Rachael built a fire and set out their bedrolls near it. The two groups minus the boys sat around the fire drinking sweet tea and dehydrated fruit and nuts. The boys had left in a huff but returned when the fire was built. “You can’t stay here, this is our place!” Gie said. He paced back and forth getting more and more agitated. When his rants elicited no response he looked like he was just about ready to lash out when Loki came out of the forest. Neves and some of the others gasped. Gie and Eert’s faces dropped like stones clearly stunned. “Sit down Gie and act like a gentleman.” Loki said gruffly. She opened her pack and brought out some goodies she brought from home. Gie was so shocked he sat down, Loki threw him a muffin. Eert sat down too, Loki gave him a cookie. The Lost Children seemed strangely encouraged by Loki’s presence and smiles were seen all round. Kaley knew Loki was a gruff old bird but she also had a soft spot for young people and knew how to handle them. She was especially good with youngsters who were ill mannered and challenging.
Eno had coaxed Neves over to sit by the fire. The Cove people laughed and joked and told funny stories as they often did in the evening. Kaley laid her head on Rachael’s lap while Rachael ran her fingers through her hair. Eno and Neves sat beside her while Enin and Nevele sat beside them. Owt, Ruof, Evif and Net sat looking intently at Loki. Lewt was the only one who seemed reluctant to sit close to the newcomers. Neves knew it would take time for her to trust them. When Owt and Enin went into the forest to relieve themselves Neves went with them. Eno turned to the explorers and said. “Keep safe.”
Eno held Viva’s hand. Kaley was starting to yawn so she laid her head down but tried not to fall asleep. Eno pulled Neves to her and held her. Eno knew Neves was strong but she also knew she needed to be comforted and feel safe as much as the rest of them. The boys made a place to sleep nearby. Eventually they all lay down and Viva leaned over and kissed Eno. “I love you” She said. “Me too” Eno replied. She rolled over and spooned Neves and Viva snuggled in behind her. When the fire died down Kaley talked quietly with Owt and Enin and then allowed them to snuggle into her. These young adults needed reassurance and Kaley wanted to be there for them.
In the morning Rachael got up early and went out into the woods with some of the girls to relieve themselves. She had taken Neves’ lead and stepped into the protector role while Neves slept cuddled into Eno and Viva. Eno woke up and made her way into the woods, Viva joined her. When they came back she tried to get a look at Eno’s badly swollen elbow but Eno didn’t want to look weak in front of the boys. “Good morning, did you sleep well?” Rachael asked. Eno smiled and nodded her head. Kaley and Neves had awakened and were sitting by the fire.
Rachael made coffee and whipped up a batch of pancake type breakfast food. Kaley went up to Rach and kissed her passionately. “I can’t wait to get back to see Reese and Darcy.” Kaley said. “Me too honey” Rachael smiled back at her. “You have a baby?” Neves asked Kaley. “Twins” Eno answered chewing a bite of her pancake. Neves smiled and sat back to ponder this new information. “They’re gorgeous and look just like Kaley.” Rachael said proudly. “I would love to see them some time.” Neves said absently. “You can if you decide to come back to The Cove with us.” Kaley said. “Is that where you live?” Neves asked Kaley. “My Ma lives there and we have a home there. Rachael and I travel to all the towns and homesteads but we do spend a fair amount of time at The Cove.” Kaley explained. “What about Eno? Where does she live?” Neves inquired. “We’ve been living in Cambridge Landing but for the past few months we’ve been living in the Cove.” Viva answered. Neves looked down. “Where would we live?” She asked. “You will live at The Cove until you feel more comfortable. It took Eno a while to adjust but she did it. I’m sure all of you will as well.” Rachael said as she handed out breakfast to the others. “Neves, can I speak to you for a moment in private?” Kaley asked. Neves nodded and stood up. They walked a short distance together. “When I asked Eno who was her friend here at The Clearing, and who was the Leader she told me Neves. You’ve done a wonderful job keeping everyone together and healthy but you need to do one more thing for them.” Kaley hesitated a moment. “You need to decide to come with us even if you’re a little afraid. It’s the best thing for all of you. They’ll have good happy lives living in the city with other people. We need your help and they need you to give them permission.” Kaley said truthfully. Eno had walked up quietly to stand next to Kaley. Kaley put her arm around Eno and held her close’ Eno returned the embrace warmly and had a huge smile on her face. “Trust Kaley” Eno said.
