Sky Child

by Brenner, T. M.

  "Have you heard about the trials?" I ask.

  "No, I haven't. What are 'the trials'?"

  "Before I can become the Leader of the Hunt, I have to go through trials to see if I am brave enough, strong enough and smart enough to lead."

  "Are they dangerous?"

  "There's a chance I will die."

  "Can't you refuse?" asks Ebb.

  "Mast says that if I do, they will kill me. I have no choice."

  "Run away then, Sam."

  "To where?" I ask. "There's nowhere to run to."

  "But I don't want you to die," says Ebb.

  "I don't want to die either, but I don't have a choice. Maybe I'll survive the trials."

  "But why take the chance?"

  "Because I can't just take my brothers and leave. I have to think about them too. If it was just me, I might risk living outside of the Crag. I know how to hunt, so I could feed myself, and I would have my armor to protect me. But I can't risk Flot's and Jet's lives."

  "So you're going through with it," says Ebb.

  "Yes."

  Ebb's face is filled with sadness. She stares at the ground, and won't look me in the eyes.

  "Is there anything I can do to help you prepare?"

  "I can't think of anything. Flot and I played jump stones, but I don't feel any smarter," I say.

  "And you can't really practice how to be brave," says Ebb. "It's also supposed to test your strength?"

  "Yeah, but you would have to move large stones for many sunrises to really get much stronger. There is no time for that."

  "Maybe they don't mean for you to be stronger, like lifting heavy things. Maybe they mean for you to be good at combat."

  "I think I will be okay," I say. "I can protect myself with my sling, or use a spear."

  "But what if they give you neither of those? What if you have to protect yourself with only your hands?"

  "I hadn't thought of that. So how will I get better at hand combat?" I ask.

  "I could teach you," says Ebb.

  "You know how to fight with your fists?"

  "Yes, my father showed me how. He used to drink beer and fight people. Sometimes he would fight people to win more food, or blankets. Sometimes he would just fight to show someone he was stronger."

  "Did he ever kill anyone?" I ask.

  "Not that he ever told me. But I asked him once, and he became very sad. He wouldn't talk to me about it," says Ebb.

  "I imagine if I killed someone, that it would be very hard for me. I would hurt inside very much. I would only ever kill someone if I had to. To protect Jet or Flot. People I love," I say. "So how are you going to teach me to hand fight?"

  "Well, we should probably go outside. The sun should still be in the sky, but we won't have very long. Let's hurry."

  Ebb and I leave the Crag, and walk for a while so that no one will see us. The ground is soaked from the rains. I can see small patches of blue sky, but the sun has not been able to dry up the land. The clouds keep the ground wet.

  For the first time I realize how beautiful Ebb is, now that I can see her in the white light of a gray sky. Her hair is the color of wheat, which is unlike the hair of most of our people. My hair is deep brown, with parts that are almost a dark red color.

  "We should find a place where the dirt is soft, so that if we fall, it will not hurt," says Ebb.

  We walk until we find a patch of dirt that has now become mud. I figure that should work, and Ebb agrees.

  "Okay, the first thing I will teach you is how to stand," says Ebb. "You want to spread your feet apart, about as wide as your shoulders, then bend your knees."

  "Like this?" I ask.

  "You are bending your knees too much. Just bend them a little. Yes, that is better. Now put your fists in the air."

  I put my fists in the air.

  "Not that high," says Ebb. "Here, like this."

  Ebb puts her fists up near her face, with her elbows bent.

  "Why do you put them near your face?" I ask.

  "So you can protect it from punches. Most people swing for the head."

  "That makes sense," I say.

  "Which hand do you use more?"

  "My right."

  "Okay, so you want to have your left foot closer to your enemy," says Ebb.

  "Now that doesn't make any sense," I say. "Don't you want the arm you hit harder with closer to your enemy?"

  "No, you want it further back, so that when you swing it, it will do more damage."

  "Oh. Then what do you do with your other arm?" I ask.

  "You can use it to protect yourself, and to make short punches with it just to distract your enemy. Here, watch."

