The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf (The Tribe)

by Kwaymullina, Ambelin

  Ember had gone to fetch Pepper a while ago, and I wondered uneasily if something had happened. Maybe the kid had gotten last-minute jitters and changed her mind. But from what Em had told me, Pepper had been a willing ally ever since Ember had made that stupid snake wriggle at her. Jaz had told his sister that if he didn’t come for her, whoever showed up in his place would identify themselves with the sign of the Serpent. I’d laughed when Daniel had explained that, thinking only Jaz could invent a secret wave for an imaginary Illegal. Then I’d realized that Jaz had been trying to protect the Tribe, making sure Pepper couldn’t link anything to us if she was found out and questioned before we could reach her. And I’d felt like crying instead.

  There was a noise in the distance, and I huddled in the unit, straining my eyes to see into the night. A gray-coated figure emerged from the darkness, leading a dark-haired child, and I ran out to meet the two of them. “Any trouble, Em? Did anyone see you?”

  She shook her head. “We were fine. This is Pepper.” I smiled down at Jaz’s sister, and Ember pressed Pepper’s hand into mine. “Let’s go, huh? You take her, and I’ll go get our stuff.”

  I could hear the strain in her voice, and I knew she wanted to get out of here as much as I did. I began walking, pulling Pepper with me as I looked for a gap running down the side of one of the units. This place was organized so that the main passageway was crisscrossed by a narrow corridor every fifty units and a much bigger one every hundred, but it was the smaller space I wanted. While it was better not to be shut in when I Sleepwalked — mostly because I could, and would, smash my way out — I wasn’t comfortable falling asleep out in the open, either. Not here in the city, with no friendly tuarts to stand guard.

  I found a gap and ducked into it. Pepper was quiet, but she didn’t seem worried, which was making me worry that she didn’t understand what was going on. We’d decided not to break the news about Jaz being captured yet, but Ember should have explained everything else. Except I knew what Ember’s explanations could be like. Too many big words and not enough full stops. Halfway down the narrow space, I let go of Pepper’s hand and said, “Pepper, you do know we have to leave your mom and dad behind? But,” I added quickly, “it’s going to be much safer for you where we’re going.”

  There wasn’t much light between the units, but even so I could make out Pepper’s ferocious scowl. “I’m glad to leave them behind. I remember when they made Jaz go away.”

  “You do?”

  “I woke up when he was climbing out the window. He said one day he’d come and get me, and he did! Well, he had important things to do, but he sent Ember.”

  Right. I strongly suspected that before the mindspeaking had brought Pepper to his attention, Jaz had forgotten all about coming back, because he’d never so much as mentioned a sister. But I wasn’t going to tell her that. “Jaz wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  She drew herself up proudly. “I climbed out the window and down the tree even quieter than he did when he’d run away. And I helped Ember throw my suitcase into the ocean.”

  “That’s great! You understand that people will think you drowned? Your parents won’t notice you’re gone until morning, and when they find your things in the sea . . .”

  My voice trailed off. I couldn’t see Pepper’s exact expression, but I swear, I could feel her looking at me like I was an idiot. “Of course they’ll think I drowned. Didn’t Ember tell you about my note?”

  “Your note?”

  “I wrote, ‘Dear Mom and Dad, I’m running away to sea, like Captain Albatross.’ It was an excellent note. Ember said so.”

  “It sounds like a terrific note. Who’s Captain Albatross?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Don’t you read?”

  I was saved from having to respond to that by Ember coming around the corner of the unit, carrying a pack slung over her shoulder. She passed me the flask I’d brought from the Firstwood. Taking hold of it, I hesitated, glancing down at Pepper. She seemed pretty tough, but if anything was going to scare her, it would be what was coming next. “Pepper, do you know how we’re going to get to the forest? I’m going to . . . to . . .” There didn’t seem to be a good way to say, I’ll be Walking through the world with my eyes all white, and I won’t really see you or anything else since I’ll be dreaming, but I should be able to get us out of the city by doing something impossible.

