"I thought I told you to be home by sunset."
"Hello, Mother Dirty Hands, good to see you," greets Ven.
"It is nice to see you too, Ven. TAEAU! What is wrong with your face? Why are you bleeding? You got into a fight again with those younglings, didn't you?" She takes a rag from her waist and starts to wipe his face.
"Mother, stop! I'm fine. Why do you always do this? It is not a problem"
"Don't you tell ME what is or is not a problem! Look at your eye. It's already starting to change color."
"He took on two of them at once, Mother Dirty Hands," says Ven, trying not to laugh as he watches Taeau's mother clean him up.
"Two! You fought two at once? Who do you think you are, huh? Some kind of tough, strong Meno warrior? I have had it with this fighting. I will have to talk with their parents."
"What? Are you crazy? Don't you dare! If you think I have it bad now, see what happens if you do that. I'm fine, really. I'm okay."
Meadow stares at her son. "Okay, since you're such a big boy now, I won't interfere . . . but if it gets worse . . .," she warns as she shakes her finger at Taeau. "How late do you plan to wander the forest tonight, I wonder?"
"Well, since Ven just got up, and I have been doing my chores all day, I was wondering if I could be home as the moon sets."
Meadow grabs her hips and looks at them both. "You can stay out 'til the moon is almost high. Take your mischievous wolf, Carn with you. Your father said he saw some animals roaming in the woods, so be careful." Taeau's mother turns her back and notices that the wood has still not been piled. "What chores did you do today, Taeau?"
Taeau does not wait for her to figure it out, "Thanks, mom, see you later." Taeau calls Carn, and they race off into the forest.
Taeau runs as fast as he can through the forest with Carn at his side. Ven, as usual, follows from the treetops. The night is dark, but with the full moon there is enough light for the two boys to see. Ven, being nocturnal, has natural night vision, but Taeau's uncanny night vision is not as natural. The other younglings noticed these differences in him early. At one of the Menoli changing-of-the-season festivals, a youngling noticed that Taeau's eyes reflected the moonlight. The others teased him constantly, saying his mother mated with a deer, and they refused to play with him after this. Taeau's parents became isolated as well. Dirty Hands was rarely invited to meetings, and Meadow was excluded from gatherings of the women.
At first, Taeau thought he should try and play with the older younglings, hoping they might be more likely to accept him. Unfortunately, they only used him to do things that always got him into trouble. They teased him as well, and what was worse, Taeau didn't understand how they were mistreating him. Once a few older Meno younglings had Ven cornered, and they were roughing him up. Ven was on the ground covering his face, when one of the older younglings told Taeau to kick his cousin. Taeau hesitated as he walked up to Ven. Until that day, he had rarely seen his cousin. He crouched down and whispered in his ear, pretending to taunt him. Taeau told Ven to run when he stood up and not look back. Taeau grabbed a stone from the ground, making sure Ven saw him pick it up. When he turned around, he threw the stone at the leader of the younglings and hit him in the head. Ven jumped to his feet, climbed a nearby tree, and was able to escape.
The younglings beat Taeau after that, and warned him never to show his face around them again. Ven watched what they did from inside a tree. After the children left Taeau on the ground bleeding, Ven helped his cousin up and carried him home. They had been best friends ever since. Ven lost many of his friends after that. They made fun of him for associating with the city outsider. It only brought Ven and Taeau closer.
Taeau stops and stands at the wooden walls of the city. Ven lands to his right. "I found it just beyond these walls," says Taeau.
"You know that younglings are not permitted to go outside the walls of the city." Taeau looks at Ven and smiles, spins, and begins to sprint along the wall. His excitement fuels his body as he runs. His legs feel strong and the wind blowing in his ears clears his mind.
"Where are we going?" shouts Ven, who is trying to keep up with Taeau, who is running faster than Ven has ever seen him run before. Ven can usually jump circles around Taeau, but tonight he can't keep up even while leaping at full speed. As Ven struggles to keep up, he sees Taeau's necklace beginning to shine and he stops. He has never seen his cousin's necklace do this before, and he stands there, confused.
