Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

  DeMalo. Dark eyes, almost black, meet mine.

  Lookin deep inside of me. Findin my darkest thoughts, my worst fears.

  He sounds too good to be true, says Jack.

  His voice seems to come from a long ways away.

  What’d you say? I says.

  I said … that Lugh sounds too good to be true.

  You got no right to say that. You don’t know nuthin about him.

  I says it real quick, to block out the thought of how Lugh’s bin changin over the past year or so. How he was that last day. How he said he couldn’t wait to leave Silverlake an the look on his face when he called Pa a foolish old man livin in a dream world. I hate that Pa died with them bein the last words spoke between ’em.

  Hey, says Jack, I’m sorry, it was a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry. So, if yer twins he must look the same as you?

  I turn on my side to face him.

  No, I says. He’s beautiful. Like Ma was. Gold hair like the sun. Long, in a braid right down to his waist.

  Yer hair’s startin to grow back, he says. It’s dark.

  Black, I says. Like my pa’s. It used to be nice. Thick an long an … I must look real stupid.

  No, he says.

  When Ma was alive, she used to say, yer the night-time, Saba, Lugh’s the day. I’m the one who always takes things too serious. Lugh’s the one who smiles, makes you laugh. He’s a good person, Lugh. He’s everythin I ain’t.

  Is that what you believe? That you ain’t a good person? That you ain’t beautiful?

  I don’t say nuthin.

  You must miss him, he says.

  I never knew that missin somebody could hurt, I says. But it does. Deep inside. Like it’s in my bones. We ain’t never bin apart till now. Never. I dunno how to be without him. It’s like … I ain’t nuthin.

  Don’t say that, he says. Don’t ever say that. You are somethin, Saba. Somethin good an strong an true. With him or without him.

  He reaches over an brushes my tears away with his thumb. I didn’t even know I was cryin. A warm path trails behind his touch.

  The clouds clear fer a moment an I dive into his strange silvery eyes. They’re like a moonlit lake. We lie there fer a good long time, jest starin at each other in the soft, piney night. At last he says, We’ll find him. I promise. Now try an git some sleep. I’ll take first watch.

  Wake me when it’s my turn, I says.

  I will, he says.

  G’night, Jack.

  G’night.

  He sits, his back propped aginst a tree.

  Jack? I whisper.

  What?

  Thank you.

  Sweet dreams, Saba.

  But I don’t sleep fer ages.

  Somethin good an strong an true. That’s what he said. Nobody ever used such words about me before. I wonder if he really means ’em.

  The Jack I seen up till now, that Jack’s all charm an quick words an easy smiles. But the way he is tonight, the way he was while we was talkin, I warn’t expectin that. It put me in mind of Mercy. I felt this … stillness, I guess you’d call it … at the heart of him. That’s the same feelin I got from her. Stillness, like calm water.

  I dunno what to make of it. It don’t seem to fit. An jest when I thought I had him all figgered out too.

  But the thing is, I think I might be … startin to trust him. I know Maev thinks he’s hidin somethin, that he’s got secrets. An she could be right. She’s seen a lot more of the world than me, met a lot more people. Emmi seems to like him jest fine, but what does she know? She’s jest a little kid.

  I dunno if I’m right to trust him.

  I stare up. The gray clouds brush over the black of the night sky.

  I wish Lugh was here. He’d tell me. He’d know.

  It’s the middle of the day. We’re still in the foothills, dry an dusty, but the land’s gittin hillier, rockier, with more’n more tree cover as we go along.

  Jack’s bin ridin a little ways ahead of us all mornin. I’m glad not to hafta say much to him. I’m wishin I hadn’t of said so much to him last night. I ain’t quite sure why I did. I shouldn’t of let him fool me into sleepin next to him.

  Emmi’s ridin beside me an Nero’s hitchin a ride on Hermes’ rump. Emmi starts lookin behind us, over her shoulder.

  What is it? I says.

  She frowns. Nuthin, she says. But as we go on, she keeps lookin back. I can tell she ain’t easy. That she’s got somethin on her mind. Finally, I cain’t take it no more. I reach over an grab Joy’s reins. Bring her to a halt.

  Yer drivin me crazy, Em, I says. Tell me what it is.

