Amirra

by Coralyn Umber

  We sat for a while, not speaking. I was lost in thought about my family. Vorn resumed worrying at the object from earlier. Finally, my thoughts brought me back to the present. I looked at Vorn for the first time without simply being caught up in the joy that he was another like me, that I was no longer alone. He was like me but his features were even more feline than my own. By comparison, I was very normal in appearance. Even though his hands were busy, I could tell that his mind was on other things. There was a determination that surfaced from their brown depths. I could not say that he was handsome, because I had no reference, but he was striking. I began to wonder about him, about us.

  “Did you grow up with others like us?” I asked before I was even aware what I was asking.

  His head snapped up, his hands halted mid-motion, and his eyes narrowed when he looked at me. I was almost embarrassed that I asked and was about to apologize but Vorn broke the contact and began whittling the object again though more slowly. Now I saw it clearly, it was a knot of wood but I could not yet tell what he was making from it. It was some time before I realized that he was not going to answer. Once again I felt drained, though this time it was more from disappointment than exhaustion. I had plenty to think about. I began wondering if he would ever trust me with his story and if I should strike out on my own after we made it to Amirra. I knew that he did not owe me anything, that he did not have to travel with me. Disappointment filled me at that thought. After so long alone followed by losing the only friends I had, I did not really want to travel alone.

  IX

  Little conversation passed between us in the weeks following. I was increasingly distressed that Vorn would hold my rash question against me forever. Though we spoke little, Vorn never refused a share of the meals that he caught. I tried to place myself back in his favor by giving him the choicest greens and animal parts from what I was able to contribute but this did not seem to faze him. In all that time we only took one more day of rest. He seemed to know just how far I could travel before I would be forced to ask for respite.

  We traveled through a land marked with the skeletons of charred trees. There was actually more flora and fauna here than most of my trip through the Great Mountains but the charred trunks made the land seem soulless and bereft of life. A tension, an uneasiness, was building inside me but I pushed it aside out of sheer exhaustion. It was one of these days that we had decided stop and make a fire to have our first hot meal in days. I gathered the consumables from nearby. I was so exhausted and so comfortable in our routine that I no longer paid much attention to my surroundings beyond spotting edible plants. I was heading back to our camp with my bundle of charcoal and plant matter when I was overwhelmed once again with an urge to move quickly. This wasn’t like the feeling I received from the Shadow Walkers, this was different. I paused only long enough for me to become more aware of my surroundings.

  I became aware of a movement behind me by the crunch of ground cover and a heavy breathing. My attention was then drawn to my right and left; there were two more sounds of movement and the barest movement of a shadow. My feet began moving quicker of their own volition. Within three paces I was sprinting and my supplies had fallen from my pumping arms.

  A shadow stepped from behind one of larger charred trunks just in front of me. I did not think, I leaped over his head and continued my flight towards camp. I had to warn Vorn. The muscles in my legs started screaming in pain. I descended to all fours to travel quicker and distribute some of the work to my forelimbs. When I made it to camp, Vorn was not there. He must have gone hunting for game. I moved back to just my hind legs, swept up both of our packs and headed into the thickest part of the charred forest. I no longer heard movement behind me but I did not dare slow.

  I made it to the river we had been following. I decided to move in the river as long as it was shallow because it would disguise my tracks. Once the water reached my calf I moved to the opposite bank and headed towards the rocky foothills that were visible from the river. I took refuge in a narrow cleft between two lichen covered boulders. The space was hidden by dense, thorn covered shrubbery. I dared not move though my muscles protested my cramped position. The sun was well below the horizon before I even dared to stretch out. I spread my blanket across me and used Vorn’s pack as a pillow. I knew I should not sleep but I could not keep my eyes open and I drifted into a deep dreamless slumber.

