“I should go get something to eat.” I rose, intending to leave and not return.
“No, here, take mine. They always give me too much; I haven’t eaten off it yet. I filled up on bread.” The girl with a men’s-style haircut slid her metal plate across the table to me.
“I guess, if you insist.” I nervously accepted her offer.
“I’m Rasha. I’m a forager, but I’m training with these guys to be a hunter. What is your assignment?”
I didn’t want to lie. Heck, I didn’t even want to be sitting at their table! Why would I share anything about myself with them?
“She doesn’t have one, yet,” Marsh answered for me. “The Seer wants to see her again in the morning.”
“You did break him, didn’t you?” Rasha smacked him harder than he expected.
I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Do they know we’re Scabs?”
He pulled back and brushed off the notion. “Oh, yeah. It’s not a big deal around here.”
“What’s not a big deal?” Jaki asked.
“Us being Scavengers.” He dipped his bread in the gravy remaining on his plate.
“Ahh, yes, the plight of the Civilized,” she commented. “Most of the people here are Scabs, or criminals, honestly. In here, things are different. You’ll see.”
I glanced at my brother, who seemed unamused. “If everyone is a criminal, why isn’t it dangerous here?”
“The approval process sorts us all out,” Rasha answered. “We’ve all got a past, my friend. Most of us aren’t proud of it, although there are some who are. We’re trying to build something better. Holding on to old truths only prevents future progress.”
“Don’t be fooled, this place is not without problems,” Jaki confessed, “but if we have conflicts, we take them to the Council. Our intentions are judged, our actions corrected. We are all free to leave whenever we want.”
“Not that any of us would choose what’s out there over what’s in here,” the person to my right chimed in.
“So what’s the plan for all of this?” I asked.
“It depends on who you ask; everyone’s got a different opinion. Best we can come up with is that the camp will continue to grow until our residents outnumber the village. We would like to be independent, although we’re pretty sure the Authority will do all it can do to shut us down,” Rasha explained.
“What about Nik? Can’t he tell you what the endgame is?” Marsh chimed in.
“He’s a peculiar character. He goes on and on about freewill and how he won’t influence it,” Jaki rolled his eyes.
“If I saw the future, I’d just tell everyone what to do and be done with it,” Rasha shook her head in disappointment.
“I’m sure it’s not that easy. He can’t see everything, can he?” I defended him loosely.
The guy sitting next to me spoke with his mouth full. “He’s been dead on so far. Have you seen this place? It’s in its second season and look at what he’s created.” He gulped down his food while using the back of his sleeve as a napkin. “Oh sorry, I didn’t introduce myself,” he stuck out his hand, “I’m Hainen.”
“Hainen’s a crossover,” Rasha said.
“A what?” Marsh and I said in unison.
“A crossover,” Hainen repeated. “I was Authority. Somebody likes to remind me about it. A lot.”
Marsh leaned back to see him better. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I just finished dinner, and now I’m going to bed. I have a feeling that wasn’t the answer you expected though,” he stood and collected the used plates. “Nice to meet you two. Welcome to camp,” he nodded goodnight but scowled at Rasha playfully first.
The conversation fell into a lull as soon as he left. Although I had a lot of questions, talking about it without him there felt inappropriate. Considering I’d talked more to Citizens today than my entire life combined, I considered it a fair time to leave.
“You know, I’m sleepy too.” I stood and bowed, “Thank you for your kindness.” I casually placed the fork down where I found it.
“Is she always so formal?” Jaki mumbled to Marsh as if I couldn’t hear his question.
Rasha hit his arm. “It’s only their first day, give her a break.”
I pretended not to care about their banter. “Marsh, you coming?”
“Yeah,” he stood. “Do you know where we’re going?”
“Over this way. Tent forty-four.”
He followed me through the canvas neighborhood, and I pointed out our place. Crammed inside were three sets of stacked beds. Two seemed to be in use, but the other four lacked any personal items. Though they were plain, each had a rolled-up mat, a pillow, two blankets, and a towel waiting on top. Trisk must have set us up.
“This must be ours?” Marsh asked.
“Guess so. Which one do you want to claim?”
“You’re pregnant, how about you take the upper bunk?” he said sarcastically.
I sat on the lower bed. “Good idea. When my water breaks, you’ll be the first to know.”
“That is so gross, Una.” He shivered.
We prepared our beds and settled in for the night. It wasn’t as comfortable as my bed back at home, but it was better than where we slept last night. As Marsh shifted above me, my mind kept me awake with questions that would not soon be answered. Would Hawk find Calish? Did he come home after I left? Would he try to find me?
Being a Seer wasn’t as straightforward as our new acquaintances would believe it was. In fact, it was torture to know the answers were somewhere in my mind but stayed out of reach. If Nik would teach me how to find them, perhaps then I wouldn’t feel so helpless.
Chapter 17
We woke the next morning to the sound of a bellowing alpenhorn. Waking up held the only proof I had of being asleep. It seemed like I spent hours looking at the wood underside of Marsh’s bunk and listening to the different rates of respiration of our new roommates.
