Arrow

by Samantha M. Clark

  Petari stiffened, but Arrow put his hand protectively on hers.

  Below them, Crankas walked toward the sleeping boy. The man smiled, eyes squinting at Val, then turned his eyes out to the shadowed forest. He no doubt looked for the humans they had expected would come for the boy. Perhaps he was disappointed, but no emotion rolled off him.

  “The boy needs his sleep. Let’s get him untied and into a tent. We’ll get some answers tomorrow.”

  Mora fiddled with the ropes keeping Val in the chair and released them. No longer under the pressure, Val awoke and flailed his arms.

  Petari shivered, but Arrow held on to her arm to keep her close and hidden.

  “Whoa,” Crankas said to Val. “We’re just untying you. No reason to be afraid.”

  Val’s eyes darted around the camp.

  “Are you letting me go?” His voice was shaky.

  Crankas frowned. “I’d be some kind of monster to send you out there in the dark.” He waved toward the forest. “Do you know what’s out there? I heard all about it from your friend Arrow. Jaguars, he said. Giant snakes that would crush you alive. Gators with teeth so sharp, they’ll tear into your skull. You don’t want to be eaten alive, do you?”

  Val shook his head slowly.

  “Me neither. I like you.” The man flashed the boy that sickly sweet smile that had pulled in Arrow. “Tomorrow we’re going to sit down and become friends. But tonight, a growing boy like you needs sleep. That’s my tent.” He pointed to one of the fabric huts, tents, in the middle of the row. “You’ll be safe in there. I promise.”

  Val’s eyes grew wide. “No! I don’t want to go in there with you.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want you to get some sleep and sitting here isn’t comfortable. But do what you want.” Crankas waved a dismissive hand at the boy. “You can even leave. I don’t care. Just watch out for the jaguars and gators and anacondas. Oh, and the poisonous frogs. I hear this forest has a lot of those, too.”

  The machiners had been trickling into their own fabric huts, but the ones who were still outside chuckled.

  Val glanced at the trees, his eyes wide. He was drowning in thick fear, but he didn’t give in. “I’ll sleep here,” he said.

  “Suit yourself,” Crankas said. “Oxsen will be on watch.” He turned to the female. “Keep him safe, okay?”

  She nodded, giving Val a grin. “We’ll have a party. Right, kid?”

  Val didn’t return her smile, just crossed his arms on the tabletop and dropped his head on them.

  Crankas shared one last glance with the humans, his brow furrowed, then slid into his tent.

  After the last machiner had left the fire and disappeared into their own small tent around the Burnt Circle, Oxsen took a chair near Val, one of the long, shiny guns close to her hand.

  “It’s time,” Arrow whispered.

  Petari’s eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded.

  “You know what to do at the machine?”

  Petari glanced at her brother. So alone, so defeated. “I think I should get Val.”

  Arrow shook his head. “There’s too much to do and you could easily be caught.”

  “You could too.”

  Arrow glared at her. “Petari, you’re quiet and quick, but I’ve been hiding from predators in this forest for twelve rings. When things start happening, what are the humans going to look at first, the machines or Val?”

  Petari dropped her chin. “Val.”

  “I promise I’ll get your brother out.”

  The girl pursed her lips but finally nodded. “Okay.”

  She headed back across the branches until she was in a tree whose trunk was shaded from the machiners’ sun-powered domes. Then she quickly climbed to the ground and slunk off to the bush where they’d hidden the piles of philodendron leaves.

  Once she was clear of sight, Arrow took a deep breath. He had been truthful to Petari. He had evaded predators for many rings, but these humans were different. Arrow had never had to hide from so many, and even though only the female called Oxsen was outside now, one shout from her would bring the others. Arrow had to be silent. He had to be quick. He had to be invisible.

  His eyes roamed the branches he’d mapped out as his best route down, the path behind bushes that would keep him hidden longest, and the open area before he’d reach Val.

  Fear pulsed out of him.

  He swallowed, then pushed forward.

  In a flurry, he pulled the palm thread he’d left loose on the hammock of frogs so it opened up on the branches ahead of him. Then he pushed the tree limbs up and down to make the frogs leap off.

