Her of the Wood

by Veronica Watts

  Euodia speaks up as she thinks about what more days will bring. "Do you think that we should make two for each person so that we have blankets as well? I wonder if we could make pillows of some kind."

  "It's better than having nothing to do." Callie seems light. Euodia can't help but notice the disconnect in the woman's calm words and the crying she saw the first night. She hasn't brought it up because she can't think of what to say.

  "I don't know. Vaness seems to have it pretty nice right now, relaxing all day and enjoying the fruits of others' labor." Euodia can hear the disdain creeping into her own voice. She had meant for this to be light banter.

  Callie stops and look at her. "You think so?" Euodia does take a moment to think, but she ends up nodding just the same. Callie lowers her questioning, almost accusatory eyebrow before continuing. "Vaness lived in the same part of the edges as me when she was younger. She has a child."

  Callie must be misinformed. "That's not possible. We're altered when we're sent to city center so that we can't have children."

  There's a darkness to Callie's face now, a sadness. "She had him before she went." She waits for Euodia to take it in. She knew that girls that young were capable of having children. She herself had started bleeding at ten, but she had never heard of it happening. "There was a situation at home that led to the child, and when Vaness was assigned to City Center, her baby went to a home. Vaness visited when she could. She knew her son and his wife, but she wasn't really there. She snuck out of the city center after curfew last week to visit her first grandchild. She was caught and retained, and as far as I know, never got to see the child's face."

  Euodia's judgement is replaced by heartache. "That's why she was reassigned?"

  Callie nods, and although she doesn't say anything, the silent tears on both cheeks confirm it.

  Since Callie is already upset, Euodia pushes forward. "Callie, can I ask why you were reassigned and how you made it so long?"

  She looks surprised by the question but not upset. She sniffles and smiles a little at her thoughts. "I have a son. He is kind and helpful. He found me mending and sewing jobs I could do from home once I was let go from the factory, and I stayed off the streets as much as possible. I couldn't be rounded up if I wasn't seen. We made ends meet." She takes a break, and Euodia decides to stay quiet in case there is more she wants to share. "He never married. He never seemed interested, but then how could he, sharing a one room place with a mother who never left. He never complained. Lately though, I think he had his eye on someone. He was caught in the market, stealing a pear. We never have fresh fruit; we can't afford it. I think he was stealing it as a gift for a woman. I heard the ruckus from inside of our place, and when I opened the door to look out, I could see them beating my son. I ran out to stop them." She takes in a big breath and lets out a long, ragged sigh. "I knew I couldn't actually stop them, but he is my son. I couldn't stand there without acting. I didn't think, I just ran and threw myself in front of him."

  Everyone knows the government does not like strong family ties. Dracon is all. The rules are paramount, and families make trouble. Euodia waits in the quiet, but when Callie remains lost in her own thoughts, she asks a question. "Is he okay?"

  "Yes." She manages a smile. "They hurt him badly, but he'll survive. He always does, and without me there he'll have room for a wife. He deserves to be happy."

  Responses pop into Euodia's mind. She thinks of the cruelty they've left behind and the injustice of the city. She thinks of Callie's son tending to his wounds and missing his mother. Then she looks at Callie, who is managing a smile with fresh tears in her eyes, and the right words jump to her mouth. "You deserve to be happy."

  Callie's smile broadens, and she sniffles the last of her crying away. "I try." She leans back over to get back to work. The grasses they're picking aren't soft, and Euodia is trying to figure out the best way to grab the stalks to avoid more of the small cuts she's been getting on her hands.

  It's a few minutes before Callie speaks up. "What about you?" Euodia has been so focused on the task in front of her that she doesn't understand. "Why did you end up out here?" Euodia starts to think of plausible illegal activity she could have been reassigned for, but Callie shuts down that line of thinking. "And don't tell me a lie. I know you weren't reassigned. You snuck onto that truck. There's got to be an interesting story behind that."