  Ebb comes up to me, putting her left foot closer to me than her right. Then she throws a quick punch with her left hand that hits my forehead.

  "Hey!" I say.

  "Hey what? You knew I was going to do it, because I told you. You could have moved out of the way at the last moment. That is another thing you should do. When someone tries to throw a punch, you should move out of the way so that you don't get hit," says Ebb.

  "Now you are making sense again," I say.

  "I've been making sense since we started," says Ebb. "Do you remember how getting hit in the forehead made you stop thinking, and stop moving?"

  "Yes," I say.

  "Well, it's good to follow one of those with a punch from your strong hand. Like this," says Ebb.

  She hits me in the face with a short punch from her left hand again, but thankfully it gives me just enough time to move out of the way of her right hand. It comes quickly, and she tries to hit me with all of her strength. I bend over out of the way, and I hit her in the stomach with my left hand. Not thinking, just moving.

  "Ungh," groans Ebb.

  "I'm sorry!" I say, worried I hurt her.

  Ebb throws a punch that I never see. Her left fist comes from below, and hits my chin, sending me to the muddy ground. The world goes dark.

  "Sam? Sam? Are you okay?" asks Ebb.

  "What happened?" I ask.

  "I punched you really hard."

  "Ow," I groan. "You really did. You hit me so hard I fell asleep!"

  "I don't know if I would call it sleep," says Ebb. "But you definitely weren't awake."

  I stand back up, out of the mud, which is now dripping off me.

  "Okay, the next thing I'm going to... " started Ebb.

  Before she can finish her sentence, I tackle her around the waist. I knock her into the mud, and we roll around. She seems surprised by the attack. I try to hold her arms down, but she punches me in the stomach. I roll over onto my back, my stomach filled with pain. She uses that against me. Ebb climbs on top of me, holds me around the neck with her left hand and holds her right fist up high.

  "Do you want another punch to your head?" says Ebb.

  "No, I'll be good. I promise," I say.

  "I'm trying to help you," says Ebb.

  "I know. I'm sorry."

  We both stand back up.

  "Just so you know, Sam, that was smart of you. You surprised me. You want to do that in any fight, especially when the person is bigger than you. Hand fighting isn't just about fists, it is also about being smart. And use what you have around you, like this," says Ebb.

  Ebb throws a ball of mud at my face. I somehow manage to move out of the way, but it still hits my ear. It is very hard for me not to do the same back.

  "So what I was trying to do was cover your eyes in mud," says Ebb. "That way you couldn't see me. I would be able to hit you while your eyes didn't work, and it would be harder for you to hit me. Make sense?"

  "That seems unfair," I say.

  "Yeah, well fights aren't fair, are they?" says Ebb. "Sometimes you are fighting for your life. When you are fighting in the trials, it will be for your life. Remember that Sam."

  "I will," I say.

  "The last thing I'm going to teach you is how to kick," says Ebb.

  "Are you allowed to kick in a hand fight?" I ask.


  "Have you ever read a book on hand fighting?" asks Ebb.

  "No."

  "That's because there isn't one. There are no rules for fighting. Use anything you can. Bite your enemy if you have to, or claw at their eyes. All that matters is surviving. If that means you have to kill your enemy, kill your enemy, because they would kill you."

  "Okay, so how do I kick then?" I ask.

  "You can use a kick like a punch. You know how you use your left hand to throw a short punch? Do the same thing with your left foot," says Ebb.

  "You mean like this?" I say.

  I use my left foot to stomp the ground.

  "Yes, something like that. The best places you can kick at are the inside part of the foot, and at the knee. If you damage your enemy's knee, they will not be able to fight, and they definitely won't be able to run and catch you. The inside of the foot will hurt your enemy, but after a moment they will be able to continue attacking you. Remember that, if you are being attacked."

  "Can I kick any higher?" I ask.

  "It is not a good idea, but go ahead and try it," says Ebb.

  I try kicking her in the stomach and miss. Instead, she catches and holds onto my leg. I lose my balance and fall into the mud.