  One by one, frogs rained down from the tree, plopping into the Burnt Circle. They leaped around the unnatural fire, leaped onto chairs, leaped onto Oxsen, who stood quickly and backed away.

  “Watch out!” she shouted to Val, pushing him back as more and more frogs landed on the table. “Are they poisonous? Get back.”

  In his hurry, Val fell to the ground and scrambled back toward the tree line.

  Oxsen pointed her gun at the frogs. BANG! BANG! But they were too quick and there were too many. She didn’t know how to stop them.

  “WISER!” She kicked at the frogs that came close. A few frogs leaped up, and landed on her chest and arms. Oxsen screamed, pushing them off.

  The shouts had drawn the other machiners now. Heads appeared out of the openings of the tents, sides flapped open, and bodies stumbled out with weapons drawn. Crankas leaned out, but when a frog pounced onto his head, he gave a small scream and pulled himself back inside.

  “What the…?” Wiser’s eyes darted around their camp, which had now been taken over by the plague of frogs. “What’s going on? Where did these come from?”

  “The trees,” Oxsen shouted, pushing frogs off her legs. “Are they poisonous?”

  Wiser looked around. “I have no idea. Get some lights burning! Get rid of them all.”

  The machiners jumped at her command. The frogs weren’t the only ones moving quickly now. The humans ran around, setting up more lights, moving beams toward the frogs, pushing frogs off supplies…

  And while they were busy, Arrow maneuvered quickly along his chosen path. By the time he got to the opening, the humans had focused the lights on the frogs, leaving his spot in some shadow.

  “Psst.” He aimed the noise at Val, as loudly as he could. “Psst.”

  But Val was frozen, eyes on the frogs jumping and leaping all over the Burnt Circle.

  Arrow gritted his teeth, surveyed the machiners to make sure none were looking his way, then dashed to Val’s side and grabbed the boy’s arm.

  Val gave a small scream, but Arrow spun him around, pushing his pointed arm against Val’s mouth.

  Val’s eyes widened in recognition and he gave a slight nod.

  Arrow twisted his head toward the bush, and the two ran for cover. Arrow led Val quickly into the trees, paused, and whispered, “Follow my steps exactly.”

  “What are you doing here?” Val asked.

  “No time. Follow exactly so they can’t track us. Do you understand?”

  Val’s eyes flicked between Arrow’s bare feet and the humans running like disturbed ants in the Burnt Circle. Then the older boy slipped off his shoes, stuffed them into the waistband of his pants, and followed Arrow.

  The boys took a wide route, crisscrossing between trunks, over rocks and raised roots. Arrow jumped onto a low branch and Val followed. They scurried across to another tree, dropped down, and continued west. Finally they were on the other side of the Burnt Circle, the shouts still loud but farther away.

  “Wait here,” Arrow whispered to Val, then turned to head back toward the machiners’ camp.

  Val grabbed Arrow’s shoulder. “Where are you going?”

  “Just stay out of sight and wait here.” Arrow shook himself free, then scurried toward the voices. He hiked himself up to where he and Petari had seen the metal birds descending on the clearing, where he could easily see the m
ovement below while staying hidden.

  The machiners were still rushing around, trying to get their invasion of frogs under control. Arrow smiled, then turned his attention to the metal beetle.

  Just like he had hoped, all the crevices and holes were going dark with the abundance of ants covering the monster’s surface. While Arrow had been rescuing her brother, Petari had stuffed the beetle machine full of the philodendron leaves and stalks. The ants from all the colonies Arrow had found had marched up the trails and descended on the metal beetle for the nectar feast of a lifetime.

  With the ants covering the machine, the humans wouldn’t be able to use it to destroy another tree. Delight flew from Arrow, and he hurried back to where he’d left Val.

  “All good,” he said, smiling. “This way.”

  They found Petari waiting at the philodendron bushes. She had been there for a while, and her fear was drowning the leaves. But when she saw her brother, she gave a small cry, then stifled it with her hands. She ran to him, threw herself into his arms, and breathed deep.

  Happiness radiated around them, but Arrow’s thick anxiety pierced it.

  “It looks like you got everything done,” he said.

