Chapitre 12: Like frost that is not ice

Before releasing my arm, Ras made sure to pull me closer to him so that there was almost no space left between the both of us. He took in a breath as he unsheathed the blades from his back, the satisfying 'shing' of the blades against the scabbards echoing within the forest.

The sound cut through the shrilling of the Mirages, and it was as if the creatures took a pause together. Within a second, their screams became far more louder and sharper. It was clear that they'd become alerted by the sight of Ras' double swords.

My gaze swept to his swords. They were none too impressive, while they were not blunt they weren't that shiny either. I was beginning to have second thoughts about this. Can he truly take on those creatures all by himself?

Sensing my doubt, Ras scoffed. "Just trust me, Rosie darling. I'm the only one you have right now."

Never removing my eyes from the Mirages, I replied instantly, "It's not just you. I have Lira with me—wait, where is she? Where is my friend?!"

My heart nearly lunged from my mouth as I realized finally that Lira was not with us, and at the thought that she was alone at this very moment.

"Relax, I left her somewhere safe before coming up here," Ras said, his voice cool and smooth. "You should worry about yourself first, if I were you."

I sighed, willing my heartbeat to steady. "You don't need to remind me of that."

But speaking of… how exactly did he climb up here this fast? We were on the branch of one of the gigantic trees of Evernight, and we were by far a hundred meters from the ground. Of course, he was the captain of the Ravens for the goddess' sake. He obviously wouldn't be one if he wasn't skilled and powerful. Either way, I'd made a note in my mind to ask him how he did it and perhaps he can teach me how.

"Stay behind me, Rosie," he said, bringing forth his swords. The tips glinted a bit underneath the faint light that filtered through the copses.

Hearing my name from his lips, the act was getting too familiar. It was as if each letter, each syllable was made to be spoken by him and him only. I did not like the thought of it, and how it made my stomach do freaking jumping jacks. Later, I would be dealing with this flustered emotions of mine later.

Indeed, I did stay behind him. Meanwhile, Ras got into a fighting stance. However, other than that he made no other move.

"People of the forest, perhaps you know me as Rasvien of the Ravens. I am the designated watcher of this forest. I want to tell you that my friends and I mean no harm. We are not looking for a fight, we merely wanted to pass through and get out of the forest safely!" Ras' back was relaxed. "Please hear us, we had no ill intentions that you think us of having."

The Mirages' shouting died down, but only for one sole voice to speak through. It was not feminine nor masculine, but something in between. Compared to all that chaotic screaming, it unexpectedly had a clear and soothing tone. As though it was a mother coaxing a child to sleep.

"There is a great imbalance within the forest. Light becomes dark. Dark becomes light," the Mirage said, eerie and monotonous. "A wrong becomes right. A right becomes a wrong. The line that separates evil and good dissipates. Something unknown and yet utterly known has entered the forest. It is a code we cannot decipher, and we are supposed to know everything in this forest! Evernight is our home, and we are its home. Yet the forest weeps, it aches for something new and something ancient. We cannot figure out what it wants."

"Huh, I never knew the Mirages could be so talkative," Ras murmured underneath his breath while I was left to piece the creature's words together. In the end, I could not understand what it was trying to tell us.

"We are not without speech, human," said the Mirage, offended. It's as if it was the representative of its kind, expressing their collective thoughts and feelings in one. "We have refused to interact with your kind because we had always believed doing so was beneath us. But this instance is different. An urgent matter pushes us to do this."

Ras shrugged. "Well, now it makes sense why you made us lose our way in the forest and then attacked us. I get that you're not used to it, but that's not how you're supposed to say hello to people, you know? In the end I had to kill one of yours."

"Hmph," said the Mirage, "Marishka did not die. She will return to the forest, and the forest will give her back to us sooner or later, reborn and created anew."

So these beings had individual names. They were not entirely a collective, but actual things with thoughts and perceptions.

"You are right, human woman," the Mirage said, and I had the feeling that it was staring directly at me. "Smart, you are. It's not always like that with your kind."

"Uh… thanks?" I said, peeking from behind Ras. "You can read minds?"

"No," the Mirage replied, "I can sense your thoughts. They are different, like honey that is not dew. Like frost that is not ice. Like wind that is not—"

"Okay, hold it right there." Ras butted in, sighing roughly. "See? That's the problem. You have to speak clearly if you expect us to understand you. Tell us directly why you've blocked our path, why you will not let us through. Don't talk in riddles because as you've said, humans aren't always smart."

The Mirage had no eyes nor mouth, but I could feel their frown from way over here. Their distaste for Ras was beginning to get palpable in the air around us.

"Very well," said the Mirage, "what we want is very simple, and I'm sure your small human mind can comprehend easily. The girl behind you. You will give her to us."

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