  She goes with the truth, as best as she can form the words. "I couldn't stay in a society where I wasn't seen, where I couldn't contribute to something worthwhile no matter how hard I tried."

  "And who prompted this move?" She doesn't answer. Callie elaborates. "I just mean that you're a smart girl. I'm sure you didn't just now realize these things, so why did you make the move?"

  Euodia thinks about how honest Callie had been with her, so she tries to be as honest as she can manage. "I fell in love." That is all she can say, and Callie seems to think it is enough. They tie up their bundles and walk back to camp.

  Norten's still breathing when they get back to camp, but he's also moaning and vomiting into the bushes. At least he thought to move away from the sleeping area. Vaness is up, and it looks like she's found a cloth, most likely a piece of clothing. She's dipping it into the cool creek and holding it onto Norten's head, admonishing him for such idiotic behavior.

  There's a lull in the vomiting, and the others can hear as Norten tries to defend his actions, saying that this is what's best for the group, but Vaness lights into him. "That is not why you did it, and we all know it. You're hoping this mushroom kills you, and maybe that's what you deserve, but for now you're here, so suck it up."

  Norten looks dumbfounded. He watches Vaness as she walks back to the creek before another wave of nausea forces him back into the bushes.

  Jenson and Rayne return with two rabbits. They had set traps to catch the animals and provide dinner. Euodia thinks that she got into the right truck. She believed that there were communities out here, and her plan was to travel and find them, but now that she's here with these people, she feels more and more like this is her community.

  Thackery and Henley are quiet when they return. They buried the crying woman as best they could without shovels. They placed her in a ditch and covered it with stones. They also found some nuts and brought them back to the group.

  Rayne cooks the rabbit meat, and they all eat a bit of it. Norten reaches for a piece and Vaness shoos his hand away. "I've been up with you all day. You think I want to be up helping you in the dark bushes all night?"

  He looks pitiful. "But I'm hungry."

  Henley speaks up, trying to help. "If we had a pot, we could make you some broth."

  "But we don't." Vaness is stern. "We'll mash up one of the leftover apples for breakfast. That'll have to do." Norten turns away from her and lies down, but he doesn't argue anymore.

  There's a little more smiling this evening. Jenson and Rayne share their exploits, trying to catch the rabbits, entertaining the group until the fire dies down. Euodia is tired; they all are, but she doesn't feel as heavy as the night before, so she takes some time before going to sleep to look at the stars. They are bright and clear and small, beautiful pin pricks. She makes shapes with them until her eyes close.

  FIVE

  Everything is quiet the next morning, but Euodia opens her eyes to see two people standing before her. They turn to her when she sits up. She is the first of the group awake, and she waits to see what will happen. They don't move. The man is sitting on a rock close to Rayne. He is tall, muscled, and lean. His hair is short but wild, and his beard is trimmed and thick. He seems unconcerned. The woman is short but muscled and lean. Her arms are toned, and she carries a curved rod on her back. Her legs are strong, and her stance shows courage. She holds Euodia's gaze. There is no anger there, but no leniency either.

  Eventually Euodia finds her voice. "Everyone, wake up." They stir a bit but not enough. She thinks about saying their names individually but doesn't want to give these people any
more information than they already have. They could be what she's hoped for, but they could also be bandits, outlaws. If that's the case, she hopes they'll see there's nothing to take. They don't even have more than a few apples and berries for breakfast. "We have company." This gets their attention. Rayne starts to stand before his eyes are fully open, but the man stands over him and shakes his head. This must be why he placed himself on that rock.

  "We're not here to hurt you." The woman's voice was not loud, but it was a voice that expected to be taken seriously. "We check here every few weeks for reassigned workers. You're the first we've seen in almost a year."

  "Well, we're glad you kept checking." The words are out of Euodia's mouth before she can think about it. Everyone looks at her.

  The woman looks at her, raises an eyebrow, tries to hide the tiny start of a smile, and continues. "We have a settlement upriver from here. We take people in. Any of you who want to are welcome to follow us."

