by Avery Kloss
Ola stared at Kia, a wary look in her eye. “I know you were my husband’s favorite. You needn’t try to deny it. I wish to address it straightaway. I … won’t think on it another moment after this.” She lifted her chin, determination etched into her sunken cheeks. They had clearly suffered, looking far too frail. “If this is all there’s left of us, then … ” she waved to the fire, “please sit. We have a great deal to discuss.”
Chapter Twenty-One
They had not eaten anything substantial in days, barely having survived the forest. The child’s name was Bena, the girl a little younger than Ara and me. Anna was the other woman, all of them exhausted from lack of food and illness.
“You really mustn’t make that fire any bigger,” warned Kia. “There are men in the rocks that way. We haven’t met them, but they might come to see who we are.”
Ola’s eyes flew wide. “What men? Our men?”
“No. Peta says they … look like me. I can’t see very far. She’s better at that sort of thing. She devised a way to drink water from a tree.” A smile filled with pride rested upon me. “She and Ara have been helpful.”
I chewed on a nail, while a multitude of thoughts raced. “How can they all be dead? Men are strong. They would’ve found shelter. They have to be here still.”
Anna’s mouth turned down. “Did you not see the bodies in the water? They floated by every day. We saw … so many.”
“Those came from a camp further away.” I felt certain of this.
“No. We turned them over. We looked at each one. They were men from our clan, Peta. I loathe to tell you this, but our men are gone.”
I shook my head. “Ronan and Enwan would’ve found safety. They didn’t die.”
Kia’s hand closed over mine. “We needn’t talk about that right now. There are other, more pressing matters to contend with. If we’re the only ones left, we must find another clan. We need shelter. We need someone to hunt. We’re not going to ward off the animals. I hear them at night. It’s when they hunt, and they’ll soon hunt us.”
“And what clan will take you in?” asked Anna. “I don’t mean to be rude, but none of us wanted that responsibility.”
I glowered at her, not liking that very much. “This is my family. You are being rude.” Jumping to my feet, I glared at her, suddenly, unreasonably infuriated. “Kia and Ara are a part of this clan, as much as anyone else.”
“Calm yourself, child,” said Ola. She sighed, fatigue making her eyelids droop. “We’re all equal now. I … am sorry for what’s happened.” She stared at Kia. “I’m sorry. Peta’s right. We’re the same.”
“We were always the same,” I muttered.
“I didn’t mean to start an argument,” said Anna. “I was only saying what happened in the past, how the clan felt when you first came. I don’t know any of you. You kept to yourselves.”
“Because you didn’t include us in anything,” I said, realizing I was the only one speaking for my family. “We were on the outside always.” And now I sounded bitter.
Ola wrapped her arms around her, staring gloomily into the flames. “It’s the past. I’ve apologized. I can’t do anything more.”
“I accept your apology,” said Kia. “It’s the past. If we’re to survive, we’re going to have to work together.”
“And what will we do?” asked Ena. “I’m tired of starving. I’ve never been this hungry in my life.”
I felt a prickle of unease then, the hair standing up on the nape of my neck. Being the only one on my feet, I glanced over my shoulder into the tall grass, seeing something dark crouching there. My eyes skirted the edges of the small encampment, glimpsing several dark shapes, someone or something having encircled us. The breath caught in my throat, my chest rising and falling.
“What’s the matter, Peta?” asked Ara. “What’s wrong?”
“They’ve found us. We’re … surrounded.”
Everyone jumped to their feet, brandishing whatever weapon they had, while those hidden stepped forward. The men, rough-looking and dark, smelled of perspiration and musk, their skin glistening by the light of the fire, although hair covered their arms, chest, and legs. I counted five, all of them grown. They appeared to be of a clan like Kia’s, with thick eyebrows, topped off by prominent brow ridges and short statures, their legs slightly bowed. They held spears, theirs looking far more lethal than ours.
