Helena was gone.
The two warriors burst from the mouth of the cave and out into the light of day. In the little valley below them, voices were shouting. Men and women and children were milling about and it seemed as if two distinct groups were forming on either side of Fareg.
Vorag puzzled over the commotion for a moment before breaking into a run down the hill. It didn’t bother him that Fareg turned to stare angrily at him as he approached.
“I told you to go!” Fareg growled at them.
“Traitors!” Bretch sneered.
Vorag did not care a bit about what they said. “She is gone. Did you see her? Did you see where she went? She is gone.” He was having a hard time controlling his breath.
“Gone?” Fareg said.
“She is gone. She must have snuck out of the cave while we were speaking. Has anyone seen the princess?” His eyes darted frantically along the crowd, hoping to see someone with an answer to the question step forward. No one did.
“Be gone with you!” Fareg shouted at them. “Look what you have done, divided our tribe! These traitors have decided that they agree with your lunacy!” He swept a finger over the group of mostly younger looking men and women.
A young man named Basar stepped forward from the group. “You have done a brave thing, brothers!” he shouted. “We are with you! We want to share our women no longer! Two men for one woman, not two hundred!”
Vorag could hardly believe what he was hearing. On one hand it filled him with hope. Perhaps there was still a way to sort this out. But now was not the time for that. “Thank you, Basar. But right now we must…”
“Away with you!” Bretch screeched. “Before you cause any more trouble!”
Vorag shook his head. There was only one thing that mattered now and that was finding Helena.
Turning to scurry back up the rock, he felt Golar right behind him.
The last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the mountain tops. It would be dark soon. Helena must be found.
Chapter Fourteen
Helena had begun to regret her decision a few minutes after sneaking out of the cave. She had crept around the corner of the rocks only to find that there was just one way to go. Up.
Digging her fingers and toes into crevices and cracks, she began pulling herself up the mountain, not knowing at all where she was going to go and what she was going to do.
The only thing she did know was that she had to get away. She would not be strung up in the joining cave to be shared by the entire tribe! Half of her heart ached at leaving Vorag and Golar behind. Her muscles burned each time she hauled herself higher up the mountain. But she propelled onward, driven by the much deeper pain of thinking that Vorag and Golar had done… that with Vala and probably many other women.
It wasn’t until darkness began to fall and the cold wind turned icy that her anger faltered, sobering her to the thought that she was halfway up the mountain with nowhere to go.
She looked down at the cliff she’d climbed and suddenly felt a dizziness like never before. She hadn’t realized how high she’d gone and looking down paralyzed her.
Helena clutched at the rock and suddenly found herself completely unable to move. Her jealousy and rage melted away, replaced by the terror of falling to her death from the rock.
She realized it would be night soon and then what? A cawing overhead made her look up. A circle of vultures swung lazily in the air a few hundred feet above her head. A tightness formed in her throat.
“What have I done?” Helena whispered. Being shared by an entire tribe of Grahr warriors was certainly not a favorable outcome but surely it was better than death?
Helena cursed herself for not thinking this through. She hadn’t even wanted to run from the brothers as much as she’d wanted to run from herself. She felt so helpless and confused.
Sadness welled up inside her as the small muscles in her fingers began to burn and shake from the exertion of holding herself in one place. She didn’t dare look down for fear that the dizziness would cause her to lose her grip on the rock and fall to her death.
Her lip began to tremble.
Don’t cry. You have to hold on to the mountain. Crying will weaken you.
But it was difficult to keep the terrible sadness at her predicament away. She wished she had stayed in the cave. She wished she had told the brothers about her fear. She wished she had the courage to speak up and speak out rather than just run away.
Her hands began to shake more violently. One of her fingers slipped, sending pebbles from the ledge she was holding onto clattering down the mountain beside her.
She tried to tighten her grip but her hands had started to sweat. Her legs began to shake. She tried to adjust her position but found she couldn’t.
Climb!
She had to climb to a better perch to allow herself to rest. But one glance up showed that the already sheer rock face only smoothed even more. There would be far fewer places to hold onto up there than where she was.
Maybe I can move lower?
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and ordered one foot off the ledge. Her leg wouldn’t move. She tried again. Nothing. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t command her foot to loosen its grip.
Her whole body began to shake. As the realization of what was inevitable came into focus, Helena began to whimper.
Just a few short days ago she had been safe and warm in Dunkeep. Now, here she was, about to fall off the edge of a mountain and land in a pile of twisted bones and flesh on the rock below.
One hand slipped.
Helena screamed. Her voice echoed across the mountains.
Her toe came loose from the foothold below. Her shoe slipped off and Helena glanced down to see it bounce a few times off the rock face before breaking apart as it hit ground, nearly out of sight.
Helena whimpered. With the last bit of strength left in her arms she crawled down the rock. She saw motion out the corner of her eye. Peering into the darkness, she realized it was Golar. He was running toward the base of the cliff below.
She closed her eyes, sure that these were going to be her last breaths.