  Jack turns Ajax around an rides back to join us. What’s goin on? he says. What is it, Emmi?

  She chews on her bottom lip. Looks all uneasy.

  Emmi, I says. Spit it out or I’ll shake it outta you.

  I … I think somebody’s followin us, she says at last.

  What? I says.

  Where? says Jack. He reaches into his saddlebag an pulls somethin out.

  South, says Emmi pointin back the way we come from.

  Jack holds the thing to his eyes. It’s made of black plastic. He looks through the narrow end an now I see there’s two big circles of glass at th’other, wider, end. He twirls a little knob in the middle.

  What the hell’s that? I says.

  It’s a long-looker, says Jack. Lets you see things far off in the distance.

  Wrecker tech! I says.

  As a matter of fact, it’s mighty useful, he says. Picked it up back in Hopetown. It’s amazin what people leave lyin around. You don’t come across these very often an them you do find ain’t usually in one piece.

  He takes a good long gander, sweepin it right across the horizon.

  I cain’t see nuthin untoward, Em, he says. Here, Saba, you wanna take a look?

  He hands it over an I hold it to my eyes. All of a sudden, the little copse that we passed through a half hour back rushes right up close to me. I can see every leaf on every branch on every tree.

  Whoa! I give Jack a big smile. That’s amazin!

  He stares at me, a funny look on his face. That’s the first time I ever seen you smile, he says.

  I scowl at him. Whaddya mean? I says. I smile all the time.

  No you don’t, Emmi pipes up. You used to, when Lugh was around, but ever since he went, you bin all mean an cross an horrible an—

  All right, I says, that’s enough.

  I was only sayin—

  Well, don’t!

  I lift the long-looker to my eyes agin an make a good check of everywhere I can see.

  Nuthin, I says at last. There ain’t nobody followin us. Next time you imagine you see somethin, Emmi, do us all a favor an keep it to yerself.

  She pinches her lips together tight, wheels Joy around an pushes past me, her chin in the air.

  Jack opens his mouth to say somethin, an I point my finger at him.

  Don’t even think of it, I says. She’s my sister an I’ll talk to her any way I want.

  He turns Ajax an walks him past me.

  She’s nine years old, he says. Give her a break.

  Nero caws at me. Like he’s repeatin what Jack jest said. I stare at Jack’s back. How strange. Almost the ezzack same words Lugh said me, that last day when we was fixin the roof.

  She’s only nine, Saba. You might try bein nice to her fer a change.

  Lugh. Jack. Emmi. I frown. It’s makin my head hurt.

  I’ll think about it later.

  Jack’s hand on my arm wakes me. It must be my turn on watch. He took the first half of the night an I’ll take us through till dawn. Right away, I’m wide awake, sittin up. His eyes gleam in the darkness.

  You let the fire go out, I whisper.

  No, I put it out, he whispers back.

  What’d you do that—

  Emmi was right, he says.

  What?

  There’s a light on the ridge.

  My heart starts thumpin. I slide outta my bedroll. Show m
e, I says.

  Tonight we’re camped on a hill at the foot of a light tower. There’s a line of ’em, marchin across a wide mountain plateau towards the ruins of a big Wrecker city, about three leagues due north of here. You can see the rusted iron skellentons of the tall buildins in the distance. Skyscrapers, they used to call ’em.

  Jack scrambles up the leg of the light tower an I follow him. We go high enough to git a good view an then he hands me the long-looker.

  There, he says. He points south, back the way we come from.

  I look through it. Light. Faint. Flickerin on the ridge that we came over this mornin … no, yesterday mornin now.

  A campfire, I says.

  They lit it jest after midnight, he says. I bin watchin an it ain’t moved since.

  They must be camped fer the night, I says.

  Maybe, he says.

  We cain’t be th’only people travelin through here, I says. It’s probly fine.

  Jest then, the light goes out. Then another one appears. But this one’s movin. It bobs over the ridge an starts down. It’s headed this way.

  That don’t look fine to me, says Jack.

  Let’s wake Emmi an git outta here, I says.

  Good plan, he says.

  We ride into the dead city jest as the sun’s startin to rise up.