  I looked at Ember, who shrugged. “There’s no good way to explain Sleepwalking, Ash. Pepper knows it’ll be very strange but she’ll be perfectly safe. Don’t you, Pepper?”

  She nodded vigorously. “Ember will take care of me.”

  With an effort, I bit back the words, I’ll take care of you, too! It was good that the kid liked Ember, especially since Em would need to reassure her if things got scary. I just wish she liked me as well. Comforting myself that I’d have time later to win her over, I opened the flask and took a deep drink of the sleep-inducing concoction. Then I handed it back to Ember and stretched out on the cold ground, closing my eyes and letting the tension drain out of my body. Which wasn’t that easy, because this was still new to me. It was only in the last year that I’d been able to control my ability at all, thanks to some techniques Ember had devised. After much experimentation, she’d discovered two key things about Sleepwalking. First, in order for my ability to activate, I needed to realize that I was dreaming. Second, it was possible for me to send a set of simple instructions to myself between when I was almost asleep and when I was actually asleep.

  I let my mind drift, allowing thoughts to pass by without holding on to them, and I started to lose awareness of my surroundings. There was no Ember, no Pepper, no storage units, and no city. Only me, floating in nothingness. I imagined a piece of paper in my hand and concentrated on what I had to do. Take Pepper and Ember. Make sure no one sees you. Get to the Firstwood. I would have liked to give myself more detailed instructions, but we’d discovered that three basic ideas was the absolute limit of what I could manage to keep in my head in a dream. Pouring all my will into those thoughts, I repeated them over and over until the words appeared on the paper. I let the note go, watching it float away. Relief washed over me. There was nothing more to think about, and I could let myself slip into unconsciousness now. I started counting backward. Ten, nine, eight . . . With every number, I seemed to grow heavier, sinking into the dark. Four, three, two, one —and I was asleep.

  I was sailing in a boat across the ocean, enjoying the feeling of the wind on my face and the sight of the albatrosses swooping through the air. Suddenly a small, brown-skinned girl appeared in front of me. Her big eyes shone out from beneath her tangled dark curls, and I could see every tiny detail of her face — the long eyelashes, slightly crooked eyebrows, and a scar on her cheek from where she’d fallen down the front steps when she was two. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and it broke my heart. Because this was Cassie, and Cassie was dead. I’m dreaming. None of this is real. The second I realized that, Cassie vanished. A piece of paper materialized in her place, and I glared at it, hating the lifeless thing for not being my sister. Then I grabbed the note, read what was written there, and knew what I had to do.

  The boat and the water and the birds winked out. In their place, buildings sprang up everywhere, one after the other, until I was surrounded by hundreds of menacing structures that stared down with blank window eyes and howled at me out of long door mouths. I started to search, ignoring the eerie wailing of the doors as I tried to find my friends who were trapped somewhere in this horrible place. There they are! Leaping forward, I threw my arms around the enormous black crow and the furry brown kitten, hugging them against me. They’re okay. We’re all right.

  Only we weren’t, not really. The three of us were in terrible danger, and we had to run. But we needed to be careful, because the buildings were watching. They thought they saw everything, but they didn’t know how special we were, and if they found out, they’d swallow us whole.

  I tried to mak
e a protective bubble around us, a magic bubble that would turn whatever was inside it invisible. But I couldn’t get it to form. I concentrated harder, fighting to rise above my fear. This is MY dream, and I can do ANYTHING I want! With terrifying slowness, the bubble shimmered into existence. The crow and the kitten and I floated within it, bobbing in our perfect sphere. From the outside, we were a passing gleam in the night now, a faint glistening in the air. Grinning my defiance, I looked up at the buildings, which could no longer see me. Then I bent my knees and jumped.

