Prologue Previous Chapter

Armis

Armis jerked upright, sending his furs flying as the scream echoed in his ears. Cautiously, his fingers touched his throat, expecting warm blood and finding only smooth skin and thick, wiry hair… No bites… Just a dream. His heart boomed in his chest as cold sweat trickled between the hairs along the back of his neck.

“Just a dream.” He whispered, closing his eyes, willing his heart to quiet, but a nagging feeling broke his concentration. Shaking his head slowly, he focused again on his chest, deep breaths, slow the pounding of his veins.
Something is wrong.

Sighing, he opened his eyes, staring at the cold, dark campsite. They had all agreed to leave the fire unlit, preferring the unlikely threat of wild animals to building a beacon for the burning dead. Just to be safe he had given watches to several of the men and boys to guard the rest while they slept.

The stars – too far to the west. No one had woken him. He stood up, trying to remember who had the watch before him… Lam? Kito?

Kito.

He peered through the gloom, searching for the boy.

*Snap*.

He froze, holding his breath, silence enveloping him. It was unnaturally quiet here at the edge of the burn – none of the usual night creatures had survived the flames. He listened intently to the night air, hearing the gentle snores and murmurs of his clan, and nothing else.

“Kito?” he murmured, just loud enough to be heard over the sleepers. No answer.

“Kito?” he murmured again, raising his voice just a little. Overhead, a star shot across the sky.

Something was very wrong. Reaching over, he gently shoved the closest sleeper. “Wake up.” he hissed, shoving and pushing until Reya gasped and sat up. “What?”

“Kito is missing.” He said, his voice barely a murmur. “Wake the others. Keep it quiet – the burning dead may be near.”

She nodded, blinking in the dim starlight.

Grabbing his spear, he rose out of his bed and walked the perimeter. No sign of a struggle… but no sign of Kito either.

In short order the others were awake, huddled together in the center of the camp, shivering in the night air. He padded over to them. “Barak, Tohm – go to the top of that rise, shout if you see anything.”

The two men nodded, and melted into the night. A few moments later they re-appeared as dark silhouettes against the spine of the low hill to the east, creeping towards the top, as quiet as shadows. As they neared the top they seemed to fade away into the grey grasses. Armis stared at the rise, waiting for the shout, waiting for a scream of terror, waiting for the attack to begin. Nothing. Time passed, silent, motionless. His heart squirmed uneasily in his chest, dread coursing through his veins. Did I just send them into a trap?

“Be patient.” His father’s voice drifted through his mind. Nodding slowly, he concentrated on his breathing, feeling the air flow through his chest, his arms, his legs.
I never should have sent them up there. I should have built a fire. We should have gone up there as a group.

“Armis!” a voiced hissed in the darkness.

He twitched involuntarily. “What?”

“I left Tohm on the hill to keep watch. There’s nothing out there.” Barak said.

“Nothing out there, or nothing you can see?” Armis snapped.

“Nothing we can see.” Barak responded, evenly.

Armis sucked in a breath, and closed his eyes. It’s not his fault Kito is gone. “Okay. Um. We should build a fire.”

“With what? We don’t have any wood.” Reya protested.

Armis grimaced. Of course we don’t. I’m an idiot. “You’re right.” He looked around, and the rise caught his eye again. “Everyone – head over to the ridge where Tohm is standing. Stay low. And stay alert.” As one, the clan started walking quietly towards the hillside. But without the crickets and frogs and night-birds to mask their sound, it sounded like a bunch of buffalo thundering across the plains. “Quiet!” he hissed. Some paused and then started forward again, no less noisy than before. Armis shook his head in frustration as he followed the others, watching their backs.

“Keep an eye out for any movement. Don’t go to sleep. Yell if you see anything.” He said as they reached the top, and the clan scattered across the rise, staring out at the darkness. Everyone took up positions ringing the hilltop, staring out into the darkness. A wave of exhaustion spilled over him as the shaking subsided. Now he had to fight to stay awake. Father would not fall asleep. He gritted his teeth and stared at the stars.

