Siren's Reach - Fallen Lands Book 3

Chapter twenty-three

There's No Place Like Home

Alice

The gondola ride down to the docks of Irvine's Ferry felt like the conclusion of such a long journey. Alice hesitated to call it an adventure – her first in this world, but now that it was over, she knew that's what it really was. She also understood it was just the stepping stone to the next one. Before she knew it, they'd be leaving this place and jumping right back into things. This time, though, it would be starting out on a much better note. It wasn't just her new friends and those she was still to meet, but it was a starting point that she knew was the right one. This was the kind of place you were supposed to start from and the kind of place you were supposed to look forward to returning to. She would have known that with her eyes closed. Alice could feel the river below them. Her River. It felt like home and safety, the one place she truly belonged, and this was the closest she'd ever been to it. It was tempting to just jump over the side and into the water, but she knew that Caeda was practically vibrating with excitement to show her the town. For the sake of her best friend, she could be patient. The river wasn't going anywhere.

After the talk with Caeda, Princess Amélie started being a little more open about who she really was. It was an unexpected comfort to Alice, even if she hadn't been too worried about it. It even had the benefit of her bringing her Ladies Maid, Constance, with them to explore the town. Amélie had made a not-so-serious fuss about being a "free fox," but now that she had no excuse, Constance wouldn't let her get away with running around on her own. Alice and Caeda were perfectly content with that, too. Constance had already been acting as their magic tutor on this trip, so that made her just another person that the elf was excited to introduce to her family. Alice could tell how excited Caeda was and how much she was looking forward to her family's reaction. They were going to be so proud of her for unlocking the mage class.

With the runeship coming into the docks from above, it was a little more complicated for them to be assigned a pier, primarily due to communication. Fortunately, the port master understood the flag codes, and once she was involved, they were able to sort things out with the unexpected skyship. With the ship floating in the air, the size didn't matter, so they eventually took one meant for a much smaller boat. At first, the whole idea seemed a little absurd to Alice. Why would they need to go to the docks at all? But it only took a quick look around to see the issue. With the dense forest surrounding the town, the only options were to hover over the buildings and drop them right into a street or tie up with the rest of the ships. When Caeda pointed out that it would give them the same experience entering the town as anyone who'd come upriver in a boat, the idea seemed a lot more fun to the others. The entire process took a little longer than expected, giving Alice a chance to look over the town a bit. The whole place had a very cozy feel to it, and some interesting quirks that she noticed right away.

"Caeda, why's everybody standin' bunched up along the riverbank outside town fishin'? The piers are empty enough. Why don't they spread out?"

Her friend looked down at the rows of people standing and sitting along the shore, casting lines and chatting merrily. "Oh, they're working on their skill level. They level up fishing more quickly outside town limits even if the resources out there get quickly exhausted with them closer together. They don't want to spread out too far. There are aggressive koi to worry about if they're not careful."

"Koi? Really?" Alice asked, a little amused.

Caeda nodded, "Yeah, it's true. They're kind of dumb and often try to bite off more than they can handle, but they'll flee if there is a group. The real problem is if you go into the forest to gather flowers near any stream connected to the river, they might try to jump out at you."

Alice shook her head and looked out over the dock as they closed in, "Noted."

Amélie leaned around Alice and said, "How big are these koi if people need to watch out for them? Are they really that dangerous?"

Caeda laughed, "Not as big as they think. They're just a pest. Our neighbor had a Takhigan hunting cat that he'd take with him when he'd go into the forest, and any time they'd come across one, it would get a free meal."

They all quieted as the gondola touched down, and two sailors who accompanied them stepped forward to open the small gates. Caeda happily led their procession out onto the docks, gesturing grandly to the town behind her.

"Welcome to Irvine's Ferry! It's so good to be home!"

"Ah, the grand tour?" Amélie asked with a little excitement.

Alice perked up at that, "That's a great idea! We've put so much effort into gettin' here. We can't have anything less!"

With a roll of her eyes, Caeda smiled, "Okay, then! Here, as you can see, are the docks! This is where the ferries and riverboats stop in to pick up travelers and goods. The river here is nearly two miles across, so the ferries running every few hours are the only way most people can get from one side to the other."

