Return to the Fierce Land

by N C Bolton

  “After our parents were killed and you left, I became ill and almost died. I grew aware of a presence that helped me, though I had no name to give it. When I asked Aunt and Uncle who had visited me, they said no one. I insisted that someone helped me and they looked at me strangely, so I kept the knowledge in silence. But I knew. Perhaps it was the One. Will your elders know?”

  “I believe they can answer your questions. Perhaps—”

  “Hold to your places,” Enmin said in a sharp tone and halted them with a raised hand. A sudden loud trumpeting sounded from the left, followed by a thrashing sound of something large moving through the jungle toward them.

  “Pray in silence,” Enmin whispered. Rikk stilled his thoughts and focused his prayers, pleading for the safety of all of them, especially Myla, as he raised his hands, palms upward. After a space of time, he felt Myla shift in the sling. He opened his eyes to see Vinnt and Enmin lower their hands and look toward the left.

  “Whatever it was has gone away,” Myla whispered.

  Anek stood poised with an unsheathed dagger. “I heard no voices, only the sounds of beasts. There’s nothing now.”

  “Replace your weapon,” Enmin said. “It’s not needed.”

  “I’ll determine that,” Anek said. He and Enmin exchanged a long look. Anek frowned. “I see no weapons on you. Only the foolish minded or the very young carry none.”

  Rikk took a hard swallow and didn’t meet his uncle’s eyes. Weapons were integral to Fierce-Landers. Uncle must think Rikk was now a fool to be without one. It embarrassed him to realize how recently he’d shared the same thought. Anek sheathed his dagger. Enmin glanced at Rikk and pointed forward. “Let’s resume.”

  Silence reigned until dusk while they struggled through the dense growth. Enmin halted and said, “We’ll eat and rest for a time.”

  Though he heard periodic rustles around them, Rikk experienced no fear, only drowsiness after his meal. He stretched out next to Myla, who slumbered already. Enmin lay nearby.

  “Who’ll keep first watch?” Anek asked.

  “It’s not necessary,” Enmin answered. “We’ll awaken if prayer is needed.”

  Anek huffed out a short derisive noise. “I’m not speaking of prayers. I’ll keep watch.”

  Enmin reclined on his side, head pillowed on his curled arm. “As you will.”

  The moonlight outlined the still, vigilant pose of his uncle. Compassion spiked in Rikk. How strange he and his companions must appear to Anek. It had been so hard to relinquish his own dagger those first weeks in the village. Many years had passed without its sheathed weight against his outer thigh.

  He remembered how often his thoughts would swerve to it whenever he sensed any alarm, how his hand would reach toward it and the fear would recede. He remembered how he delighted in handling it and tracing the predator carvings on its handle. A different life and time, long ago now, yet its echoes still remained in his mind. He sighed and closed his eyes, disappointed with himself.

  Chapter Five

  Rikk woke to the gray-blue sky and cool air of pre-dawn. As he’d been taught, he breathed out thanks to the One for a restful night. He turned his head and regarded his uncle who lay sprawled in exhaustion, his dagger on the ground near his hand, face unconscious with sleep.

  Enmin sat upright and stretched his arms then yawned. “Praise the One for the morning and the peace of the night.”

  “So it is,” Rikk answered.

  Vinnt stirred and grinned at his friends. He gestured toward Anek. “I’m glad he got some sleep.”

  Myla and Anek woke soon after. Vinnt handed them biscuits and cheese, then passed a wooden cup. “I re-filled the water skins at the spring we found. The water is clear and cool.”

  Anek nodded and began to eat, then walked a short distance away and sat. Rikk noticed his uncle’s furtive movements. After glancing back at the others, Anek buried a small amount of food and dribbled some water over it. With this secretive act of offering, Rikk knew Anek’s discomfort around his new companions was increasing. Rikk offered silent prayers for his uncle and sister.

  The morning heat climbed with the sun, and the travelers made their cautious way through the jungle. Enmin took the lead, followed by Vinnt, then Rikk carrying Myla, and Anek behind them. Haze lingered above while shafts of sunlight broke through the dense trees. Unfamiliar bird calls and sudden hoots interrupted the constant thrum of insect buzz.

