Shore of Graves (Underwater Island Series Book 1)

by Miranda Hardy

  “He needs to get to the water.” He points to the roaring dark waves.

  “No! Are you mad?” I grab the sick’ man’s free arm and try to pull him back into the hut. The reluctant brother struggles with indecision before he relents. “Support his head,” I instruct while I lift his legs onto the cloth covers.

  “Water,” the sick man breathes out.

  “See. He wants to be in the water.” The brother begs me with his eyes.

  “If you put him in the sea, he will die.” I untie the string from the bag of herbs and minerals and add them to a pot of water, mixing them in the liquid.

  Pouring the warm concoction into a cup, I blow on it and squat next to the ill man. “Help me with his head.”

  He looks into the cup before lifting his brother’s head. “What is that? What are you giving him?” His eyes nervously dart from his ill brother’s face to the steaming cup.

  “It’s only herbs to fight the fever and infection.” The patient licks his dry lips, and his eyes search for the familiar face. I wonder what it would feel like to see your face staring back at you every day. “Where are you from? Lanui?”

  The liquid spills from his sputtering lips.

  “Yes.” The well man looks away from me. “We were on a…hunting trip.”

  “You need to get more down your throat. It doesn’t taste that bad.” I try to drip more into his mouth. He swallows this time. “Hunting? This far away?” I back away when I’m satisfied he’s swallowed enough for now.

  The well brother grips his hand. “I’m so sorry, Tao. It should be me, not you. You are the strong one.” Tears stream down his face.

  I refill the cup and place it next to the bed. “His name is Tao?”

  “Yes.”

  “And yours?” I ask.

  “Keyon. My name is Keyon.” The only difference in his face from Tao’s is the scar in the shape of a half-moon etched from the corner of his eye to his thin lips.

  “Keyon and Tao, very odd names for men from the Lanui village,” I say more to myself than to Keyon. “Well, I’m Alania.”

  Keyon nods.

  “Tao?” Keyon says, shaking his brother.

  “Shhh. Let him rest.” I move to stop him. “His body needs the rest to heal and fight the infection from within.

  “What do we do now?” he implores, his dark, glassy eyes staring at me.

  “We try to keep his fever down through the night.” I squeeze out a small, wet cloth and place it on his forehead. I place another under his chin, wrapping it around his neck. “It’s all we can do for him now.” Keyon’s reddened face watches my every movement. I wonder if my brother would be so thoughtful and worried had it been me sick in bed. I imagine not.

  “Will he live?”

  I study them. “I can’t promise you anything.”

  He nods. “Did you speak with your doctor? Will he help? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

  “Doctor?”

  “Yes, the person who helps the sick. Doctor?” He points to the empty bag that held the herbs.

  “Our doctor as you call them, is called a healer here. And, he is a she, who happens to be my grandmother. She tends to another patient. You call your healer, ‘Doctor’? Is that their name?”

  “No, it’s the—nothing.” He takes one last look at Tao before he storms out of the hut.

  I’m left frustrated and without answers. I ease down onto the bed and refold and replace the cloth on Tao’s head. There’s a slight bulge under the thin fabric of his shirt. Curiosity takes over, and I slide the edge of his shirt away. A beautiful shiny necklace lay in the hollow of his throat. It looks the same as the silver we use in some of our remedies. The metal is so precious and rare we use it sparingly. In fact, most of our supply has diminished. Grandmother and I have spoken several times about what we’ll do when it’s gone. And still, we have no solutions. Our people depend on it to get well, yet these villagers use it as decoration. Disgusted, I stand and head to the door.

  As I open it, I come face-to-face with Keyon. He’s shivering, wet, and out of breath. “Where have you been?” Thunder booms in the clouds.

  “I needed... air.” He grabs his waist and bends over.

  “It’s storming, and you needed to race through it to get air?” My eyes narrow. Closing the door behind him, I cross my arms. “You’re soaked and leaving a puddle in my house.”

  I throw a large cloth at him from across the room. He takes it, wiping his face, and a necklace falls out from under his shirt. It’s made of the same metal and is exactly like Tao’s. I grab the stone dangling from it. He pulls it away and shoves it under his shirt. “It was a gift.”

