Wind and Stone

Chapter 3: Lochlann

Chapter 3: Lochlann

Arvi never stopped working, as far as Lochlann could tell. His sibling was always either selling maps or drawing them up—that is, when they weren’t on the road crafting new maps. As far as cartographers went, Arvi was dedicated. As far as siblings went, they were annoying.

“Cake again?” they asked when Lochlann returned from work, box pinned between his small left arm and chest. Arvi didn’t look up.

“This was the last of the day-old stuff. It didn’t sell reduced, so we get it.” Lochlann dropped it off in the kitchen and returned to where Arvi was reorganizing several crocks of scrolls. “I can make a market run. Should be some deals there now that it’s the end of the day.”

“Great. Get rid of the spider in the corner for me first?”

Lochlann shot his sibling an annoyed look but they were muttering to themself and searching for something. He sighed. Because Arvi was constantly working, he did more chores. Because the rooms above the cartographer’s shop he lived in belonged to Arvi, he felt like he had to do something more to contribute. But Lochlann really hated dealing with spiders.

“Can’t you handle it?”

Arvi frowned harder at a scroll they were opening.

“You’re so much better at it. You’ve got the talent.”

By that they meant that Lochlann had the powers of a strong shifter. True, he could shift to griffin and back—if there was enough room, he hadn’t done it in years—but his smaller left arm shifted with him and resulted in a foreleg and a wing that couldn’t bear his weight. It was fun as a child, when he was small enough to still move around a room, but now he took up too much space to shift in the city if he wasn’t going to spend his time flying.

The abilities, though, he could still manage. In fact, he was good at them. Being a griffin had given him decent control over both air and the earth, stones and dirt and the like. When no one was watching, Lochlann could use the skills to compensate for his left arm being limited. When people were around, he could manage anyway. But it was only ever Arvi who specifically requested he use his shifter skills. Then again, it was only Arvi who knew about Lochlann being a shifter to begin with.

Lochlann didn’t care to argue. He located the spider and let his shifter powers surge within him. He stirred them up like mixing a cake at work, then used them little by little, drew them out like a strand of frosting. Spiders were a bother because in their struggle to get away from Lochlann’s tiny cocoon of air they would often tangle themselves in their own webbing. This one he managed to catch off-guard and scooped it up with little problem before sending it through the open window and into a potted plant across the street.

“Done,” he said. “Anything in particular you wanted me to pick up?”

“Tomatoes, if they’re a good price and any of the greenhouses have them yet,” said Arvi. “And thanks.”

Lochlann rolled his eyes, retrieved his bag for shopping at the market, and slid it onto his left arm. If he put it up against his shoulder and pinned the handles right, it didn’t get in the way and wouldn’t fall. He was about to cross to the door when it opened. A teenager of about fifteen entered, skin deep brown, hair pulled back like she didn’t care to deal with it, brown eyes flicking about the room on a mission. She was wearing red; he glanced at Arvi and saw their eyes light up. They liked chatting with good-looking customers.

“Good afternoon,” they said. “Would you like help searching for a map?”

Lochlann felt her eyes on him, then her gaze skipped over to Arvi and she smiled. He always wondered what impression people had of the two of them. They were siblings, true, but Arvi was younger and smaller than he was, in their early twenties rather than Lochlann’s twenty-eight years. He was broader than Arvi, too, his skin was bronze-brown but not as deep as Arvi’s, which was tanned darker from frequent trips outside to draw up new maps. Lochlann’s arm drew attention he didn’t like, whereas Arvi seemed to be able to charm just about anyone with a smile that drew people to their eyes.

“Thank you, no,” she said. “My name is Wren. I’m here for your brother.”

Arvi glanced back at Lochlann, curious. He stared. He’d never met her before.

“I don’t…think I know you,” said Lochlann, but Wren only smiled.

“Child of Wind and Stone,” she said. “There is a long journey ahead of us.”

Lochlann didn’t know what to say. He was uneasy with the idea that she could know he was a shifter with powers, and what exactly those were. He didn’t show off, and the last time he’d shifted to griffin he hadn’t even been in Lethrin.

“What?”

“He doesn’t understand you,” said Arvi, crossing their arms. They gave Wren a smile. “I’m a little confused as well. What journey?”

Wren sighed.

“I’m Child of Life and Death,” she said. “We’re to go meet Child of Flame and Child of Snow. There is…a very real danger about to burst forth. Emlynor would not survive. This will all become clearer in time, but for now we must get on the road.”

Lochlann stared at her.

“My brother…” began Arvi. “You’re saying he’s some sort of important, chosen person?”

“Not exactly. But I do need someone like him. Will you come with me?”

“How?” asked Lochlann.

“Did I know? Does it matter?” Wren glanced at the window. “Why don’t you sleep on it?”

Lochlann glanced at Arvi, who was looking thoughtful.

“Yes, Lochlann,” they said. “Why don’t you?”