pinched the bridge of her nose, then nodded in mute agreement. It was best if she didn’t think about the fact that she was about to sleep next to a literal angel. That had to be breaking so many rules of nature.
With brisk efficiency, Eli gathered up Kotori’s blankets and pillow, lumping them over her shoulder. “Bring your bag over,” Eli said, muffled by the bedding draped over her. “We’re only staying one night so we’d better keep all our things together.”
Kotori brightened. She plucked the bag off the floor and the pillow off Eli’s precariously balanced pile, then danced ahead to open the door. One of the patrons was coming up the stairs with swaying steps; he stared at their small procession. Eli forced herself to glare back. Wisely, he moved along.
“You should take the bed,” Eli said as she knelt, inspecting the floor with a critical eye for a good place to set down her bedding. “It’s more comf - “
Feathers rustled. Eli looked up.
Kotori perched on top of the room’s wardrobe, peering down at Eli with befuddled eyes. “Where are you putting my blankets?” she asked, head tipped to one side.
“…On the floor, so I can sleep on it,” Eli said slowly. “Why are you on the wardrobe?”
“…So I can sleep on it?”
They stared at each other, utterly confused. “But the bed,” Eli said.
Kotori looked from Eli to the piece of furniture Eli was pointing at. “What are you supposed to do with that?”
“Sleep on it?”
The look Kotori gave the bed was as if she were examining an exotic new species. “That’s an awful lot of space just to sleep on,” she said pensively.
Feeling like an absolute fool, Eli dropped the bedding at the end of the bed and kicked off her boots. She stretched out on the bed stiffly. “Like this,” she said.
Explaining human etiquette was one thing. Demonstrating how to use a bed was another entirely.
“But where would your wings - oh.”
“Yes.” Now that raised the question: “How would you sleep?”
In response, Kotori pulled off her cloak and carefully folded it, laying it on top of the pillow. She curled into a neat ball on the wardrobe top. Her wings dropped down, cocooning her in white; Eli could just see a tuft of greyish-blonde hair. She reminded Eli of the swallows who slept in the stables, small and round with feathers puffed.
Kotori uncurled. “It’s more comfortable with blankets for a nest,” she confided.
“A-alright, then…” Resigning herself to what had to be the strangest road trip ever taken, Eli passed blankets up to Kotori, watching as she arranged them in careful bunches. When she was settled, she peeked over the edge of her blanket nest at Eli.
“Good night, then,” Kotori said, smiling sleepily. “Thank you, Eli.”
“Don’t mention it.” Eli watched as Kotori disappeared from view. Shaking her head incredulously, Eli blew out the candle and got into her much more mundane bed.
The day’s exhaustion rolled over her with the blankets. Within seconds, Eli was dead to the world.
“The sun’s up. Eli, are you awake? Is it time to go?”
“Five more minutes,” Eli groaned, and rolled away from the small hands prodding at her shoulder. There was the sound of pattering footsteps; and then the hands were on the side of the bed Eli had escaped to, and they were shaking her now. Eli let out a second louder groan.
“Alisa, leave me…” Eli cracked an eye open, and came face to face with Kotori’s gleaming golden eyes, mere inches away from Eli’s face. A shriek of surprise climbed Eli’s throat, and died behind her clenched teeth. Do not scream in the heavenly messenger’s face.
Eli’s wide-eyed stare apparently convinced Kotori that she was awake. She stepped back, clasping her hands behind her back. “Can we go to the markets now?” she asked, excitement writ in every word.
“Just… just give me a moment to get dressed,” Eli said feebly. Her heart was still rabbiting in her chest.
“I’ll wait downstairs!” Kotori whisked through the room like a whirlwind, picking up her cloak and bag - and was gone, the door swinging shut behind her, before Eli had the chance to say anything.
The inn’s occupants were starting to wake up; footsteps trundled up and down the hallway. Eli cursed under her breath as she hopped her way into clothes and stumbled down the stairs, hair falling out of its ponytail. Where was Kotori…
Kotori was frozen by the inn door, blocked by the drunkard from the night before. His hangover didn’t seem to deter him.
