The Dawn of Skye (The Someday Children Book 1)

by E. B. Heimdal

  She leans towards him and carefully puts her hand over the red scars. His heart is beating unnaturally fast, but he seems calm. She can’t imagine what kind of effort is required to constantly hide so much panic and inner turmoil, and her compassion and respect for him grow by the minute. For a long time they sit without speaking, and slowly Skye feels that Salomon’s heart beats slower and slower.

  He breathes heavily and says: “Don’t feel sorry for me, Skye. I’m not a victim. My guilt and my wrongdoings have marked my body rightfully …”

  She removes her hand and leans back so she can see him from a distance. Although she knows he wants her compassion, she also instinctively knows he’s finding it hard to accept it. An invisible shield protects his body and emotions, and he’s careful with who he lets through his defense, who he confides his secrets and darks thoughts to. But she understands him only too well, and she’ll give him all the space and time he needs. Maybe one day he’ll let her completely into his heart, trust her, and lower all his defenses.

  Friend comes over to them and curls up by Skye’s feet, and she caringly pets it behind its ears.

  Salomon quietly begins to tell her: “Once I saw life differently. I was always getting into trouble and mischief … but I was happy. One day I decided to go to the market in the big town, which was a daytrip away. I’d never been allowed to go there by my parents, but I’d heard so many things from the other villagers and I was very curious. My younger brother, Kop, didn’t want to come. He felt a little sick and he didn’t want to skip his work at the dam. You see, my younger brother was a bit fragile and not the bravest, but I could talk him into anything if I insisted enough. Before long I’d convinced him it was the best idea in the world if we borrowed the family horse and took off to the big town.”

  He pauses before continuing.

  “It was overwhelming. All the new smells and sounds left us speechless. We were overpowered by impressions, and for a while we just walked around without saying anything. Suddenly we met this man who pulled us into a corner and whisperingly told us about The Circle of Blood. A place where only grown-up men were allowed to be, and where large fortunes could be won or lost in no time. For a while The Slaveborns had organized big fights between “The Demons of The Underworld,” as he called them, and if we were lucky we could watch one of the fights. The man showed us the way and promised to watch our horse in the meantime. It was stupid and naive, but we trusted him and hurried to The Circle of Blood.”

  Skye listens, fascinated, and suddenly seems to remember a large market with strange scents, sounds and impressions, but she’s not certain if the memory is true or whether her mind is playing tricks.

  Salomon goes on: “Soon we came to a huge crowd of people, juveniles and old men who formed a large wall around something that we still couldn’t see. I made my way through the crowd of excited men who were yelling and making a lot of noise as I pulled Kop after me. Finally we reached what was hidden behind the wall of men, a large circular arena. The fight area had been dug into a lower level so those fighting down there couldn’t get away. The steep sides were impossible to climb without help, and in the air was an unpleasant smell of blood and fear. It was overwhelming and terrifying at the same time, and I didn’t want to be there, but I still couldn’t take my eyes away from what was happening down in the arena. A giant animal was tied to a pole at the middle of the arena. It had a thick chain around its neck and couldn’t move freely but had to stay in the middle of the arena. Surrounding it was a group of smaller animals. At first I thought they were working dogs, but they were … wilder, or rather more desperate than normal dogs. A young Slaveborn ran around the arena with a large whip lashing the animals all the time, forcing them to attack each other. The wild dogs took turns jumping towards the giant beast, biting it on the legs and the belly while it desperately tried to hit at them. But they were too many and too fast, and it only hit one of them once in a while. The noise was terrible. It was made up of screaming men and barking dogs, and the roars from the tied-up animal were deafening and cut through your body like a knife. All the animals seemed desperate and scared, and they were constantly trying to find a way out. But the young Slaveborn kept an eye on them and didn’t let any escape. It quickly dawned on me that the men surrounding the arena had betted money on which of the animals would win, the beast or the pack of wild dogs. I could hear some cheering for the bear, which is what they called the large beast, and others were cheering for the dogs. They were all trying to whip up the atmosphere. Suddenly I saw that Kop was standing with his hands in front of this face, crying. He was scared. I had to get him away from that place, but a large man wouldn’t let us pass. He was barring our way and we became separated.”