  Sometimes Pa used to tell us about the big Wrecker cities that sprawled over leagues an leagues. Lugh an me always thought he was tellin us tall tales, but it looks like he was right. The remains of a vast city, spread out across this plateau in the mountains.

  A long straight trackway, a old road covered now in grass an low shrubs, lies ahead of us as far as the eye can see. The rusted iron skellentons of skyscrapers, the ones that we seen in the distance, line both sides of the road. Other roads lead off from the main one, like branches on a tree.

  You can see where there was buildins, way back when. Now they’re nuthin but bumps an grass-covered hills. They fell down long ago, bit by bit, an ever since then the earth, the plants an the winds, they bin quietly movin an shiftin to cover what’s left. To hide it away. Bury the past.

  There ain’t no sound but the wind. It moans around corners. Sighs as it brushes past us, whisperin the long-forgotten secrets of this place. Listen to the wind, Mercy told me. If only we could unnerstand what it’s sayin. Maybe it’s tellin us how many people lie buried unner our feet an how they came to die. Could of bin plague or hunger or thirst or wars. Or maybe all of ’em all at once. The Wreckers did it all.

  Now there ain’t nuthin livin here but cats. An where there’s cats, there’s mice. One runs in front of Hermes, but he’s too smart to be bothered. The cats don’t give us a second glance as they slink along on their business. Nero dives at ’em fer fun, fallin silent outta the sky an sendin ’em racin off in a panic.

  We pull up the horses an swing ourselves off.

  The second I hit the ground, it shifts. I don’t even have time to shout out before my right leg’s disappeared up the knee.

  Emmi giggles.

  I fergot to mention, says Jack. If the ground dips, go around it. In this kinda place, a dip usually means there’s a hole.

  He watches, arms folded, as I pull myself out.

  Thanks, I says. I’ll try to remember that.

  We better check where our friends are, he says. He hands the long-looker to Emmi. You wanna shin up an take a look?

  She nods. She ain’t said nuthin to me since we shook her awake to tell her about the lights an strike camp. I’ll take her aside later when Jack ain’t nearby, tell her I’m sorry I didn’t believe her when she said we was bein followed. I guess even Emmi can be right sometimes.

  She scampers up a big hill nearby an climbs the metal tower stickin outta the top of it. She wraps one arm around a girder an holds the long-looker to her eyes.

  I can see ’em! she shouts, all excited.

  How far away? calls Jack.

  Uh …

  She cain’t tell distance, I says.

  I can so! Two leagues, she says.

  How many are there? says Jack.

  Four! No, wait! Uh … I cain’t see very good!

  Try twistin the knob in the middle, Jack calls.

  She lets go the girder an starts fiddlin with the knob.

  Emmi! I yell. Are you crazy? Hang onto somethin!

  Leave me alone! she yells. I know what I’m doin!

  She twists to glare at me. She loses her balance.

  Emmi! I yell. I start to sprint up the hill.

  She throws her arms around the girder. She’s safe. But she lets go of the long-looker. It flies into the air. I make a dive fer it. But I’m too far away. There’s a crack as it hits a rock jest ahead of me. I land with a thud on my stummick an lie there, lookin at the shattered bits of long-looker scattered all over the grass. Nero flaps down an lands on my head.

  Crap, says Jack.

  Gawdammit, Emmi, I says. Look what you done now.

  Okay. Jack slides over the top of the hill to where we’re huddled outta sight. Looks like there’s jest two of ’em. They’re on foot. Walkin their horses in.

  That’s good, I says. I’d hate to hurt a horse.

  But you don’t mind if it’s a person, says Jack.

  They can take care of theirselves, I says.

  Remind me not to git on the wrong side of you, he says. D’you think we made the hole big enough?

  I told you, I says, I dug hunnerds of traps jest like this one. Me an Lugh used ’em all the time when we was huntin wild boar.

  Emmi frowns. She says, But Saba, there warn’t no wi—

  Behind Jack’s back, I slash my hand across my throat an scowl at her somethin fierce. She snaps her mouth shut.