  “I don’t think you ward off sickness by wearing it.” I look at his sleeping brother on the bed. I purse my lips and blurt out, “Tell me about Lanui.”

  3

  “It’s much like your village.” He squares his shoulders away from me and gazes out the window. The wind howls outside, but the rain subsides.

  He lies to me. An uneasiness forms in my gut.

  The candles provide little light as the inside fire dies down. I add logs to the flames to keep the warmth inside. “I’m to marry within a week and will then be a part of your village. As you know, your healer’s well beyond in years, and I’ll be taking his place. I’m sure you’ve heard of these changes coming.”

  “Of course, I’m sorry. My mind is frazzled. I’ve heard the news.” He nears the other cot. “Congratulations on your engagement.” He sits, placing his head in his hands.

  Frazzled? I’ve never heard this bizarre word. Standing in the doorway, I watch the black sea pummel the darkened shore, thinking it odd he does not speak of the boy I am to marry. Surely he must know him. The angry waves beat loudly against the sand, but at least the storm’s subsided and the rain’s lightened. Closing the door, I see Keyon at his brother’s side. He closes his eyes and wraps one hand around Tao’s. The other holds one of the stick figures. His mouth moves in a fast rhythm of words, a slur of mumblings that makes no sense to me.

  “What are you doing with that?”

  “Excuse me?” he asks.

  “With that thing you’re holding, what are you doing with it?”

  He tilts his head and narrows his eyes as if I’ve asked him the most absurd thing. “Praying,” he says and continues the unrecognizable chatter.

  I only nod, trying to keep the confused expression off my face. Observing him makes more questions pop into my head. He steeples his hands over the wooden figure. It’s fascinating to watch him, but oddly perplexing at the same time.

  Dampening a new cloth, I hesitantly walk to the brothers. Keyon moves over, allowing me to switch the cloth on Tao’s brow. “Replacing this often will help lower his fever” .

  “What can I do to help?” he asks.

  “Keeping this cloth cool will be a great help.”

  “I will do it.” He sets the sticks down next to his brother.

  “Would you like something to eat? I have bread and broth.”

  “I would be grateful. Thank you.”

  A hard cough shatters the silence in the room.

  “Brother! Brother!”

  “Hold him up, and I will try to get him to drink more of the herbs.”

  Keyon props Tao up, tilting his head. Without another word or sputter from the sick man, Tao swallows more of the healing tea.

  Tao mumbles incoherent words. His eyes flutter open, and then close again.

  Laying him back on the bed, Keyon kneels next to him. “He’s dreaming of home and hopes to see it again.”

  I wasn’t sure how he got all that out of Tao’s ramblings. I hand him the bowl of broth and add half a loaf of bread.

  “Thank you.” He takes it. At first, he’s slow with the first few spoonfuls. But, then he scarfs down the rest as if he hasn’t eaten in days.

  “It will be a long night. Maybe we should take turns watching over him.” I give him a half smile. “Why don’t you rest first? I’ll wake
you when I get tired.”

  Shaking his head, he says, “No, I can’t sleep knowing he’s on the verge of death.”

  “At least let me get you some bedding for comfort.” Grabbing the sheets that once belonged to my parents, I hand them to Keyon.

  “Thank you.”

  “The bedding is thin, but it’s all I have.”

  “Not for the bedding, well yes, for that too. But for helping my brother.”

  “You’re welcome.” Untying the blades of grass holding my braids, I comb my fingers through my hair. Keyon watches me. His hard stare bores into me, as if I’ve done something inappropriate. His black eyes remind me of dead wood after a fire has cooled. Feeling uneasy, I retreat to behind the screen dividing the room and finish changing into a lighter nightgown.

  Crackles from the fire and low deep-throated snores fill the silent room. Both of them are asleep.

  Picking up the crossed sticks, my mind drifts to its meaning. Perhaps Keyon feels it will ward off angry spirits trying to take his brother away. An owl hoots in the distance, causing me to jump.