  Petari nodded, pulling away from her brother.

  “What are you talking about? What’s going on?” Val asked, but Arrow shook his head.

  “We’ll tell you later. Their voices are spreading out from the Circle. They’re looking for you. We’ve got to disappear.”

  He ran off to the west, Petari and Val following in his footsteps, as quickly as they could.

  25

  AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED, THE MOTHS CAME OUT TO DRINK THE NECTAR OF THE NIGHT BLOOMERS, AND THE BATS CAME LOOKING FOR THE MOTHS. BUT THE ROOTS OF THE MOONFLOWER HAD CURLED AND CRUMPLED AGAINST THE BITTERNESS OF THE SOIL. THE PETALS DIDN’T OPEN, THE MOTHS WENT ELSEWHERE, THE BATS WENT HUNGRY.

  The moon peered down on the children from high above when they began to slow. The shouts of the machiners were long behind the herd now. Arrow knew the grown-up humans wouldn’t venture out beyond where their lights shone, for fear of the same creatures with which Crankas had threatened Val. Still, Arrow had shown Val and Petari how to walk so their trail was less noticeable.

  He had led them to the place he went when he needed comfort, the place where the moon broke into a thousand colors, and I asked a bat to send me their images, so I could make sure they stayed safe.

  “This is Shimmer Cave,” Arrow said as they walked through the entrance.

  “I don’t like this,” Val said, the darkness swallowing any light from outside.

  “Just a little farther,” Arrow told him. “Here, hold on to my arm.” Petari and Val felt around in the dense blackness, found Arrow’s outstretched arm, and the three walked on. When they got to the opening at the back of the cave, Petari and Val gasped.

  “Wow,” Petari said.

  “Amazing,” Val added. “What makes it do that?”

  “What do you mean?” Arrow asked.

  Val grazed his fingertips over the rough, shimmering walls of the cave. “What kind of rock is it?”

  Arrow shrugged. “It’s just Shimmer.”

  “No.” Val peered at the hole that let in the moonlight. “All of these colors are different types of rocks and minerals that are embedded in the walls of the cave. In the Stilts, people wear them in their ears or around their necks and wrists. They’re really valuable.”

  “Crankas wants to dig them up.” Arrow’s words were heavy. “He’s going to tear down this whole cave to get something called ‘money.’ ”

  Petari gasped. “He can’t do that.”

  “He would’ve if you hadn’t stopped him.” Arrow smiled slightly, but Val frowned at his sister.

  “What did you do?” His voice was harsh. Fear and anger built up around him.

  “While Arrow was setting off the frogs and rescuing you, I sabotaged the machine.” Excitement spiraled into the air from her words.

  “Do you have a bird brain?” The rock beneath Val soaked with anxiety.

  Arrow glanced at Petari. “Why would you have a bird brain?”

  Petari rolled her eyes. “He means I acted like a bird, with no brain.”

  Arrow frowned. “Birds are very intelligent.”

  “See, Val? They’re very intelligent. Like me.”

  “You could’ve been hurt. Or worse, killed!” Val turned on Arrow. “How could you make her do that?”

  “He didn’t make me do anything. You always treat me like I’m a baby, but I can take care of myself.” Petari’s voice lifted, and Arrow tried to quiet her. She glanced toward Arrow’s “Sshh,” then refocused on her brother. “I found this forest. I went through the hole. I got the leaves to help Ruthie. Even in the Barbs, I stood up to the bullies. Stop acting like I’m helpless.”

  “You’re just a kid,” Val said, his voice getting louder than hers.

  “You’re just a kid too,” Petari shouted. “You’re only a few years older than me!”

  “STOP!” Arrow rushed between them with his arms up. “You need to keep quiet or we’ll all be found. Crankas wasn’t joking about the dangerous animals here. I told him. And believe me, there are plenty that could kill us. We don’t want to draw their attention.”

  Val stepped back, crossing him arms over his chest. Petari did the same. They glared at each other.

  Arrow sighed. “We should sleep. In the morning, I’ll take you back to the village then you can all leave the forest.”

  “Why do we have to leave?” Val spit out the words as though they tasted bitter.

