Sky Child

by Brenner, T. M.

  The dragon approaches again. A few rocks fly, then more. None of them do any damage. It is now our turn, only I decide to do something different. As the dragon flies over our heads, the hunters throw their sky spears. I wait until the dragon has passed all the way over us then throw my sky spear.

  It hits the dragon from behind, in a place that seems to shoot fire. That doesn't make any sense. I hear a strange noise as the spear gets pulled inside the dragon. Smoke comes out of the back of it, and I watch as the dragon flies off into the distance and crashes to the ground. We can feel the ground shake as it hits, throwing up dirt and clover into the air.

  I look around for Flot and Jet. I start to panic because I don't see them.

  "Flot! Jet! Are you still alive?" I yell.

  "Sam! I'm alright!" comes a voice from the circle.

  I watch as Flot comes running up to me.

  "Where is Jet?" I ask, worried that he might be among the dead.

  "I am here," comes another familiar voice.

  Thank the Sky Gods, they are both alive! I cannot show my happiness, because many of our people have died. All hunters are my brothers and sisters now, and their loss is my loss.

  I speak to the group.

  "Hunters, you have fought bravely. We have done the impossible, and killed a dragon. We have lost many, but many more of us still live. Let us honor our dead, and the Sky Gods, by covering them in a blanket of grass and clover, so that they may sleep well forever."

  Everyone comes to help bury the bodies. There are tears, because brothers, fathers, sons, sisters, mothers and daughters were lost. Though they fought bravely, and they are now with the Sky Gods, we feel the pain of their loss, because we have lost something by not knowing them better.

  I look out at the hunters who survived and speak.

  "Everyone, pick up your kill bags and weapons. We will go back to where we started the hunt, and find our way home from there."

  "How do we get back to the killing place?" asks a hunter.

  I look around and notice that the fog has almost disappeared. The sky is still gray, but it is easier to tell where the sun is. I stare for a moment at the ground that covers our dead, and realize we can never return to this place. There might be other dragons here, and they are still too dangerous to fight, even after killing one.

  "Follow the blood trail that has dripped from our kill bags. That will lead us back," I say.

  Everyone listens to my commands. I am surprised that none of the hunters has tried to kill me yet. It would be bold to attack the Leader of the Hunt with other hunters around, but it has happened before. That is why Lagan used his friends. They were people he could trust to protect him. Now those same people are sworn to protect me too. I should find them.

  "Mast, Port and Helm, I would like to speak with you," I yell into the moving crowd.

  It is a bad thing that I don't know many people's names, and that I could not easily tell who had died in the dragon's fire. I do not know if any of Lagan's protectors have survived the attack.

  I see a pair of hunters break away from the rest of the group. They are Mast and Helm, our biggest hunters. I am glad to see that they are alive, but I do not see Port anywhere.

  "What has happened to Port?" I ask.

  "She died trying to protect Lagan. As he threw his sky spear, she saw that the dragon was coming right at him. She knocked him down, trying to cover his body with her own. The dragon's fire was too much for them. She gave her life, hoping that he would survive. Remember that, young hunter. A leader that treats their people well, and does right by them, will have their loyalty," says Mast.

  "I will pray to the Sky Gods that I am as good of a person as Lagan, as honorable and as just. Lagan was the best of us, and I will spend every day trying to be more like him. I will work to earn your trust and respect, and show you that I'm worth protecting," I say.

  I can tell they worry if I will be a good leader. Whether I am telling them the truth, and whether they can trust me.

  Even though they don't know me well, Mast and Helm stay by my side, making sure that no one tries to hurt me. It would be stupid at this point for someone to try, now that I have people protecting me.

  We eventually make it back to the grounds where we killed the wolves. The blood there is sticky, but not yet dry. I look around for signs that another predator has been there, but can't find any.

