Today's Reading
"But 'was' it a mistake?" Auntie asked. Unlike Ren, she hadn't raised her voice—she never did, except for when a performance called for it. Ren felt her words like a blade, cutting to the truth. She 'had' called upon the Light, even though she knew Auntie had forbidden it.
"Just a little bit of wind...," Auntie repeated. "On a day like today, it might only be that—when the sun is out, and we're surrounded by friends. But the darkness can come down upon us swifter than breath. It's not a punishment, Ren. I'm trying to keep you safe. All of us."
"What about your ankle?" Ren asked. If Ren didn't perform, then Auntie would have to.
"It'll have healed by the time we reach Gorye Village." Auntie let out a sigh. "Where's Big Uncle?"
"He must have gotten wrangled into helping out the villagers," Little Uncle answered. Ren didn't have to look at him to know that his brow was knotted with worry.
"One of you go and fetch him. We need to leave soon."
Ren stood from her seated position. "I'll get him," she mumbled, hurrying in the direction of the village.
She was upset, but not just because she couldn't perform or because she'd disappointed Auntie, which she always took care to avoid. It was that Auntie hadn't even 'tried' to understand why she'd done it.
Ren had regretted her actions immediately and had apologized—why couldn't Auntie yield, just a little? With a sigh, Ren kicked a pebble that went skittering into the underbrush, then continued with heavy steps down the path.
This village was similar to the others the caravan had stopped at on their travels, filled with thatched-roof homes and tiny dirt courtyards. The sound of knocking drew Ren to a small corner house where Big Uncle was using a rock to pound a wooden support beam into place. He was so large that he only had to lift his arms to reach the underside of the roof.
An elderly couple waited patiently beside him. When Big Uncle was finished, the taller of the men bowed deeply to Big Uncle, while his husband handed over a small parcel wrapped in cloth.
"Please accept this humble gift as payment," the smaller man said. "We wish we had something of value to offer."
"This is more than enough," Big Uncle said, accepting the parcel with both hands.
As he turned, he caught sight of Ren and beckoned her over. She watched him fold back the cloth to reveal two flattened pancakes filled with honey and cinnamon.
"Hmm," Big Uncle began slowly. "We could share them with Auntie and Little Uncle..." He waggled his eyebrows. "Or..."
"We could eat them ourselves," Ren finished with grin.
Big Uncle winked. He handed Ren the larger of the two pancakes, and together they walked toward where their caravan had camped east of the village.
"Auntie is angry with me," Ren said, nibbling on her pancake. Even upset she could still appreciate the sweetness of the dessert, chewy on the inside and pan-fried crispy on the outside. She didn't have to explain to Big Uncle what she'd done to earn Auntie's disapproval. "Was I wrong?"
Big Uncle didn't answer for some time, though he finished his pancake before her. They were within sight of the wagons when he stopped to pluck a petal from the top of her head. Releasing it, he let the petal fall into a swoop of wind that carried it swiftly toward the mountains. Ren watched it for as long as she could, until the petal was only a speck on the horizon.
"Sometimes there's a feeling inside you that's too big to contain," Big Uncle said, and his low, warm voice rolled over her like a gentle wave. "You need to let it out. There's no harm in that."
Hot tears pricked the backs of her eyes. That was the truth that Auntie couldn't seem to understand. She'd warned Ren not to use her magic, but Ren sometimes couldn't help herself. The feeling was similar to when she performed; in those moments, she felt truly free.
"I have something for you," Big Uncle said, "but first..." He leaned back to gaze down at her. "Let me see that face I love."
For a moment, Ren blinked, uncomprehending. She had forgotten she was still wearing her mask.
That wasn't so odd for her. She'd sometimes wear one of her masks for days, only taking it off to wash her face. It was a habit from when she was younger—wearing a mask made her feel safe. With it, no one could tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling.
When Auntie first brought her to the valley ten years ago, she'd given Ren a mask that she didn't take off for a whole year. Little Uncle, who was eight at the time, had teased her, 'How can we be certain you're a little girl and not a demon?'
Auntie had let her be. As for Big Uncle...
...
