A Woman's World

by Lynne Hill-Clark

“It was only a thin line of blue water when we viewed it from the top.” Baya pointed to the massive cliff face behind her. She doubted that she would be able to throw a pebble all the way across it.

  Vicaroy furrowed his brow at the water furiously rushing by. “Let’s rest here for the night. Maybe if we sleep on it we can think of something. We’ll look for a way to cross in the morning.”

  The excitement of reaching the end of the cave faded and Baya was suddenly weary. Another problem to solve. Food and rest would make the situation appear less dire. “Let’s set up camp.” Baya had barely taken one step away from the river’s embankment when a terrible grinding sound echoed off the cliff wall.

  She turned toward the sound. But Vicaroy wasn’t there. The embankment where he had been had vanished as well. She took a step forward but more of the earth along the shore fell away. Instinctively she jumped back.

  “Vicaroy!” she bellowed.

  All she could do was watch in horror as more of the bank vanished. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran to the nearest rock ledge overlooking the river. Without consciously thinking she’d known she had to find stable land in order to be able to assess the situation.

  Her gaze followed the path of the earth that had been swept away by the water below. Panic rose as she faced the fact that Vicaroy had slid into the river. She screamed for him again as she searched the water for any sign of him.

  “Vic —!” Her yell stuck in her throat, as she had spotted a tiny black dot being carried swiftly downstream. Baya shrugged off her pack and without further thought, moved to follow Vicaroy over the embankment and into the rushing water below.

  Chapter 60

  Baya’s shirt snagged on something, stopping her from stepping off the rock outcropping and falling into the raging river. She grabbed her tunic to jerk it free and found that it was Tara who held the cloth tight between her sharp teeth. The young animal pulled with all her might to keep Baya from going over the steep embankment into the river.

  “Tara! Let go!” Baya tore her tunic free, leaving a piece of fabric hanging out of Tara’s mouth. “I have to save him.”

  Tara sat down with the piece of Baya’s tunic hanging out of her mouth. A heart-wrenching whimper escaped from the animal and Baya heard her tiny voice, Please don’t leave me too.

  Baya glanced desperately back at the river. “You mean like your mother did? You don’t want me to die too.”

  Tara whimpered again.

  Baya cautiously moved to peer over the edge. Water rushed swiftly over large rocks. It would lead to painful injury and certain death. She fell to her knees and a sob stuck in her throat. That meant the fall would have killed Vicaroy as well.

  He was dead.

  That had been his lifeless body floating away. Another sob escaped as the reality of the situation hit her. For a moment she still wanted to step over the edge. But this time it was not to save Vicaroy but to follow him in death.

  Baya shook her head. “I can’t give up. I have to try.” Baya ran along the bank heading downriver. She didn’t make it far before she came to the end of the ledge. There was a muddy bank below at the river’s edge. The sheer rock wall guided the river south from there. She could go no farther.

  Now on all fours, her mid-day meal came up, splattering over the rock supporting her. “Doba was with him and now they’re both gone.” Another painful cry jammed in her throat.

  She moved away from the edge.

  With a whimper Tara nudged her shoulder.

  Baya wrapped her arms around the animal and they lay in a ball.

  Darkness came and Baya didn’t move. She made no attempt to make camp or even a fire. She stared at the moonlit cliff without seeing it. She couldn’t bear to look at the river that had taken Vicaroy. She could hear nothing but the endless noise of the rushing water — mocking her. Normally it would have been a pleasant sound but on this night it pierced her ears — the noise drove her mad. She slowly turned a hard stare to the raging waters that had taken her love. “Shut up!” She screamed.

  The river continued to roar back, utterly oblivious.

  Baya finally fell asleep to escape the pain. She woke with a start from a nightmare. It had ended with a voice pleading, yelling, demanding that she continue her journey eastward. As the dream faded and the voice faded she wondered if it was her mother’s, or Shema’s. Perhaps it was Ameris calling her — guiding her.