  I stare at the drying blood, and think back to when we were attacked. In my head, I can see people dying, killed by the dragon. I feel dizzy, and my knees bend. I fight the images, pushing them out of me. I understand now what Lagan went through when he saw the dragon. Although I want to be the leader that he was, I do not want to let fear rule me. So I fight it. I know that the next time I start feeling dark thoughts, I can push them out of myself.

  I look up and point in the direction of the Crag. It's much easier to tell where it is, now that we are somewhere familiar. I want to get home so I can eat, and then pull my blanket over my head and sleep.

  Our army of hunters moves in the direction I point. They are an army now; for instead of hunting, we fought, and we have fought bravely. There is no telling what will happen when we return to the Crag, nor how the battle has changed us.

  9

  As we walk together, I look to the edges of our group and see Flot and Jet. Both seem tired, but unhurt. It is amazing that neither of them were injured while fighting the dragon. Especially Jet, since he is a risk taker. The Sky Gods are definitely looking down on them, protecting them.

  It is not long before we find the Crag. When we arrive, a few families have gathered to greet us at the mouth of the cave. Men, and women, and children all wait for their loved ones to return. My smile is gone, because I realize that I will need to talk to the families of the dead, and tell them the horrible news. I ask Helm and Mast for the names of those that fell while battling the dragon.

  Not all of the hunters have found their families yet, but I decide to tell the group that has gathered. That way, they will hear it from my mouth first.

  "Families of the hunt, I bring news that will be difficult to hear, and that cuts my heart to say. During the hunt we became lost, and battled a dragon. Brave hunters were killed during the fight. Hunters that gave their lives so that the rest of us could live. We have buried them as the Sky Gods have asked us to, in blankets of grass and clover, to honor their sacrifice. May they be with the Sky Gods now, looking down upon us, protecting us and loving us. Among the dead was Lagan, our leader. He fought bravely, and died with honor. The others that died are Port, Compass, Flagg, Knot, Mooring, Buoy, Cannon and Pier."

  Families cry over the loss of the people they loved. One family, Cannon's, does not. They looked surprised, but not sad. I make a point of speaking to his wife, Bay, and their children.

  "I am very sorry that you have lost your husband."

  She stares at me for a moment, deciding what to say.

  "Cannon was horrible to us. He would steal more than his share of beer, and he would beat us while he was full of drink. It is sad, but I feel safer now that he's gone. I don't know why I ever joined with him. I only wish that he'd died sooner."

  Her words are like a punch to my stomach. I want to say something, but sometimes there isn't a way to make things better. I can only hope that Bay and her children will be able to move on now, and have a better life.

  "Bay, I will make sure that your family is taken care of. That you receive the food and protection that you need."

  "Thank you, Sam. I will pray to the Sky Gods for your health and safety."

  I watch as families move deeper into the Crag together, until only Jet and Flot are still at the mouth of the cave with me. Now that we are finally alone, they hug me. I'm so glad they are both safe that tears form in the corners of my eyes. Only I can't let them see my tears. I can't let anyone see them anymore, because people's lives are now in my hands. I have to lead, whether I want to or not.

  "Jet, now that you've seen a dragon i
n real life, do you understand why we should fear them? Why going after one alone would be dangerous, and could get you killed?" I ask.

  "Yes, I understand now. I will try to listen better," says Jet.

  "Do something for me, Jet. Don't just do what I tell you to do. Make good decisions. Stay away from danger. Be safe," I say.

  "Aren't you going to say the same thing to Flot?" asks Jet.

  "No, because he already makes good decisions."

  Flot stares at me, and gives me a look that says 'Really? As if I don't have enough problems to deal with, now I have to deal with a jealous brother. Thanks a lot!' I just smile at him, because I know that Jet will never be a real danger to him.

  For brothers, they are actually good about letting the other know that they care. That doesn't mean they don't fight, and wrestle, and act like new ones sometimes. I've had to pull one off the other before, and no, I'm not always pulling Jet off Flot. Sometimes it is soft-hearted Flot that I have to pull off Jet.

  "Let's go inside. We still need to clean our kill if we're going to have meat to share," I say.

