New Bloods Boxset

by Michelle Bryan

  Typical Tater. I ain’t sure, but I feel there’s an insult amongst those words somehow. But I find I don’t care. I am actually glad to see him, ugly wrinkled face and all. I truly thought he would have abandoned us by now and gone his separate way. He has no loyalty to us. Why was he even still here? I wonder. But then my unspoken question is answered as a plump little woman with rosy cheeks yells his name.

  “Oh, Winston, I have a fresh mug of ale for you,” she says, batting her eyes at him like she got sand in ‘em.

  “Coming, my lovely,” he answers back then gives me a waggle of his bushy eyebrows. “Don’t rush your healing on my account, my dear. Take all the time you need. This is truly an enjoyable village.”

  I cain’t help but laugh at his retreating back. The laughter feels real good and truly surprises me. I didn’t think I had it left in me to laugh. I finally let my guard down and look about at everything happening ‘round me.

  The villagers had mostly lost interest in me by now, and they’re all talking and eating. Some are dancing to the little band of music makers. It’s a celebration of life happening around me, and I’m amazed to find that I very much want to be a part of it. We had been at death’s door, but we’d made it through. All of us, alive and whole, and it didn’t matter how we’d made it, did it? So I’d performed something totally strange and unexplainable. So I was most undoubtedly a freak. So what? I’d saved them: Jax, Tater, Finn. They are alive and here ‘cause of me. It felt good—damn good. Knowing I’m somewhat responsible for them being alive, well, it makes me feel lighter somehow. Like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Like my being able to save them somehow makes up for my failure in saving Rivercross.

  Suddenly ravenous, I grin at Finn. “So how’s the grub table, Finn?”

  “Oh gods, Tara, there’s everything you could ever want. I still ain’t tried it all there’s so much.”

  “Well, whadda you waitin’ for? I’m starvin’,” I say and hook my arm through his.

  I don’t know where to begin, there’s so much food. I ain’t ever seen a spread like this, not ever back in Rivercross. Everything looks so delicious, and my mouth waters in anticipation. There’s platters of roasted rabbit, meat pies piled high, mountains of golden corn, bowls of greens, and other things I cain’t even guess what they are. The smell wafting from it all is simply amazing, and my stomach rumbles loudly. Eagerly, I reach for a sweet biscuit the same time as someone behind me, and we try to take the same one.

  “Oh, sorry, miss,” the voice behind me says, and I stiffen instantly. Gods, not him. I try to move in the other direction, but a dark head pushes past my shoulder to get a look at my face.

  “Tara? Is that you?” I can hear the disbelief in his voice, and I turn on my heel to give him a steely look.

  “Not a word. Not one word. This dress was your ma’s idea, not mine,” I say, waiting for the insults to start flying. Instead, he’s looking at me all wide-eyed, like he cain’t believe what he’s seeing.

  “By gods … you look like a girl,” he says.

  “I am a girl, jackass,” I say, glaring at him.

  “No, I mean without all the dirt and mud and stink, you ain’t half-bad.”

  I truly don’t know how to take this. Is it a compliment or an insult? I ain’t sure. So I don’t say nuthin’ and neither does Jax. We kind of stare at each other in silence.

  “Tara, I—”

  “Listen, Jax—”

  We both speak at the same time, interrupting each other. He nods at me. “You first,” he says.

  “No, go ahead,” I say.

  “I just wanted to—”

  “Jax. There you are.” A small wisp of a girl with the loveliest, sun-bleached, curly hair I’d ever seen moves between us and grabs Jax’s hand. She throws a smile my way.

  “Hello, I’m Sky. Hope you don’t mind, but I want to dance and Jax here is the best dancing partner.”

  “Really?” I say, my eyes opening wide. This dour, sullen stick in the mud is a good dancer? Somehow, I cain’t picture it.

  “Yes, really,” he says defensively, like he can see what I’m thinking.

  “Well, nice to meet you Sky and by all means, don’t let me stop you from havin’ the best dancin’ partner. This I gotta see.” I don’t bother to hide my amused grin, and Jax don’t bother to hide his irritation.

  “Look, Sky, I really need to talk to Tara right now,” he says, but I interrupt.