  A GOLDEN LIGHT shines in from outside. Morning. How long have I been asleep? Dreams of coffins, ghosts, and scarred faces haunted my sleep. Then last night’s memories, the churning sea, the sick man, and his exact brother, all resurface. Tao lies still, and Keyon sleeps beside him on the floor.

  Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Gingerly, I get up, hoping not to wake Keyon, and tiptoe to check on Tao. His chest rises and falls. Laying my head on his chest, I listen to the bubbling in his lungs.

  “What are you doing?” Keyon sits up.

  My heartbeat quickens. “Shhhh. Keep your voice down. What do you think I’m doing?”

  “I’m sorry,” he says.

  “I have taken you and your ill brother—complete strangers—into my home. I have nursed your brother and fed you, yet still you question my intentions?”

  “You’re right.” He bows his head, but I can see he doesn’t yet let his guard down. Trust is not easily gained with him. “How is he?”

  “He’ still hot with fever, and that’s not good. When he wakes, I want to try to feed him some broth and more of the herbs.”

  “That is the perfect plan, my dear.” Grandmother walks through the door with Haku.

  “Kahanu. Haku.” My palms sweat. Nervously, I smile.

  “How is the patient doing?” she asks, looking first at Keyon and then at Tao. Her eyes widen.

  “It’s true then,” Haku says. “They are twins.”

  Glances pass between Keyon, Haku, Kahanu, and me. The air feels suddenly stifling.

  Tension builds in the room and an awkward silence follows. “He’s the same. He’s still very warm, and his chest bubbles.” I continue changing his cloths to a cooler one.

  “I’m Haku.” He holds his hand out to Keyon. “Welcome to our village, but we are saddened by your circumstances.” Keyon looks at his hand and hesitantly raises his own. Haku grabs it, pulling him in for a hug. Keyon stiffens. “And you are?” Haku backs away and smiles.

  “Keyon, and this is my brother, Tao.” He fidgets with the sticks in his hand, turning it over.

  “My, you are a perfect match to your brother,” Kahanu says.

  He nods, annoyance lining his face. “You can heal him? You are the island’s healer?”

  Kahanu exchanges an odd look with Haku. “It seems as though Alania has everything under control,” she says.

  “But, you are the village’s doctor. She is just a…” His voice trails off.

  “Doctor?” she whispers under her breath. Waving away her private question, she asks, “She is a what? My boy, she is what I am, a healer.” The practiced smile on her face took many years of dedicated service.

  “I haven’t heard that term in a very long time,” Haku says.

  “They are from Launi,” I say.

  “Twins from Launi, and we haven’t heard this news?” Haku asks. “Very curious.”

  Kahanu leans over Tao. “If it weren’t for his shoulder-length hair and your short hair, it would be almost impossible to tell you apart.”

  For me, the curious scar on Keyon’s face, and the fact he’s the only one I’ve spoken to, sets them apart. When and if Tao wakes, it’ll be interesting if I notice any other differences.

  “We are the same in more than looks.” He approaches the opposite side of the bed, across from Kahanu. His expression reminds me of a child who has lost his most precious treasure. Sadness overcomes his features. He chews on the bottom of his lip.

  The door swings open and slams against the wall. “How stupid you are!” Apela crosses the doorway, his fists balled against his side.

  “Apela, calm down,” Kahanu says.

  “Don’t tell me to calm down, Grandmother. She’s my responsibility, and it’s my obligation as her brother to make sure she’s safe and out of danger.” His eyes seethe with revulsion toward Keyon.

  “She’s capable of taking care of herself, and for that matter”—she waves her arms toward the sick man—“others as well.”

  Apela glares at Keyon. “Who are you? What brought you to Molu?”

  Keyon studies Apela; his mouth sets in a hard line. The respect seeps through his posture. Apela’s protection of me impresses him, the same as he feels for his own brother.

  “My name is Keyon, and this is my brother Tao. We were…hunting, as I told Alania, and my brother got the sickness.” His eyes dart to me, pleading for me to come to his defense.

  I don’t.