She began leading them away from the waterfront, only to stop shortly afterward, where a clear and wide rut ran around the outer perimeter of the town. Alice looked up and down the track, thinking perhaps it was a path used by transport wagons and curious why Caeda was holding them up – but then she heard the high-speed galloping. Looking back to her left, she saw first a dust cloud and then two young women on horseback, seemingly racing some of the most impressive-looking horses she'd ever seen. They pounded up the path and then passed in what seemed like a dangerous and kind of reckless place to be riding like that, but Caeda only smiled.

"Those two are always out here riding their horses when they're not out hunting or hawking. They have a horse farm outside town where they train their horses every day and have all these special feeds for them. Supposedly, they're following an old guide on how to breed mythical horses."

Alice watched them flying up the path, "Seems a little dangerous to be ridin' 'em like that 'round town. But yeah, those are some impressive animals. What kinda mythical horses are they tryin' to breed?"

Caeda shrugged, "I dunno. I've heard people say unicorns or even pegasus, but I don't know them very well. Those two are always off together doing something, so it's hard to really be friends with them."

"Seriously? I got a feelin' that ain't how you get magical horses. They might be at it for a long time."

Amélie laughed, nodding her agreement, and Caeda only shook her head, "Probably. I don't think they mind. Let's cross while it's clear!"

Caeda pointed out every detail of the town, going over its history. She gave special attention to the places she liked to visit, including a little cafe with a sign that looked a lot like a cup of coffee in front of a cat whose tail was protectively wrapped around it. The moment that Alice spotted the sign, she interrupted her.

"Coffee?!"

Caeda blinked and nodded, "Yes, coffee and cats. It is sort of a theme. Around the time I left on my expedition, the place had just finished a renovation under the guidance of Lady Mizue after the retirement of her aunt, Lady Laurienne. Perhaps we can all visit before we leave. I'm excited to see the changes."

Alice nodded, "That's a great idea. This place sounds awesome... but that's the first time I've ever heard of a noble retirin'. And why do their names sound so different?"

Caeda thought about her answer for a few seconds before replying, "Passing on a title early is uncommon but not much different from an early inheritance. Lady Laurienne wanted to spend more time with her husband, and managing the realm was making that difficult. Lady Mizue was a distant relation, as you can tell from some of her strange customs, but they were close, and it was an easy choice."

"What kind of strange customs?"

Caeda shrugged, "Well, she has three pet wolves that she dresses up in little coats sometimes, but most people rarely see them."

Alice blinked but nodded and moved on. She supposed everyone had their quirks.

As they passed through the market and into the craftsman's district, it became more and more difficult to miss the abnormality of the attire everyone was wearing. It all looked very uniform and uniquely suited to their specific jobs. That wasn't to say that it was abnormal for a tradesman to have clothing suited to their work, but even the lowliest cook's apprentice had a pristine chef's garb, the fishermen and sailors they passed all looked identical in their perfectly clean, sparkling outfits and even those driving wagons were affected. Everything was perfectly clean and clean-cut, all very eye-catching, and all of it looked outrageously expensive.

Amélie was the first one to mention it, "Why is everyone dressed like a fantasy model here?"

It gave Alice a flashback of Caeda's outfit when they first met. It was just as nice, though obviously worn down. "That's a very good point. This is kind of weirding me out."

Caeda laughed, "Oh, yes. That is often odd to people visiting for the first time. One of the tailors in town makes and sells these outfits. They're all infused with magical pearls from the river as part of an enchantment that helps you level the skills associated with the outfits. They're very expensive, though. You can easily go into debt buying them, but no one wants to be seen without one."

As they passed another gaggle of similarly dressed farmers heading toward the market with their cart, Alice asked, "You sure it ain't some kinda cult?"

Caeda slowly turned her face toward her friend, eyes wide and expression blank. "No."

That made them all laugh, and soon enough, they were passing through the end of the craftsman's district. They'd almost made it to where the buildings started to separate out, and more houses could be seen when Amélie asked, "What is up with that messy blacksmith? And why would he keep that pile of junk open to the public?"

Alice followed her gaze to see an open shopfront. There was a sign that the blacksmith would be back soon from a break, but all throughout his shop were piles of tools and even a few weapons that looked damaged beyond repair.

Caeda sighed, "That's actually not his fault. It's local amateur enchanters. They're trying to improve their enchantments on items, but it's impossible. They always just break them in the end and then expect the smith to forge them back into something useful. He does his best, and it brings in plenty of income, I'm sure, but it's such a waste of time. They always end up just replacing the tools and equipment with new ones in the end."

