Mother and Father would be sad. Wouldn't they? Not so sure about Teli. He's so busy all the time; he wouldn't even know I was gone. Chili would miss me most of all, for sure!
She shook her head. Now was certainly not the time for such thoughts.
Pulling herself up to the next ledge, she scraped her leg on a sharp edge. Ouch! Got to be more careful!
Caru glanced down. A couple of drops of blood beaded up along the scratch. Just keep going, you baby.
As she neared the summit, her arms grew weary. She paused and looked at her cousins below. "You okay down there?"
Proto puffed like he'd been in a race. "Give me a break. You're a skinny ole thing. I'm carrying an extra 50 pounds up these rocks."
Fox smirked. "Awww. You're always braggin' about your muscles. Man up and quit whinin', Big Fella."
His buddy shot a glare. "You better keep your distance, or I might have to grab your foot to pull me up."
"Fat chance you'll ever catch me. 'Snail' is your middle name."
"Cut it out, you two." Any other time she'd wonder why she ever invited them, but today, it was like music to her ears.
Caru reached up and clutched a jagged rock. Almost there; just a couple more steps.
After anchoring a piton, she stood with her legs stretched across two large stones jutting from the face of the bluff. She looked down. "I'll tie a safety line in a minute when I get over the ledge."
"Better hurry before Muscles slips and takes us with him." Fox sneered as he glanced at his buddy.
"Keep your flaps shut, Scrawny Toad, or I'll make sure you're the first to splat the rocks below."
"Both of you! Stop talking like that; you're going to jinx us!" Stretching, Caru peeked over the ridge and gulped.
With wings extended beyond imagination, the mystery of the returning sky shadow loomed before her.
Immediately freezing, she held her breath.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Watch Out Below!
On the Cliff's Peak
Monday ~ July 27, 2093 ~ 4:30 pm
Stiff as a statue, Caru stared at the beast on top of the bluff. Charcoal-black feathers blanketed its body; outstretched wings extended at least 10-feet wide. A broad, white stripe lined the span, tip-to-tip.
Much longer than ever imagined, the neck swelled outward at the base of the creature's head. Menacing eyes, set in its grotesque skull, glared at her.
Red, convoluted skin masked its face in a disguise uglier than a turkey. With its hooked beak fully agape, its forked tongue flicked in and out between two slightly curved fangs.
How was she going to survive? Before her stood a fierce muclone, ready to kill her if she flinched. Below, jagged rock awaited to smash her brains with the slightest misstep.
Never had Caru been so scared. A lump in her throat grew to the size of an apple, or so it seemed. Below the beast's view, she slowly unsheathed her knife, making sure her shoulder did not twitch.
All action seemed surreal, in slow motion. Eyes trained on the winged monster, she slowly extended her hand with the blade pointed outward, below the cliff's ledge.
Like a drum in a death march to war, her heart pounded. I've got to time this perfectly.
Sweat dripped down the side of her face as she prepared to make her move. Waving her weapon to the right for the creature to see, she ducked.
The muclone hissed as its spit shot over the ridge, barely missing Caru.
The stone below her right foot broke free. Falling, she reached for a root but missed. "Heeelp!"
She tumbled down the precipice until her rope yanked tight, arching her back. "Owww!"
Glancing up, she stared at the piton bearing her weight.
Anxious voices rang out from below. "Hang on! We're coming!"
As her cousins scrambled to her aid, their tethered movement jerked the rope. The metal spike began to slip.
Caru screamed. "Stop! The piton's sli..."
The anchor pulled free from the crevice, and she fell. Moments later, her rope snapped taut again. "Ahhh!"
A sharp pain stabbed her back as the line tightened around her waist. She dropped her knife, and it clanked against the rocky scarp's wall, barely missing Fox.
This can't be it! I'm too young! Terrified, she struggled to catch her breath.
Father, why aren't you here? I need you! Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Proto yelled. "Try to grab the rope and pull yourself up!"
Bending forward, she reached for it. "I can't! Hurry!"
