Miri Greymantle's Arc

Chapter 1 of 8

Miri crouched behind the tree near her father's cottage, watching the stranger walk away. The woman's shoulders shook as she cried. Artur stood in the doorway, his hand still raised as if he might call her back. He didn't. The door clicked shut instead. Miri stayed perfectly still until her father's footsteps faded inside. He had refused to help. The stranger needed someone to reach a spirit, and her father had turned her away without even asking what was wrong. Miri's chest tightened. This was exactly what Rothe had warned her about. Her father's fear was making him weak, making him say no when he should say yes. She pressed her palm against the rough bark. The woman was still visible through the trees, stumbling down the path. Miri could follow her. She could help the spirit her father wouldn't touch. She could prove that coming back from death had made her stronger, not broken. Her father would see what she could do. He would have to. Something lay on the ground where the stranger had stood. Miri waited until the woman disappeared around the bend. Then she slipped from behind the tree and crossed to the cottage door. A wooden frame rested against the doorpost. Inside it, a watercolor painting showed a small dog with golden fur and dark eyes. The paint had run in places, blurred by tears or rain. Miri picked it up carefully. The dog looked happy. Alive. This was what the stranger had brought to show her father. This was the spirit she needed help with. Miri turned the frame over. Something shimmered in the air beside her. She looked up and her breath caught. A dog made of blue and gold light stood on the path. Its form rippled like water, bright and transparent at the same time. It tilted its head at her, curious. Then it turned and trotted after the stranger. Miri could see it perfectly. The spirit wasn't hiding from her the way it must have hidden from her father. It wanted to be seen. She tucked the portrait under her arm and started down the path. Her father had chosen safety. He had chosen to do nothing. But Miri could see what he couldn't, and she could help where he wouldn't. The spirit glanced back at her, waiting. She walked faster. This was how she would prove it. Not by arguing or explaining, but by doing what only she could do. By the time she came home, everything would be different.