  Salomon stops speaking for a moment. He wrenches his hands and breathes heavily. Skye can tell it’s hard for him to go on and she takes his hand. Slowly he starts talking again.

  “The following moments were like a dream, or rather a nightmare. Everyone was moving slowly, and it was as if all the sounds and voices were blurred. I looked at Kop and saw the man pushing him further and further towards the edge of the arena. He was laughing. I could see his black teeth behind his nasty grin. Our eyes met and the man stopped smiling suddenly. He squinted and in a fast movement, he kicked Kop over the edge. I can’t describe the feeling that ran through me. It was like a sledgehammer breaking my legs and all the bones in my body and my heart exploded. I fell to the ground like a ragdoll and I couldn’t move. The sound of Kop’s screams brought me back to life and I fought my way to my feet. I wanted to jump into the arena, but someone was holding me back. It was the laughing man. My arms were locked behind my back and I couldn’t move. But I could hear and smell the man with the black teeth behind me. He laughed. And yelled. He wanted more fighting. Poor Kop was lying in the arena surrounded by barking wild dogs. He tried to get on his feet, but he was confused and scared and kept falling over again and again. I tried desperately to get out of the man’s grip, but he wouldn’t let me go. The young Slaveborn lashed at Kop with his whip when he finally managed to get away from the wild dogs and was heading for the wall of the arena, and he lost his way and ran to the middle again. It was terrible to watch it without being able to do anything. I managed to tear off my shirt, get out of the man’s grip and I was finally free. Quickly I jumped into the arena and ran toward my brother … and there, for a short moment, my body froze to ice. I was paralyzed by fear. Never in my life have I been as scared as I was standing there looking at the huge monster, the bear, standing on its hind legs roaring at the sky. Kop lay curled up in front of it while the dogs were growling and showing their teeth. None of them tried to attack him, but he was getting in the way of their fight and was hit. I could hear the men around me laughing and yelling, but no one tried to help us. Kop looked up at me and he was shouting, but I couldn’t move. I just stood there like some coward … and I wet myself out of fear.”

  Salomon quickly looks up at Skye, who gently squeezes his hand.

  “It wasn’t until the young Slaveborn started whipping the animals again and the fight became even wilder that courage found me, and I ran in between the fighting animals. I knew I had to get Kop out before he was seriously injured. My arms and legs were bitten on the way, but I didn’t feel any pain. Not even when I reached the bear, which had stepped over Kop’s curled up body. It swung its giant paw across my face … I sensed that my face was torn open and the blood ran into my eyes blurring my vision. But I fought my way forward because I knew I had to fight with everything I had if we were to escape alive. My bare upper body was torn by the dog’s teeth and the beast’s claws, but I still didn’t feel any pain. And then suddenly I heard a … snap. As when a dry branch breaks in two … and I looked at Kop, who was lying in a strange twisted position, and I knew that the sound came from him …”

  Large tears run down Salomon’s cheeks and he closes his eyes.

  “His back was broken. He wa
s dead … I couldn’t save him.”

  Skye leans toward Salomon and hugs him. Her arms seem small and tiny around his large body, and she’s almost drowning in his long, black hair. Without talking they sit for a long time, leaning against each other. Friend lies next to them, and his small head rests on Skye’s thigh. Salomon carefully pulls back and wipes the tears from this face. His eyes are red and make the turquoise blue color of his eyes seem even brighter and more intense.