  Myla yawned. “It feels like we’re walking in a cloud.”

  Rikk grinned. “The air at home is much clearer. And cooler. There’s always a breeze. Once we return, the cooling rains will begin, and then the air will grow cold.”

  “I remember one year at home there were a few nights when I needed a warm covering. Cold air is unpleasant.”

  “It’s hard to bear at first, but my body’s grown used to the cold.”

  “Why would you need to grow used to it?”

  “Because once the cold air starts, it stays for over three moon turnings.”

  Myla gasped and her voice rose in tone. “It’s cold for so long? In the daytime too?”

  Rikk laughed and craned his head sideways to grin at her. “Yes, in the daytime and even more at night. At first I hated it and spent most of my time near the fire. But if you don’t fear it, you learn to accept. We wear clothing that holds our heat in so we can go outside and not feel the cold. There’s a different beauty to the land then, and silence. I love the cold times now. And the snow.”

  “I could never love it. Or snow, whatever that may be.”

  “I thought so, too. But you’ll see. And snow is beautiful. It falls like rain, but it’s white and melts into water when the sun is warm enough. Otherwise it covers the ground and quiets the earth.” He smiled as mental images of snowy forests filled his mind.

  After a short silence, Myla shifted then sighed. “This frightens me. Maybe you shouldn’t take me there.”

  Rikk reached back to pat her head. Perhaps Myla would fit in there in ways he never had. “I wouldn’t take you anywhere that would harm you. It’s a wonderful place. A place of healing.”

  “You called it that before. Were you wounded on your journey there?”

  Rikk drew in a deep breath. “No. Before the journey. The people saw my wounds, though I bore them inside.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When Erdon brought me to his home, I told you I lay in a room for days. Sometimes I woke and heard the sound of prayer or song, but fell back into the dark world inside me. They told me later I stood between life and death. When I woke from it, they said I had chosen life and the One would restore my strength. I doubted this, but couldn’t deny that I still lived and breathed.”

  “So, that was your healing then?”

  “The beginning. That evening, I met Enmin, who also came from the Fierce Land and he introduced me to an elder named Enick. He called him a bearer and said he could offer relief.”

  Rikk hitched his hands onto the shoulder straps and increased his pace to draw closer to Vinnt. “The brush is thick here and I must concentrate on walking now. I’ll tell you more when we stop.”

  Myla yawned and laid her head against the back of his shoulder. “And I’ll rest.”

  Rikk trudged on, giving himself to the rhythm of forward motion and increased vigilance. The undergrowth lightened after a time and awareness of his body grew dim as his mind journeyed backward, re-living his first days in the village as he anticipated what he would tell his sister. He strode through the humid afternoon as Myla dozed.

  Rikk lounged near Myla after the evening meal, watching the sky turn from dusky blue to darkness. Starlight grew in intensity while the daylight faded. Rikk grinned at the display. “Beautiful.”

  Myla stretched her arms out wide, yawned, and braced her hands on the ground, face tilted upward. “Tell me now about this man, this ‘bearer’ you met. I’m curious.”

  Rikk smiled at her, then glanced at Enmin and Vinnt, seated nearby. Anek sat furth
er off, staring at the horizon. Rikk said, “I told you I awoke from a long sleep full of dark dreams. After I ate, Enmin came to speak with me and brought Enick with him.”

  Enmin nodded. “I remember the night. How confused you were. And how you craved the fire’s warmth.”

  Rikk chuckled. “If I could have crawled into the fireplace, I would have.”

  Vinnt laughed and stretched his legs forward. “Not even a Fierce-Lander could survive that much heat.”

  Rikk’s gaze traveled back to his sister. “So, I met Enmin and Enick, one of the elders. As I told you, he’s a bearer. Enmin asked if I wanted Enick’s help. But Enick carried no medicines or items of offering, so I asked what help he could be. Enmin said he would help bear my pain.”

  Rikk closed his eyes for a moment, lost in the memory. “My mind had blotted out the way of our parents’ death, and left behind an aching pain that laid heavy on me. But I was afraid to think about where the pain came from, so I shook my head.”