Caru stretched further again and again, but to no avail. Exhausted and hanging upside down, she noticed Fox scrambling up the rocks as he looked at her.
"We're almost there — a few more seconds!"
She felt a jerk and glanced above her. The carabiner slowly twisted and bent. Her eyes bulged as she screamed.
"It's going to break!"
The metal coupling snapped. The rope slackened, and she plummeted, barely missing her friends.
With arms and legs flailing, she gaped at her cousin. "Fox, save me!"
As the cliff's wall zipped by, disjointed glimpses of her past flashed across her mind: the frustrated look on her father's face while teaching her how to use her special mental abilities; Zo's strange but alluring eyes; and her mother's warm smile.
Trying to catch a breath, she gasped as the rocky trail below rushed toward her. "Fox! Now!"
Chili's roar reverberated as Caru's body spun out of control and her chest burned. Petrified, she glanced up at her cousin.
His stare focused on her; he never flinched. This is it! Come on, Fox, do it!
Everything went black.
A Few Minutes Later
A searing pain smacked Caru's cheek as Fox's voice startled her. "Caru, wake up! Snap out of it!" Somebody shook her and slapped her again.
She slowly opened her eyes but quickly covered them with her hand. The blinding glare of the sun hurt too much.
Peeking between her fingers, the silhouette of her buddy's head spoke. "Caru, are you okay? Take a deep breath."
She drew some air. "Fox? Is that you?"
Caru touched her face, then her chest. "I'm alive?"
He jumped to his feet with his arms high. "Of course you are, silly!"
She sighed. "How's that possible?"
"Ye of so little faith. I saved you. But next time you decide to dive off a cliff, give me some warning. Lifting a person's a whole lot harder than a boulder, especially when she's already falling."
Lavishing rare praise on his friend, Proto blurted. "That was incredible! I thought you were dead for sure; but just before you went splat, Fox stopped you less than a foot off the ground."
Her hero smirked. "I ain't good at English, but I know how to protect my own."
Forcing a smile, Caru laid her head on the rocky trail. "Thank you, Lord, and you too, Foxy Boy."
Tuesday ~ July 28, 2093 ~ 9:30 am
Caru searched her mind for clues as she guided Cocoa alongside Thoruk's powerful, white stallion. Why is Father taking me out here?
Everything imaginable from an exciting hunting trip to the dooming thought of death floated through her brain. Naw, Father wouldn't kill me. He loves me too much.
As she rode further into Wolverine Forest, two frisky rabbits scampered across the floor of damp leaves below a grove of maple trees. Startled, her mare snorted and danced sideways.
"Whoa, Cocoa." She patted her mount's muscular neck. "It's just some stupid bunnies."
A sharp pain tweaked her spine when she straightened in her seat. Ow, that hurts!
She rubbed her lower back. Must be from that fall.
Grimacing, Caru gathered the reins and looked at her father. "Where are we going?"
Tugging on the straps, he stopped Inferno in his tracks and turned in his saddle. "Not much further. I thought it was time you and I had a heart-to-heart."
She knew all too well which heart would be doing all the talking. A knot swelled in her stomach. "What do you want
to talk about?"
"You'll know soon enough."
Caru's mind churned like a mill crushing corn on the busiest day of harvest. Brutish! This must be serious if he's taking me way out here. Did he find out about Zo? Or maybe he's mad about me almost getting killed?
After crossing a trickling brook and spooking a caribou, Caru spotted a clearing ahead. One large stump, the seat Thoruk used to speak to Ukkiville's council during planning sessions, marked the radial point of a half-circle of seven similar, but smaller stumps.
"Whoa, boy." Thoruk dismounted and dropped the reins. "It's time to talk."
He turned toward Caru as she hopped from Cocoa. "Take a seat." Her father motioned with his arm.
Grabbing a leafy branch from the ground, she brushed off the crusted bird poop from an oak stool and sat rigid.