  “Nah, it ain’t nuthin’ that cain’t wait. Go dance.” I literally push him towards the ever-smiling Sky, and he shoots me a look before he lets her lead him away as if to say, “This ain’t finished.” I watch them walk away. Jax seems to tower over the impossibly tiny girl. Finn comes to stand next to me, munching loudly on an ear of corn.

  “Who’s that with Jax?” he mumbles ‘round his mouthful of food.

  “Sky,” I say.

  “She’s real pretty,” he says.

  “Aye, that she is,” I say but cain’t help but feel a bit put out. She did look real pretty in her nice, girly dress. No confusing her with not being a girl. She’s not the type of girl you would describe as “ain’t half bad.” For some reason I cain’t fathom, it don’t sit well with me. Must be the hunger getting the better of me, I think. I nudge Finn and grin.

  “Did you save me any?”

  Shizen. Don’t think I can eat another bite even if my life depends on it. I must have tried everything on the table and twice over. And the dress that had been tight before now threatens to cut off my life’s breath. But I don’t care. I will die full and happy.

  We’d just stood there, me and Finn, eating and grinning at each other as the juices ran down our chins. We’d nod hello or such to anyone who happened to speak to us, but we don’t let nuthin’ deter us from the food. Cat would occasionally saunter over and gobble up anything we dropped, but she mainly stayed hidden under the table. There were too many people ‘round for her liking. I knew how she felt. If I could have gotten away with it, I would have crawled under there with her. Only when the shouts started of, “A tale, Tater! A tale!” did we let ourselves be pulled away from the food.

  Eagerly, we join Vi and Jax and the others gathered ‘round the fire. Vi scoots over on the wooden bench and nods for us to sit. Finn moves real quick and sets himself next to Vi, leaving me no option but to squeeze between him and Jax. For some reason, I hesitate. I don’t want to sit that close to Jax and Sky, but at his raised brow I decide I’m being foolish and sit myself down. Or try to at least, but I take one step, and my boot hooks into the tail of my dress, and I go sprawling in the dirt at Jax’s feet. Horrified, I stare at Jax’s boots, too embarrassed to look any higher.

  “Oh my, are you okay, Tara?” I know its Sky’s voice asking, but it ain’t her hands that help me to my feet and set me straight. I look into the mocking blue eyes and brush his hands angrily from my shoulders.

  “Aye, she’s okay,” he says, all the while still snickering at me. “She ain’t used to dressing as a girl is all, right Tara?”

  “Jackass,” I mutter at him and sit myself next to Finn, squishing him almost so as not to have any part of me touch Jax at all. I ignore his sniggering and stare straight ahead at Tater, my cheeks burning hot from my embarrassment. Even Finn is laughing at me, but I give him an angry sideways glare and mutter under my breath, “Don’t you even dare.”

  He stops laughing real quick. Thankfully, everyone’s focus soon turns to Tater as he gets himself into his storytelling mode. He clears his throat a couple of times and stares dramatically at the night sky. I recognize the look of intense concentration, and I shiver in anticipation, forgetting about my earlier embarrassment. This is gonna be a good one.

  He’s as still as a statue, silhouetted against the roaring campfire. A hush falls over the crowd. Even the music makers have stopped playing for this treat. Tater drags the silence out for a bit, building the suspense. It’s so quiet you could probably hear a leaf drop. Then suddenly, his voice booms o
ut in a deep, resonating timbre.

  “Many, many years ago and in a land far, far away …”

  Every soul there is held spellbound as Tater tells us the story of a magical tree planted by the gods that grew up through the clouds right to the sky. And of how a poor boy named Finn (we all laugh at this) came across this tree while hunting for food one day in the woods and climbs to the sky to find a magical kingdom ruled by an evil giant. Now, this giant has kept the kingdom’s true, good queen locked away in a gilded cage for many, many years. He tells us of how Finn finds this queen, so sad and lonely in her confinement. She requests of Finn to release her from her prison, and in repayment she gives him her jeweled locket. The problem; however, is the giant keeps the key to the cage on him at all times. Brave Finn waits ‘til the giant falls asleep and then sneaks into the giant’s pocket, looking for the key to release the queen, trying desperately not to awaken the giant. All the young’uns sitting at our feet squeal in fright as Tater, who had been pretending to be the sleeping giant, opens his eyes, jumps up on a tree stump, and booms out, “Ahoy! Ahoy! I smell the flesh of a foolish boy!”