  There is quiet. Thackery and Henley look to one another. Callie and Jenson make eye contact, and Vaness looks to Norten. He looks better than he did last night.

  "We'll need to get going soon though if we want to get there in time for the evening meal."

  Jenson stands and starts passing out the fruit. Vaness tosses an apple to Norten. They eat as they stand. They each have a mat now, so they roll them up to carry along and follow the two strangers who are already heading out of the clearing.

  Euodia walks with Callie, but her eyes stay on the woman at the front of the line. Occasionally, the strangers, who travel at a faster pace, will pause to wait for the rest of the group. Callie and Jenson move steadily but not as quickly as the younger ones, and Norten is still weak. He and Vaness take breaks here and there. They cross a series of large stones that make a nearly complete bridge, and the width of the river here means the waters are calm.

  They stay close to the river once they've crossed. The trees here are fairly open. They occasionally have to turn into the woods when the forest comes all the way up to the water's edge, and this slows them down. Euodia starts to notice a ragged quality to Callie's breathing. Euodia lets it go for a while, until it begins to sound worse, then she asks for a break. Callie looks to her and nods in appreciation. She sits on a fallen tree near the edge of what has turned into a long set of river rapids.

  The woman leading them pulls a cup from her belt. She and the man with her drink first. Then she fills the cup and takes it to each member of the group. She refills the cup twice before everyone has had their fill. Callie has a coughing fit after her turn. The man with them passes out dried strips of meat and introduces himself as they eat. His name is Broderick. The woman, he says, is Ailie. They're back on the trail before too long, and they move a little faster now, renewed by the food, water, and rest.

  At the next break, Euodia asks Callie about her breathing. She's coughed throughout their walk. "Sleeping on the damp ground didn't help things, but it's nothing to worry about." That's all she says on the subject.

  The rest of the afternoon goes by the same. The landscape doesn't change. The sun moves lower into the sky, and just as Euodia starts to wonder if they'll need to set up camp, a woman appears out of the woods. Most of the group starts and backs up, but Ailie moves forward to greet the woman and turns back to the group. "Hana is one of our scouts." She hugs her. "She's here watching the edge of the community."

  The two women talk for a minute while the group waits. They seem very comfortable with each other, and Euodia can't help but wonder if they are couple. Broderick cuts the conversation short. "We should get this group in if we want them to be settled by night fall."

  After a few more minutes of walking, the trees thin out. Then there is a row of torches, unlit in the daylight. Within sight of the torches are several wooden buildings, all small and spaced around a central fire pit. There are tents in between, most the size of a bed and made of cloth and poles.

  Ailie and Broderick are walking without slowing, but Euodia and the others are trying to take everything in, including the people. There are women and men, all working around them. There's a woman on a porch with what looks like a wheel turning in place on a strange table. There's a man cutting vegetables while the woman next to him skins a small animal. There are some children running in some sort of game as the group moves towards them, and all of these people stop as they see the newcomers. The people who live here watch the new group pass. They don't look frightened or upset, but they're curious.

  There are more buildings than Euodia could see from the edge of the woods. There are paths that lead to other circles of buildings around other fire pits, and they make a few turns before walking up the steps to one of the larger buildings. Ailie doesn't knock. She walks in, and the group follows. Broderick holds the door.

  One of the women working at a table stands to greet them. She hugs Ailie and Broderick and turns to the newcomers. Euodia feels as if she is being appraised, but she sees no judgement in the woman's eyes, nothing sinister or hostile. "Welcome." Her voice is soft and gentle. If the room weren't so quiet, it could almost be missed. "I'm sure you have questions. Please, come and sit down. We'll eat and talk."

  The people behind her clear their work from the table. Some have papers. Others have partially stitched articles of clothing and what looks like shredded rope. Euodia sits with her companions and food is brought to them quickly. There is soup with vegetables and meat and loaves of bread. Euodia picks up her bowl and begins to enjoy. There's also something that looks like corn all stuck together, but she does not have a knife to cut the corn away from this piece that it is stuck to, which doesn't look edible. She watches around her and sees how the community members eat the corn, pulling it away from the center with their teeth. She copies them and finds the corn delicious.

