Leaving Dohru by Jonathan L. Fesmire Garum plunged into the frigid river, certain they would die. He pulled against the rope binding his wrists; the stones dragged him quickly deeper. _Think!_ said Vayin's voice in his mind. _You know how to untie the knot!_ Garum could almost stand the thought of dying alone, but he was a dual. If he did not try to survive, Vayin, the other within him, would die, too. The water pressed against him. He shook in agony. There was too little time. Garum hit the river bottom on his back. Moonlight filtered hazily through the water's dark speckles, but he could not see the bridge from which the villagers had thrown him. Garum shook his head, jerking forward with a strong urge to exhale. _Don't! Garum, you have to untie the rope!_ He felt Vayin lending him her mental strength, and the pain in his chest suddenly receded. Eyes shut, Garum arched his hand back toward the knot. One finger brushed against it, but could not secure a good hold. In frustration he struggled again, thinking about the unattainable air above. He slid slightly downward, then tried reaching for the knot again. The pain in his chest leaped back into him; before he could resist, he released the air and inhaled. _No!_ As Vayin's voice echoed in his mind, he grew still, waiting for a sign that they had died. Instead, he found himself breathing. No bubbles rose, but he felt fresh air running through his mouth, into his lungs. _What is that against your hand?_ came Vayin's thought. _What? Oh._ Garum rubbed his fingers against something hard, with a smooth protrusion. He still dared not move. Perhaps what he touched magically supplied him with air. _What is that?_ he thought. He gently turned his hand, making sure he constantly touched the lump. He opened his eyes wider. _It's a ring! And -- and this . . ._ He gently felt the small, soft limb. _I know. A finger. Remove the ring, and put it on._ Garum worked it downward, off the bone, which still felt strongly attached to the hand. Surely they had found a fresh corpse. He slipped the ring on his left pinkie. _Vayin, how do you think this person died? With this ring, he should have survived. And it seems he must have had a reason for being down here, or why wear the ring?_ With enough air, Garum took his time to untie their bonds. He removed the rope from his hands, and then unbound his legs. Parts of words and phrases played in the back of his mind in Vayin's voice as she thought. In the gloom, he touched the body's hard skull, then patted lower. Underneath clothing, he felt the softer mass of muscle and rope around the wrists, with stones interlaced, the same as his. _Another lynching? The whole town came to see our execution, but this . . ._ _Looks like a private execution. He couldn't untie the knots, even with enough air. He must have starved._ _Or . . . died from lack of water._ Garum shivered at the irony. _Aseris raised the whole town against us, Garum. What if he killed this person, too, but in secret?_ Garum felt the body again. Now he could see the flora a bit more clearly, waving with the river's flow. The victim's clothing lifted lightly from the body. Garum patted the legs, and moved up to the torso. He felt something hard, like metal, on the chest above a soft mass. _Is that -- _ _Yes. You're my other half; you should know just as well. It's a woman._ Garum lifted the metal object and felt the thin chain running behind the neck. He lifted the head, and removed the necklace. _That belongs to Maroa, Garum! Oh, gods, is that her body? She left five days ago . . ._ _A convenient time to kill her. Not enough time to starve or die of thirst, though. She was either killed and then thrown in the river, or she died of fear, or from struggling -- _ _Does it matter how? She was murdered._ _We can't leave. I want whoever did this brought to justice. We at least have to tell her sister._ _If Roasa will trust us, now that she knows we're a dual._ Garum put on the necklace. With broad strokes he made his way further upriver. _This town may hate duals, but I can't believe they would condone the murder of a simple sorceress._ * * * A bonfire lit the center of Dohru, and the robust aroma of visair meat filled the area. Surrounding the blaze, many villagers cheered openly for having lynched the dual. Vayin peeked from behind a tree, and Garum thought he saw Aseris among them, receiving pats on the back and thanks. Vayin crept away. Fortunately, she could hide within the thick