"Here!" yells Taeau.
Panting, Ven lands and stares at Taeau's necklace, which has gone dark, "Wha . . . what are we looking for, cousin?" Not listening to Ven, Taeau kneels on all fours and crawls through a crack in the gate. Carn whimpers and sniffs the spot where Taeau disappeared. Ven looks around and hesitates for a moment while looking through the crack. Ven knows how angry his father would be if he knew his son was breaking one of the most important youngling rules.
"Come on, Ven," whines Taeau, "we won't be outside the walls for too long, I promise. The treasure is right over here." Ven looks back one more time, shakes his head, and sneaks through the crack. Once on the other side, he spots his cousin standing only a short distance away.
"It's just over here. Come on," urges Taeau.
They both struggle as they walk through the choking underbrush that pulls at their clothes and fur. It's not long before Ven notices something hanging from a tree. Ven sees something flapping against the bark, slapping the tree as the wind blows. Ven becomes confused as he recognizes a pair of his cousin's pants.
"What is that doing here?"
"Well, when I found the treasure, I needed to mark the spot with something, now didn't I?"
"So what did you wear when you left?"
Taeau scratches his head, "I ran home with no pants on, of course." Ven looks at his best friend for a moment before he breaks out into an uncontrollable laugh.
"Ha . . . how did you get past your . . . mom . . . with no pants on?" gasps Ven between giggles.
Taeau shrugs and turns away from his cousin, not understanding what is so funny. Not letting his cousin distract him, he whacks around the tree, brushing plants out of his way. Ven continues laughing, and Taeau answers his cousin's question in exasperation. "Well, I just waited until mom was out in the yard, and then I ran inside our hut and quickly put on another pair of pants. Ha! Here it is. Come look."
Ven comes to Taeau's side and peers over his shoulder at what he has uncovered. Nothing could have prepared Ven for this. On the ground is the decayed corpse of a foreign soldier. All that is left of the warrior is a skull and a few scattered bones, but there’s more: Although his body has long become dirt, his armor is still intact along with a broken sword and helmet. They are all worn by weather and time, but they are weapons of war all the same.
"Quick! Grab the shield and the helmet. I'll get the sword," says Taeau. They pick up everything and run back to the gate. Ven and Taeau crawl through the crack and into the city. They both are breathing heavily and lay down their treasure too inspect it. The helmet, made by a foreign blacksmith, is simple, with a few roughly carved symbols. The shield is rusted and filled with many small holes made by burrowing insects. The sword is cracked and broken, but is the perfect size for a youngling. Ven starts to circle the found treasure with desire in his eyes.
"Who gets what?" asks Ven.
"Well . . . I was thinking I should get the sword and the helmet."
"No, you do not get both the sword and the helmet! I get the helmet and the shield, and you get the sword."
Taeau looks it all over and agrees. "Fine, let's get the treasure to the fort."
"Agreed."
They both pick up their treasure and run toward the unspeakable, with Carn barking at their sides. They reach the fort and crawl inside. Their fort is a large mound of earth that has been hollowed out by some forest creature. The two cousins came across their fortress during one of their adventures, and they dug further into the mound, making it larger. They also made a gate at
the entrance like the one to enter the city. They even figured out how to create light by harvesting forest mushrooms that glow from a nearby stream.
"Ok, we will store everything here and tell no one about it," declares Taeau. "Finally we have something to defend ourselves against our enemies,"
"What does that mean, Taeau? We can't use this stuff on them, or let anyone catch us using it," says Ven with a stern look on his face. He takes a cautious step away from his cousin and looks at the sword in his hand.
"I know, I know. If our enemy ever attacks us at our fortress, we will use the treasure only to scare them off, and then we will just deny we have it. I mean, who will believe them over us?"
Ven does not like the idea. His father is too intimidating, and he fears him too much to lie. Ven does like the new helmet, though. It makes him feel like his father, who wears the helmet of the city each day.
