The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

WM [59] The Day After

“Tanisha. Tanisha, I’m coming in,” A voice cut through the silence

It took a moment for the fog in Tanisha’s mind to allow her to recognize the source of the voice as Adelheid. The wifwolf entered the tent, her presence sharp. Adelheid settled into a chair, her sharp eyes scanning the space, taking in the tent’s size and the details of their makeshift home. For a long while, there was only silence, the distant hum of the camp outside barely registering. Then, Adelheid set a plate on the table, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the tent. Tanisha rolled onto her side, her gaze landing on Adelheid, who sat quietly, waiting.

“I know the floor must be comfortable, but will you join me?” Adelheid’s tone was almost pleading, yet there was a firmness in it. “It’s important that you eat.”

Tanisha wasn’t sure when she managed to stand, but she found herself sitting across from Adelheid at the table, staring down at the plate of food. The tent, she realized, was more like a mobile home, complete with furniture, a wardrobe, and even a mirror. Everything seemed too stable, too normal, given the chaos inside her. She looked at the food, but her stomach churned with reluctance.

“Hurry up,” Adelheid pressed, her tone unwavering. “Or do I have to feed you?”

“I’m not hungry.” Tanisha’s voice was a feeble whisper, a hollow echo of her usual self.

“I don’t wanna hear that shit.” Adelheid’s response was sharp, and she grabbed a chicken leg from the plate, thrusting it toward Tanisha. “You didn’t eat anything last night. You need to eat. We have training to get to.”

“Training?” Tanisha asked.

Adelheid’s brows furrowed. “Yes, training. You’re not getting out of it. Now open your damn mouth. The next thing I hear from you better be chewing.”

Tanisha searched Adelheids expression for anything, but she just looked concerned. Her voice, her anger, a thinly veiled facade. She chewed mechanically, the taste barely registering, but with each bite, the emptiness within her receded slightly. Adelheid watched her closely, not relaxing until the plate was clean. She then pushed a cup of water into Tanisha’s hands, and when that was finished, she stood up, fetching Tanisha’s clothes.

“Change into these,” Adelheid said, her voice softening for the first time.

Tanisha realized that Joha actually had her wagon and without it she only had what was in her personal storage. She didn’t have long to think about it before she was in a loose fitting robe and linen pants. A sash around her waist kept her modesty. She didn’t have time to look herself over and protest before Adelheid hurried her outside.

Tanisha's chest felt tight as she stepped out into the new encampment outside of the mountain fortress. The coolness of the morning air pressing against her skin. She had little time to dwell on the calm atmosphere the day after everything changed. They passed through the camp, weaving between tents as the scent of campfires and cooking food mingled with the earthiness of freshly churned soil beneath boots. 

She was grateful when they reached a quiet spot away from the main encampment but still close enough that they were visible to anyone who might need them. Two mats lay on the ground, and Adelheid stepped onto one, directing Tanisha to the other.

“We are here. Teach me.” Adelheid’s voice was unwavering.

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“Teach you? What are you talking about?” Tanisha asked.

“The Way of the Rakshasa. I know you do this every morning.” Adelheid said. “You think I’m gonna let you slack off? I’d lead the training myself, but I don’t know a damn thing about it. I’ve been copying some of your moves, but now it’s your turn to teach me.”

For a moment, Tanisha wanted to walk away. She couldn’t believe Adelheid had dragged her out here just to practice techniques she barely had the heart for right now. She turned, stepping off the mat, half-expecting Adelheid to call her back, to insist, to drag her back by force if necessary.

There was nothing. Adelheid remained on her mat, calm and unmoving, her eyes silently watching, waiting. Tanisha took a step, then another, but her feet felt heavier with each one, and something kept her from going further. She stopped and looked at the ground. Her body tensed up as she clenched her fist in defiance. It wasn’t Adelheid holding her back, but something inside herself. She took a shaky breath and turned around, stepping back onto the mat, her emotions rising to the surface.

Tears traced hot paths down her cheeks as she stood there, staring at Adelheid through blurred vision. She was aching. There was a pain inside her that she had only felt when she thought she lost Bjorn. She focused. She had to focus. Her breaths deepened as she raised her arms, centering herself the way Joha had taught her, and the familiar motions began to settle her heart.

“First and most important,” she said, voice wavering but steady enough. “Maya is breath.”

She continued with the breathing techniques, each motion both grounding her and breaking her apart, layer by layer. The tears came, but so did the steadiness, her breathing becoming a rhythm, a mantra that held her through the ebb and flow of the sadness within her. She wasn’t sure if Adelheid really understood her between the tears, but she mirrored her movements, silent but supportive. She noticed that Adelheid was crying too, her tears weren’t for Joha. Tanisha knew that Adelheid had her own losses that she mourned.

***

Tanisha and Adelheid entered the tent just as Bjorn began stirring, each of his four heads yawning in sequence. Tanisha couldn't help but smile; he looked so endearing despite his formidable appearance. Adelheid, however, seemed less enamored with his new set of venomous fangs, hesitating at the sight of him.

Before Adelheid could retreat, Tanisha grabbed her hand, guiding her toward Bjorn. She felt a bit childish, like a little girl holding her friend's hand for courage, but it was comforting, especially now. She didn’t notice Adelheid’s slight surprise at the gesture, nor did she realize what it might mean in werewolf culture. For Tanisha, it was a simple act of camaraderie.

“Good morning, Big Man,” Tanisha cooed, affectionately petting each of Bjorn’s heads in turn. She nuzzled him, feeling a wave of relief. “I’m so glad you’re okay, that we’re okay. You tried to protect me, even when it meant getting hurt. But this is it—we’re going to get stronger, and we’re going to bring Joha back.”