  I became increasingly aware of a hard lump pushing itself into the back of my skull. It was just at the onset of sunrise. The sky was glowing a grey green sickly color as the sun began to peek over the horizon. My weather sense told me it would rain before the morning was out. Rain was rare but when it did fall, it was torrential and sometimes could cause the skin to turn a bright red and my pelt to shed. It was best to find cover on high ground. I pulled Vorn’s pack from behind my head. I stuck my hand it to find the offending hard lump. It was the knot of wood that Vorn had been carving for weeks. It now had a much clearer shape. In fact, I would guess that it was nearly complete as it was nearly smooth on all edges. It was clear that it was a person. As I turned it to the other side, I gasped. It was a nude woman with a tail. The detail of the object was worth appreciating. You could clearly see the strands of her hair and the faint pattern of fur covering her body. But her face, she had my face, the way I had remembered seeing it in the mirror at Mr. Emance’s.

  I heard a rock scraping nearby. I shoved the object back in his pack and shoved my blanket back in my own pack. I did not hear anything else beyond normal insect and animal sounds. I needed to find shelter before the clouds unloaded their burden. My mind kept drawing back to the object Vorn had been whittling, “Perhaps he does not hate me.” I knew that I very much did not hate him. I did not know what I felt but I knew it would not be easy to go on without him. After the storm, I would look for him. He was more capable than I was at taking care of himself. Right now I had to focus on my problem of the weather. If the rain here fell like it did in the mountains, there would likely be flash flooding, so elevation was necessary. Also, based on the color of the sky this morning, it would most likely be the nasty rain that caused sores and caused my pelt to shed.

  I moved up the rocky foothills, trying to gain elevation and yet not get too far from the river as it was my only guide to return to the camp to look for Vorn. Well into the hills I found a cave that seemed like it would be high enough to keep from flooding and its porch had a good view of the valley and river. Though I had not heard anyone following, I took precautions to keep from being seen from below whenever possible. Once our packs were stashed inside, I checked out the area surrounding the cave and gathered a few of the edible mosses and plants. Fire was too risky as it could easily be spotted against the dark, cloudy sky so I would have to eat another cold meal. Despite supplementing our diets with fresh food as we traveled, we were quickly running out of travel rations. I had lost what little weight I had gained while working at Mr. Emance’s.

  After eating my meager supply of plants, I spread out my blanket and once again lay down. Then the rain began. It came down in sheets, shrouding out anything beyond the porch in front of the cave. There was little else for me to do so I slept. I took the carving out of Vorn’s pack. What could it mean? Did he think about me as much as I wondered about him? It was cradled in my hand as I drifted off to sleep.

  I woke to a flash of blinding light and a deafening crash. Even through my eyelids I was seeing remnants of the flash in my eyes. The strike had to be nearby for the thunder to be that loud and the lightning that close. I was thankful for my small shelter and the weather sense that told me to head for cover. If those men were still out there, they would not be happy about this weather. I took a small measure of comfort from that thought. The next strike was much farther away though it was still bright enough to light up the figure that stood in the entrance. I could not see his face but I knew it was Vorn. Jumping from my blanket, I ran to give him my shoulder. He was clearly limping and his breathing was loud and ragged
despite the thunder that continued to sound. I eased him down to the blanket. There were thick splints bound to his leg by strips from his shirt. It was too dark for me to see the wound. It would have to wait until the storm passed. I covered him with his own blanket. Once he lay his head down, he saw the figure that I had hastily placed beside the bed when I arose to help him. His face first seemed shocked, then angry, then a smile spread across it and he fell into a fitful sleep. I took my knife from my pack and went to sit near the front of the cave to stand watch.

  The rain did not stop that day. It slacked off for short periods but it never stopped. It poured late into the night. The lightning had stopped but it still poured. The only sounds that I could hear in the darkness were those of the falling rain, my even breathing, and the more ragged breathing of Vorn. I occasionally stood and stretched my legs when I could in the small space, I never left my post. I would not leave Vorn vulnerable.