  Apela, only half caring and barely listening to Keyon’s answer, looks down at the sick man, seeming to see him for the first time. “Spirit,” he says, his hand slowly going toward his mouth. “You are the same.”

  “Yes, they are twins. Born from the same womb at the same time,” Kahuna says.

  Apela puffs out his chest. “I am Apela.”

  “Come now. Let Alania return to her sick patient.” Kahanu guides Apela through the door. She pivots to see me. “You’re doing well, my dear. Very well.”

  Kahanu’s praise warms my heart. A sense of pride and confidence rises inside me.

  Apela’s hand grabs the wall, and he abruptly faces us. He glares at Keyon. “I’ll be watching you.” Then he tells me, “I’ll stay close to the village today. Come find me if you need me.”

  Placing my hand near my mouth, I hide the grin forming.

  “Come have lunch at my hut in a couple of hours.” Haku nears the open door. “I’d love to hear more about your life in Launi.”

  Keyon nods. Haku closes the door behind him.

  Keyon’s demeanor relaxes. “Your brother is quite protective of you.”

  “As you are of yours.”

  Tao stirs and takes more of the herb remedy. Keyon eats more broth and bread. The waves on the shore wash away the seaweed it deposited during the storm. “I need to go into the village. I will be back soon,” I say.

  “We will be here.” His tone softens. A prideful spark ignites inside me. His eyes gleam as he looks at me when he speaks, instead of avoiding eye contact all together. We’re making progress.

  Chatter about the newcomers fill the village. People whisper around me as if I’m the stranger.

  “Alania.” Inoa waddles toward me, one hand at her lower back and the other swaying hard with each step. “Slow down. I’m walking as fast as I can.”

  “Are you going to give me a hard time, too?” Heat rises to my face.

  “Whoa—” She holds up her hand and motions for me to wait while she catches her breath. Still breathing hard, she says, “No. I want to warn you as to what the village says.”

  Now she’s piqued my interest. “What? They don’t approve of me healing the sick?”

  “That has not specifically been said. But, they do have concerns as to why you have two young men residing in your hut and why they weren’t brought to Kahanu’s—”

  “I found them in the middle of a storm. The sick one was to
o heavy to move, and the other wanted to put him in the ocean. That would have killed him. And, I went and saw Kahanu last night and got the herbs I needed. So, she knew they were here…” Pressing my lips together, I sigh. I’m rambling and getting defensive for something I need no defense for.

  “Calm down. I’m telling you what I’ve heard some of the villagers say. They think it is unwise and inappropriate of you to have men in your hut because you are still a child for another week”—she holds up her hands, stopping me before I lash out—“and you are to be married in less than a week. It doesn’t look right.”

  “I am healing him!” Again my words cut her down. Anger pools in my gut, and I feel the hot tears spill over. Swatting at my face, I smear the wetness across my cheeks. This is why we’d never be friends. She feels the need to be the spokesperson for the people. It irritates me that I feel the need to care what anyone thinks.

  Running away from her and her words, I race toward the beach on the far side of the island. For a small moment, happiness fills me with the thought I’ll be moving away from here. Closing my eyes, I let the rest of the tears fall, vowing they will be the last I shed. Walking along the shore, I breathe in deeply, clearing my head of the nonsense floating around in my mind: the talk in the village, my marriage in just a few days, and the strangers. Strangers.

  Taking the long way along the shore back home, I avoid the villager’s stares and whispers. Listening to the waves rolling onto the beach lulls my senses, helping me free my brain of clutter. Midafternoon approaches, and the supplies I intended to get this morning will have to wait. I’ll make do with what’s left in the hut.

  Pushing open the door, the men are as I left them. Tao sleeps, and Keyon holds the crossed sticks in his hand. Listening to Tao’s chest, there’s no change.

  Needing energy to watch over the sick man, I force down some broth. The morning’s events contributed to my decreased appetite.

  “I’ll go and greet your leader.” Keyon’s mouth twists as he sets the wooden idol down. “It would be rude not to visit when he asked.”

  He leaves and heads in the direction I pointed. Sitting next to Tao, I imagine Keyon’s walk through the village will be filled with even more stares and whispers than mine had been.