Back at the fire Rachael was talking to The Lost Children. Loki was sitting up rubbing sleep out of her eyes when the threesome returned. “Maybe we’ll settle in The Cove for a while.” Rachael said to Kaley as she sat down. “We’ve travelled enough and we need to focus on raising the girls. I think I’m going to ask Aunt Kitty to be posted in The Cove, while the improvements are being completed. That’ll take two years at least and we can decide what to do after that.” Kaley leaned in and kissed Rachael. “But my darling… won’t Aunt Catherine be a little disappointed she won’t be able to see Darcy and Reese?” Kaley teased. “We can go back for a visit or she can come to us or we can all meet in the middle in Arklow. What’s important is that you and our girls are happy.” Rachael smiled. “That would make me very happy and my mother is going to pee her pants she’ll be so happy. Is that why you suggested it, to get in my mothers’ good books?” Kaley said with a crooked smile. “Your mother already loves me to pieces.” Rachael winked. “What about you Viva what do you think about staying on in The Cove for a few years? They could use a good Doctor.” Rachael asked. Eno who had been frowning perked up measurably smiling broadly. Viva smiled and threw her arms around Eno. “I’ve actually been thinking along those lines myself. I think something can be arranged.” Viva said smiling. “What about you Aunt Loki? Will you be staying on in Dori’s Cove or are you going back to the old Homestead?” Kaley said knowing full well the answer. Loki made a huffing noise. “I think I can be persuaded to stay on in The Cove for a while. Someone is going to have to help these folks adjust to living in the city. Besides I want to see my Grand Nieces and I can’t do that when I’m living out in the sticks.” Loki said. “Then it’s settled.” Rachael said smiling. “What about you Neves? Would you and The Lost Children like to return to The Cove with us?” Kaley asked. Neves shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “I don’t know I’ll have to ask the others.” Before she could say another word they all raised their hands… even the boys. “I think you have your answer Neves.” Viva said. Neves looked at each of her rag tag group of young adults. Each of them had a smile on their face and there was something else; something she had never seen before, a glimmer of hope. She felt some of the guilt she’d been carrying around slip from her shoulders. Eno went over to her and gave her a big hug. “What do you say Neves?” Kaley said. She knew it had to come from her mouth for The Lost Children to be able to move forward. “I say yes, let’s give it a try.” Neves replied.
After breakfast the group broke camp and packed up their gear. Everything they needed was put into their backpacks and hoisted onto their shoulders. Some of The Lost Children took one last look around while others just seemed to want to look ahead both literally and figuratively. Neves stood straight with her shoulders back and her chin up. It was a little scary but she knew that it had to be better than the way she had been living. She too was starting to feel hope for the future. Maybe she would find someone to love and have a family of her own someday. Anything was possible now. ~
Epilogue
Town of Drymen
“You mean to tell me my sister was put out into the forest to fend for herself!” Daria exclaimed. “Hold on Daria. I didn’t make that decision so don’t get pissed off at me. You know how they feel about perceived weakness. They were only following the law. The law states that creatures that are unsuitable will not be allowed to reproduce. Not only will they not be allowed in the gene pool but they a
re seen as a drain on resources. They were turned out, that’s all there is to it. You know the law as well as I do! Why are we even discussing this?” Gore said. Daria knew the law but how many terrible things happened in history because people just accepted the status quo without question.
She knew she had a sister but she was told the child had died. She’d been heart broken and had cried for months. That was probably the most traumatic thing that she’d ever experienced in her entire life leaving deep scars. It was the reason she was the way she was. She couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t angry. Her family thought it was just a phase during her teenage years but it had never subsided. She could never quench the fire that burned within her soul. Her rage bubbled and boiled like a volcano until it had nowhere to go but explode and destroyed everything within its vicinity. “I have to go now before I start smashing things!” Daria exclaimed.
She picked up her pack and ran out the door of her families’ home. She could hear the roar of her own blood in her ears. Daria’s jaws clenched so hard she was beginning to get a headache. The only thing that helped was when she ran. She had become a very good runner and could literally run for hours. She would run until her anger subsided or until she couldn’t run any longer. She not only ran away from her anger but away from difficult situations. This news was too much and in reality she couldn’t run away from this. Her own sister had been put out into the forest as a child just because someone didn’t think she was worthy. How could she possibly live with that? What had happened to Rory? It’d been over twenty years since she last saw her sister. Twenty years since she’d been told her little sister was dead. Daria collapsed onto the ground trying to catch her breath. Her face was flushed and she could feel the heat radiating from her body rising up around her face. She sat there with her face between her knees.
The exhaustion that Daria felt turned into tears. Her usual response to difficult situations was not to cry but this was not your usual situation. This was the final straw, the final insult in a long line of insults. She slumped to the ground covering her face. She cried uncontrollably for a long time. Her whole life was a disaster. During the day she worked in the lab looking like the perfect scientist in her white lab coat and glasses. Other than that she was the perfect physical specimen, strong and fit just as her designers had intended. All the people of Drymen had been genetically designed to be extremely strong and adaptable with the added bonus of being extremely intelligent.