"Tomorrow can you sneak out and meet me here? There is so much to do, and I have to get home before mom goes crazy," Taeau says, putting his hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"Yeah, sure, I will see you here tomorrow. Let's go." With this, they both leave the fort and start home. When they get to the crossroads that leads to each of their homes, they wave goodbye and run off in different directions. When Ven arrives home, his father is already there, sitting at the table and talking to Ven's mother. Ven's sister hangs onto her father's back, and his younger brother watches from his mother's pouch.
"What are you doing home so early?" Ven asks his father curiously.
"I will be in and out all night as well as tomorrow. Come to the table and sit down. So where have you been all night? Out with your cousin at that unspeakable place again?" Ven senses that his father is only playing nice while baiting him for information, so he answers the question vaguely.
"Yes, well, we were all over the place tonight, is that okay with you?"
Ven's mother lowers her head in an unbelieving look. She puts her hand on Black Claw's hand and gives him a look before leaving them alone. "Come on, Whispers," she says, "I think it is time for us to get dinner ready."
Now Black Claw and Ven sit alone, and Ven can feel his father's glare. "Look, son, you are getting older . . . so I am not going to lie to you." Ven looks up at his father with a puzzled look in his eyes. "Today we had a meeting in the Great Hall about an enemy that will be coming here tomorrow." Ven is shocked to hear his father talk to him about important things. "You see Ven, if tomorrow does not go well, I may have to leave for a while and help protect the city. When I am gone, or if anything happens to me, you will be the oldest male. You will have to take care of the family." Ven freezes in his chair. His head begins to spin and his eyes tear.
"But, Father, I am only a youngling. What can I do if you do not come back? I am not strong and big like you."
Black Claw smiles at his son, "I was once young and small too . . . but I had to prove myself, and one day so will you. I am proud of you son, and I will not worry about my family's safety if you promise to take care of them."
Ven speaks as tears slide down his face, "I will do what you say, Father. I promise."
"I know you will . . . Now help me pack my things."
They get up both get up and walk into Black Claw's room. Together they open a chest in the corner where Black Claw's armor, fighting claws, and the helmet of Eel reside. When Ven sees his father's armor, he can only think about getting his own helmet from the unspeakable. He knows it will anger his father if he sneaks out, but all he can think of is his father's words about protecting his family.
"Son, tomorrow I do not want you and your cousin going to your fort . . . there will be a curfew in effect, and I do not want my son getting into trouble for breaking it. Also, I heard about your little scuffle with Dark Water's son, Stripes. I would like it if you try to get along with him and the other younglings, and stop spending so much time with your cousin."
Ven looks up angrily and tries to control his voice, "What?! Why? He is your brother's son and my best friend."
His father breathes deeply, "I know that. It was Dirty Hands who told your mother what happened. I just don't see why you can't get along with the other younglings."
"Taeau is family and not a stinking dung-sniffer like Stripes."
"Look, son, I am just trying to make it easier on you. If you want to be something important one day you need to gain the respect of the other younglings. Think about it." Black Claw taps Ven on the head and leaves. Ven stays in the room staring at the floor. He knows what his father says is true. He also remembers the lessons of loyalty and honor his father taught him, and the thought of betraying Taeau turns his stomach. Ven punches the floor and decides he must sneak out and meet Taeau, so he can get his hands on the helmet and come home and protect his mother and siblings.
---
Taeau creeps up to the family hut, and Carn begins to bark.
"Sshhh! boy, you'll wake them and get me in trouble!"
But it is too late, because his mother's silhouette becomes visible in the doorway.
"Trouble you are already in. Now get inside," she says, glaring down at her son. Taeau scampers inside and sits on the floor. His mother joins him, and they both sit staring at each other. "Well, what time did I tell you to be home tonight? Do you think you can just do what you want? Not to mention all that is going on in the city. You are lucky your father is already asleep, or I would tell him to take you into the woods, find a switch, and use it on your backside. Taeau looks up and begins to shift back and forth uncomfortably. His mother sees this, and a small smile crosses her face. "Well, since your father is asleep, we will keep your misbehavior to ourselves, okay?" Taeau smiles. "Give your mom a hug before bed. Your father will be going to that big meeting tomorrow, so be up early to do your chores and say goodbye."