  Even the real Finn next to me jumps and grabs my arm in fright at this.

  Our hero Finn succeeds in getting the key and freeing the queen, but the giant is furious at the boy and tries to stomp him into the ground. Tater builds up the excitement by describing the chase between Finn and the giant. Finn is running for his life, climbing down the tree as fast as he can, but the giant is on his heels. Halfway down, the boy yells to his ma to bring his ax and once on the ground starts hacking at the tree. Tater is by now acting it out, chopping at the air as if his life truly depended on it. The young’uns are all huddled together, terrified. I even find myself on edge a little, holding my breath, he’s drawn me into the story so. I steal a sideways glance at Jax and am amazed to see his usual frown replaced by amusement as he watches Tater. Sky is huddled into Jax’s arm as if she’s terrified by the story. Snorting to myself in disgust, I turn away. Really? She’s acting like one of the young’uns.

  Finn nearly has the tree chopped through when the weight of the giant topples it the rest of the way, and the giant falls from the sky to the ground, creating a fierce hole so wide and deep into the earth that he disappears, never to be seen again. This hole eventually fills up from the rains and becomes what the settlers of old used to call an “ocean.” As for Finn, the locket was a treasure indeed, and it gives him and his ma the means to live the rest of their lives happily, and fruitfully, ever after.

  Tater stops talking, and for a bit there ain’t nuthin’ but silence, then the whooping and clapping starts. It’s so loud it echoes in my ears. Shouts of “Wonderful,” and “Magnificent,” and, “Another! Another!” Tater is soaking it up, smiling and bowing, but he shakes his head to another tale. Instead, he happily accepts a mug of ale from his rosy-cheeked companion and is content to let the music makers break into a lively dance step. He is truly where he belongs, I think as I watch someone supply him with a flute, and he joins in the music making, dancing a little jig as he plays.

  I lounge with Vi by the fire, listening to the music and tapping my foot to the rhythm. Finn by now has had enough of sitting and is in among the throng of dancers. I catch glimpses of him every now and then as he swings by on the arm of someone, head tipped back and howling with laughter. It gladdens my heart to see him having so much fun. That’s what young’uns were supposed to do, have fun.

  Jax is among the many dancers as well. I see him and Sky swing by, hear their laughter. It don’t seem right hearing that deep laughter coming from him. I ain’t used to it. I’m used to the sullen looks and glares of disgust, but Sky must truly bring out the best in him. I watch in puzzlement as many of the dancers clap Jax on the back as they pass by or kiss Sky’s cheek. It’s almost as if they are congratulating them, but for what? Before I can ask Vi about this, the mob of dancers swoop by and one of them falls out of the line, nearly landing in my lap. Laughingly, the young man gets to his feet and takes a little bow in my direction.

  “Why are you not dancing, young miss? Come, dance with me.”

  “Oh no, I cain’t,” I say, shaking my head.

  “Of course you can,” says Vi, and she nudges my shoulder. “Go. Have some fun.”

  “No … no!” I say more insistently as the man yanks me to my feet. Instantly, I am whirled and spun about in every direction. The swarm of dancers crash in on me and then ebb out again like ripples in a pond. I swing from one arm to the next as the magical spell of the music flows over me, stirring my blood, awakening some deep-rooted need to just let loose. It’s exhilarating, and the dancing surprisingly makes me feel so alive. My breathless laughter blends with the others as I grab the next person’s hand, and I’m pulled into the crook of a strong arm. I look up into familiar blue eyes, and I’m shocked to see them void of any disapproval but filled with the pure joy of the moment. For a slight bit, we share in the delight of the dance as Jax holds me tight against his chest, and I stare into his face. I suddenly notice that he’s shaved since our escape, and the missing stubble allows me to see the tiny hollow in his chin. Funny, I ain’t noticed that little dent before. I’m stunned at my sudden urge to reach up and touch it, but I fight against it and keep my hands firmly planted on his chest. I can feel his heart thumping through his thin tunic against the palm of my hand. He smiles at me then, a real, full-out smile that reaches his eyes and makes them appear bluer than the summer sky. My breath catches in my throat as a wave of heat spreads over me.