Thoruk settled on one next to her and drew a deep breath. "I'm sure you're wondering why we're out here this morning."
She softly uttered. "Yes, sir."
Pausing a couple of seconds, he proceeded. "Your grandpa, Odinuk, spoke to me about my future when I was in my mid-twenties; things he expected of me with regards to Ukkiville. I was hoping to have a similar talk with you when you were a little older."
His voice sunk to a deep tone Caru recognized from other unpleasant father-daughter conversations of the past. "But your recent actions have changed the timetable."
She gulped as she tried to guess where her father's speech was going. All she knew for sure, was the conversation would be one-sided — and not very pleasant.
Thoruk peered into her eyes. "I've always had hopes of you following in my footsteps and those of your grandpa who ruled the villagers before me. These are not just my hopes, but those of many of the elders of Ukkiville."
Caru squirmed, then sat up straight.
"Ukkiville will need a strong leader once I step down, many years from now. Up until now, you've been one of the young hopefuls at the top of the list. That's why we asked Mercivil to teach you, Teli, Proto, and Fox. It's also why we have you youngsters being mentored by Queasy and trained by Wolfuk."
A thin smile curled his lip. "There are times when I'm so proud of you — the way you guide your friends when you face danger. The way you instinctively react and risk your own safety to help others in peril, like Wandy, and the woman in the quicksand who might have ended up with much worse than scratches and bruises. Those are the times you reminded me of myself when I was your age."
Caru grinned, but the sparkle in her father's eyes faded.
After clearing his throat, his words fell an octave. "Then, more often than not, there are the times when you ignore what I ask of you, or even worse, you lie, like the time with the muclone cat."
"But, Dad, I never lied!"
He pinched his lips tight and shook his head. "Concealing the truth is no better. Worse yet, you put your friends in the unenviable position of lying for you or supporting your ill-advised story. Neither is something a real friend would do, or certainly nothing a leader would consider."
Caru slumped as a tear dripped from the corner of her eye. "You're right. I should not have done that to my friends or you."
She looked directly into her father's eyes. "I'm really sorry."
Zo's shadow markings interrupted her thoughts, and she looked to the ground. All along, she knew it was wrong not to tell Father about the young Skalag, but how could she, and when?
Her eyes shifted as she searched for explanations. He'll be madder now than ever if he finds out! But ... I don't really have a choice.
She lifted her gaze. "Father. I need to tell you..."
"Shhh." He put his finger to his lips. "Let me finish. Then you can talk."
"I don't know what you were thinking. You, or one of your friends, could have been killed. You knew better than to climb the cliffs by yourselves."
"But Father, I've got something you should hear!"
"Quiet!" He waved his hand. "You're going to listen to me for a while."
Sitting on her hands, Caru stewed as her face grew warm.
"You're old enough to know right from wrong. You've seen how dangerous muclones can be, especially after the monster in the quicksand. Yet you stole my key to the equipment shed and dragged your friends off to climb the cliffs without a grown-up with you."
She cocked her head. "How did you know about the key?"
"I look at that dish every day. I know exactly what's in it."
He shot a stern look. "But that's not the point. Listen!"
Caru stared at her moccasins.
"I made a huge mistake letting you off early from your punishment. It won't happen again."
Squatting, he peered into her eyes. "Either you're going to change for the good, or you're going to be spending a lot of time at home. You're also going to be honest and truthful — never hiding anything from your mother or me. Do you understand?"
She slowly nodded, then blurted. "Father! You told me to interrupt you when there's something you must hear."
Appearing stunned, Thoruk shook his head. "What?"
"I should have told you this before, but I knew you'd be mad." She paused as her eyes welled with tears.
"Go ahead. What's so blazing important?"
"The other day, when you let me go fishing ... I saw that strange boy; the one we've seen before."
His brow lifted. "What do you mean?"
"We actually talked to each other."
Thoruk sprung to his feet and towered over her. "What? What do you mean you talked?"
A knot swelled in her stomach. "He was watching me from behind a tree and surprised me. He didn't want to hurt me; he just wanted to talk."
