Free Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren

his ear.
      "I'll ask everywhere. Mother used to say he was so distraught when father married her he sailed out to sea on a huge piece of bark."
      "I thought she said he swam out?"
      "She told it differently every time."
      "Our stories change by the hour, don't they? Each new thing that happens to us changes the things that have happened to us before. Now I am a father, all my past experience seems different."
      Lillah took his hand. "You are a serious man now, Logan."
      "You'll understand what I mean before too long, Lillah. You will change."
      "Not me. I am who I am and that is set."
      They shared their breakfast with Magnolia. "Magnolia? Sorry, Magnolia?" Lillah whispered. "I'm going to school soon. Do you have a message for your people? I know we'll reach them. I'm looking forward to meeting them. Is there anything you want me to give them?"
      Magnolia opened her eyes a slit and waved her arm. "Logan?" she said. He jumped up.
      "I forgot. It's here. Somewhere. Wait there." He left the room and they could hear him thumping and swearing around the house. Magnolia and Lillah exchanged glances.
      Logan came back into the room carrying a small hessian bag. He held it up. "Got it!" he said. "She's so organised. She packed this long ago, Lillah."
      "How heavy is it?"
      Logan passed it to her. "Not very."
      Lillah took it, weighing it in her hands. "I should be able to carry that."
      Magnolia sat up, breastfeeding. It still hurt her sometimes, and Logan hated to watch. Magnolia said, "If I don't breastfeed him he'll be treated differently. Logan, now bring the parcel I've saved from the Number Taker."
      He returned with a roll of paperbark. "Is this it?"
      "That's it. Lillah, I have here writing-bark. The Number Taker gave this piece to me, hoping that I would begin to map the country. Map the island, Botanica. I didn't do it, though. I was too eager to play and I didn't take it seriously. Will you take on the job? Will you mark the map?"
      Lillah took the paper. She had never felt the stuff before and she liked it. Her fingers itched to begin.
      "I will do it, Magnolia. I will try, at least." She would map, Lillah decided. She would keep track of all she saw, of how each Order differed. She would try to understand, to contain, the Orders of the Tree.
      Myrist joined them, saying, "If you're taking gifts, please, you'll be passing through your mother's Order. You'll see her. She left for her walk two years ago; she would be there long by now. Give her my love, and give her this as well. You know we found each other when I went walking with my school, don't you? We knew then that we would find each other again."
      He handed her a beautifully carved necklace, one piece of wood crafted into links.
      "It's beautiful."
      Her father began to cry softly. "I wish she hadn't gone for the walk home. I wish she'd stayed."
      "I wish she'd stayed also. She was a wonderful person."
      "She still is, Lillah. You better go make your preparations. You will need to begin your bath."
      They entered Logan's kitchen, and for a few blinks they worked, cleaning and tidying. Lillah touched the things lingeringly; the pots, the utensils, the containers. She would not see these things again, most likely. She would take on another's household items. There was no room to take it with her. A few select items. Not the clay pot that had been in her father's family for generations. That she would miss the most. It would not be possible to carry one with her. The smallest crack would render it useless as a cooking vessel. Some of the pots were very old, had been used over many years.
      "Your mother used to say the only thing she felt sorry about was the women friends she made and had to say goodbye to. You can only communicate for so long using the messenger, then people move on, get busy."
      "I will always send messages back," Lillah said. "I will map the Tree, too. I will map the