Fift & Shiria

Fift & Shiria

By Benjamin Rosenbaum

Father Frill cocked his head to one side, and narrowed his eyes, searching the feed. “Hmm. He’s been fighting – your friend. He’s a little old for that. At your age Bails should be learning to keep their fights on the mats.” He shook his head. “That’s not good for ratings.”

The hairs on the backs of Fift’s nechs stood up. “What would happen, if they take Shria away? Away to where?”

Frill shrugged. “He’s not too old to be trained as a Midwife. They live at the pole – “he gestured vaguely southwards. “It’s a great honor.”

Fift could see her own faces over the feed. She looked horrified: one day she’d come to class and Shria would be gone, taken from his cohort, forbidden to talk to his parents, off to the pole to become a Midwife forever. How many mor fights would it take? Could Umlish cause this all by herself, with her words? Fift struggled to compose her expressions into mildness, like Grobbard’.

Fift & Shiria. Photo by Elena

The closed and skeptical look on Shria’s face softened, as he syared at Fift. He yanked the last of the mossy sticks from the pile (in her other body, Fift yanked the log free from a knot of underbrush; there, shed could hear the sounds of the campsite through the trees. They were building the bonfire). He raised one of his thick, curling eyebrows.

“You’d better plan on being the Older Sibling, though,” Umlish said, “because Shria doesn’t want any Younger Siblings. He was glad to get rid of that little baby – weren’t you, Shria?”

Shria blinked. His nostrils flared, a long indrawn breath, his eyes still locked on Fift’s – drawing strength? Then he turned to Umlish. “Don’t spit all your poison today, Umlish,” he said. “You might run out, and then what are you going to do tomorrow?”

Umlish drew herself up, scowling. « You sluiceblocking – »

« You used « sluiceblocking » already, » Shria said. « See? You’re running out. »

« Let’s go back, Umlish, » Kimi said. « We don’t want to miss when they light it the fire – »

Fift cleared her throat. Her hearts were pulsing, unstaidishly fast.

fift_shriaIllustration by Megan Jorgensen

Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015, edited by Rich Horton, Prime Books, 2015.