forest. Under shadows, Vayin slipped to Garum's and her cottage. Garum felt her quick breathing and rapid heartbeat. Thankful that Vayin had taken control, that her body had come forward in the world, he enjoyed the relaxation he gained with his body enveloped in their being. When the town had caught them, _he_ had been physically there, so _he_ had suffered the beating and the freezing water. Gazing into their home, Vayin spotted several men rummaging through their drawers. Garum's anger mounted; they could not even change out of their soaked clothes, and Vayin could become ill. Vayin headed for Maroa's house. There she crept to a window and gazed in. She saw no one, but they noticed a light shining from the bedroom Maroa and Roasa had shared. She crept to the door, her boots sliding across the hard porch, water rubbing between her toes. The cold latch did not budge, so Vayin picked the lock with a sharp edge of the necklace and opened the door. As she slipped in, she put the chain back on and tucked the pendant into her shirt. In the bedroom, Roasa sat cross-legged on her furs, rocking like a child. Garum thought he heard her whisper his name. Vayin approached and nervously touched Roasa's shoulder. Roasa jerked away. "Who are you!" _That's right, she's never seen you before, Vayin. Only Aseris has._ _What do we do? We have to switch . . ._ Garum saw a blur and a moment of darkness; his arms tingled as though a fire washed across them, and he felt himself rushing forward. The shape change must have shocked Roasa, because she stood on her furs, perched in the corner. "It's true," she said, "you are possessed! How else could you have survived drowning? Or are you a spirit? Why -- why have you come? I was your friend! Take the beast away -- " Garum's eyes widened and he shook his head in surprise. "I'm a _dual_, not a demon. I survived because of this." He showed her the ring. She stiffened. "You stole that from my sister?" "I wouldn't steal from Maroa." His surprise turned into annoyance as his painful bruises began to throb. "They beat me for being different. I just can't stand -- " _Garum, calm down, please._ "She wouldn't have given that ring away." Roasa's voice shook. Garum swallowed. "I don't want to have to tell you this. I found this ring on Maroa's finger, in the river. Someone killed her." For a moment, Roasa laughed. Then the shaking spread to her body. "Killed her? I don't believe you. Begone!" Garum fought back his anger, and spoke through gritted teeth. "We came to help you, instead of running away. I want to find Maroa's killer." Roasa raised her hands, hissing magic words as she twisted her fingers together, palms facing Garum. He leaped toward her, under the dark blast that shot from her fingers, and embraced her around the hips. As she struck his soaked back he pulled her down to the furs . Grabbing her wrists, he pulled them apart. Roasa brought her knee up to Garum's gut. The air rushed out of him, but he continued to hang on to her. He managed to take another breath. "Dark magic? Roasa, you know me. I'm here to help you. Please -- " "Get out or I'll scream and tell the town you're here." _Garum, she's exposed. Do it._ Garum released her wrists and slammed his fist into her skull. Roasa's mouth twisted in a snarl; her eyes flared. She took a deep breath as though preparing to scream. Garum punched once more, and Roasa collapsed, unconscious. He sat over her, breathing quickly, his bruises pounding. Shaking his head, he caressed her cheek in apology. In the dresser Garum found a pair of breeches and a gray tunic. Luckily he and Vayin stood about as tall as Maroa. He changed into her clothes and although their feet did not match he squeezed his feet into Maroa's boots. Their uncomfortable fit would have to suffice. Before departing, he laid the ring and necklace on the dresser. * * * Having disposed of the wet clothing in the river, Vayin risked a trip to Aseris's home. Darkness greeted her when she peeked in the window, and she heard nothing. She tapped her fingers on the rough wall. _He must still be celebrating with his friends,_ Garum thought. Vayin nodded, and approached the door. Something scraped inside. She dashed back to the side of the house, shaking. The door creaked open, then slammed. Garum felt Vayin's pulse throbbing in her wrists. Boots stamped away. Vayin turned to see Aseris departing, and drew a slow breath. Trying the door, she found it unlocked. Quickly she slipped into