  The dream quickly faded and the real nightmare returned. It soon had Baya wanting to heave up the contents of her stomach. The problem was that there was nothing left to come up. She lay on the bare earth looking up at the thin slice of purple sky. It looked like a snake as it curved and weaved, following the outline of the mountains on either side of them. “He’s gone … dead … just like that. Here one minute and taken the next. I had no time to react — to help him.”

  Tara stirred from her slumber at the sound of Baya’s voice.

  Baya jumped to her feet, startling Tara, and studied her surroundings. Her mind was sharp and determined. She had to find him, even if it was only his … body.

  The far riverbank was a gradual slope and she could more easily follow the river south from that side, which was the direction that Vicaroy had been swept away.

  “That’s it. We have to cross here.” She made the brief walk back to retrieve her belongings.

  She tossed her pack down to the river’s edge. “We have to slide down.”

  Tara peered over the edge and whimpered.

  Baya took Tara in her arms and tried to run down the embankment. It was too steep and Baya ended up on her butt sliding down most of it.

  “Ouch.” They landed in the mud. Baya stood and rubbed her backside. Her pants, like her tunic, were torn and her skin was scraped. She didn’t care. Glaring at the river, it was clear that there was nowhere to go but across it. The river ran directly alongside the steep cliff face. “I could shoot an arrow into a tree on the far side with a rope tied to it. Then tie the other end to …” Baya looked around. “This big rock. I can hold onto the rope so that the river won’t carry us away.” Baya frowned. “Of course, all our food would get wet and how will I carry you and hold the rope?”

  Tara’s four black eyes blinked up at Baya. She clearly couldn’t make out all that was being said.

  Baya cocked her head to the side in concentration. “I’m going to have to use my powers ... somehow. Perhaps I could float our stuff over my head to keep it dry. Overhead, that’s it.” She gave a wicked smile to the raging river. “Better yet, I will bend this river to my will.” Focusing all her hatred and grief onto the river. She threw her arms straight out in front of her, palms toward the river.

  The river yielded. A tunnel formed before them — a rainbow of water for them to pass under.

  “Come on, Tara.” Baya led the way under the water.

  They made their way over round river rocks and through the slippery mud of the riverbed while the crystal-blue water rolled harmlessly over their heads. Colorful furry fish swam above them. The fish took no notice of Baya and Tara.

  “I wish Vicaroy could see this.” Baya’s heart fell at the mention of him and a spray of water cascaded down. Focus! she told herself. She couldn’t afford to lose her concentration or they would be swept away.

  As soon as they were on the far bank Baya let the water resume its natural course. Her stomach growled, louder than the river. The last thing she wanted was food, but her powers required fuel. She took some snacks out of her pack to feed herself and her companion and kept moving south as she ate. She had to find Vicaroy.

  There was no sign of life in the canyon, only the two of them. They walked until Tara was too tired to go any farther and then until Baya grew too tired to carry her. The animal was growing by the day.

  He is lost to you. You must head east … east … east.

  Baya opened her eyes to the echo of the word ‘east’ still ringing in her ears. It was the same female voice as before, urging her to continue on her j
ourney. Sitting up, she shook her head. “No,” she grumbled. Then more adamantly, “No! He can’t be gone. What if he’s alive … somehow? What if he needs my help?” Tears ran down her cheeks. “I have to find him. … I need him.”

  The only thing that had made this entire insane voyage to the mainland worthwhile was that they were together. Now that he was gone, everything was pointless. This was all for nothing. “I will find him or I do not go on.” Her voice caught. “I can’t go on without him.”

  She lay back down, determined to never get up again. Yet, her mind would not let go. She had to try. One thing she had proved in her still-young life was that she was not a quitter. What if he was only badly injured? Maybe he needed her. She rose and began making her way south at once. “No! I will not leave him.” She argued with the voice from her dreams.