  Time seems to stand still for a brief bit as the music and the laughter of the others fade into the background, surrounding us in our own little cocoon of silence. Like at this moment in time, we’re the only two people in the world. That nuthin’ else matters. But then the contact is broken, and I’m spun into the arms of the next dancer, surprised by the sharp twinge of loss.

  That was it. Just a stupid little smile, but it leaves me more breathless than any dancing. Lightheaded and stumbling, I move away from the dancers and make my way back to the fire. Someone thrusts a mug into my hands, and I drink the foul-tasting ale down in big gulps. What the hell is wrong with me? It was just a stupid dance. Why is my heart doing these crazy little flip flops?

  Puzzled by what I’m feeling and not wanting to make conversation with Vi or anybody else for that matter right now, I walk away from the bustling center and head towards the dark outskirts of the village. My head is spinning, and I need to get away and get some air.

  I walk the dark path away from the ruckus ‘til the quiet babbling of a little brook beckons me. I settle down beside it, letting the musical sound of its waters soothe me. Pulling my knees up, I cross my arms over them and close my eyes. I can still hear the laughter of the dancers and the music makers from afar and start humming along as they break into a chorus of “Sweet Sally.” I tap my foot along with my humming. Grada used to sing this, I think as I smile to myself. The knife-sharp pain that always accompanies my thoughts of him comes swiftly, but it don’t linger as much as it used to. It turns into more of a dull ache now. It kinda scares me ‘cause I’m afraid it means I’m starting to forget. I don’t want to forget.

  “Tara.”

  As lost in my thoughts as I am, the voice startles me and I jump. I look up as the shadowy figure of Jax approaches and blame my rapidly beating heart on my fright.

  “I saw you walk away and figured this would be as good a time as any to talk to you.”

  He joins me at the brook and plops himself down on the sandy bank. I look at him expectantly as he settles beside me, but he don’t say nuthin’. I wait for a bit, the only sound between us is the music makers off in the distance and the gurgling waters.

  “Well, the whole point of wantin’ to talk is to actually say words,” I say, breaking our silence.

  He don’t look at me. He keeps staring at the flowing water.

  “I know that. I just wanted … I wanted to say thank you. As much as you don’t want to
hear about what you did, you saved our lives. You saved my life.”

  “Jax,” I interrupt immediately. I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m not ready. I’m not ready to admit to anything that I supposedly did, but he ain’t finished.

  “Shizen, you took a slug for me. It would have surely killed me, but you saved me. And for that, I am eternally in your debt.”

  I stare at him wide-eyed and gob-smacked at his admission. Who is this person? The Jax I’ve come to know would rather tangle with a wolfling than say thank you to me.

  “Eternally, huh? That’s a frightfully long time,” I say finally, making light of his words. “That and a thank you all in the same conversation? You sure you ain’t been into the ale, Jax? I mean, this ain’t like you at all.”

  He looks at me then with this hard stare and no trace of the earlier smile.

  “Why you gotta be like that?” he says.

  “Like what?” I say.

  “I’m trying to be serious here, and you’re laughing at me.”

  “I ain’t laughin’,” I say, smothering my grin so he don’t see it.

  “Whatever, all I’m trying to say is thank you,” he says again, and I nod.

  “Well, you’re welcome I guess,” I say, still trying to hold in my laugh. He truly is pricklier than a prickly bush. Maybe I’d be better off changing the topic of our conversation.

  “You know, you never did tell me how you got captured in the first place. How did you end up in that raider’s cage anyways?”

  He shrugs at my question. “Stupid really. Was out on a hunting trip like I said, alone, and made the bad decision to go further into the mountains than I usually go. Should have known better, but game was so scarce, and I had promised some fresh meat for tonight’s celebration. Before I realized it, I was a lot deeper into the mountains than I should have been. Reckoned I may as well spend the night and make my way back at first light. Made camp and settled in for the night. Next thing I know, I’m being awakened by a shooter poking into my gut and those bastards all around me.”