The broader man stepped forward, his eyes glinting in the darkness. He said something guttural, ending with a loud grunt. I glanced at Kia, hoping she knew what he said. Everyone looked to Kia, the women clearly worried about their welfare.
My mother spoke then in a language I had never heard her utter. She pointed to each of us, saying our name. “I told them who we are.”
The man grunted in reply, saying something I did not understand.
“This is their leader, Magnon. They wish to invite us to their camp. I … ” she appeared incredulous, “don’t think we have much choice in the matter. They’ll give us food, but we are required to mate with them. Those are the terms.” She saw the horror on my face. “Not the young ones, of course. The women.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Kia’s announcement did not come as a surprise, Ena and Anna nodding slightly, Ena saying, “I do hope the food is good. If I must submit to one of these … men,” she spat, “they better have something good to eat.”
“We can only hope,” muttered Ola.
The leader grunted, pointing his spear at us. Then he grunted again, saying something in that odd, guttural language.
“We go,” said Kia. “Take your things.”
“W-what if we say no?” whispered Ara.
“Don’t be foolish, child.” She lifted her chin slightly. “You don’t know the ways of my people. The women hold the power, once they’ve earned it. If we do as we’re told, we’ll be well-provided for.”
“I never thought I’d have to … mate with one of these … sorts,” grumbled Anna. “How I curse the flood that ruined my life. I’ve barely grieved for all I’ve lost, and now, now I have to … do this.”
I glanced between them, seeing the revulsion on their faces, relieved I wasn’t a part of it, grateful for my youth. None of the men looked at Bena or me. They did ogle the women though, a disturbing sort of heat flaring in their eyes.
“Well, at least we know what’s expected of us from the start,” muttered Ena. “It won’t come as a shock to anyone.”
“We leave now,” said Kia, the man named Magnon beside her.
One man kicked sand into the fire to put it out, the camp now dark. I shivered, my mind spinning with everything that had happened today. I did not want to believe all the hunters had drowned, but in my heart, I worried. However, I would never accept Ronan had died. He lived somewhere with Enwan, the two of them continuing, even flourishing. They waited for me. This would not be the end.
We walked in a single line beneath the light of the moon, the wind blowing the tall stalks of grass, while the smell of damp earth filled my lungs. The men spoke with deep sounding, harsh voices, while the growl of an animal echoed in the distance. I felt surprisingly safe now, the men muscled and stocky, their legs looking as sturdy as tree trunks.
Bena walked beside me, the girl as tall as I and thin, with hair cascading over her shoulders. “I’ve seen you at camp,” I murmured, wondering if she would speak to me.
“I’ve seen you too.”
“Where’s your mother?”
“She drank the water. She got sick. So did my brothers and sisters.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Everyone’s gone.”
“We’re here.”
“I miss my family,” she whispered, her voice catching. “I want them back.”
Sympathy prompted me to put an arm around her. “We’re family now. Everything’s going to be all right. Don’t worry.” I said this with far more certainty than I believed, not knowing if anything would ever be right.
We came to
a rocky slope a short while later, thorny brambles digging into my feet as we climbed. I had seen the cave from a distance, having stared at it earlier in the day. Light flickered from within grey stone, a fire burning already. Kia and Ara scrambled ahead, while Bena and I brought up the rear with two men behind us.
Having reached the entrance, a mother sat with a baby, the woman looking similar to Kia and Ara, with thick brows and dark skin. The whites of her eyes flared in surprise, as she jumped to her feet, saying something I could not understand. The leader, Magnon, grunted, speaking in the rough language. She quieted instantly, although she stared at each of us, Kia in particular.
Kia spoke to her, although what she said I could not fathom. I eyed the cave, seeing the floor covered with comfortable-looking pelts. It smelled of unwashed bodies and a hint of food, the clan having cooked something recently. My mouth watered at the prospect of a meal, as I stared at Magnon expectantly. He noted this, speaking and gesturing with his hands, the wrists impossibly thick.