  The rain became a mist near dawn. As the sun rose, I could see the damage the storm had caused. The valley was completely flooded, only the tallest charred trunks shown above the water and those only just so. The shallow, calm river had become a lake overnight. It would take time for the water to recede enough for us to cross. Down the hill from where the cave was located, there was a charred mass. It was close to the swollen waters of the river. I couldn’t remember if I had passed any trees climbing up the rocky expanse yesterday. A groan behind me drew my attention from the flooded landscape.

  “Bonita, did you watch over me all night?” My heart began to thud at the sound of his voice. His smile made him seem much more the pleasant companion from our first rest day. I couldn’t believe how excited I was that he was speaking with me again. I knelt beside him. He smiled but his eyes were cloudy from pain.

  Instead of answering, I pulled the blanket from his injured leg. I had to undo the stays and cut his pant leg up to the knee. There was some blood but the bone did not puncture the skin; it was clearly a break though. His skin felt hot to the touch and his leg was beginning to swell. “You need this bone set. How did you manage to climb up the hills with this injury? It needs set before your leg swells further.” I looked expectantly at him. He had to know how much this would hurt but it needed done and it could not wait. He nodded, leaned back, and grabbed two fistfuls of blanket. I hadn’t actually done this before but I remember when my mother did it for my father when he broke an arm and for one of the villagers in a town near our home when she had broken her leg. I grabbed the top of his foot with one hand, the bottom with the other, braced myself and pulled. The muscle pulled the bone back into place. Vorn stifled a scream while his hands spasmodically clutched the blanket. The lump from the bone that was protruding just under the skin was gone. I felt the break as gently as I could; it felt like it was cleanly put together again.

  Slowly he loosened his grip and his eyes opened and focused on me once more, “You should have just said you enjoyed giving a man a little pain. I think I could have come up with some much more interesting and less inconvenient ways for you to express that desire.” He was smiling and I could hear the humor in his voice but I was not sure what he meant.

  “I’m sorry. I did not mean to hurt you but the bone needed set before your leg swelled too much,” I tried not to sound like I didn’t understand what he said but he shook his head and smiled; I’m sure he guessed. “I will need to gather some food and something for you to help with the pain. Here, take your knife. I will be back as soon as I can,” I was thankful that my mother had shown me the healing plants that had grown near our home.

  It took some time for me to get water, find the moss that I needed, gather kindling, and catch some game. It wouldn’t be a feast but it would have to do. For the first time I wondered how old Vorn was. I was now just shy of 18. I did not grow up near people. The only men I had been around aside from my father had been Cral and his men and the other workers at Mr. Emance’s. I had seen how some of the women and men flirted with each other but other than Sascha and Havard, they had not shown real affection. I shook my head; there were more important things to worry about now. In my scouring of the area, I checked out the charred wreck below the cave. I did not have to get very close to realize that it was not a tree that had been struck but one of our pursuers. Between the sight and the smell, my stomach turned enough to force me to empty its contents, though it contained little. After I had gathered some edibles, I headed back to the cave.

  We sat in silence while the gathered medicinal moss steeped. “This is very bitter and smells worse than it tastes but it will help with the swelling and relieve some of the pain. After it has started working, we will re-bind your leg with the splint sticks.”

  Vorn dramatically pinched his nose shut and made a big show of forcing himself to drink the bitter concoction. “Aach! That was the most awful thing I have ever drunk. What are you trying to do, torture me?” We ate the meager meal I had gathered in silence, well mostly. Vorn kept grumbling that he couldn’t taste anything after my brew. “That was a good idea by the way.”

  A blush rose to my face once more. I did not think that I was that obvious in my thoughts of sitting closer.