the house. Inside, she lit a candle and searched. She and Garum shared their thoughts openly to evaluate any clues as well as they could. Vayin found nothing odd, except for a pair of woman's boots. Had Aseris taken a woman home that night? Or, if he _had_ killed Maroa, had he also taken her boots before tossing her in the river? Vayin compared the boots she wore to those they had found. The strange boots proved larger. Vayin continued the search, leaving the house and going to Aseris's work shed. She spotted a piece of cloth caught on a pair of gloves, and bent to look closer. The gloves rested near ropes interlaced with stones, ideal for a lynching. Vayin lifted the gloves. Strips of metal lined their backs. The cloth had caught on the metal, it seemed, and been torn from a garment. Vayin held the candle closer, and shivered. Maroa had worn a shirt of the same color, often. Vayin also saw spots of red on the metal strips. Garum knew it was probably blood. With the evidence, she rushed to Roasa's home. * * * Before Roasa's door, Garum and Vayin switched. They hoped she would react better to Garum, although she could prove hostile to either of them. Feeling the bruises on his body, Garum reached for the door; it swung open to reveal Roasa frozen on the other side. "Don't be afraid -- " Roasa's face twisted. "Get away from me." Garum held up the gloves. "I found this in Aseris's shed. I'd swear he killed Maroa, but I don't know why. I remember them fighting last week, something about Maroa not wanting to do some dangerous magic for him, but -- " "Get -- " She began loudly. Garum slammed his palm over her mouth. "Divine from them. There's blood here . . . see the cloth? See the spots? You should be able to use that." Roasa pulled away with wide eyes, smashing her lips together. After a moment, she nodded slowly and took the gloves. She backed into the house with Garum following. Roasa sat at the table and lit the candle in its center. Across from her, Garum sat with his own nervousness. _I wish she would just believe,_ Vayin thought, _but now she'll see her sister's murder._ Garum nodded. With her eyes closed, Roasa touched her fingertips to the blood. Her face wrinkled and her arms shook, but she began caressing the cloth. After a moment, a tear streaked down her cheek. Her eyes opened wide and she leaped away from the gloves. "I'm sorry . . ." She held the back of her chair for support. "Garum, I -- I'm so sorry . . ." He stood and took her arm. "What did you see?" "I didn't recognize the woman -- " "Woman? No, it must have been Aseris." "It was a woman . . ." She choked back a sob. "I can't believe it . . . she killed my sister . . ." Garum heard a thump from Maroa's study. Roasa jerked around. "I'll look," Garum said. "You can't. Look at you, bruised -- " "Don't forget, I'm not alone. I'll be fine." Garum squeezed her shoulder and left through the front door. He crept around the house to the study door. _Garum, shift with me now! You're too tired and you know it._ _I'm fine._ He felt energy coursing through him as his heartrate picked up. _You're not!_ Garum stepped through the door. On the other side of the study, about twenty feet away, a man sat at Maroa's desk. A candle burned beside him, and he turned the page of a book. His shadow flickered across Garum and the walls, making the shelves and books quiver as though they brimmed with magic. Garum shook his head. _It's Aseris!_ Vayin thought. Garum stared. _Now, Vayin, shift with me! I didn't expect . . ._ Aseris turned. For a moment he froze, but then stood and faltered, nearly falling. Pushing fear aside, Garum sprung at him. Garum did not care if someone else had killed Maroa; Aseris had rallied the town against Vayin and him. Aseris moved swiftly, drawing his sword and lunging. Garum tumbled and kicked Aseris in the leg. Aseris fell forward, dropping his sword. Garum raced to his feet, and saw that Aseris already stood, blade raised again. "The demon returns, is that it?" Aseris's mouth twisted. "Who was your partner, the one who killed Maroa?" Aseris swept in. Garum grabbed Aseris's sword hand and brought his knee up to his enemy's wrist. The large man cried out, his hand opening. Garum seized the hilt. Aseris's thick fingers grasped Garum's throat. _Strike!