The horn blew again, its thundering bass causing me to cover my ears. Whoever they chose to be trumpeter had the lungs of a mud ox, because no mortal could possibly take that deep of a breath. After the third monotone blast finished ricocheting off the hardened cliffs around us, the sound finally stopped.
“Time to get up.” Trisk yawned, pushing herself off her pillow.
I rubbed my eyes, listening to the rain patter on the canvas above. “Everyone gets up at the same time?”
“Every morning,” said the young man putting on his shirt in the bed across from me. “Name’s Ino, and you are?”
“I’m Una, and this is my brother Marsh.” I pointed to the top bunk.
Ino gave him a quick nod as he put on his raincoat. “I’ll do the breakfast run.”
“Thanks,” Trisk replied as he ducked into the rainy morning.
I swung my feet around to the floor and let my eyes adjust. “When did you come back?”
“A bit before sunrise? Long nights are part of the deal. When they happen, you go with it.”
“Shouldn’t you sleep in then?” Marsh asked as he jumped down from his bed.
“The night team are the only ones allowed to sleep during the day. Sounds good, but their bunks are in the caves. The horn blows, and we take their posts. When the sun sets, they take ours, unless there’s a problem and we double up.” She took off her shirt.
“Great.” He stretched, his eyes tracing the curves of her bare back as she rummaged through her trunk for a new top. Her trousers, a few sizes too large, barely hung off the curve of her hips.
Trisk found what she wanted and shook out the unwanted dust that collected in the folds. I’m not sure she realized there was still a man in our tent, but he certainly noticed her. She wiggled into the top as she continued, unaware of her captive audience of one. “Being a Day Watcher is better in my opinion, but like everything here, Night Watchers are important. They protect the entrance and maintain the perimeter, you know, stuff like that. A couple protect the Observers, but I imagin
e when it’s raining, there’s not much for them to study in the sky.” She tied her hair up quickly in a scarf, tucking the fraying ends of the fabric out of sight.
My brother averted his eyes when she turned around but not fast enough.
“Since Marsh is training with the archers, does that mean he’ll be with you, eventually?” I asked to ease the awkwardness of the situation.
“We’ll find out soon enough.” She smirked, waiting for him to dare look up again.
He shoved his feet into his boots, suddenly consumed with the perfection of its laces.
“Do you have a head wrap?” she asked me.
“A what?”
“A lot of the women here wear them. It’s less bulky than a cloak and will keep your head dry. I have an extra one you can have.” She returned to the wooden box at the foot of her bed. “Come here, I’ll show you how,” she offered, holding a well-used scarf by the corners.
I did as she instructed, letting her fix me up. She wrapped the middle of it around my forehead, tying it behind my head and allowing the tails to hang behind my back. “There you go. If you have to do a lot of bending, tuck the ends in like I did mine.”
Before I had a chance to thank her, Ino came in with a small basket of food. He brought muffins, sausage links, and dried fruit. He handed the whole thing to Trisk. She set it on my bed and took out what she wanted.
“I should probably go.” I glanced at Marsh, who was reaching for food himself, missing my cue entirely.
“You need to eat, Una. At least take something with you.” He offered me the muffin he’d chosen for himself.
“Where are you going?” Ino asked.
“I’ve got to meet with Nik.” I put on my rain cloak.
“I’m headed that way. I’ll walk with you.” My roommate shoved a stick of meat in his mouth and stuffed some dried fruit in his pocket. “See you later, and hey, don’t forget to take back the basket,” he mumbled.
“Will do,” Marsh assured him.
I hesitated.
Trisk sat across from my brother, pulling her boots out from under her bed. “You can go. We’ll be fine.”
* * *
Ino and I dodged other sleepy people shuffling back to their tents with breakfast. Judging by how quickly he returned with food, I assumed he was first in line.
“Did you just get here yesterday?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I remember my first moon cycle here. That was crazy.” He laughed.
“Why?”
“It’s just so different. I didn’t feel comfortable here for a long time.” He leaped over a fairly large mud puddle.
“Why did you come here? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“No, not at all.” He smiled. “My family ran an inn back in town, you know, to house the travelers who came in for Atchem. When the river began to rise, the Authority came in and took it from us. Said they needed it, and we couldn’t do anything about it.”
“You just left everything behind?”
“Yes and no. We fought to stand our ground, but they threatened to burn it down with us inside. Assholes. We carried out everything they allowed us to take, and after we found the Resistance, we snuck back there. We cleared out the entire pantry and took everything of value at the end of Talium.”
“They didn’t stop you?”
He shook his head. “The funny thing is, they kicked us out for no reason. Nik told us it would be empty, and he was right; the place was totally vacant, not a single guard there. We walked in and took everything as if we still owned it.”
“I still don’t understand. How did you find the Resistance in the first place?”
“There’s a guy named Hawk who comes here every once in a while. He’s a crossover who told us about it the day they evicted us. Told us to keep going up the road and we’d run into someone. To be honest, we thought he just wanted us to get lost. We didn’t have any other option, so we gave it a try; we’ve been here ever since.”
We were almost at Nik’s tent when I heard someone calling my name. I moaned, recognizing the voice of my unwanted companion. Glancing in his direction, I was relieved to see he couldn’t follow me. Whoever took him the day before locked him up in an oversized cage.