The night passed interminably while they waited for something – anything – to happen. Finally, clouds started to light up in the sky, at first a faint blue-white, slowly brightening to carmaline pink. He stomped his feet quietly, watching the dawn spread across the plains, hoping that Kito would return. As the sky brightened further, and the first spark of sunlight rose above the eastern horizon he sighed angrily. Now comes the hard part. “Okay. Let’s pack up.” Exhaustion sizzled in the back of his head.

Everyone crept back to the camp, repacking and collecting their beds and other equipment in the pale, pale morning light. As usual, he was one of the first ones finished, and the others gathered around him. Din and Pak were the last to join the circle, struggling with the heavy sacks. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s head north.”

“What?” Shara stepped forward. “What do you mean?”

“We need to keep moving.”

“What about Kito?” She protested.

Armis shook his head. “We can’t wait for him. If those monsters catch up to us, we’re in major trouble.”

“What do you mean? ” Shara said. “Kito is in trouble now. He needs our help.” Anger and fear added an edge to her voice.

He shook his head angrily. Why won’t they just listen? “We. Can’t. Stay. Here.”

Her voice started to rise. “But he could be just around the other side of the hill. We have to look around for him. Please…”

Several of the others nodded. “She’s right.” Oola said. “We can’t just leave him behind.”

He felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, anxiety and rage mixing together. It was a good suggestion, but he would have to back down from his earlier command. Father never let anyone overrule him. He never changed his mind.

He shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts of the dead.

Looking at everyone’s faces, he could see the decision had already been made for him. Bitterly, he nodded. “Fine. Go look for him. But we must leave by the time the sun reaches the top of the sky. If he is not found by then, he will have to make his own path.”

Shara brightened visibly, and almost everyone bolted away.

Watching them scatter, he felt another stab of panic. “Stay together! Don’t get too far away!” Some of the retreating figures waved in response, the others seemed to ignore him. He watched them all vanish behind ridges and hills, hearing the echoing voices carrying across the wind.

A scrape of foot against rock told him he wasn’t alone. Turning, he found Reya and Barak still nearby, standing quietly. Reya stared at the ground, uncomfortably, rubbing her belly. Barak stared off into the west as a flight of birds disappeared in the distance.

“We’re almost out of food.” Barak said, grimly.

Armis blinked once, and returned to the present. And thought about food for a moment, and nodded slowly. “Yes, you’re right. Only a couple of day’s worth left.”

Barak shifted his spear from his left hand, to his right. “We need to start hunting.”

Armis looked around, at the charred hills and plains.

Impatiently, Barak anticipated his response. “Not here, obviously. Farther east. The buffalo runs. We went there two years ago – remember?”

“There are no people living there.” Armis retorted. “We need to find a new home. Silver River Village…”

Barak frowned. “What will we eat while we are hiking upriver?”

“We’ll find prey. Rabbits… Deer.”

Barak shook his head. “You don’t know that. We know there are buffalo to the east.”

He could feel his temper rising. Is every decision I make going to be second-guessed? “I need to get these children to safety. Please help me.”

Barak stared at him. “There is no safety anymore”, he retorted, turning his back on Armis and walking towards a nearby hill.

Reya stared at him, silently.

“What do you think?” He asked, frustrated.

“The village.” She said. “You’re right, he’s wrong.”

=-=

As the sun climbed towards midday, Barak, Mika, Din and Pak returned, joining Reya and him at the top of the hill.

“Where are the rest?” Mika asked.

“They’ll be here soon.” Armis said, dread gnawing at his stomach even as the sunlight sent sweat dripping down his face.

“Shara? Tohm?” Barak boomed. Overhead, a spearhead of geese swept north below the thin clouds.

“Oola? Lam?” Mika shouted, her high voice complimenting Barak’s.

“Where could they be?” Din asked. “Let’s look over there.” Pak said, and the two boys scampered off.

“Don’t go too far.” Armis called after them.

The voices of the dead taunted him. You just sent four more people to their doom.

Armis slammed his fist into his thigh, over and over, until both his hand and his leg throbbed in pain.

“Armis, are you ok?” Reya asked, staring at him.

His face burned, he had forgotten her. “I’m not very good at this.”

Her mouth twitched, maybe a smirk, maybe a slight smile of sympathy and encouragement, but she said nothing, turning away to watch her sister sliding down the hill. “Careful, Mika.”