_ Vayin's voice screamed in Garum's mind. Garum swung the blade with both arms and felt it slice through clothing, into skin and meat. Aseris, gasping, stumbled and fell, clutched his wound as blood rapidly stained his clothes. In the candlelight, the shadows on his face gave him the look of a corpse. "I killed her," Aseris said. "Roasa used her magic to see. She said a woman killed her." "I told you . . ." Aseris squeezed his eyes shut, panting. Garum did not know if he should try to stop Aseris's bleeding or just listen. Aseris's body warped, like ripples across water, his features rapidly changing. Within a moment, a woman lay before them, unwounded. Garum stepped back, his face tingling as it flushed. The woman rose to her feet and stood nearly a head above Garum. She began to laugh. Garum tried to speak, and finally forced out a word. "Why?" "Maroa threatened to tell everyone if I wouldn't leave her alone. She wouldn't perform the spell to separate us." "There is no spell . . ." She shrugged his words away. "They would have killed us, like they tried to kill you." "_You_ tried to kill me! Another dual! That's insane . . ." _They are insane! But by exposing us, no one would suspect Aseris of being a dual! He was afraid someone would find out._ "And you thought Maroa wrote your secret somewhere, is that it? You came here to find any evidence?" She stepped toward him. "I couldn't risk it." Garum hefted the sword, regretting he had not shifted with Vayin. Now he had no time, and although he carried a weapon and the woman stood unarmed, he doubted he could defeat her in his exhaustion. The woman pulled a dagger from behind her back. She sprang, plunging the dagger toward his heart; Garum raised the sword to block her blade. He deflected her dagger, but she pressed ahead. Her blade sliced across his shoulder. With a cry of anger, Garum took one hand off the sword and slammed it into her belly. She clutched at herself and Garum punched her in the jaw. She staggered backward but quickly regained her balance. Before she could charge again, however, she froze, staring at a figure in the doorway. Garum squinted in the candlelight, trying to identify the newcomer. The silhouette stood motionless. In the faint light Maroa's necklace glowed around the figure's neck. "How -- you can't be alive . . . I killed you before throwing you in the river . . ." The woman in the doorway came forward, her face white, her hands raised. Ivory light churned between her fingers. _Roasa!_ Garum thought. She swung her arms down and a blast shot into the large woman's chest, throwing her back. Garum stumbled, clutching his bloody shoulder then felt himself slipping back as Vayin rushed forward. As her body replaced his, he saw the tall woman spring, thrusting the dagger at Roasa's heart. _Stop her!_ Garum thought. Vayin thrust their sword toward the dagger. Roasa dodged the dagger, falling, but the woman seemed to leap toward the sword. It sliced deeply into her belly. She screamed. Staring at the other dual, Vayin jerked the sword free. "You did it . . . you ended the curse . . ." Aseris's double whispered. Garum felt tears on Vayin's cheeks. Kneeling, she removed her shirt and held it tightly over the wound. "You were never cursed. Roasa, get help or she'll die!" "Then they'll kill me." The faint voice floated to Vayin's ears. "It's . . . over . . ." Vayin brought her ear to the woman's mouth to listen for a breath; hearing nothing, she felt for a pulse. The dual lay dead. * * * The first hint of the sun brought a red glow to the sky. Vayin and Roasa stood several hundred yards into the forest. Somehow, they had managed to carry the heavy body of Aseris's other half, and a shovel, and dug a grave where they buried her. Like Garum, Vayin, and Roasa, Aseris had no relatives in town, and they feared notifying his friends. Garum knew Roasa must have hated Aseris, and Garum felt confused by his own ambivalence. "I can't go back," Roasa said. Vayin pulled the coat Roasa had given her closer around her neck. "I know." "Thank you for coming to tell me what happened." Sadness filled her dirt-smeared face. "Where will we go?" "To a city. We've had enough of villages for now." "You were here for only three months." _Long enough,_ Garum thought. After a moment, Vayin said, "Long enough to make a friend." A small smile came to Roasa's face as they walked away from Dohru. ----- This ASCII representation is the copyrighted property of the author. You may not redistribute it for any reason. The original story is available on-line at http://tale.com/titles-free.phtml?title_id=20 Formatting copyright (C) 1998 Mind's Eye Fiction, http://tale.com/