The last part was a bit Rip Van Winkle, where the brothers had returned to their village to find everyone that they knew was old or had passed on. Though he thought that Rip Van Winkle had wanted his family back, while the brothers just wanted to return to the upper world, to step back and remove themselves from humanity. What was he supposed to do with that?
Or was it just a story?
Chapter 8
Declan
The drummer gently set his drum aside and began talking with the children in front of him.
Ro gave the boy in his lap a high five, then stood up. The kitten clawed at the bottom of his jeans. The little group was starting to break up, turning to chatter and breaking off into smaller groups. He didn’t want to leave yet.
In New York, everyone was always in a hurry. While Declan hadn’t had a job, he’d volunteered a lot and even at home he’d always felt rushed. Sitting on the grass with elders and kids together, enjoying a quiet afternoon steeped in traditions, was completely different. He knew that these people had no reason to accept him, but even on the outside looking in, he wanted something like that.
He watched, amused, as Ro spoke softly with the woman who’d sheltered the kitten. He came away with a tiny, pink Dora the Explorer backpack clutched in his giant fist. The kitten wove around his feet and he scooped it up against his broad chest with one muscular arm.
It was adorable. Not because Ro was hot, although he was, but because of the indulgent smile on his face when the kitten squirmed around his neck and settled on his shoulder. Even when he winced from the tiny claws, he looked happy.
Also, Declan was pretty sure that he’d just met another shifter. Hang on… were all of them shifters?
He made it about halfway across the plaza toward the parking lot before he couldn’t hold back anymore. “Hey Ro, can I ask you some questions?”
“Sure.”
“So, um, was that really magic back there? And could you feel it too? Can everyone do that? Are you all shifters? Like, can you all turn into cats or something?” The kitten twisted around to look at him, then apparently lost interest. “I mean, like, if you’re allowed to tell me, of course.”
“I’m supposed to, actually. The Chief asked me to.” A faint look of pride crossed his face. Declan was definitely coming back to that topic later. “And Askuwheteau, the one who was drumming, was… listening to you, I suppose you would call it.”
“Hang on, so that was the test? And I passed?”
Ro shrugged. “He believes that you don’t intend any harm. I will be honest and say that I’m sharing my observations of you. But before you came, the Elders agreed that I would show you around and tell you some of our stories.”
Really? Declan didn’t know anything about the structure of the tribe, but it sounded like the most important people wanted him to be included. “Why? I mean… that’s super cool. But I’m an outsider. Doesn’t that give me more information if I were like, a secret agent or something?”
Ro raised one eyebrow. “A secret agent?”
“I mean, I’d be a pretty crappy one. But Kayla seemed to think I was a threat. I don’t want to endanger anyone.”
Ro looked upward, choosing his word carefully. “Geir was… or is… a part of the tribe. So if you are with him, you would be welcomed, too. We hope that you will want to stay. And that if you understand our ways, that you will want to protect them.”
“Ah, that makes more sense. And I would never tell anyone. I hope that Geir wants me to stay, too. I mean, he didn’t really say that, but he kind of implied it? I mean, is it too soon for that?”
Ro cocked his head to the side. “I can’t tell you that. But he hasn’t let anyone into his house for longer than I’ve been alive. So that should tell you something.”
Declan felt a flutter in his chest. That had to be a good sign, right? That maybe Geir would keep him and they could build something together?
“Thanks for telling me that. Um, even if you’re reporting back about me, I’d like to be your friend. If that’s OK.”
Ro smiled. “I’d like that, too.”
“Awesome. So, let’s talk about your hot guy.”
Ro looked away. They were at the truck now, and Ro got in without saying a word, though Declan couldn’t tell if he was shy or upset. Dammit. He’d have to be more careful talking to Ro about that. Maybe bring it up again when they knew each other a bit better.
Declan hopped into the truck, and the kitten crawled right into his lap. Too cute for words. Declan clipped his seatbelt on and scratched behind her ears.
When he spoke again, he didn’t even pretend to segue to a new topic and just plunged right in. “So, was that magic back there? I mean, that thing where I could feel the emotions in the story?”
Ro sighed and took a minute before answering while he backed out of the parking space. He’d expected that Ro would drive him home, but much to his delight, he turned the other way. They jerked and thudded over the gravel road, turning up dust behind them.
Finally he spoke. “It’s not magic, or maybe it is. We call it a gift. And only some people have it, just like only some people can shift. It’s more than a gift, though it’s...” he thought for a moment, “an identity, maybe. Askuwheteau is a… hmmmm… I guess you might translate it like One Who Chants the Heart. In English we often say heart-singers, though the name is different in each language. They are people who can read and influence other people’s emotions, heal them even.”
They pulled up in front of a small shed, behind which were long rows of burgeoning green bushes. The second he opened his door, the kitten shot to the ground and raced away.
He started to follow Ro over to the shed, but then took a closer look at where they were. “Blueberries! This is the blueberry farm!”
“Yep,” Ro agreed. “I hope you were serious about helping.”
“Oh, definitely!” As much as he loved the idea of someone like Geir taking care of his every need, he wasn’t afraid of hard work, especially something fun like this. “And is that kitten going to escape? Is it even a kitten?” Ro was still holding a child’s backpack, so he imagined not.
“May is fine. She’ll come back when she decides she wants blueberries.” He said the last part a bit louder, aiming it at the small creature. She pounced on a dandelion, giving all appearances of not hearing him. But she was a cat, so who knew?
They ambled over to a shed where Ro picked up a pile of cardboard crates in different sizes and a few pieces of folded fabric. With his arms full, Ro looked down at a small plastic bucket, like a child would take to the beach. “Can you grab that?”
Declan picked it up and followed, amused that the tiny pail was all that he’d been asked to carry. Ro sure had the muscles for it.
He picked a berry off the first bush and took a taste. “God, they’re even better fresh off the bush. Although…” he looked up and down the long rows. “This is going to take a while, isn’t it?” Possibly forever.
Ro laughed while he spread an old sheet on the ground on one side of a blueberry bush and gestured for Declan to do the same on his side. Once the sheets were set, Ro shook the bush vigorously and the blueberries rained down.