  "Yeah, I can see why I shouldn't do that," I say as I get back up. "Is there anything else I need to learn?" I ask.

  "Not that I can think of. But you should probably practice what I have taught you. So go ahead and attack me."

  I try hard to attack Ebb without hurting her. I know that when the time comes, I will need to hurt my enemy. But for now it helps just knowing what attacks I should use.

  As we practice fighting, I learn how to use my arms to protect my stomach and face. I also learn how to block kicks with my shins. It hurts, but it is better than having a broken foot or knee. Ebb doesn't hold back much, but I know that she is trying not to hurt me either. For her training to work, and to help me survive, she has to make it as real as she can.

  The sun starts to set. We are both very tired. She attacks me one last time, tackling me to the ground. We roll around in the mud a bit, but finally she ends up on top of me, pinning my arms to the ground.

  "Do you give up?" asks Ebb.

  "Never!" I say.

  We both laugh. Ebb rolls off of me and onto her back. We just lie in the mud for a moment.

  "Thank you, Ebb. What you have taught me may save my life. I will forever owe you a debt," I say.

  "Just survive, Sam. I don't want you to die."

  "I will do everything I can to live."

  There is just enough sun left in the sky that we are able to find our way back to the Crag.

  16

  When we get back I notice how muddy we are. I suggest to Ebb that we wash off what we can in the puddle at the mouth of the Crag. It takes us a few minutes to get the mud off of our feet and legs. I figure that it should work well enough until we can make it to the loud waters. Once we are only half-covered in mud, we walk back to my room.

  Flot and Jet are inside, talking to each other. They have surprised and guilty looks on their faces, like we walked in on them planning someone's death.

  "Ebb, I would like to introduce you to my brothers," I say.

  Before I can say who they are, they both stand up from the ground. Flot reaches out a hand to Ebb.

  "I'm Flot," he says, shaking hands.

  "Jet," says Jet, also shaking her hand. "So you watched over us last night?"

  "Yes, I did," says Ebb.

  "So why are you here?" asks Flot.

  "We're grabbing some soap," I say.

  "Good, because you look horrible. Have you been rolling around in the mud again?" asks Flot.

  "Ebb was teaching me how to hand fight," I say.

  Both Flot and Jet smile.

  "What kind of evil have you been up to?" I ask.

  "Nothing," says Flot. "Nothing we want you to know about."

  I just stare at them.

  "Anyway, we're off to the loud waters," I say.

  We grab the soap then leave.

  "Your brothers seem nice," says Ebb.

  "Yes, they do seem nice," I say.

  "It is also nice to see them when they aren't asleep."

  "I'm not sure I agree with that."

  We arrive at the loud waters. Ebb and I wade in, close to where the water is leaving the cave. We both lie down, completely covering ourselves in water. I hold my breath and let the water do its job. I can feel the clumps of mud pull away from my face and clothes. It also feels good to have the cool water on my bruises.

  After I feel like I'm rinsed, I stand up. Ebb does the same. We both take off our clothes and start washing them with soap. I look over at Ebb then quickly look away. She looks over at me.

  "Sam, are you blushing?" asks Ebb.

  "Um, what do you mean?" I say.

  "Your face is turning red."

  "Must be from the mud."

  I don't know why I would blush. It's not like I haven't washed my clothes and bathed in front of other people my entire life. I don't blush when I wash around Flot or Jet, or anyone else.

  I finish up washing my clothes. I rest near the edge of the loud waters, waiting for Ebb to wash her long hair. It takes her a while to wash hers; much longer than I spend on mine.

  We take our clothes to the Great Fire and hang them up. Ebb and I use the warmth of the fire to dry off. Moss is there, and he looks at us both then smiles at me.

  Eventually we are both dry.

  "I hope you do well in the trials," says Ebb.

  "I will do my best to survive, and to remember what you have taught me."

  "Just keep inside your mind that the trials aren't a game. There is more to lose than your life. Do what you must to survive. That is all that matters."