Constance finally broke her stoic silence beside Amélie, "That is needlessly dangerous and wasteful. They're lucky the equipment doesn't blow up in their faces."

Caeda did her best to school her expression, looking resolutely ahead, "Yep!"

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The rest of their walk was less eventful, and they were able to take in the scenery. Many smaller paths led off from the main road to houses and small farms hidden away in the forest and its few clearings. The road was very well-maintained cobblestones, and past the bustle of the town, the whole area radiated a feeling of calm and peace. Even as Alice was enjoying the sights, she couldn't ignore a tugging at her heart to turn right around and go back to the river. Being so close and then having to wait to visit the water was almost torture, and before she knew it, she'd lost track of their progress until everyone around her came to a stop.

Caeda slowly stepped forward, opening a gate. "Well, this is me!"

The house she'd stopped in front of was a little smaller than some of the others. It made sense, there weren't a lot of wood elves around, after all. The glow of mana stones through the window made Alice think that someone must be home, and as Caeda slowly walked to the door, her nervousness reinforced that idea. Alice stepped up beside her friend and reached out to squeeze her hand in support. When they reached the house, rather than opening the door, Caeda stopped for a few seconds before deciding instead to knock. Alice watched Caeda as she fought with her decision, obviously feeling awkward about not just entering her own home before the door swung open in front of them a moment later. An elf stood there, looking much like a slightly older, slightly taller Caeda, only with her eyes sunken with the exhaustion of sleepless nights and endless worry.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Caeda's mother rushed forward, capturing her in a crushing hug, "Oh, Caeda! You're home! You're home!"

As they held each other, Alice took a few steps back, feeling a little awkward and moving closer to the rest of the waiting group. As they watched, another elf who could only be her father came around from the back of the house to see what the commotion was all about, only to run to join his family when he saw them. It seemed they'd caught him in the middle of his gardening. The three began talking with quiet tones in their small family huddle in what looked like a very private moment.

"Perhaps we should come back after they've had a chance to reunite?" Amélie suggested.

The words left Alice immediately conflicted. She wanted to respect their privacy, but she was hesitant to leave her friend's side in case she needed the emotional support. Alice was also a little shakey about leaving Caeda's side with how they'd been together without a real break since the day they met. Amélie's suggestion that they give her space weighed on her, though, and she was about to step back to the group when Caeda's voice stopped her.

"This is Alice! She's the one who rescued me!"

That quickly resolved any conflict Alice had as Caeda took two steps to her side, linked their arms together, and dragged her forward to meet her parents. Though Amélie still tried to escape, she and Constance were soon called over to be introduced, leading into Caeda explaining why Constance was her current magic tutor and quickly flowing into explaining that she was now a [Hero]'s companion. Eventually, Caeda's mother, Sylwen, dragged them all inside and made tea as they told their tale while her father, Therion, worked on preparing them all something to eat.

It was interesting to hear everything from Caeda's point of view, especially with the story beginning before Alice had met her. Of course, Caeda had explained to Alice a little of what happened, but it hadn't been in much detail. This time was different. Her parents knew the people she'd been traveling with. They were people that Caeda had grown up around and that her family had been friends with. That made the retelling of their capture and subsequent abuse and murder much more impactful. She didn't go into great detail, but even giving them all names and inferring their fates was enough. Caeda's view of being rescued and led to safety was a lot more confident and courageous than how Alice remembered things, too. She'd always had faith that Alice knew what she was doing and would get her home. Alice, of course, didn't correct her. It wasn't the time.

Caeda's parents filled in a few things from their end as well. The caravan going missing wasn't noticed right away, but when some of the goods they were shipping didn't arrive, an inquiry came back to Irvine's Ferry, and everyone knew something was wrong. Eventually, the caravan had been found, but there were no bodies. That wasn't abnormal for a destroyed caravan; zombies didn't stay put after all, but her parents had held on to hope, sending out letters to see if anyone nearby had heard anything. When word came back about pirates, bandits, and slavers, they had hoped that perhaps she was alive, but then they were worried all the more.

Eventually, they got around to the more recent events, Caeda showing off some of her new spells and then explaining that they were all planning to go find the Hero, Evelyn, of whom Amélie was already acquainted. It put her in the awkward position of telling people about her sister and indirectly herself, much to Caeda's amusement. Their evening flew past, and after sharing dinner together, Amélie suggested that perhaps they should give the family some time alone and meet up again in the morning. It was far less sudden, and with night closing in, Alice felt a lot more comfortable with the situation. It was also clear that this house didn't really have space for guests to sleep, and with how close they were to town, going back to sleep on the ship made a lot of sense.