“Where’s your bodyguard, little lady?” he slurred. “Would she mind if we went for a morning stroll?”
“Um,” Kotori said, voice tinged with panic. “B-bodyguard?”
“You know, ‘bout yea tall…” the man waved vaguely. Eli was at least a head taller than he imagined. She quickened her steps. “Blondie. Must cost upstanding nobles like you a good coin… I’ll protect you for free, how’s that?”
From her angle, Eli could see the outline of feathers bristling under Eli’s cloak. A gaggle of travelling merchants pushed past her, talking loudly; Eli growled as they blocked her way. They hastened to get out of her path.
“No thank you,” Kotori said firmly. Her hands were fisted into her cloak. “She’s doing it for free too, anyway.”
“Sure you don’t wanna change your mind?” The man leered in. His hand landed on Kotori’s shoulder, and Eli saw red.
“Yes, she’s sure,” Eli snarled, and seized the man’s hand. Hook her hoot behind his - pull hard on his hand - spin away, yank his feet out - and he crashed to the floor.
He yelped, rolling away from Eli’s murderous stance. Eli spared him one more loathing look, then turned to Kotori, who was staring at her with unadulterated awe.
“Are you alright?” Eli asked. She reached out without thinking to pat Kotori’s shoulder for any sign of injury from the man’s grip.
“Y…yes.” Kotori’s gaze fell to Eli’s hand. With an embarrassed grimace, Eli realised that that wasn’t a bodyguard’s proper conduct around their employer, and quickly whipped her hand away, covering it up by gesturing at the would-be philanderer.
“Get this man out of our sight,” she ordered the innkeeper who had been watching nervously. The innkeeper nodded at one of the wait staff; together, they dragged the man upright and firmly escorted him outside.
“Thank you,” Kotori said from behind Eli. Eli turned; Kotori seemed a little shaken, but she smiled through it. “I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do. And that was quite rude of him, trying to replace you.”
Did divine beings even know what flirting was? “Next time, if somebody tries to grab you like that, push them away. Make noise,” Eli stressed. “I’ll be right there. As long as I’m around, they should think twice about trying to touch you.”
“Mhm! I knew I could trust you, Eli.”
And then, destroying any image of master and servant they had been projecting, Kotori looped her arm into Eli’s and smiled brightly up at her. “Shall we?” she said with a gesture towards the door.
Eli had learned dances formal and informal. She had attended countless meetings with nobles and merchants, and held her hand out to escort them. She had sparred hand-to-hand with every soldier in the castle and rolled in the training yard with Nico and Alisa.
But never had Eli had a beautiful woman on her arm.
“Yeas,” she said, and immediately regretted having a voice. “I mean yes! Yeah. Let’s go.”
The morning air cooled Eli’s hot cheeks. They wound their way through the thin crowd to the town square, where hawkers were already firmly entrenched in their stalls and bellowing their goods for the day.
With brisk efficiency, Eli singled out several vendors. A new pack, to slit open at the back, so Kotori could more comfortably hide her wings; a longer lead for the packhorse, so Eli could walk with Kotori and not worry about panicking the poor animal; and…
“We can get you a new cloak,” Eli mused out loud to Kotori. She eyed the stalls; the stall-owners eyed her back eagerly. “Mine seems a little big for you, and it’s not the best kind for travelling…”
“No, thank you.”
Eli blinked. Kotori was smiling at her. “I like yours. It’s the first gift I’ve ever had. I’d rather keep it, if that’s alright,” she said, rubbing her thumbs over the hem of Eli’s cloak.
There was no earthly way Eli could refuse that. At any rate, it gave them an excuse for Eli to seem overprotective of her charge.
And she looks good in the Ayase house colours, whispered a sly voice in the back of Eli’s mind. Only when Kotori’s face lit up did Eli realise, to her horror, that she’d said that last thought out loud.
“I like to think I do too,” Kotori replied with a merry swirl of said cloak.
Now Eli definitely hoped that divine beings didn’t know what flirting was.