Aerenden: The Child Returns (Ærenden) by Kristen Taber

her surprise, he smiled. “That’s fantastic
news. We’ve had wind since, which means he’s following us.”
    “I
don’t understand. What do you mean?” She stood up straight. He brought his hand
to her waist to steady her. “Why is that good news?”
    “Because
the man you heard has a power I’ve been trying to sense since we set out this
morning. He can use the four elements to send his presence somewhere else. He
can also use those elements to see, sometimes for miles.”
    “So
he could see me and talk to me, but he wasn’t there?” 
    “Right.”
    “Can
he see the future?”
    “No,”
Nick responded. “He’s not a Seer. He’s a Guide. He can’t see the future. He can
only see what’s happening now. But now that he’s found you, I can stop
concentrating on finding him. He’ll lead us to him.”
    “That
is good news then,” Meaghan decided, though she had trouble finding relief when
her first meeting with the Guide had instilled her with so much fear. “Why did
you need to find him?”
    “He’ll
be able to tell us where we are and what the safest route of travel will be.”
    “I
see.” This time she allowed relief to take over. She met his smile with one of
her own. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. You said he uses the four
elements. Do you mean Earth, Water, Fire, and Air? He used those words when he
spoke to me.”
    “Those
are the four,” Nick confirmed. “What else did he say?”
    “Something
about water and our path not being safe.” She hesitated, trying to focus on her
memory of the Guide’s song. She could hear the melody in the back of her head,
but found the harder she tried to remember the words, the more they stayed out
of reach. Her smile faded. “I can’t seem to remember. I was scared. All I could
think about was escaping from him.”
    “I
understand.” Nick squeezed her hand. “I suspect you remembered the most
important part. If he said our path isn’t safe, we need to be careful. As far
as the rest, he’ll make sure we get the message again when we need it."
    She
leaned into him and hoped so.
    §
    T HAT NIGHT, they set up camp in a
small clearing, both of them taking shifts watching for danger. The dense
forest surrounding the camp permitted a small fire for a short time, so Nick
made her a cup of jicab tea and a poultice from wide leaves he found in the
forest. The tea eased the pain and the poultice reduced the swelling so that by
morning, Meaghan could wear her sneaker again, even if she had to remove the
laces.
    They
ate the last of the energy bars and Meaghan choked down another cup of tea. The
tea allowed her to walk most of the day on her own, but by mid-afternoon, she
needed Nick’s help again. Although a gentle breeze greeted them several times
while they travelled, they did not hear from the Guide. Nick remained
unconcerned, but Meaghan worried she had ruined their opportunity to find the
elusive man.
    By
late afternoon, a fine mist fell from the sky, turning the soil to mud. They
took a break underneath the branches of a tree, picking its orange nuts to
satisfy their hunger. Nick called them túrú nuts. He shelled and devoured them
by the handful, but she ate them one at a time, savoring the flavor as it moved
from rustic and earthen to sweet in her mouth.
    After
they finished their snack, they continued. The rain fell harder, creating
rivers in the forest. Nick led her at a slower pace, cautious of the softening
earth. Their clothes and hair stuck to their skin. Their feet sank into the
ground, leaving deep impressions behind them as they moved. The sky continued
to darken and soon they had trouble seeing in front of them. The forest
thinned, giving way to rock outcroppings and large boulders and Meaghan knew
they were nearing the mountains. Spotting a clearing up ahead, they hastened
their pace, hopeful for a place to rest for the night. Nick froze steps from
their goal.
    She
started to ask if everything was okay, but stopped when he