  On the second day of following the river south Baya and Tara came to a narrowing. The riverbank disappeared as it gave rise to a rock cliff-face. The water was forced between the two towering stone walls on either side. There was no way to continue south from the river basin.

  Baya slammed her hands against the stone wall blocking her path. If only she could move it — transform it. It was too heavy and there was too much of it. She kicked the stone causing her toe to throb. Looking to the east the terrain was steep but they could climb out easy enough. Nothing sounded better than getting out of this wretched hole — away from the loud mocking river. She would find another way to get to Vicaroy.

  Up they went.

  From high up on the east side of the great obstacle, Baya could survey the lay of the land. To the south the two tall cliffs gave way to a large waterfall. There was no way Vicaroy would have survived if he had been carried over that cliff.

  Baya sat down hard. She let the possibility that he might really be gone sink in. Either way, there was no way to find him, or his body at that point. If he had gone over the waterfall, then not much would be left of him. Her stomach heaved but she managed not to throw up. She lay her head on her pack and let the tears fall. She gave in fully to the sorrow and exhaustion. The dab of hope she had held onto faded away.

  The voice bidding her to head east woke her again. She didn’t fight it this time. Her body and mind were entirely numb as she turned her gaze to the east. Once out of the canyon she could see far into the distance. A gradual slope of colorful trees and shrubs ended abruptly in the lower lands at the base of the mountain. From there the view was bleak — nothing but a dull brown could be seen. She remembered Ameris’s tales of crossing the drylands — brutal. Baya would have to gather as much food and water as possible if they were to survive.

  Chapter 61

  Not only had Vicaroy made the journey into the unknown bearable he had made it enjoyable. With him at Baya’s side, she felt she could do anything. It was fine that they didn’t have a home, fine that they slept on the ground.

  He had even made the adventure fun. She tried not to think about the playful flirting, that had almost gotten him eaten. How he often looked at her with an intense longing, yet always with love in his eyes. Now she could find no reason to go on.

  Why bother? Baya thought upon awakening. She and Tara were following a small stream down the mountain. Being off course after the detour south, Baya adjusted their direction to head slightly northeast.

  Bright orange clouds hung in the purple sky and the weather seemed to grow hotter with every step she took down the mountain toward the wastelands that lay beyond.

  Tara licked her cheek by way of a morning greeting. Baya absent-mindedly rubbed her companion behind an ear. “At least I have you. … Doba…” She moaned. “I’d brought him here to free him, so he could find his own kind. All I did was get him killed.”

  He was a funny little thing. Tara hadn’t said much lately. She didn’t know what to say to make Baya feel better.

  “Yeah, he was.”

  Tara pawed at Baya’s pack in hopes of finding some breakfast.

  “We’re running low on food. I’d better hunt. We’ll have to stock up on supplies if we’re going to make it across that desert. You may have to carry supplies as well.”

  Wait. What?

  Baya gathered her bow and quiver and set out. She would not have bothered if it was not for Tara. The need to care for the young animal was the only thing keeping her going. Baya would have been content to go hungry.

  Baya stocked up with extra bladders of water, even tying a couple to Tara’s back. The creature tried to shake them off, but Baya stopped her. “There is no telling how far it is across the desert. You have to help me carry supplies — otherwise we will not make it.”

  You mean die?

  “Yes. We will die.”

  Tara let out a low growl of protest but didn’t try to shake the water containers off.

  “I know. I don’t like it either. But this may be the most challenging terrain yet.” Baya ventured a longing glance back up the mountain.

  “Goodbye, my love.” Tears filled her eyes. She had not been able to give Vicaroy a proper burial. His body would be devoured by … Baya stopped herself from finishing the terrible thought.

  She and Tara stood at the edge of the tree line. She reluctantly turned her gaze from the lush mountainside. The trees and shrubs grew sparse to the east until they disappeared altogether, leaving only a dry parched earth.