  The woman with the soft voice starts the conversation. "I'm Lorna. I try to help keep things on track here in Solace." Euodia imagines that Lorna is understating her accomplishments. "This community has been around for a long time. We're founded and mostly made of up people who were reassigned from Dracon. We welcome you in and ask that you understand that this is a giving community. To make it work, we all work. Each of us has something to give." She makes eye contact with Norten as if she knows something about him. Vaness looks down before Lorna can make eye contact with her.

  They take turns introducing themselves and bantering a little. Callie's eyes are wide, taking it all in, and the corners are of her mouth are curved a bit into an excited smile. It matches her raised eyebrows. She has the innocence of a child looking out onto the wilderness for the first time. Euodia can almost picture her legs swinging forward and back under the table. The image makes her smile.

  Jenson speaks up. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are thankful for your aid, and we will of course do whatever we can to help."

  Lorna nods. Norten makes a noise at the end of the table. He's sweating and starting to shake a little. Lorna looks to Vaness. "He ate mushrooms?"

  Vaness looks around at us, unaware of why she is being targeted, but then she answers. "Yes, yesterday."

  "We have a man who treats our people. Would you be comfortable going to him?"

  Vaness is quick. "Me, no, but I don't think this guy has a choice." Lorna nods to Broderick. He moves over to Norten and helps him stand. Vaness follows, but Euodia notices that she makes eye contact and nods to Lorna before she leaves the table. Lorna is quiet until the trio is gone, watching them move carefully down the steps outside.

  When she turns her attention back to the rest of the group, she is smiling again. "Now, we have some free spots in the cabins, but it will mean splitting you up. Are there any of you that need to stay together, any family?" Henley and Thackery raise their hands slightly, just above the table. She nods. "I see. Perhaps we can find a tent for you two. I'm sure you're all tired, so we'll be done for today, but I would like to invite you to dine with me again tomorrow morning so that we can talk about where you would like to
work and so that I can answer any questions you have."

  She doesn't wait for a response. She turns to her people. "Jobe, can you show Callie and Jenson to the large house? Oburn, I think there's a tent by the showers that will work for Thackery and Henley, and Ailie, if you could show Rayne and Euodia to your cabin, please."

  The group stands together, each pair following their assigned guide while darting their eyes to the rest of the group. Euodia walks closer to Rayne than she has to anyone else since the train platform. Ailie doesn't look back or try to talk to them, but she isn't ignoring them either. She just walks, seemingly relaxed, until she turns and climbs the steps to another cabin. This one is a little smaller than the one they'd eaten in. She turns and looks at them as she starts to open the door. "Don't worry about them." She shrugs her shoulder at all of the people behind them who have gone quiet. "We just haven't had any new recruits in a while."

  Rayne's voice is deep and sure. "I thought it was just because we're so pretty."

  Ailie lets a big smile shine. "Well, there's that, too." Rayne steps on in as Ailie holds the door open. Euodia drops her eyes without thinking as she steps by her. She can't help but notice her bare feet and wonder how she's able to walk like that. It's one large room with bunk beds. Euodia is immediately uncomfortable. She tells herself that it's not like the tower, but it's harder to inhibit the emotional response. She tries not to let it show as Ailie leads them towards the back of the room. "Big guy, I think you should take this bed here." She points to a rough mattress on the ground. It's a thick covering, stuffed with what looks like dry plant matter and feathers. Rayne drops down onto it and lies back, looking comfortable. "E, I think this is the only other one we've got open at the moment." She points to one of the top bunks. It's by a window at least.

  The nickname catches her off guard. "Thanks." It would be rude to ask for other arrangements, but she doesn't feel like climbing onto the bunk yet. Things have been crazy, so she should be tired, but there's too much going on, and it's still early in the evening. Two young men come into the cabin. They immediately say hi to Ailie.