"I don't care! You should never speak to a Skalag. They can't be trusted. Were there others?"
"No, Father, just him. His name is Zo, and his mother is the leader of the Skalags."
Caru gritted her teeth. Now she'd done it: the cat was out of the bag with no place to hide.
Father was either going to forgive her or kill her. She wasn't sure which — most likely the latter.
"You've got to be kidding!" He rolled his eyes.
"No, it's true. I heard her yell for him from the woods, and he took off. Zo's the one who told me about the muclone in the lake; the one that Wolfuk killed."
Thoruk appeared stunned. "I thought you said there weren't any other Skalags?"
"Not with me — it was just the boy. His mother was a long ways off."
Never had she felt so small before her father, but a feeling of relief settled over her.
Caru sighed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I know I should have told you earlier."
Thoruk plopped back down and rubbed his chin. "I've heard that a lot from you lately."
He shrugged. "But, to be honest, until I see a lasting change for the better, I'm not sure I believe it anymore. Until you demonstrate that you care more about your friends, about Ukkiville, about what your mother and I say — I'm not sure you're the leader we hoped for."
Convinced her father would never think of her in a favorable light again, a flood of tears clouded her vision as she sniffled. "I'm sorry, truly I am. I don't want you or anyone giving up on me."
Caru batted her eyelids and sobbed. "I'll try harder. You'll see."
Her father pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. "Here, use this."
She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "I'm going to change ... and make all of you proud of me. Please don't give up on me, Father."
With resolve in her heart, she hardened her jaw and fought back the tears.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
This is an Emergency!
Thursday ~ July 30, 2093 ~ 5:25 pm
Riding Inferno along the main gravel road in the center of Ukkiville's complex, Thoruk tugged the reins. "Whoa, there boy. You're in a big hurry."
He stepped down and wrapped the reins around the hitching post in front of the slate-stone school building. A dense web of ivy blanketed the walls in dark green.
If he didn't know any better, he'd swear he was looking at Intellulka and himself many years ago. I miss those discussions — and the old man. He chuckled.
From his light-weight deerskin pants, he pulled an old pocket watch given to him by his father on his 18th birthday. He peered at the dial through the cracked glass cover: 29 minutes after 5. Wolfuk's due any minute.
Winding the timepiece, he turned it over and read the inscription, 'Every second of every day, I am proud of you.' An empty hole in his heart burned every time he read the treasured words. I wish you were still here, Father.
Closing his eyes, a memory of Odinuk's assassination and last words just before he died flashed across his mind, "Go, Son — with my love..."
The sound of hooves interrupted his thoughts. Filthy and drenched, Wolfuk returned from his long scouting trip. Bright, lathered sweat coated his black stallion's shiny hide.
As the master of arms slid off his horse, Thoruk grabbed the reins. "Here, let me hitch Rogue under the oak to let him cool down."
Wolfuk clapped his leather gloves together — dust flew everywhere. "Whew, that was grueling. It's steamy today! Rogue got a heck of a workout!"
Once he tied the steed to a bench under the tree, Thoruk took an insulated aquaflask from his own horse's backpack. He patted his favorite tracker on the shoulder.
"Here, you've got to be thirsty. Let's go chat on the porch where there's a breeze."
After a couple of sips, Wolfuk coughed. "Sounds good, I'm pretty worn out."
He lifted the cool metal container and guzzled the rest of the water. "Thanks."
The tired scout trudged up the steps and settled into the nearest cedar rocker. Dragging a chair, Thoruk sat across from him. "Tell me what you've learned."
"I don't have as much information as I had hoped."
Thoruk tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Unfortunately, Angrokt has become very suspicious and secretive with her plans, including what she's doing with muclones. I don't know if you're aware of this, but according to my contact, Tropokt, the few Skalags and Scargiles who survived the big battle with Ukkiville joined forces. They chose Angrokt as the leader."
The New World: Blue Moon Generatoin Page 9