"Yes, mother . . . Ahh? I love you." Taeau gives his mother a hug and stays in her lap.
Meadow sings to her son until his eyes roll back, and he enters the dream world. Once he is asleep, she lays him down in his bed, pulls the animal skin blankets over his body and moves the hair from his face. She stares at Taeau for a while and kisses his forehead. Her face begins to wrinkle with apprehension as she looks down at her adopted son, shaking her head at how much he has grown. She begins to think of the words spoken to her by Mia-Koda: "I will be back for him when he begins to walk the path of a man."
Meadow knows the time with her son is limited. She dreams about stopping the seasons or defying Mia-Koda when she comes, but she knows she will have to face that challenge one day. Meadow lies next to Taeau and falls asleep still playing with his hair.
CHAPTER FOUR
Dirty Hands wakes to an empty bed. He turns over and sees Meadow sleeping next to their son. He smiles because no matter how many times she falls asleep by Taeau's side, it brings joy to his heart. He gets up, puts on his clothes, and approaches his son. He kisses his Meadow and wakes Taeau.
"Come, son, let us leave your mother to her sleep." Taeau gets up and throws on his clothes. The sun is just beginning to shine through the trees, lifting the morning's mist. "Taeau, did your mother tell you about what I am doing today?"
"Yes, Father. Why have they asked you to join the meeting? They have never done that before."
"True, they have never done that before," Dirty Hands says, as he puts his hand on his son's shoulder. "Yes, I was surprised myself, but I hear that there were a few other farmers asked to attend as well. This is why I am worried. The last time I heard of farmers attending a big council was when my father was summoned to fight in the Border Wars."
Taeau looks up at his dad, "Wasn't that when you lost your dad?"
"Yes, your uncle and I grew up quickly after that. We had to take care of both our mother and ourselves at around your age. Black Claw joined the wars, and I took care of the family farm. It was a tough time for the both of us." Dirty Hands kneels down to his son.
"The future is never clear, son. Sometimes you must stand for what is right even wh
en it means hard times and sacrifice. I want you to stay here with your mother today, and not go to your fort in the woods or play with your cousin. Stay here the entire day and evening, do your chores, and keep your mother company."
"Ok, Father. Whatever you say." Taeau knows he is lying.
"Good boy . . . I am off, then." Dirty Hands rustles his son's hair, and Taeau watches his father walk away. Once his father is gone, Taeau runs off to find Carn and begin the morning's adventures.
"Come on, boy, we have to get away now while we still can."
Carn licks Taeau's face, and they set off toward the unspeakable. Just before they are out of sight, Meadow catches sight of her son and runs out the door. She moves quickly despite her plump figure and begins to scold Taeau.
"Where do you think you're going? Your father said for you to stay and do your chores!"
Taeau looks at his mother and does his best to fake a whine. "I am, father told me to take Carn to get firewood. We're all out, you know."
"Oh . . . okay . . . well, don't be long now, you hear?" Meadow turns back towards the hut, but she notices that the woodpile is already full. She stares at it for a moment and realizes she has been tricked.
"Taeau!" Meadow yells as she spins around, but her son is long gone.
At the same time, Ven has just pulled a similar trick on his mother. She awoke from her sleep to check on her children and found her oldest son's hammock empty. She runs to the door and bursts it open. Blinded by the morning sun, she is barely able to see Ven scampering away.
Taeau and Carn reach the unspeakable first. They stop and wait a moment behind a tree to make sure no one has followed them. "Come on, Carn! To the fortress so we can arm ourselves against our enemies," exclaims Taeau, as he skips toward the fort. Taeau approaches the fort as Ven lands on the ground behind him, breathing heavily and looking tired.
The New World (The Last Delar) Page 5