  The nights grew shorter as each day passed. The time of the sun would soon be upon them, in which night would not come at all. At least one of the suns would remain in the sky at all times. Baya had decided that bringing wood was not a good use of the limited supplies they could carry. Fire was no longer needed for warmth. She hoped that it was not needed for protection. Surely no animals could survive in the desert.

  She unrolled her bedding after a long day of walking in the intense sunlight. Tara was more than ready to lie down. Tara shook her rainbow-colored mane when Baya untied the water from her back. She stretched her back and then curled up at the foot of Baya’s blankets.

  They were both fast asleep before the last sun had set.

  Baya woke to a faint tickling sensation and a rustling sound. There were two moons in the night sky. One was full, providing ample light for her to see that her pack was moving. She jumped to her feet and lit a fire in the palm of her hand. At first she thought it was Doba, or many Doba’s, all over her pack. Yet, their long segmented bodies were tan, not black like Doba. They were tearing into her food pouches.

  “Stop.” She tried to shoo them off with a wave of her hand. No luck. Picking the food bag up she shook it hard, sending some of them to the ground. They disappeared as they burrowed into the dry dusty soil. A couple still had secure grips on the pack. “Get your own food.”

  Several sets of large black eyes blinked at her. That’s what we’re doing, getting food. It’s rare to find so much in one place.

  This will last us a month, another one of the creatures said as it took a mouthful of nuts.

  “This is our food and it has to last us. I’m sorry but I can’t feed you all.”

  They ignored her and continued to munch away.

  “I’ll have to …”

  To what? one of the large insects challenged.

  “I don’t want to hurt you but if you don’t leave our food alone ...” She pulled one off the pack and threw it to the ground. The other hissed at her before leaping off, both of them disappearing into the dirt.

  Baya sighed and began repacking and repairing the damage as much as she could. Finally she had found creatures like Doba but not until it was too late. The irony settled in her gut like a boulder. Doba would have been excited to meet them.

  Something flickered at the corner of her eye. She jerked her head toward the light and wiped the tears away to better make it out. It looked like a fire — back toward the West. It was a small campfire, one like humans would make. Could there possibly be others like Baya out here?

  Baya slung the food pack over her shoulder worried that if she set it down it would
soon be crawling with Dobas again. “Tara. Wake up.” She gave the animal a nudge.

  Tara grunted and rolled over, putting a paw over her long snout.

  Tara was too tired. She needed to rest. Baya looked between the distant fire and her only companion. The thought of leaving Tara bothered her. Yet, that fire had to be the sign of another human. She had to find out. Baya would return before Tara woke. Surely she would be fine here … alone…

  Baya took off at a jog. Once she’d made up her mind there was no time to waste. Excitement coursed through her veins. There were other humans in the world after all. The long-forgotten scroll might be right. She wondered what they would be like?

  It wasn’t long before she drew close enough to see a lone figure sitting by the fire. Baya slowed her pace. What if she’s hostile? Her heart pounded in her chest and it wasn’t from the jog. She readied the bow and an arrow, keeping them casually in her right hand. Yet, she could have the arrow nocked and aimed in less than a second if it turned out to be necessary.

  Chapter 62

  As Baya drew closer, it became apparent that the figure was that of a man. This was surprising — how could a man survive alone in the wild? She was careful to keep her steps as silent as possible. Her fingers twitched around the bow and arrow as she drew closer.

  That body. It was familiar. Too familiar. Within a couple hundred yards she realized that she knew every curve and line of that beautiful, perfect body. Hardly daring to hope, she dropped her bow and pack and sprinted the rest of the distance between them.

  “Vicaroy!” Her voice rang out in the silence of the night. She threw her arms around the figure almost knocking him over.

  The man didn’t respond. He didn’t wrap his arms around her. Not a word. Baya pulled back to study him. He met her eyes briefly, with no hint of recognition, then turned to stare blankly at the fire.