  My plan better work. I don’t want Jack twiggin that I never actually made a pit-trap before. Lugh an me used to talk all the time about diggin one, but at Silverlake there warn’t no huntin worth the time an trouble it would of took us. Jack an me’s dug this one in the spot where my foot went through the ground. Right in the middle of the main track through the city. Turns out there was a pretty big hole already there. All we had to do was make it a bit deeper.

  My bedroll’s gonna git all dirty, Emmi grumbles.

  We spread it over the hole, pegged down the edges an covered it all with grass. Now you’d never know there was a hole there.

  Too bad, I says. It’s yer punishment fer bustin the long-looker.

  I said I’d try to fix it, says Jack.

  Emmi pokes her tongue at me.

  I point at her. Yer gettin way too fresh, Emmi, I says. You jest wait till we—

  Shhh! Jack lays a finger over his lips. We crouch there, silent, not lookin at each other. Jest waitin.

  Then I hear voices. The soft snort of a horse.

  They’re comin, Jack whispers.

  We flatten ourselves into the side of the hill. Jack an me reach fer our crossbows an load up. Emmi fits a stone into her slingshot. My heart’s poundin hard in my chest.

  The voices pass by our hidin place.

  Then, Aaah! They yell out as they step into nuthin. As they tumble into our trap. The horses squeal, frightened.

  Go! yells Jack.

  We leap up an rush over the top of the hill. We thunder down th’other side. Their horses, two of ’em, rear in fright an dart outta the way.

  Hands up! I yell. We got you covered, you bastards!

  Me, Jack an Emmi take up positions around the edge of the pit. Our weapons is drawn. We aim down at our captives.

  I don’t believe it, says Jack.

  What the hell’re you doin here? I says.

  Ash an Epona stare at us from the bottom of the pit where they’re lyin in a tangled heap of arms an legs.

  It ain’t ezzackly the welcome we was expectin, says Ash. But I’ve had worse.

  They git to their feet. Epona holds up a hand. Wouldn’t mind a little help gittin outta here, she says.

  It’d serve you right if we left you there to rot, I says. But I g
ive her my hand an Jack gives his to Ash an we help ’em climb out. They start to brush theirselves down.

  Hell, Ash, says Jack. That was more’n stupid. We could of shot you. You could of broke a leg when you fell in. Why didn’t you let us know it was you followin us?

  We wanted to surprise you, says Ash.

  Well you did that all right, says Jack.

  I frown. I thought the Hawks had some trouble to take care of, I says. Maev said somethin about a territory dispute on the western road.

  They dart a look between ’em. A guilty look.

  She don’t know yer here, I says. Don’t tell me … she left you two in charge of Darktrees an you snuck off.

  Okay, says Ash, we won’t tell you.

  Go away, I says. Turn right around an go back. An make sure you tell Maev this was all yer idea an nuthin to do with me.

  Hang on a minute, says Epona. We happen to think Maev’s wrong. That she should of sent at least some of us with you to help.

  This is more important than who’s got control of the western road, says Ash. From what you said—about Freedom Fields an the Tonton an the chaal—this could be about more than jest gittin yer brother back. It could affect all of us. Jest burnin down Hopetown ain’t enough. We cain’t stop there. We gotta stop the whole thing. Git rid of ’em all.

  Listen, I says. I don’t care about nuthin besides gittin Lugh back. D’you hear? That’s it. Nuthin else. An I don’t need yer help. I don’t want it. Go home.

  Why d’you always gotta be such a rudesby? says Emmi. They jest wanna help us find Lugh.

  Button yer lip, Emmi, I says. I got a good mind to send you back to Darktrees with ’em.

  She scowls an crosses her arms over her chest. Jest try an make me, she says.

  Don’t you sass me!

  Now now, says Jack, let’s jest everybody calm down. I’m sure we can—

  Shut up, Jack, I says. I narrow my eyes. Give Ash a good hard look. You sure there ain’t another reason why yer here? I says.

  I glance at Jack, then look at Ash agin. She’s gone all red in the face.

  Of course not, she says.

  C’mon, Saba, says Epona. You know we’re good in a fight.

  I’ll say this one last time, I says. If I wanted you to come with me, I would of asked you to come with me. But I didn’t. That means I don’t. You can be on yer way soon’s I fetch Emmi’s horse. Yer goin back with ’em to Darktrees, I says to Em.