“There are five others who still need you. Don’t give up.” He shuddered as his father’s voice crept into his thoughts, glancing around involuntarily. He shook his head sadly, to clear away the thoughts of the dead.

“Hey.” Din’s voice shouted in the distance. “I see Tohm – and Lam – they’re carrying someone.”

His heart skipped a beat. “Who?”

There was silence for a moment, and then a shout of joy. “It’s Kito. They found Kito!”

An immense sense of relief flooded through his chest. And then it constricted again as he remembered the girls. “What about Oola and Shara?”

No one answered, which was an answer in itself. But still, Kito had been found. “Stay here.” He said to Reya as he started dashing down the hillside, chasing after Din and Pak as they ran towards the ash-covered trio. Idly, he wondered how Din knew it was them – the layers of soot and dust had turned them into indistinct grey shadows hurrying across the plain.

“What happened to you?” He called out, fighting to contain his rage. “Where did you go?”

Kito stared at the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? You’re sorry?” Armis said, grabbing the boy by the shoulders, shaking him. “You abandon your watch, disappear without telling anyone.” He sputtered. “We’ve spent half the night and all day looking for you.”

He paused for a breath. “And you’re sorry?” The boy was staring at him like a rabbit caught in a snare. Armis pointed at the hills. “Your sister is still out there, and Oola. They went looking for you. And now we can’t find them either.”

“And you’re sorry?” The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. “You endangered everyone. I can’t believe how indescribably stupid you were. We… I… the Clan…” He couldn’t find the words to go on. “You disgust me.”

Tears were dripping down Kito’s face, splashing into the ash. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Armis sighed, and shook his head. “The burning dead may be right behind us now, because you delayed us.”

“They’re not.” Kito said.

“And how would you know that?” Armis challenged.

“Because I went back to Red Cave, and they were still there.”

The bald incomprehensibility of the statement sucked the air out of Armis’s lungs. “You.. went back… to Red Cave?” Armis half-whispered. “What? Why? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I had to get my dad’s digging stone.” Fishing in his pack, Kito pulled out the large crystal, facets glinting in the sunlight. “I saw one of the dead creatures throw it at us. I had to get it.”

Armis reached for the stone, but Kito yanked it back. Furious, Armis snatched the boy’s arm, and hoisted him into the air. Using his free hand, he ripped the stone from Kito’s grasp, and tossed the boy back to the ground. “You risked all of our lives for a useless stone.” He shook his head.

“It’s not useless.” Kito protested. “It’s-”

“Here’s what I think of your stupid stone!” Armis roared, and hurled the stone at a nearby boulder, expecting it to shatter. Instead, it knocked a chip from the boulder, leaving a pink and grey scar behind before landing in the ashes.

Kito gasped and ran towards it. “No.” Armis said through clenched teeth, grabbing the boy’s shirt and throwing him backwards. “I’ll keep it.” He walked over to the stone, and stuffed it in a pouch.

The boy stared at him, bitter anger painted across his face before turning away, shoulders slumped. Lam and Tohm whispered to him quietly.

Armis took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Has anyone seen Shara and Oola?”

Reya looked at him, curiously. “Didn’t you hear?”

“Hear what?” She stared at him acidly, and he realized he was shouting. “Sorry. Hear what?”

“Mika just saw them; they’re on their way back.”

Relief smothered the remaining rage, leaving his knees wobbling. he leaned on his spear for support. “Everyone’s ok.” He whispered. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“You know, that stone is all that he has left of his father.” Reya said, cautiously.

Armis glanced sharply at her, rage boiling again. “It’s more than I have.” He walked away quickly, before he did something he might regret later.

“Armis.” Lam was calling him, urgently. What now? The boy was beckoning him from the top of the ridge. “What?”

Lam pointed south-west. Armis squinted in the sunlight. A small group of people were just coming down off of the top of a low hill, some distance away. From here, they looked like tiny gray dots, but they were definitely people. “Are they from Red Cave?”

“Yes.” Lam shouted, a strong note of fear in his voice.

Armis looked again, certain now that he could see their pink skin flashing in the sunlight.

Next Chapter

Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 at 4:35 pm.
Filed under .
Subscribe to RSS 2.0.
Leave a comment or trackback.