Hold on!
But she couldn’t. Already she could feel the muscles in her other hand start to shake so violently that she knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold on much longer. Certainly not all night.
Thick tears began to roll down her cheeks. Still, she clung to the ledge as best she could.
But her body was shaking too violently. Her other foot lost its grip. She started clawing at the mountain with her toe, trying to regain the toehold but couldn’t find it.
Fear and darkness swallowed her and she heard herself scream again but now it was almost as if she were outside of herself. Her own voice seemed so far away. Her mind was suddenly swallowed in darkness.
She barely felt herself lose her last grip on the rock. Suddenly she was falling, careening through the darkness.
This is it.
A calm washed over her as she came to accept what was going to happen. Her body relaxed. She prepared herself for one last, short burst of feeling as she hit the rock.
She felt her final moments slipping by in the darkness.
Her body slammed into something. But it was not the cold, hard, cruel rock she had been expecting. It was the warm, welcoming safety of flesh.
Someone grunted.
Helena opened her eyes.
Golar was staring down at her, his arms flexing as he walked carrying her weight.
She rolled her face against his chest and a moment later the world went black.
* * *
Golar watched as Zaraz the healer, leaning over the light of the fire, touched Helena’s forehead, neck, and arms. His hands waved over her body as he felt for her life force. The old healer turned toward him and Golar searched his eyes, desperate for his news.
“She is fine.”
Whispers of relief could be heard from the men and women gathered around the cave.
Golar had never heard sweeter words spoken in his life.
“She will feel pain,” Zaraz went on, still examining her body. “Her arms and legs are exhausted from the climb. But her life force is strong. She will live.”
Golar let out a heavy sigh.
Vorag sat beside him nodding and staring at Helena who was lying on the ground.
“Tomorrow you must find a thistle root. Boil it and give it to her to drink. It will help her heal.”
“Yes, Zaraz,” Vorag said, unable to take his eyes off Helena.
Zaraz rose up from his knees and stood up.
Golar looked at him and nodded his thanks. “Will you not stay with us, brother?” he asked.
Zaraz sighed and his chest sank a little. It was easy to see his mind was heavy with doubt about what to do. “I… do not ask me to pick a side, brother,” he said to Golar, shaking his head. “Fareg is like a father to me. I could not betray his trust. I… understand your view. Believe me, I do. But I must stay with Fareg and Bretch.”
Golar nodded.
“It was not our intention to cause this split,” Vorag said as he got up off the ground.
“Of course. I believe you. Perhaps… maybe there is a way, some way to mend this rift?”
Vorag shrugged. “Perhaps. Fareg seemed very upset.”
Zaraz cast a look at the rest of the men, women, and children that had joined them when they left the Grahr tribe and were now huddled against the walls of the cave.
“Tell him that if he wants to talk, we do too,” Golar asked.
“I will,” Zaraz answered with a nod. “For now I will go back. Perhaps the light of day will bring better news.”
“Perhaps,” Golar said, his heart heavy. “Perhaps.”
Zaraz put a hand on Golar’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze before ducking under the low mouth of the cave and disappearing into the night.
Golar looked at his brother, then at the people huddled around the walls. They were all looking to him and Vorag, waiting for words that would soothe the worry they felt at having left the tribe. His eyes settled on Basar, the young man who had defended him and started the exodus of nearly half the tribe. He motioned Basar toward him.
Basar stood up and walked around the fire to where Golar was standing. “What is it, Golar?”
“Come,” Golar said, motioning to both Basar and Vorag that they should move outside. Despite the bitter chill it would be better to speak where there was some privacy. No sense in worrying the others. “You should all try to get some sleep,” Golar said to the group before stepping out of the cave. “Tomorrow will be a long march.”
A few people settled their heads down on their hands and closed their eyes. Others tucked under blankets they had brought and huddled closer to the wall with their families.
Golar’s heart ached at the pitiful sight. Just a few hours ago these people had been in their homes. And now? Now, because of him and his brother’s selfishness, their refusal to follow tribe law, they were outcasts.
All it took was one look at Helena to remember that following that law would have been impossible. She was theirs and theirs alone.
Golar joined Vorag and Basar outside.
“What is it, brother?” Vorag asked.
“We should think of where we will go and what we will do tomorrow. It will do no good if we leaders have nowhere to lead our people to.”
“There is another cave system in the next range of mountains to the south,” Basar offered. “We hunted there once with Father, when I was just a boy. He told me that Grahr used to live there, too, a long time ago. We could go there.”
Golar nodded at Basar for the suggestion. It wasn’t quite what he had in mind. He glanced at Vorag. “I had a different thought.”
“What is it, brother?” Vorag asked. “Do you know of other caves?”
Golar shook his head. “Not exactly.”
“Then what?”
Golar took a deep breath to ready himself for what he was about to propose. “We Grahr have lived up here in these hills since the beginning of time. Isn’t that right?”
The other two both nodded.