  The bubble moved with me, bouncing off the ground and soaring into the sky. From up here, I could see a wide white pathway snaking among the buildings and winding into the distance. That will lead us home! Our bubble started to fall back to the earth, and I leaned forward, aiming for the path. We rebounded off the surface, rising into the night, and I laughed in delight as we left the buildings behind. On and on we went, each bounce taking us farther from danger, until I was dizzy with exhilaration and power. I was a savior, a victor, a hero, and no one and nothing could stop me.

  Then the crow attacked.

  She raked her claws across my neck, sending me stumbling sideways and breaking my concentration. The bubble was on the descent. It wobbled in the air and sank to the ground, rolling back and forth along the path as I struggled with the crow. Has she gone crazy? I tried to fend her off without hurting her, but she came at me again and again, screeching and pecking and flapping, until finally, I grabbed hold of one of her wings. The crow swept the other one around, slamming it against my face — and everything changed.

  There was no bubble, no flying, no magic. Instead, I stood on the ground, gazing into the wide eyes of a pale-skinned girl and holding her right arm in my left hand. She had the other arm raised as if she was going to strike me, and from the way my cheek was stinging, it felt like she already had. I let her go as I backed away, looking around in confusion. I could see a child standing some distance away, but no crow and no kitten. Where am I? Where are my friends? Comprehension crashed over my bewildered mind, and I staggered, resting my hands on my legs. Ember ran over and pulled my hair back from my face in case I threw up, which I sometimes did after I’d Walked. “It’s okay, Ash. You’re okay.”

  I coughed and hacked as I tried to get control of my heaving stomach and shaking body. I wanted to collapse in a heap, but I felt I’d shatter into pieces if I did, as if being on my feet was all that was holding me together. So I kept breathing, slowly and evenly, staring down at the earth. No, not the earth — a road. We weren’t even in the Firstwood. “Where?” I managed to ask.

  “I think we’re close to Cambergull.”

  “Not far enough!”

  “Don’t be silly, Ash. We didn’t need to get all the way home, just out of the city and away from any search for Pepper.”

  “Sorry. So sorry . . .” Tears dripped down my chin. I’d had one thing to do, and I felt horribly guilty that I hadn’t been able to do it. I sobbed harder, overcome by my failure and ineptitude.

  “What you’re feeling,” Ember said calmly, “is a reaction to the Sleepwalking. You know that. And you probably wouldn’t be in such a state afterward if you’d use a different symbol to tell yourself you’re dreaming.”

  “My only chance . . . to see her. Can’t remember . . . all the details of her face that way . . . when I’m awake.”

  She sighed. “Oh, Ash.”

  I don’t know how long I stayed like that, hunched over and crying and shaking. Eventually, though, I began to feel better, enough for my battered brain to realize why Ember had started a fight with me. “I wouldn’t wake up, Em?”

  “No, and you were starting to tremble and weren’t breathing properly. I knew you were exhausted.”

  “You were right.” Sleepwalking burned through my energy, and once it was all gone, I woke up, no matter where I was. Which could be fatal. Like, for instance, if I was bouncing around in a giant invisible bubble. I shuddered at the horrifying image of Ember, Pepper, and me falling from the sky and slamming into the ground. Ember had tried various mixes of what she called smelling salts, but while they brought me out of normal sleep, nothing could rouse me from Sleepwalking. That was why I never deliberately used my ability without Ember, who knew how to tell if I was reaching my limits and could try to keep me in a safe place long enough for my exhaustion to kick in and snap me out of it.

  My stomach had stopped roiling, and I straightened up. We were on the highway that linked the Gull City towns together. To the right of the road were the tracks for the Rail, but beyond that, and on the other side, too, were forests. There were no mighty tuarts in these woods, but it still was comforting to see trees looming over me in the moonlight. “We better get moving.”

  “We could wait longer.”