  “Why would you want to stay?” Arrow’s frustration soaked into the floor of the cave. “The forest is dying. You didn’t help. I thought those machine humans were going to help, but they just want to tear it apart. Maybe the only way to save it is for all the humans to leave.”

  “No.” Petari’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to leave. We’re not hurting the forest. Not anymore. I promise. I want to stay.”

  Arrow didn’t answer, just focused on the shimmering walls. They weren’t giving him comfort tonight.

  “We’ll help to fix it. Right, Val? We want to stay.” Petari’s eyes pleaded with her brother, but his energy was a weight dragging him down.

  “Arrow’s right,” he said. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  “No!” Petari stomped her foot. “I—”

  “This is Arrow’s home, not ours.” Val’s voice was more calming now. “Go to sleep.”

  Petari’s mouth gaped open, but any words were dissolved before they found air. Instead the girl glanced between her brother, settling on the ground, and Arrow, gazing through the hole at the moon. Sadness leaked into the ground at her feet, but she didn’t say any more. She found a spot of her own, curled up, and closed her eyes.

  Anguish drained from Arrow too, and it wrenched at my roots. My boy had tried so hard to mend the Anima, but nothing had worked. He had seen hope in the humans, more of his own kind, but they had betrayed him. Perhaps he felt abandoned all over again.

  I wished he’d come home. Wished he’d sleep in his nest. Wished we didn’t have to worry about the magic and the forest and our lives. Life is a circle in an ecosystem, but for each thing, life is a line, with a beginning and an end. If the forest were to die—if I were to die—we’d be replaced by something else, perhaps the stone of the outside world. I didn’t want that, but I couldn’t control it. I was at the mercy of the humans.

  At least I could say that my life had been happy, especially with Arrow by my side.

  He watched the path of the moon until it crept past the hole in the Shimmer Cave, then finally lay down. I listened to his heartbeat pat, pat, patting on the ground until the sun rose.

  When his eyes opened the next morning, Petari was sitting in front of him. She grinned.

  “Finally! Do you know you twitch in your sleep?”

  Arrow frowned. “I what?”

  “Never mind. It’s kinda cute. Anyway, listen, you
’re not kicking us out that easily.”

  Arrow pushed himself up. “Petari—”

  “No. I said I was going to help you fix the magic, and I don’t go back on my promises. We’re going to go to the Stilts.”

  “What?” Val’s voice rose up from where he had been sleeping. “We’re not going there. Luco said it’s locked down.”

  Petari turned to him. “We have to find a way, Val. There’s stuff you don’t know about this forest. It has magic in the ground. And the magic is almost gone. That’s why it’s dying.”

  Val walked over to his sister and Arrow. “Did he tell you that? What other lies have you been telling my sister?”

  “They’re not lies,” Petari said, standing up to face him. “I saw it myself. Arrow wasn’t lying when he told the group about the Guardian. And yes, she’s a tree.”

  “Don’t tell him anything. He won’t understand.” Arrow narrowed his eyes at Val.

  “Val’s good at figuring out stuff. He can help.”

  “Petari, you can’t believe everything this—” Val began.

  “I’ve met her,” Petari said. “She’s beautiful. And she showed me the magic. I saw the forest light up, flowers bloomed in seconds, roots lifted out of the soil and twirled in the air. Tell him, Arrow.”

  Val crossed his arms and glared at Arrow.

  My boy dropped his head, sadness piling up beneath his body. He pushed himself up to stand, then turned to Petari. “He won’t believe me.”

  Val dropped his arms to his side. That wasn’t what he had expected Arrow to say.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway,” Arrow continued. “There isn’t magic in the Stilts. Crankas showed me. Their lights are controlled by the sun. The magic is gone. I have to get to the Guardian and warn her. I don’t think there’s anything that can save the forest now.”

  My boy had lost his hope.

  Arrow walked out of the cave. Petari glared at her brother, then followed. But Val stayed behind. His fingertips again touched the surface of the Shimmer, his nail tracing the multicolored gems within the rock. They weren’t shining as brightly now as they did in the moonlight, but the shimmer was still there. A flash of regret twisted from his fingers; then it was gone, and he followed the others outside.