  Enmin laid a hand on Rikk’s shoulder and spoke to Myla. “We understood and told him nothing would be done without his agreement. So we waited and spoke of other things.”

  Rikk continued. “I watched Enick. I could see he was kind. Soon an odd, peaceful feeling passed over me. Then everyone in the room grew silent, and I looked at Enick. I nodded at him, and he came to stand next to me.”

  Rikk tilted his head back, gaze upward. “I heard words of prayer from the others, and Enick laid his hands on my shoulders and began to pray. I closed my eyes and my body grew warm. Then a terrible heaviness rose in my middle and spread to my shoulders. Just before I cried out in pain, Enick lifted his hands, and much of the heaviness left me.”

  Myla’s eyes widened, and Rikk rubbed his face, remembering the intense sensation. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his uncle’s head turn toward them. After a short silence, Myla asked, “And so?”

  “I became alarmed when Enick fell to the floor and great cries burst out of him.”

  Enmin said, “Rikk yelled at me that Enick was hurt and I must do something. I had to hold Rikk still and tell him Enick would soon be well. For a youth, Rikk was hard to contain.” Enmin offered a calm smile at Myla’s pale, confused face.

  Rikk said, “Soon after, Enick rose and smiled at me. My legs were weak and he helped me sit down.” He smiled and shook his head. He’d almost forgotten the wonder of the experience. “How amazed I was at his willingness to suffer for me, then at how well he looked afterwards. Much better than I.”

  Vinnt let out a hearty laugh and passed a cup of water to Myla. Rikk flicked a quick glance at Anek. His shadowed face and still posture revealed nothing of his reaction. Myla swallowed and passed the cup to Rikk. “So this man, this bearer healed you?”

  “He didn’t heal me, he eased my burden of pain. But it was the One who did the helping, through him.”

  “Why then didn’t the One simply ease you, if this man was not needed?”

  Rikk regarded the sky and drew in a breath. “But he was needed. I don’t know why the One works through people, but this is how it’s done.”

  “Are people born as bearers?”

  Vinnt shook his head. “It is a gift given by the One. No one really knows how or why.”

  A slight huffing noise sounded from Anek. Myla turned her face toward him, then back to Rikk. “I believe your words, Brother, but I don’t understand them.”

  Rikk grinned at her. “In that, we’re the same. Many things I still don’t understand.”

  Myla’s brows drew together. “Then how do you hope to teach me?”

  “I’ll teach you the things I do know and leave the rest to the elders. I think they’ll welcome your questions. If you listen, you’ll come to understand much.”

  She sighed and shook her head. “I’m not sure. I can’t always understand you. How will I understand them?”

  Rikk patted her hand. “Don’t worry yourself.”

  Anek checked Myla’s foot dressing with deft, careful hands then stepped away.

  Rikk stared after him. Myla’s soft voice broke into his thoughts. “Uncle likes to be alone before sleep.” She sighed. “I believe he still misses her.”

  “Aunt Cyra?”

  “Yes. But he won’t let me speak her name or ever say anything about her.” Myla settled herself on her side and yawned. “She never came to see us after she left. But I miss her anyway. She used to sing to me at night.”

  Rikk’s heart broke at her wistful tone. How much pain had come to them all since the death of their parents? He swallowed against the tightness in his throat and settled down for sleep. At the village, help would be offered for his sister and uncle, but he wondered if they would accept it. He stared at the stars. Marvelous. Why couldn’t his heart be as ordered as they were?

  Chapter Six

  The slight cool of the night air dissipated at sunrise, and the heat began. Rikk gazed up through the heavy jungle canopy, delighted at the antics of two brightly colored birds in the tree above him. They hopped and nattered, heads tilted as they uttered their musical sounds. How he wished they didn’t have to hurry through this place, so lush with colors and varieties of plants and creatures. He took a last glance and made his way back to the campsite.

  The morning meal finished, they donned their packs and scanned the rockier terrain ahead. They’d soon be free of the jungle.

  “It’ll be easier to hide any tracks once we get to harder ground,” Vinnt said.