With a goodbye that took long enough that her parents started to give them suspicious glances, Alice finally left Caeda behind to spend the evening with her family. As they walked back to town, Alice found herself feeling a little lost. It must have shown because Amélie appeared at her side a moment later.

"Do not look so down. She will find us in the morning when we meet up at the Coffee Cats place you were so excited about for breakfast. For now, we can focus on finding a good inn with a nice tavern. A little music and dancing will cheer you right up!"

Alice blinked at her in confusion, "We ain't goin' back to the ship?"

Amélie snorted, "And miss an opportunity to experience this town? Where is your sense of adventure?"

It wasn't really a bad idea, but Alice wasn't quite ready for that yet. "I wanna stop by the water first."

"Oh? Did something down there catch your attention?"

Alice shook her head, "No, it ain't that. This is kinda weird to explain, but as you know, I'm a naiad. I'm linked to this river, even if I ain't never been to it before. It's like it's my home, and I'm visitin' it for the first time, I guess."

Amélie looked thoughtful for a moment but then shrugged and nodded. Alice thought that would be the end of it, but a smirk slowly spread on the foxgirl's face. "You know, I bet you are quite the swimmer. Is that a hobby of yours?"

Feeling like she was stepping into a trap, she slowly answered, "Well, I s'pose it is now. I swim as much as I can get away with. It's my nature, and I guess it's pretty fun too… Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just observing it is yet another thing you and Evelyn have in common. She very much loves to swim. She even dragged me into the ocean not too long ago just to have someone to share that with. She will be very excited to hear about this."

Alice sighed, "Yeah, I'll bet. Let me guess—you ain't much of a swimmer, huh?"

"No, I'm not. That will be all for the two of you to share," Amélie replied with a smile. "I'd hate to get in the way of the pair of you having fun. Besides, I do not like the feel of the saltwater in my hair."

"Princess, indeed," Alice said with a chuckle. "That's fair. Should I meet you at an inn? You already got one in mind?"

Amélie scoffed, "No, I will go with you. I am not going to leave you to wander the streets alone at night. What kind of friend do you take me for?"

"You do realize I got magic, right?"

"Yes. And you should try to remember that there is always someone or something out there with even more magic than you. It is never a bad idea to have your friends close by."

Alice rolled her eyes, "Yeah, fine. … So, we'll be here a day or two, but then what? We're almost to Siren's Reach. What exactly are we walkin' into?"

"Hmm," Amélie hummed noncommittally.

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. You've been awful quiet on the subject, 'cept for all the teasin'. I wanna know what to really expect. What am I walkin' into? Is there some ancient evil we're huntin' down? What's Evelyn really like? And none of that harem nonsense."

Amélie sighed dreamily, "Oh, it is very cute how you are trying to learn more about her without letting your true feelings show. But are you sure you really want to know? You don't want it to be a surprise?"

Ignoring her, Alice turned to Constance, "What 'bout you? You're always so direct – maybe you can give me some answers?"

Constance looked at her with a little frustration obvious, "My lady has requested that I not speak about Evelyn until you've had a chance to meet her." At Alice's exasperated look, she sighed and continued, "I have not been instructed against warning you that she is currently working on a solution to this pirate issue you are familiar with, or the sea monster attacks, nor that she is currently dealing with a neighbor who is attempting to wage war on her."

Alice turned back to Amélie, eyebrows raised, and the foxgirl sighed, "It is not so bad as she makes it sound."

"Uh, that sounds pretty bad! If she's dealin' with all that, what're y'all doin' way out here?"

"You are going to take all the fun out of this. Alright, fine. We were out here helping to deal with the pirate issue, patrolling for their ships and warning the coastal cities and towns about them. We were just finishing that up when we met you. She has some other adventurers helping her look into the sea monster attacks while she figures out how to stop that pointless war. Things are under control."

"That's a much more responsible way of handlin' things than I expected, considerin' everything you've said so far. So, you're sayin' she's at least a reliable person?"