“Magnon says to sit,” said Kia. “They’re going to give us food.”
Grasping Bena’s hand, I brought her with me to a pelt, crossing my legs before me. I wasn’t especially frightened of this new situation, my fears placated by the idea of food. The other women seemed apprehensive, their gazes darting back and forth, fingers gripping weapons still.
Ara joined us, her hand closing over mine. I glanced at her. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know.”
Magnon spoke again, Kia translating. “This is Hanna.” She pointed to the woman. “Her baby is Penua.” Hanna spoke then, a lengthy conversation occurring, the women coming to some sort of agreement.
Ena, Anna, and Ola stood awkwardly, baskets hanging from their backs and sticks in their hands, some with crudely implemented spear tips. Two of the men left, while the others sat on pelts, their eyes trained on the women. Now I felt the shift in mood, the sound of Kia and Hanna’s voices drifting around me.
“Please sit,” said Kia. “They want to welcome us. The men have gone to fetch something to eat.”
Magnon occupied the thickest looking pelt, his muscled legs crossed before him, while black hair hung down his back. He eyed each of us in turn, nodding slightly. He seemed pleased with this turn of events, despite having his camp inundated with a passel of women and children. Ena, Anna, and Ola put their weapons down, leaving the baskets near the wall. They sat huddled together in the center of a soft-looking pelt, while Hanna tossed another log onto the fire. She had yet to stop speaking to Kia, the conversation the only noise in the cave.
Exhausted, I sprawled on the fur, sighing with pleasure. It had been ages since I had this luxury, missing Ronan desperately and wishing he were here, although the men might fight to the death then. Bena lay with me, as did Ara, the three of us together.
Magnon pointed to us, saying something, Kia translating. “Magnon says to please rest, if you must. Food will be here shortly.” A hint of a smile appeared, her posture not nearly as stiff as before. She sat with Hanna, the women speaking again, while the baby fussed.
The hunters returned with game, a stag draped over a man’s shoulder, the animal quite young. They had taken out its inside elsewhere, tossing the carcass onto a flattened rock, where they then hacked away at pieces of reddish meat. These ended in the fire, sizzling upon several rocks there, the smell delicious. I sat up, marveling at the sight, which seemed to please Magnon. He played host to us, offering warmth and shelter and food. I chewed my lip with impatience, desiring a taste. A piece came my way a shortly.
“Thank you.” I took it, eating it straight away, despite its heat.
The women ate the meat; a bladder filled with water was passed around, the refreshment hydrating and welcome. Hanna continued to speak to Kia, the baby now nursing. She gestured with her hands, her expressions animated. I wondered what they spoke of, but I would have to wait until daybreak to ask her. Tired from the fire and the food, I yawned, crawling over the pelt to settle in for the night, finding Ara and Bena there, the three of us cuddled together. I had not felt this full and happy since the day before the flood.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I slept soundly, though dimly aware of the sounds of mating, the women submitting to the men. However, this wasn’t unusual at camp. I woke in the middle of the night to someone grunting, the shape of a man moving repetitively over a woman, his shadow bouncing off the walls. We slept longer in the darkness of the shelter than on the open plain, the pelt warm and comfortable, my companions snoring softly. Noisy, manly snores echoed as well. No one stirred until well after the sun sat high, the light from the entrance nearly blinding.
Hanna stoked the fire, her baby crying, while the men coughed and spat, someone speaking in a guttural language. Needing to relieve myself, I slipped from the pelt, heading for the doorway, where I stood at the precipice, the greenness of the valley before me. A man brushed past going out to hunt, holding a spear.
Kia appeared. “Good morning.” She smiled, her eyes skimming over the landscape.
Glancing into the cave, some of the women continued to sleep, Ena and Anna sharing a pelt, while Ola slept beneath another with one of the men. “Are we safe here?”