  Anek squinted up at the view and scowled. “And it’ll be harder to rest and be unseen in such a place, too.”

  “Don’t worry.” Enmin clasped each hand around the shoulder straps of his pack and nodded his head at the rocky hills. “This is the correct path.”

  Myla asked, “How do you know?”

  Vinnt and Enmin smiled at each other, and Vinnt pointed to his eyes.

  Anek’s brow and lips crinkled into a dubious expression. “I hope you’re right.”

  While Myla sat and adjusted her legs in the sling, Vinnt said, “I can carry her for a time, Rikk. You can bear my pack.”

  Rikk glanced at Vinnt, then Myla. “Will you allow Vinnt to carry you?”

  A shy smile curved her lips. “Yes, he may.”

  While they traveled, Rikk enjoyed the sounds of Myla teaching his friend about the customs and foods of the Fierce Land, and giggling at some of Vinnt’s reactions and questions.

  When dusk approached, Enmin and Rikk discovered a large cave among the rocks. After a meal, they settled themselves for sleep. Anek sat near the mouth of the cave, facing out. Rikk had noted his uncle’s silence for most of that day. His only close interaction had been when he changed the dressing on Myla’s foot. He studied Anek’s resolute form now while an ache simmered within.

  Anek had been relieved to flee, yet his obvious discomfort grew daily. While Myla opened herself to new knowledge, Anek seemed to pull equally in the opposite direction. Rikk felt his own heart torn between the two approaches. Perhaps his dilemmas would prove to hinder his uncle and sister, and keep them from the better life he wanted for them. He fell asleep, offering apologetic prayers about his divided heart.

  The sound of raised voices nearby startled him awake. Rising up, he glanced at the mouth of the cave. Gray light signaled the approach of dawn. He blinked a few times and was able to spot his sleeping uncle as a dark blob near the entrance. Rikk rose and traveled with slow, silent steps to the remembered location of Enmin.

  “People outside,” he whispered then made his cautious way to his uncle. One touch on his shoulder and Anek bolted up.

  “Shh,” Rikk breathed. “People outside.”

  A sharp intake of air followed and his uncle’s hand shot to his sheathed dagger. Rikk stared at the dagger and hesitated a moment before he grabbed his uncle’s wrist and whispered, “No, Uncle. We must wait.”

  Anek blew out some air and shook Rikk’s hand off. He whispered, “Fool.”

  The word dripped with contempt and pi
erced Rikk like a blade. He quenched a flare of anger and backtracked to sit with Myla. He was shaken at the automatic way he’d almost wanted Anek to draw his weapon. He prayed.

  The voices receded but the smell of wood smoke soon drifted in. They must be somewhere near. Rikk pulled his trembling sister against him and whispered, “Don’t fear. All will be well.”

  Daylight entered the cave and fingers of light probed where they sat in a half-circle, facing the entrance. They retreated into the shadowed depths of the cave and waited. Vinnt knelt in prayer, Enmin beside him upright with eyes closed. Rikk continued to hold his terrified sister. The silence continued, broken only by the occasional fidget and sigh from Myla or Anek. Sounds of bird calls and insect buzzing entered with the increased light as the morning crawled on.

  “I’ve prayed. I’m to go out and see,” Vinnt whispered.

  “Go then,” Enmin said. “Walk in guidance.”

  Vinnt rose, adjusted his clothes, and stepped toward the entrance. Soon the sound of voices and laughter traveled in and Rikk focused his mind on prayer for Vinnt. He slumped his body against the cold cave wall and bowed his head.

  Rikk jolted awake at the soft scrape of footsteps. A figure loomed at the mouth of the cave, back-lit with late afternoon light.

  “Vinnt,” came Myla’s joyful whisper.

  The scent of smoked meat clung to Vinnt when he drew near them. “They’ve gone. You can come out now.”

  Rikk stood with the others and stretched before he followed them out, carrying Myla. He set her down on an area of smooth rock and studied Vinnt. His ready smile filled his expression while he handed them strips of meat.

  They offered thanks and sat. Myla asked, “Who were those people?”