  “No. Let’s go. I can walk.” Just not very fast, or very well. But after an effort like this, my ability wasn’t going to be useable for a few weeks, and we had to get to the safety of the Firstwood as soon as we could. I searched for Pepper and spied her small form waiting at the edge of the tree line. I’ve probably scared the kid off me forever. Dragging myself towards her, I said in the friendliest, most reassuring voice I could muster, “Hey, Pepper. Are you okay?”

  For an awful moment, she was silent. Then she bounced on her feet and exclaimed excitedly, “We flew! We actually flew! That was the most awesomest thing to ever happen to me ever. Can we do it again? Please.”

  I gaped at her. Pepper moved closer, putting her hand in mine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t nicer to you before, Ashala. I was just scared about running away and everything.” She sounded remorseful, as if she were the saddest, sorriest little girl in the world. I would’ve believed she was, too, if I hadn’t heard that exact tone so many times before from Jaz. She looked up at me, tears sparkling on her lashes. “You’re not mad, are you?”

  Behind me, Ember muffled a giggle. I ignored her. “No, Pepper, I’m not mad.”

  “Can we go flying again sometime?”

  “Of course!”

  She flung her arms around my waist, and I hugged her right back. There was a warm, contented feeling around my heart, and it wasn’t one bit diminished by the fact that I knew I was being shamelessly manipulated. Staring into Pepper’s upturned face, I smiled ruefully. “You’re a lot like your brother, Pepper.”

  Jaz’s sister grinned a wide, familiar grin. “I know!”

  FOUR MONTHS AGO

  I should never have hit him with the stick.

  What I should have done was follow him and find out what an enforcer was doing in the forest. But it had been such a shock! There I’d been, gathering wood for the fire, and suddenly there was this enforcer, and all I could think was that he might have been the one who killed the rabbit Jaz ate. The next thing I knew, the piece of firewood I had in my hand was connecting with the back of his head, and the enforcer went down. Which was right about when my brain started working again and began informing me of all the potential consequences of assaulting someone from the government. Visions of troops of enforcers descending on the Firstwood danced through my mind, and for a few panicky seconds, I stood there over his body, thinking, What have I done? Then a worse possibility had occurred to me: Have I killed him? I hadn’t, though. Just knocked him out, which was bad enough. So I dragged him into the bushes and ran for Ember. I needed her to help me decide what to do.

  And the first thing she said was, “You shouldn’t have hit him with a stick.”

  Since I had hit him, though, Ember thought we might as well find out what he was doing here. So the two of us had carried him through the Firstwood, with me taking his arms and Ember his legs, and Ember’s crows flying ahead to warn us if someone was coming. I didn’t want the rest of the Tribe involved in this; it was bad enough that we were. We’d gone to the secure side of the cave system, the part that was infested with Georgie’s little friends. No one ever came here without Georgie’s permission. They knew that they’d get bitten if they did, and that meant being tempo
rarily paralyzed or permanently dead, depending on the size of the spider.

  I looked out over the trees without really seeing them. I was in one of the high caverns that opened onto the forest, and ordinarily I loved the view. Today, it made me feel sick to think how I might have put it all in danger — the tuarts, the saurs, the Tribe, everything — by giving the government a reason to attack us. I wish Georgie would hurry up! I’d left Ember with the still-unconscious enforcer because Georgie had said she had to show me something important, except then she’d had to go make sure the spiders understood not to bite the prisoner. Finally, I heard footsteps, and Georgie came hurrying in. “He’s waking up, Ash. But you have to come with me before you speak to him.”

  She grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me through a few of the smaller caves, then stopped in front of one of her “maps” of the future. It was made up of all the usual ingredients — vine, string, scraps of clothing, seeds, and rocks, the odd button or piece of glass that caught the light. All of it was tied together in a complex set of connections that stretched out across most of the cave wall. It meant nothing to me, but I knew that every part of that web represented possibilities to Georgie. She reached out, pulling forward one of the objects tied into it.