Amélie froze for a moment before bursting out laughing. Even Constance looked away for a moment to school her expression, but when Amélie had control of herself, she finally replied, "Responsible might be a strong word. She is reliable, yes, but her relationship with responsibility is complicated." Alice didn't look impressed, so Amélie continued, "She is like you – she wants to go out and have adventures. Only, she does not have your freedom, so she will sneak away whenever she thinks she can get away with it -"

"No thanks to you," Constance interrupted, and Amélie grinned.

"She thanks me often for my assistance in that department, I'll have you know. But when things are important, she is where she needs to be. Even if it is for boring lessons or dealing with situations she would rather avoid."

The words made Alice smile, imagining the trouble they must have caused to put that look on Constance's face. It made her think of home and her friends, and she was surprised to find that the memories didn't come with a wave of homesickness or sadness. It only made her think of the possibilities for the future. They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes until a thought struck her.

"I had it in my mind that Evelyn must spend all her time adventurin' or workin' on whatever quest we were summoned for. You make it sound like things are a lot more mundane. I ain't seen no notifications sayin' the world's been saved, and I sure ain't magically teleported back home, so there's gotta be somethin' left to do."

It wasn't a question exactly, but she knew Amélie caught her meaning when she started checking their surroundings. "I have been intentionally not talking about these things, and when we meet up with Evelyn and explain, you will understand why. We should save this conversation for somewhere private and safe."

It was the most serious she'd ever heard her new friend speak, so Alice only nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So, what 'bout you then? You seem real close with her. What's the deal with that?"

Amélie grinned, "We're from the same family. Of course we are close."

"But she's gotta be adopted. How'd that even happen, anyway? Must've taken some adjustin'."

"Not really, no. We got along from the first moment. And the adoption was a bit of a surprise. Duke Iefyr did not really talk to anyone about it. He just made it happen. It was all very sudden."

Amélie began explaining a bit about politics in the spires, making Alice aware of exactly how Evelyn became a Princess and some of the things she'd had to deal with since then. It sounded as much of a cautionary tale as history. The way Amélie explained everything at first sounded very fortunate for Evelyn until she explained at the end how it was forcing her into politics she wasn't comfortable with. It made a sad kind of sense to her, accepting help only to find out later how many strings were really attached to it. Not that it sounded like she was miserable, far from it, but it had to be a shock. It was just another of Amélie's stories that Alice knew she was hearing to help her avoid the same mistakes with a little forewarning. She also knew it was the foxgirl's way of changing the subject away from her relationship with Evelyn, as usual. They made their way through the town, which was much quieter in the evening, though not entirely absent of life. Before she knew it, they were standing only feet away from the water's edge.

Alice watched the water ripple against the shoreline and felt its presence like a magnetic pull. "Well, if I disappear, just come back and find me in the mornin'."

"Why would you disappear?" Amélie asked with some concern.

Alice just smiled at her as she took another step forward and into the shallow water. The moment she touched the river, a ripple of warmth and relief went through her entire being. It was like the river itself was embracing her in the most comforting and complete feeling of home that she'd ever experienced. Magic flowed through her, and nothing could stop the sigh of contentment that escaped her. She stood like that for several seconds, but finally, she answered. "I won't, not really. But I've been waitin' a long time for this. And I like sleepin' under the water."

When Amélie's face scrunched up with concern, Alice only smiled back before taking another step into the river as her body faded into crystal clear water that sank below the waves. As she merged into the river, it was as if she had moved from one body into another. She felt the entire river, from its many tributaries through the mountains all the way to its delta at the Shallow Sea. It was a level of perfect harmony that she didn't know could exist. There was so much to pay attention to at one time, and she knew she could get lost in the feeling forever. So, instead, she tried to focus on the here and now. She could see Amélie in the reflection of the water, looking both curious and worried, and she sent a small ripple out to splash her boots – Just to let her know everything was okay. It was a natural action, but it gave her a lot of insight into the control she had over the river. She'd never done something like that, but with just a thought, she'd been able to affect it. She hadn't used any of her skills or spells – it felt more like waving a hand than using an ability. It opened her mind, and without even trying, she was sure she could do so much more. She could pull these boats from their moorings and send them floating up or down the river, speed the water up, slow it down. She could use it to bless the local crops or kill them. She could do so many things here. But that isn't what she wanted. Not right now. What she wanted was just to relax, and enjoy the feeling of her home. Maybe the next time they visited, she'd flex that power a little bit and learn how to help the people her friend cared so much about.