He cried out my name again, but he was easy enough to ignore.
Ino hesitated. “You know him?”
“Yes, she knows me!” Blue shouted. “She’s my wife!”
“What—”
I turned, letting my disgust be known. “Don’t believe a word coming from that liar’s mouth. I’m not his wife, nor am I his friend.”
Somehow, that explanation wasn’t as compelling as the prisoner’s pleas. Knowing he would not stop, I decided to quiet him myself. If Blue thought I had any intentions of helping him, then he dismissed the anger in my stride and expression as I approached.
“Shut up, you damn fool.” I smacked the wooden cage with my open hand.
“Una! Una, please,” he begged.
“What do you want?” I asked, knowing Ino had followed behind me.
“Hi,” Blue greeted my roommate before turning his attention back to me. “You’ve got to get me out of here, sweetheart.”
“I can get you something to eat; otherwise, you’re on your own.”
“I already ate.” He pointed to a basket of breakfast in the corner.
“Ha! What did you have to do for that?”
“Um, nothing. Someone brought it to me this morning.”
I leaned my seething face between the bars of his cage. “Then your captors are far better to you than the guards in prison were to me. Count your blessings.” I pushed myself away from him.
“Wait! Una, how many times can I say I’m sorry?”
My rage grew the more he talked. “You’ll never be able to say it enough. Never!” I started to walk away, thinking about what I’d said. Knowing him, he’d fill every day of my life with his pathetic apologies if it didn’t stop now. “You know what? I don’t want to hear how sorry you are again, Blue. In fact, if I never hear your voice again, it’ll be too soon.” I put my hand up and walked away, refusing to deal with him right now.
“I love you, Una!”
“Who is that guy?” Ino didn’t move his lips.
“—Una, love of my life—”
“He’s got it bad for you, girl.”
“—my precious bride—”
I stuck my finger in Ino’s face. “Stay away from him. That man is pure evil.”
“—mother of my child!”
My feet halted, and my fingers curled. Did he take claim of my unborn child? My nostrils flared as I tried to control myself.
“You heard me!” Blue announced gallantly. “My son grows within you. You’re my blessing! My love!”
I spun around and ran at him. If he hadn’t moved back so quickly, I would have clawed the flesh from his face. The coward flinched back, hearing the cascade of profanities I hurled toward him. Pushing my shoulder farther between the bars, I proved my arms were not long enough to carry out my will. Rounding to the front, I yanked on the door to open it. Its lock was strong, but I refused to stop trying to break it free. The man needed to die, and I had been patient long enough. As soon as the latch gave way, I’d end this once and for all.
Ino tried to pull me back, but I held onto the bars, demanding he let go. My sudden wild behavior drew the attention of several onlookers who rushed to Ino’s aid. It took four men to pry me from the cage. I thrashed about to wiggle free, but the grip they had on my arms was too tight. Mud flung in all directions as I used my feet to kick for my freedom, but a quick rope bound them together. They could stop my body, but I would not be silenced. Wet hair covered my face as I fought against my captors who didn’t seem interested in my reasons for wanting him dead. I was still struggling to free myself when Nik came into view. The crowd parted for him, and he stood calmly in front of me.
He bent over, picking up the hair wrap that had fallen during the scutt
le. “Release her,” he ordered.
The men set me down and freed my legs. I straightened my rain cloak, putting the hood back over my head.
“Is this him?” He nodded over to Blue.
“You know it is,” I growled, baring my teeth to the men standing too close to me. Our audience fell silent, waiting for his response.
“You will have an appointment at Council, at which time your motives will be judged and actions will be corrected.” He addressed the crowd next, “I suggest the rest of you continue on your way.”
The residents dispersed, although some left faster than others. Nik watched them leave. When they were out of earshot, he handed me the scarf. “You are late for our meeting.”
“Something distracted me, sir.” I moved my hair from over my eyes, avoiding his stare.
“Ino, thank you for your help, you may go now.”
Blue snapped his fingers beyond the bars to get Nik’s attention. “Hey! Hey, are you their leader?”
He bobbed his head. “I am a member of the Council.”
The farmer turned on his charm. “Then you can let me out of here? I won’t be a problem, I swear. Una and I have a passionate relationship. What you’ve witnessed is nothing out of normal.”
Nik’s arm shot out to stop me from lunging at him again. The Seer’s reflexes were faster than mine; a characteristic I would remember in the future. As soon as I submitted to his silent instruction, he lowered it and spoke to the prisoner calmly. “Blue, you are a stranger here and are clearly out of your element. You will stay where you are until your motives are understood.” He turned to me. “Are you ready, Una?”
“Did you know she’s my wife? And,” he stammered, “she’s pregnant with my child?”
Nik sighed. “I know you believe she is your wife,” he paused, “I also know that this is not your child and your marriage is pending. Now, I suggest you calm down and wait for your appointment at Council.”
To Blue’s credit, he did not argue. Instead, he plopped down in the corner of his cage, defeated like a brat denied more dessert.
Season of Hytalia Page 19