Conrad had been their founder and his legacy was akin to a legend. He had not for one second hid the fact that he was using Kubu genetic material to create a super human species. He had actually been very proud of his accomplishments. His creations could withstand anything the planet could throw at them. They were just as able if not more able to easily manage the effects of climate change. Conrad Drummond had weeded out any undesirable specimens and traits until he found in his opinion the perfect combination of genetic traits to make the perfect beings. Thus the laws were created to ensure that his work would never be contaminated with unsuitable specimens.
Daria wondered what Conrad would think of her bouts of rage. Outwardly she looked to be the perfect specimen. She was extremely intelligent with just the right ratio of dense bone structure and robust musculature. She had a genetically enhanced immune system and the ability to heal more quickly than either Kubu or human purebreds. What would he think if he knew inside her being she held a barely contained monster? That’s how she thought of herself sometimes. When she felt herself starting to lose control she had to run or else everyone would know her well-guarded secret.
After several minutes of crying, another sign of unsuitable emotional characteristics as some of her colleagues would say, she was finally able to pull herself together. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Hi Daria, what’s wrong honey?” A familiar voice called out. Daria quickly wiped her face and straightened her clothes as she stood to greet her best friend Kira. “I’m just having an everyday run of the mill breakdown.” Daria confided. Kira smiled at her childhood friend. “What’s brought this on?” She asked. “I just found out that my sister Rory was put out into the forest to die. I was told that she was killed in an accident and now I find out this.” Daria shouted. “You know they do that to undesirable children Daria. It’s the worst kept secret ever.” Kira held up her hand to stop Daria’s tirade before it started. “You know I don’t agree with them. You know my views on the topic very well. I’m just saying it shouldn’t come as a big surprise.” Kira said studying her friend. Daria shook her head, she would never understand. “Kira how could a parent who carried a child within her body and deliver a healthy child for all intent and purpose kill that child? It’s inhuman.” Kira scanned around them. “You should watch what you say in public places Daria, the trees have ears.” Daria started to pace. “What are they going to do banish me too? Sometimes I think that would be the best thing for me.” Daria spat. “That is kind of the point Daria. They pride themselves on NOT being human. They think they’re better somehow.” Kira said putting her arm around her friend. “If we are better than I would have rather have been born defective and been put out with Rory. At least I would have been put out of my misery.” Daria said with more than a touch of resignation. “You don’t mean that Daria! I think you’re wonderful. You’re exactly what the people of Drymen could and should be. You’re a compassionate, generous and loving Kuman and I love you for all those traits.” Kira said giving her shoulder a squeeze. “I know you do Kira and I love you too.” Daria managed a smile for her friend. Kira chewed the inside of her lip trying to decide if she should reveal the rest of what she knew. “You give me hope for all of us Daria… there is something I heard once that might interest you.” Daria looked questioningly at her friend squinting her eyes slightly. “What is it Kira?” Daria asked. Kira took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how much truth there is to this and I don’t know if I heard it correctly or that I even have my information correct…” Kira said. Daria was starting to get angry again. She was starting to hear that roaring again. “Damn it Kira spit it out for god’s sake!” Daria shrieked. Kira turned to her and said in a quiet voice so as to not be overheard. “When I was a child I overheard my parents talking to each other. They were discussing some children being put out. I couldn’t hear everything they said and I was very young but I think they said someone had taken the children to a clearing in the forest. I didn’t understand the words they used at the time. Some adults had been taking food to them and one time when they went to them they had disappeared. At least that’s what I think they said.” Daria looked confused. “What? The children were gone, taken, or died? What the hell does all this mean Kira?” Daria asked. “It means we have a mystery that we may never have the answers to.” Kira stated bluntly. Daria got a strange look on her face that scared Kira a little. “I’m going to find out.” Daria said in a soft far away voice. Daria started to head off to get the answers to her questions. Kira grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Please Daria don’t start asking questions around here. It will just cause trouble. I didn’t tell you so you would get yourself sent away.” In a lower voice she continued. “I love you Daria and I don’t want anything to happen to you. I would miss you more than words can say. You’re the only one I know who I can be completely honest with. I can’t live with the idea of you being put out because of what I just said. Please take into consideration that I heard that as a child and I can’t be totally positive that is what I actually heard. Promise me you won’t do anything before you talk to me.” Kira looked stricken. Daria looked her friend in the eyes for a long time. “I promise.” With that said she pulled away and headed back to Inch Mahone her parents’ estate. As she went she turned back to her friend and waved. “Don’t worry.” ~
Other Books by this Author
Sci/Fantasy
The Secret – Book One of the Marcus II Series 978-0-9916881-2-8
The Reprisal – Book Three of the Marcus II Series 978-0-9916881-0-4
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The Slave Ship – Book Four of the Marcus II Series 978-0-9916881-4-2
Romance
My Neighbour Dana – A Modern Day Romance 978-0-9916881-3-5
The Creature - Book Two of the Marcus II Series Page 12
