ARITA
Back from the Wild and settled in her familiar quarters in the fungus-reef city, Arita told her parents about her unusual encounters with the Onthos out in the Wild. She reminded herself that the Gardeners were, after all, aliens—more unusual than even the Ildiran race. Strange behavior was to be expected, but still she was troubled.
She showed them images of the swath of dead worldtrees on the ridge, and the green priests expressed dismay; they had been entirely unaware of the blight … which should have been impossible. It seemed as if the verdani mind itself had not noticed the dead trees. They sent direct messages to Kennebar and his followers, as well as to the Onthos scattered out in the Wild.
The Onthos did not respond. Oddly enough, when Kennebar responded, he seemed unconcerned and disinterested. Remembering what Collin had told her when she was out in the wilderness, Arita found that very disturbing.
She spent days walking in the forest away from the fungus-reef city. The worldtrees created private thickets, and she could easily find a place to be alone. Back when she and Collin had submitted themselves to the verdani, engulfed by living fronds and vines, they had each been transformed, in their own way. As she wandered through the underbrush, she wondered if the trees would ever give her a second chance. If the trees called her, if the thickets beckoned her with another embrace, Arita would leap at the opportunity.
And what was that other, mysterious voice that came to her in dreams and in the back of her mind, like music but with images of the vast universe?
“I knew where to find you, Arita,” called a voice from the trees above. “This time, I came to see you. I could not stand to be in the Wild any longer.” Collin scrambled down, hung onto a thick frond, and dropped to the ground. “I left Kennebar and the others.”
She was shocked to see him here. She gasped, then laughed, and before she could stop herself, she ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, not speaking for a long moment. He felt solid, warm. How she had missed him! Arita let herself respond to the embrace. She didn’t need to be a green priest to communicate in this way.
But she felt deep tension inside him. Warm perspiration dampened his emerald skin. She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “I know you couldn’t send a message through telink. Too uncertain.”
Collin hunkered down next to her on the forest floor. “Whatever is wrong, it’s growing more and more dangerous.”
She had never felt vulnerable like this before. The worldtrees and the green priests had always been able to see everything; it was just a part of life on Theroc.
Collin shook his head, distraught. “There are mistakes and dangerous omissions in telink. The blight is growing. How many trees are already lost? Either the worldforest mind is ignoring what might be a crisis, or it’s blinded in sections. Worse, what if the trees are somehow hiding what’s really happening?”
“But … the verdani mind knows everything.”
“No.” Collin sounded bleak. “Not anymore.” Alarm filled his eyes, which were also covered with a sheen of tears. “The rest of our group doesn’t question Kennebar. It’s as if they share the taint with the worldforest. Even I can barely find Kennebar. He’s just a flicker to me, lost among the infinite details of the verdani mind.”
“Then how are you untouched?” Arita asked.
He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. “I’ve kept my distance more and more, sheltering myself. I don’t use telink as I once did, and I feel more alone than ever.”
Collin was confused and troubled, and Arita’s heart went out to him. Always before, she’d been the one who was lost while he tried to comfort her. Now it was her turn. “Maybe you shouldn’t go back there. Stay here with me.”
“I can’t—it’s the worldforest! How can I just abandon it?” He took her face in his hands, bent so close she could feel his breath on her skin. “I need you, Arita. The worldtrees could never replace you, and now I can’t even trust them anymore. I’ll be stronger if we’re together.” He lowered his gaze. “I have to try again. Will you come with me? Talk with Kennebar, if he’ll allow it? See him for yourself?”
“Of course I will. We should talk to my parents. They’ll rally the green priests, send an expedition.”
Collin drew back. “Kennebar and his followers would reject me. What if the rest of the green priests did the same? But they couldn’t ignore the daughter of Father Peter and Mother Estarra. They would have to let you see.”
Arita couldn’t turn him down, and she did not want to release his hand. “Then we’ll go right away.”
Collin flashed her a grateful smile. “I’ll be glad to have you with me.”