“Very much so. These are my people.” She stood tall; though, even at my age, I was taller. “Hanna says the other women died in childbirth. They’ve been living here for a few seasons. The flood trapped them for a while, but now it’s gone. They come from a tribe near where mine was. They say there aren’t many of my people left.”
“Oh.”
“It feels good to speak the language. I wanted to teach it to you and Ara, but I’ve been lazy.”
“What will happen to us now?” I frowned, realizing she had found her home.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re with your kind, but I’m not like you. Everyone says I’m different.”
“You’re welcome here too, Peta. You haven’t anything to worry about. You must try to learn the language, though. It’s important to know what people are saying.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Magnon is a good man. His men are good. They’ll take care of us. They’ll provide. We can’t ask for more.” A look of contentment softened her features. “I … thank the gods for this bit of good-fortune. I’ve never been … so pleased.”
It warmed my heart to see her like this. I smiled, reaching for her hand. “I’m glad, Mamma. They were mean to you at the other clan. I’m glad you’ve found your people.”
“Not everyone is happy here.” She leaned in, whispering, “Ena and Anna are not so happy. They don’t want to stay. Ola is more accepting. Perhaps, if given some time, the other two will come around. The men are coarse and dirty, but … they provide. The shelter’s the best I’ve seen. I can live here. We’re safe from the rain and cold. The animals won’t bother us, at least not from what I can tell.”
“If you’re happy, Mamma, I’m happy.”
Her arm went around me. “You’re a good girl, Peta.”
“Thank you for being my mamma. I love you.”
She kissed my cheek. “I love you too.”
We fell into a routine, the men hunting, while the women tended the fire, dragging pelts into the sun to beat daily and finding water. Bena and Ara and I became fast friends, foraging together, finding an abundance of leafy green plants to eat and mushrooms. The flood encouraged everything to grow; even shrubs long dormant thrived. A profusion of colorful flowers brought a sweet smell to the wind; butterflies and insects were a frequent sight.
I often lay in the sun near the cave, my legs dangling over the edge of a large rock, while black birds squawked overhead. We ate well every night, the meat spitting and smoking in the fire. The hunters brought back the carcasses of stags, pigs, and bears. Pelts waited to be treated, women working them at their leisure. I scraped a few earlier, my hands sore from the effort.
Ara joined me, laying beside me on the rock. “This is warm.”
With my eyes closed, I smiled. “Yes.”
“The men aren’t back yet.”
“I saw them.”
“I wish my eyesight was as good as yours.”
“They’re hunting still. They haven’t abandoned us.” The men not returning was a common fear, the women not being able to fend for themselves, although we would survive somehow. “What is it?”
“I’m done working for the day.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t have any pressing concerns.”
I peeked at her, seeing her on her back. “That’s good.”
“It’s wonderful.” She sighed. “I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.”
“It won’t, will it?” Turning on my side, I held my cheek in the palm of my hand. “Everything changes in time.”
“We could be set upon by beasts and killed. The men could meet with some misfortune and not return.” She shrugged. “Or the gods could send great water and kill us all.”
“Too many morbid thoughts on such a perfect day.”
“I shouldn’t think this way. I’m sorry.”
I could not blame her, having the same worries. “There’s no reason to be sorry.” I sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees, eyeing the vista before me, seeing the dark shapes of our hunters in the distance. They held spears, throwing them at their quarry. “Everything is good.”
“For now.”
“Perhaps, for a very long time. I don’t see why we can’t stay here.” I adored the cave, wondering if it was like the cave Ronan spoke of, his ideal home. I thought about him every day, wishing he were with us, wondering what had happened to him, and praying he lived. It felt odd to yearn for someone like this, especially now when I resided in comfort.
Movement caught my notice, two men approaching, carrying the spoils of the day. “They return, Ara.” I pointed. “There.”
She sat up, eyeing the land, squinting. “I don’t see it, but I trust you’re right.”