  “Taking my backpack, I mean. That was a good idea.” He didn’t notice my sigh of relief and just continued, “At first they didn’t realize that there were two of us. Of course I couldn’t let them catch you, so I had to pull two of them off of you. By the time I had those two unconscious, you had given the other two the slip. I saw you leave the river and head up into these hills. I felt sure they didn’t see me but I had been wrong. The next morning, they caught up to me. I took another one out. I actually did not know that you were in this cave but I could feel the rain coming and knew shelter would be preferable. The last guy had me for a minute but that is when the sky burst open. His grip slipped, I slipped, I fell. I won’t begrudge this broken bone though. If I hadn’t fallen, both of us would be a charred wreck right now.”

  “So they are all dead?” I mourned the necessity despite their attempt to capture me.

  “I can only guess. Based on how full the river is, I would say that it is unlikely they would have been able to get out of the valley. I am sure they were from Byzanta, it is only a day’s walk away from here. They capture mutations and make them slaves to fight or perform in their city arena. It is no place for you. I have a history there and some contacts but I do not wish to return, not with you.” His eyes grew stormy at the memory of the city; I decided it was best not to pursue the subject for now.

  “If we want to continue north, we will have to wait for the water to recede. Besides, I will have to fashion you a stick to lean on before you can go any distance. It would be even better if you didn’t walk on it at all for a time,” I blushed at my boldness at taking charge but I knew about healing and I would not let him become a cripple.

  “I am not a very good patient. I will admit that I am stubborn and will walk as soon as I think I am capable, not a day later. Besides, what man could resist being waited upon by such a beautiful creature,” I knew he wasn’t being serious, just teasing, but I blushed all the same.

  In the subsequent days we did not talk much though we developed a companionship that had so far been lacking. I fashioned a crutch of sorts from some of the dried wood that had washed up near the water. Vorn practiced using the crutch every day but had not yet successfully gone beyond the porch of the cave on his own. The water was receding slowly from the land and in its place there was now boggy mire. Every morning Vorn would go to sit at the entrance and scowl darkly at the muddy water while I went foraging for whatever game and edible plant matter I could find. I found a cache of nuts and seeds that had been hoarded by a small squirrel-like creature that fell into one of my traps. These would travel well so we did not eat them even on days I found very little to eat. After a week and a half of resting, gathering, mending, and washing, Vorn walked to cave entrance and declared upon my return that we could wait no longer or he would go crazy from idleness, pain be-damn
ed. We would leave the next morning.

  That night we both worked on tidying our packs and packing all non-essentials for a quick leave in the morning. I knew this would be our last day under shelter for some time so I gathered a large quantity of mostly dry wood and had the cave almost too warm for comfort.

  “Senorita, are you trying to make me sweat to death?” Vorn teased even as he pulled off his shirt.

  “The cold will seep into our bones soon enough when we leave. I want a strong memory of what it feels like to be warm to hold me over until we are under a roof again,” I knew my answer was far too serious but I still had not developed many social skills for flirting or companionable teasing.

  “You are entirely too serious, Bonita. I do not really mind as what you say is true. It will only get cooler each day now, especially the further north we travel,” his eyes lit up as he smiled. Apparently, the medicinal brew he had taken after dinner was doing its work because his eyes no longer seemed strained or clouded from pain. I came over to his side of the little cave to check the wrap on his leg, just like I did each night. Tonight seemed different though. It might have been that he seemed more cheerful at the prospect of leaving or maybe the overly warm air in the cave but I felt a definite tension as I moved to kneel by his leg. As it got warmer I too had divested myself of my outer-clothes.

  In our confinement to the cave nudity hadn’t been an issue; our pelts made us both as comfortable unclothed as clothed. But tonight, as I became increasingly aware of his nearness and his musky scent, I wished I had donned at least my worn nightshirt. I told myself to focus on the injury. I ran my hand over the break, telling myself that I was not enjoying the softness of his pelt. The swelling was definitely down. I carefully rewrapped his leg, making sure the stays were firmly in place. My concern for him quickly drew my mind from consciousness of his nearness and forced me to think of a better way to bind the leg to help prevent the break from being dislodged.