  “It’s like my heart stopped beating that day. As if all happiness and light disappeared into a large, black hole, and the only thing I could think about was revenge. I never wanted revenge on the dogs or the bears. They were forced to fight each other and us. They didn’t have a choice, like Kop and I didn’t. No, I wanted to get my revenge on that horrible man who pushed Kop into the arena while he held me away. And on the young Slaveborn in the arena who was whipping the animals while he was laughing. Slaveborns! Had they learned nothing? They’d been slaves all their lives. Their children had been slaves all their childhood, stripped of their names and identity. But as soon as they were free they found someone else to take advantage of, like they themselves had been used. Defenseless animals that they caught in the large forests and chained up, as if they were their property. They’d learned nothing!”

  Salomon snorts through his nose as he speaks and his voice has changed. He no longer sounds sad but angry.

  “I had my revenge that day. After I saw my brother lying dead on the ground, I snapped. I ran to the young Slaveborn and tore the whip from his hands. He was only a little older than me but a lot smaller. He could see the wildness in my eyes and he was afraid of me, but there was nowhere to run. And no one helped him either. I caught him and pushed him to the ground and we both fought a desperate fight. I don’t know where I got my strength from but before long I pulled him up again and pushed him in front of the fighting animals. And this time the animals didn’t ignore the new fighter. They recognized the man with the whip, and in a united front they attacked him and killed him instantly. I couldn’t help feeling joy inside because he was one of the reasons that my brother was dead. But the one I hated the most, and the one I wanted revenge over the most, was the man who’d pushed Kop into the arena. He was still standing on the edge of the arena smiling. He was exchanging money with an old Slaveborn who was responsible for the gambling pots, and I could see on his face, from his disgusting and greedy smile, that he’d won his bet. With my brother as a pawn in his game! Anger exploded inside of me and somehow I managed to climb the steep side of the arena, leaving the fight area behind me. I ran to Kop’s murderer, but he saw me before I could get to him and he disappeared into the crowd. I looked for him everywhere and I thought he’d escaped me, but I found him in the end … and I had my vengeance.”

  Salomon stops speaking for a moment. He looks thoughtful, as if there’s more to tell in the story about the laughing man but he’s decided not to share it. Skye wonders about his sudden hesitation, but she doesn’t want to pressure him into continuing telling her what he’s leaving out.

  “He deserved to die for what he did. I felt that justice had won that day. If he’d gotten away with his horrible action, I don’t think that I would’ve survived. I felt guilty about Kop dying. It was me who’d persuaded him to go to the market that day even though he didn’t want to come. It was me who didn’t take care of him. And it was me who couldn’t save him as he lay down there between the fighting animals, crying for help. My lack of courage killed him. If only they’d killed me instead of him! Oh, how I’ve wished that so many times since. It’s often been a struggle for me to go on living with my guilt and self-hatred, and I struggle every day to make up for my wretched deeds and to silence the sound of my brother’s screaming. It’s a wound that’ll never heal … and my scars remind me of it every single day.”

  Salomon’s tears become stronger and Skye’s finding it hard to handle his vulnerability. She’s never known that his scars were this deep and painful till now. Her heart’s crying with him, and she feels like removing all his pain and telling him it wasn’t his fault that Kop died. It was a man’s cynical and greedy action that killed his brother. Salomon was only a child himself, a child who was brutally kicked into an evil, grown-up world without defense or weapons.

  It pains her to think that his childhood ended that day when he lost a life and took another. And she thinks about Ecco, about his violent acts before he died, and she suddenly feels like a much worse person than Salomon must feel like. Their actions were not the result of something as heroic as justice but happened because of hostile feelings and acts of war. Maybe it had all been the result of imagination and unnecessary mistrust created in their minds, and not in real life.

  Once again she wonders about the connection between their actions and the sickness, and why she didn’t become sick but only Ecco. Her hands were just as red with blood as his or Salomon’s.

  She looks at Salomon’s face. His reclusive and hard surface is gone, and she feels she’s looking into the eyes of the boy he once was before all this happened.

  Encouragingly she says to him: “You’re stronger than you think. You’re brave to stand by your actions. And that’s the bravest thing you can do. Those people who can’t, they’re the cowards.”