  I let Flot and Jet walk in front of me, and I stop as we come to the Great Fire. I kneel on the hard stone ground, bow my head and raise my hands up. I say a silent prayer of thanks for protecting Jet, Flot and me, and peaceful sleep for those that we lost to the dragon. I also pray that Cannon's family will be protected and safe, now that they have lost him.

  I bring my arms back down to my sides and stand up. I notice Jet and Flot also praying at the Great Fire. I wait for them to stand up before we walk back to our room.

  It takes us a while to get out of our armor. I have to help both of them undo the straps that hold their armor together. Thankfully, none of us were injured. Aside from a small amount of blood from moving the dead, and the grass and clover we dug up, our armor is still mostly clean. It is not easy to get stains out of leather, so most of them stay on your armor until a new stain takes its place.

  Once we get out of our armor, we each put on our meat cutting clothes. Cleaning our kill is what I hate most about being a hunter. Taking something that lived and making it food. Most of the other hunters aren't bothered by it, once they have done it for a few snows. It bothers me much less now, but it is still something I dread.

  Flot surprises me. He's never had a problem with skinning and preparing meat. It is Jet that seems to hate dealing with dead animals. People are hard to understand sometimes, and I'm constantly surprised by them. No one is exactly what you would expect.

  In our room we have small tables, one for each of us, that we use for cutting meat. There isn't much meat on a wolf normally, because they are hunters too, and they use their speed to kill other animals. A wolf that becomes fat loses its speed, so it cannot catch as much. It seems that the Sky Gods have made it so that wolves will always stay thin.

  The same is true of the hunters of the Crag. We are all lean and strong, for we are constantly moving. Those people that are part of the harvest are generally bigger than us. Especially Chaff. He sometimes has difficulty moving through the narrow tunnels of the Crag.

  I think the reason Chaff's so large is that he only works hard once every snow, when he makes the fruits and vegetables come alive. He also takes more than his fair share of food and beer. Much more.

  Beer is something that helps keep us alive during the snows. It can stay in barrels and buckets for a long time until we need it. Meat is hard to come by during those times, because the animals hide when the snows come. Vegetables are also a problem, because they rot away if they are not eaten quickly. We can also make bread during those times, but it can be difficult keeping the grains dry, especially inside of a cave that sometimes fills to your ankles with water.

  I work on skinning the wolf. We keep the pelts, which can be made into clothes, or blankets, or other things. We throw the bones into a pile on a blanket then carry them to a place we call the boneyard. The meat we put in baskets, which we give to the cooks in the Crag. They will turn what we've caught into steaks, or they will smoke the meats outside so that they become tough. That way, the meat will last longer.

  As I finish, I look down at the bloody cutting table and think back to Lagan dying. I did not see it happen, but for some reason it feels like I did. Like the memory of it happening is somehow in my mind. I start to lose my balance, so I put a hand out, catching myself on the edge of the table.

  I look over at Jet and Flot, and thankfully neither of them saw me lose my strength. I don't want them to worry, so I won't tell them I'm seeing the deaths of the hunters in my mind.

  I finish cleaning my kill, and use a bucket of water to wash away the blood from my cutting table. You can tell that you're standing in the room of a hunter, for when you look down, the stone is always dark red. I hope that someday, Jet, Flot and I will live where our floors are gray.

  10

  I carry the wolf bones to the boneyard, which is a long walk from the Crag. We keep it far away from the cave because it brings animals. Black birds, wolves and other creatures like to come and pick the bones clean.

  I don't like going to the boneyard, because it always reminds me of death. So many skeletons. White pieces of once-living creatures sticking out. And not all of the skeletons are animals. There are bodies there too, hidden in the piles. Sometimes when a person disappears from the Crag, we look there. Sometimes they are found.