Adelheid stepped closer, still wary of Bjorn’s four sets of glistening fangs. “I’m glad you’re alright too, Bjorn. You remember me, right?” She tried to keep her tone light, though Tanisha could sense her discomfort.

Bjorn gave a nod, his eyes flicking to the clasped hands of the two women. Tanisha noticed him glancing at their joined hands, suddenly aware that Adelheid might not be as accustomed to such gestures of wendigo friendship. She realized that she might have done something that was not okay outside of wendigo customs. She should have realized her noble upbringing taught her it wasn't right to assume foreigners understood the way of the wendigo. It made her pause; maybe there was a different significance to it that she’d missed. She released Adelheid’s hand with a small, awkward laugh, glancing over to see her friend's slightly flustered expression.

Tanisha cleared her throat, moving the conversation along to ease the tension. “Of course, he remembers you. And you don’t have to be afraid. He forgave you before I did.”

Adelheid’s expression softened, but there was something else there too—an unreadable flicker that Tanisha couldn’t quite place. When Tanisha let go of her hand, she noticed Adelheid's momentary hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, Adelheid reached out with tentative fingers to pet Bjorn, giving him a small, nervous smile.

“Glad you’re all right. You wear four heads quite handsomely,” Adelheid said, her voice teasing yet genuine. She seemed to collect herself quickly, drawing back and giving Tanisha a nod. “Well… I’ll, uh, catch you both later. I need to change—breathing and stretching, you know, it’s exhausting. If you need me, my tent’s the blue one, three down to the right.”

Tanisha watched as Adelheid left, her heart feeling lighter. She wasn’t sure what it was that had made Adelheid pause, but she hoped she hadn't done anything that upset her. She turned her attention back to Bjorn, they both could use a bath and he needed a belly full of delicious meat for being a good boy. Then they could discuss what happened and what they were going to do next.

***

After a much-needed bath, courtesy of Divination Hydromancy, and a hearty meal, Tanisha and Bjorn settled back into her tent. Bjorn was still adjusting to the addition of his fourth head. He kept bumping into things, his depth perception a little off. She observed him carefully, relieved to find no visible injuries. She tried to imagine the experience of suddenly waking up with an extra head—it was a strange thought and one she decided to save for later.

Now, they both sat on the ground facing each other. She knew what she wanted—to find Joha, to bring back the demon she remembered. It wasn’t a plan she could execute on her own and Bjorn was her partner and family. She respected his thoughts and hoped he would agree that going to find him was the best choice. Searching for Joha meant venturing deeper into the Chaos Lands. It would be dangerous, and Tanisha was determined, but she also knew she needed Bjorn's support.

Bjorn lowered one of his heads and began scratching words into the dirt with his claws, his new head peering over curiously. The letters were a bit misshapen, his grammar imperfect, but his message was clear enough:
“Go find Joha, yes. Need guide. Need conditions.”

Tanisha leaned forward, nodding as she watched him spell out his terms. Tanisha helped him with the words he was trying to spell and even guided him on the correct grammar. He needed to learn and honestly she was ecstatic that he hadn’t outright refused.

 “A guide. Okay,” Tanisha agreed. “I can see how that’d help us find our way through the Chaos Land, but what are your conditions?”

Bjorn began scratching again. “If too dangerous, us come back.”

She pressed her lips together, knowing that was a wise condition. From what she understood the Chaos Lands were unpredictable, and neither of them could risk getting in over their heads. 

“Agreed. If things get too dangerous, we’ll head back,” Tanisha replied. “But...we won’t just give up at the first sign of trouble, right?”

Bjorn tilted one of his heads, thinking, and then scratched again: “No, we are strong but not invincible. But if Joha attacks, we leave him. He is too powerful. He’ll kill us.”

Tanisha’s chest tightened. She knew Bjorn was being pragmatic, but the thought of leaving Joha was hard to swallow. 

“Leave him?” She echoed, looking at him with a frown. “What if he’s under the same thing that happened to you? Remember when you lost control? I don’t want to abandon him. If we just abandon him, we’re giving up on him.”

Bjorn paused, as if weighing her words, and then scratched slowly and carefully: “If Joha tries to kill again, we can not stop him. Not our choice, we have to live.”

“Alright. If he tries to kill us again...we’ll go.” She swallowed dryly.

Bjorn seemed satisfied, and he started to carve out one last line: “Need more supplies. I need wandmaker.”

“Of course,” she agreed. “We’ll need rations, healing supplies, and whatever else we can get. We can’t rush in without being prepared.” She paused for a second. “Wandmaker? Can you use a wand?”

Bjorn shook his head, but what he wrote next seemed impossible: “I can make a wand. I can make an Aetheric Wand. If I see how they are made. We need to commune so I can talk. Not write. Wind Hand next.”

“Bjorn, how do you know this?” Tanisha asked.

Bjorn tapped his claw on the ground thinking of what to write next. He seemed conflicted so Tanisha dropped it if he was uncomfortable she didn’t want to press him. 

“It’s okay, tell me when you are ready,” Tanisha said with a smile. “I know things are different for you, with you being a True and all.” She scratched her chin in thought. “I don’t think we will find a wandmaker in the Chaos Land, but once we find Joha I am sure there will be plenty in the human kingdoms. As for talking, I would love that, we can start now actually. I think I am starting to understand how communing works.”

He nodded, his eyes meeting hers with a quiet understanding. Though his message had been laid out with conditions, he hadn’t dismissed her desire to rescue Joha. Bjorn’s support and love meant a lot, even if it came with hard truths.

“Thank you, Bjorn,” she said, reaching out to pat one of his heads. “I know you’re looking out for us.”

Bjorn blinked, his four heads each nodding in their own way, as he scraped one last word into the dirt:
“Always.”