  Salomon gives her a little smile, but her thoughts start slipping away and she loses focus. She thinks about her own shame of having killed another person, and she’s not certain she can ever tell it to anyone other than Salomon. He’s the only one who’ll understand that she fears of being guilty of killing Evi’s brother, Brogan. Her thoughts start flying back to that doomed night, and she shivers. Not until Salomon starts talking again does she become aware of where she is, and she turns her attention towards him again.

  “After the accident and Kop’s death, I didn’t dare to return home to my parents. I couldn’t look them in the eye because of my shame. I hid in the shed behind the house for a long time, thinking about what happened. Slowly my thoughts became worse and worse. They were eating me up, and I couldn’t eat or sleep. The only thing I could think about was getting back at all the men who’d watched Kop die without doing anything. I wanted to kill them all. All of those who’d indirectly killed my brother. The darker my thoughts became, the stronger the pains around my heart got. And while the wounds from the claws of the bear and the bites of the dogs were healed, I scratched the wounds open around my heart. I planned how I was going to kill each and every one of the horrible men who’d been at the arena that day, who’d laughed and applauded … but I couldn’t keep my plans alive … or go through with it. After all, I didn’t feel my thirst for vengeance would end my sorrow. It wouldn’t have been in the spirit of my beloved brother Kop either. And then suddenly the pain stopped. But by then I had deep wounds around my heart.”

  He’s squeezing her hand hard as he blinks.

  “So you see, I’m no victim. Only the victim of my own weakness and lack of courage …”

  Skye looks at him with sad eyes. Maybe he got justice for his brother’s death that day, but the injustice still won. He’s still punishing himself for not being able to stop the acts of the horrible men. He was only a child who was torn between fear and anger, and no one could expect him to save his brother against an invincible opponent.

  “But you saved me! You’ll always be brave and strong in my eyes. I can only judge you by what I know. By what I’ve seen myself. I don’t want to judge you for something that happened in another time. People change. If you’re always going to be judged by things you did long ago, you’ll never get the chance to become someone else, and maybe even a better person, would you?”

  Salomon looks shyly into the ground, but his lips curl into a cautious smile.

  Skye goes on quietly: “I hope you won’t judge me either for the things I did before you found me …”

  He quickly looks up and shakes his head.

  “No. Never!”


  He still squeezes her hand as he says: “And you don’t have to tell me about the things you’ve done … unless you want to. If that’s the case, I’m happy to listen.”

  Skye wants to tell Salomon about the terrible night shortly before Ecco died. She needs to tell it to someone who’ll understand her. Quietly she starts telling him her story. She tells him about their flight across The Mountain and the invisible enemies that Ecco heard in the shadows, but who they never saw in the light. About their weapons training and the tactical planning. About the violent attack on the boys’ camp, and the murders of the unwitting enemies. It pains Skye to tell him about the terrible things that Ecco and she have done, but at the same time she’s relieved she doesn’t have to carry those horrible memories alone. She’s almost finished her story when she stops speaking for a brief moment. The last part is the hardest to tell.

  “There’s another thing, Sal. It’s what I wanted to tell you the night before Flo challenged me to The Honor Duel … I’m afraid that one of the boys we attacked and killed was Evi’s brother, Brogan.”

  She looks nervously at Salomon. He doesn’t react but meets her eyes without surprise or judgement. Instead he looks at her with the same tenderness that she’s seen in his eyes a few times before.

  “I understand your concern. You know I do. I wish I could tell you that it gets easier over time, but I can’t. You see, it’s not hard to kill another person. It’s hard to live with it.”

  Skye feels a lump in her throat. She knows he’s right. Naturally he can’t remove her guilt or horrible memories, but he still manages to make everything feel better. The thought of not being alone with her sins any longer helps her to relax. She looks at him and is grateful that he’s sitting here with her. Everything they’ve spoken about suddenly starts rummaging in her head, and she wonders.