“We’ve paid our respects to the mountain gods and they have been kind to us in turn. Isn’t that right?”
The men nodded again.
“But maybe this is a sign.”
“What is a sign?” Vorag asked, puzzled.
“This. All of this. Helena, the split within our tribe. It is a time of great change. Maybe we would do best if…” His throat tightened at the suggestion he was about to make.
“Say it, Golar. What is it?” Vorag prodded.
“Maybe we would do best if we turned our backs on the mountains.”
A long time passed with Basar and Vorag staring at him before anyone spoke. “Turn our backs on the mountains?” Vorag finally asked. “And do what? What are you saying?”
Golar cleared his throat. “Look how we work and toil here, at the alliances we must make simply to survive. Deals with the likes of Sadon.”
“I still don’t understand what you are suggesting,” Vorag said, shaking his head.
Golar levelled his stare at him. “What if we were to become people of the forest and the plains instead?”
Vorag’s eyes popped wide open. “Of the plains?” he whispered. “And live in those filthy huts?”
“I know, I know. I was always the one that hated those wretched huts. But look at what they have. Fruit and wheat and rice and nuts. We could have those things.”
“Where would we go?” Basar asked.
“Beyond the southern range you spoke of. There is land there. There are plains there and forests. Isn’t that so, Basar?”
Basar nodded. “It is so,” he said. “The lands are so lush there it is like a paradise.”
“How many days hike did it take to get there? Do you remember?” Golar asked.
Basar shrugged. “I was young but maybe a week? Maybe ten days.”
“You were young. So the children could make it? Over the mountain?” Golar asked.
“I think so,” Basar replied. “There is a pass that is not too high. It will be a hard trek but I think it can be done.”
Hope swelled in Golar’s chest as he looked at Vorag. “What do you say, brother? It sounds like a beautiful land. We can start a new life, a new tribe. A tribe where only two men share one woman.”
Vorag looked up into the night sky. Clouds whipped by overhead, the moon peeking through them once in a while. Finally, he turned to look at Golar again and nodded. “I will miss the mountains. But Helena will be safe and well kept. That is all that matters. Let us embark on the journey tomorrow.”
Basar nodded.
Golar put his hands on Vorag’s and Basar’s shoulders and gave them a shake. “It is decided then, brothers. Tomorrow we set off for the plains and leave all of this behind.”
Chapter Fifteen
The first thing Helena felt was the dull thud of a headache. Then she heard the sounds of children playing somewhere in the distance. She felt the crunch of ground beneath her back as she squirmed. Finally, she opened her eyes, squinting against the small circle of light.
As she tried to prop herself up on her elbow, she found it difficult to move. Everything seemed sore. Her back, her legs, her arms, they all burned as if on fire. She slumped back down on the ground. She just barely managed to reach a hand up to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
When she opened her eyes she realized she was staring up at the rough rock of a cave. Stalactites hung like icicles here and there.
Helena turned her head to one side at the sound of footsteps. A moment later Golar was towering over her with Vorag standing right beside him.
“What… what happened?” Helena whispered.
Fragments of memory about the previous day began to return one by one. Arriving at the caves. The intense jealousy of knowing that Golar and Vorag had attended other women in the joining cave. Climbing the mountain.
The fal
l.
Helena gasped, frightened by just the memory of falling and expecting to die.
“Shh,” Golar was beside her, his hand on her shoulder comforting her and soothing her. “It’s alright. You’re alright.”
Vorag lay down next to her on her other side and his hands began to roam along her body.
Helena turned back to Golar. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered, her throat tightening and her voice cracking from sadness and worry.
“It’s alright. You are safe now. You will be punished for running away but not right now. Right now we have a different task.”
Helena felt a certain relief that the brothers were not more angry with her. “Task?” she asked. “What sort of task?”
“There are some traditions we intend to keep, Helena,” Vorag said, rising to his knees and peeling his fur up and off over his head.
Helena’s body reacted instantly to seeing his solid, naked form and his thick cock hanging heavy between his legs. “Tra-traditions?” she stammered.
Golar rose on her other side and yanked his furs off.
Helena noticed how heavy and low his balls hung. Full of seed. Another jolt of nerves rushed through her at the memory of the joining cave. Was this it? Was she there? Would she be taken by the entire tribe?
“Do not be afraid,” Vorag said. He had lifted his cock and was stroking himself to hardness. “We are not in the joining cave.”
Helena shook her head. “What? Then where…”
“We have left the tribe, Helena,” Golar explained next to her. He, too, had begun stroking his cock. Helena found it hard to look away.
“Left? Left the tribe?” she whispered.
Vorag pried the fur off that she had slept under. His eyes widened at the sight of her naked body.
Helena found herself getting aroused by his hungry stare. But she wanted to know what was going on. And there was something else dancing in the darkest corners of her mind. Suddenly it came into view.
The joining cave.
The fact the Golar and Vorag had… seeded other women there nearly made her cry out, it caused such a sharp pain. She looked away from them both.
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