  As I approach the boneyard, handfuls of black birds scatter, flying into the air and away from me. The smell of rotting meat turns my stomach. I pick a place to dump the bones, away from any new piles, because flies are also a problem. If you drop your bones into a new pile, you will have flies following you for days. I unroll my blanket, and let the bones fall out. They make such a strange noise when they crash on the ground. I shake the blanket to make sure no small bones are stuck to it, roll it up then leave.

  Once I get back, we take our meat to the cooks so that they can be made into dinner. The cooks are part of the protectors, and learn how to defend themselves against animals. The reason they are not part of the harvest, hunters or keepers, is that the first group of people who lived in the Crag thought it best to give them some responsibility for the Crag's food. It also takes many people to cook, and clean dishes, and serve food, while it only takes a few to watch over the Crag. It gave the protectors about the same number of people as the other groups.

  "Thank you, Sam," says Cleave, the head cook.

  "What are you making tonight?" I ask.

  "Wolf stew. This pack were a bit thin, so the meat is tough. Cooking it for a while should help make it chew better," says Cleave.

  "I like your stew," I say.

  "It takes a while to make, but I like it too. It's worth it."

  I watch as Cleave cuts a pepper, and pulls out the round pieces of poison from inside. Some of our foods have poison in them, so to be safe, the cooks take out the dangerous parts and throws them in a basket. Each day, a member of the harvest comes for the basket, so that Chaff can get rid of the pieces of poison for us.

  I smile at Cleave and leave her to her work. We head back to our room, and I strip off my bloody clothes. I carry them and a bar of soap to the loud waters. Flot and Jet follow behind me. They know that they won't get dinner if they don't also clean up.

  When we get to the loud waters, there are already a few people there washing up. The loud waters is a stream in the cave that runs by very quickly, and makes a lot of noise. At one end, where the water first comes in, people are filling buckets with water. At the other, there are people washing their bodies and clothes.

  Soap can be made from the fat of the animals we kill. Only one person in the Crag makes soap, but unlike Chaff he is nice. He will share how to make it with anyone that is interested. His name is Echo, because he always stays in the caves. He has been told not to leave the Crag, because he has a hard time understanding things, and cannot protect himself.

  Echo always greets me with a smile. Not many people have a reason to smi
le in the Crag. I am glad that Echo is in charge of the soap, because he makes very good soap, and always gives me his best bar.

  I walk into the water holding my blood covered shirt. The water only goes as high as my ankles. New ones have to be careful not to fall though, or they can be swept away by it.

  I kneel down and put my shirt in the water, rubbing it with soap. I get as much blood off as I can. After I have rinsed the soap out of my shirt, I do the same with my pants, until I am sure that they are as clean as I can make them. Once I'm finished, I use the soap on my body, trying to get rid of the sweat, and blood, and memories of people dying.

  I twist and squeeze the water out of my clothes, grab my soap and head back to our room. It takes Jet and Flot longer to finish, and when they finally return, I have already hung up my clothes and changed into clean ones.

  I lie down on my bed of branches for a moment, trying to give my body some rest. I cannot lay there too long, or I will fall asleep and miss dinner. Worrying has been making my stomach hurt, and food is the only thing that I know will help.

  At night, almost everyone in the Crag goes to a large chamber and eats together. It is one of the few times where people seem happy. Part of that happiness comes from the beer we drink. Some of us drink too much, though. Sometimes a fight starts, which ends the happiness for everyone.

  The new ones are not allowed to drink beer, for it seems to make more problems for them than for the adults. Jet and Flot have not seen enough snows yet to drink beer, but I can. I choose not to, because beer makes you dumb, and dangerous, and I need my mind so that I can protect my brothers.

  Sometimes during the snows, when we don't have enough food, I will drink some. But I am very careful to only drink enough to survive, and definitely not enough to be too-full-of-drink. I also hate the taste. It reminds me of the smell of meat when it goes bad.

  Flot and Jet finish changing. I get up from my bed. Standing hurts, because I feel pain in my muscles from fighting the dragon and burying the dead. It has been a hard day, and not just for my body, but for my mind and my heart.