  "I will," I say.

  Ebb places a small kiss on my cheek then hurries back to her room.

  17

  I head back to our room and put on some clean clothes. Flot and Jet are still there. Flot is reading a book this time, and Jet is cleaning his armor. Flot finally looks up.

  "Wow, she really must have punched you a lot. Your face is bruised. So are your arms and chest. Are you hurt?" asks Flot.

  "I'm fine," I say.

  I hurry to put clothes on, so that most of the bruises are covered. It doesn't take me long to change.

  "Did you hit her back?" asks Jet.

  "A few times, but I was trying not to hurt her."

  "Oh, so you got beat up just so you wouldn't hurt her?" asks Flot.

  "No, she was better than me," I admit.

  "Wait, you're saying that someone was better than you at something?" says Flot.

  "... Yes."

  "Just what I thought. You aren't the Sky Child," says Flot.

  "How did you hear about that?" I ask.

  "What, you being the Sky Child? Seems like that's the only thing people are talking about. Though, when everyone hears about how Ebb beat you up, I'm sure they won't think you are the Sky Child anymore," says Flot.

  "How will everyone hear that Ebb beat me?" I ask.

  "Because I'm going to tell everyone about it!" says Flot.

  Jet laughs.

  "Do you want me to use what she taught me on your head?" I ask.

  Flot covers his face with his book, and Jet goes quiet.

  "I'm heading to the feast now. Are you coming?" I ask.

  "Yeah," says Jet.

  "I will come when I'm done with this chapter," says Flot.

  "What are you reading?" I ask.

  Flot ignores the question. I look at it, and I remember reading it a few snows ago. The name of it has something to do with the end of a sidewalk, but I have no idea what a sidewalk is. Most of the stories in it are short and strange, and make no sense, but I like them.

  Jet follows me out of the room. I turn to him.

  "So what are you and Flot up to?" I ask.

  "Oh, nothing," says Jet.

  "I'm serious, I need to know," I say
.

  "We've been talking about girls is all."

  "Oh, that's right! You really like that girl, Till," I say.

  "Shut up!" says Jet.

  "Did you finally talk to her?" I ask.

  "Yes."

  "And?"

  "And it's none of your business," says Jet.

  "Must have gone fairly well, or you would be complaining about it."

  "She might like me. She says nice things to me, but I can't tell if she just wants to be friends or not."

  "Friends isn't what you want to be?" I ask.

  "I want to maybe be more than friends."

  "That sounds serious," I say.

  "I'm too young to be serious."

  "Well, friends is a good place to start. I hope it works out, and I hope that she is nice."

  "She is," says Jet.

  After walking for a while, we finally reach the feast chamber. I get into line so that I can get some food. Jet stays next to me. I look around and I see Ebb. She smiles at me, and I nod back.

  "I'm glad that you've finally made a friend," says Jet.

  "Me too."

  We get our food, and it's more wolf stew. I think since we didn't hunt today, Cleave and the other cooks just made what they could out of leftover meat. It's not as good as yesterday's wolf stew.

  I sit down at the head table. I watch as Jet finds a seat far away from where I'm sitting. I also see a few girls sit down next to him. The girls seem interested in him, but he either doesn't really care, or he just doesn't realize it.

  I look across the table, and I catch Chaff staring at me. His mouth is twisted into an evil grin that makes my stomach sick. Helm turns and whispers to me.

  "Chaff wanted to wish you good luck on the trials."

  "I'm sure he did," I say.

  "My guess is he actually wants you to fail," says Helm.

  "I'm sure he does."

  Chaff is pathetic. It only makes me want to do better in the trials. Maybe I will get lucky, and one of the trials will be fighting my worst enemy. I would very much like to beat Chaff with my fists. He wouldn't be able to smile that evil grin anymore.

  "Do you think you are ready for the trials?" asks Helm.

  "If I said no, would you give me more time?" I ask.

  "No."

  "Then what does it matter? I have done what I can. Hopefully this isn't my last meal," I say.