As I headed toward the property’s entrance, my brother jogged to catch up to me. He put his hand on my shoulder, and I threw it off.
“You knew about Merci, didn’t you?”
He nodded, signaling to the others to give us a moment alone. “I heard the town crier announce their engagement when Paw and I were headed for the river. I’m sorry, Una. This wasn’t something I tried to hide. Well, it is, but I thought I’d come back down and find him—”
“Stop,” I hissed. “He made his choice.”
“There’s got to be a good reason—”
“I don’t want to talk about it!”
“Fine.” He held his hands up in a defensive pose. “I’ll go get Father and Ino so they can help me pull out this bridge.” He backed away.
Abandoning our land proved harder than I had anticipated. The plot had been my home, and even though it lay in shambles, the thought of leaving it broke my heart. One day. It only took one day to lose everything.
Your family is alive.
As if on its own accord, my hand pressed up against my abdomen.
Alive, yes. But death would have been easier.
“You ready?” Ino reached down, offering to help me onto the horse.
I forced a smile to mask my thoughts of morbidity. “Yeah.”
The women sat in front of the men, and while I’d rather position myself behind Ino’s back, it wouldn’t make our courtship believable should anyone question our intentions. It felt awkward to ride with another man’s arms around me, maintaining the reins. The others seemed comforted by it.
Trisk and Marsh took the lead, followed by the ox and goats, then my parents. We took up the rear, while I pretended everything happening was a bad dream.
A dream, not a vision.
Ino whispered in my ear, interrupting my misery yet again. “Relax, Una, I was only joking.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About the proposal.”
“Oh, that.” I chuckled. “I know you were. Don’t worry about it, really.”
“I know that things between you and Blue are complicated. I shouldn’t have joked like that. It was insensitive.”
“Well, I didn’t perceive it that way. Besides, if we’re going to fool anyone that we’re married, I should relax.”
“We could be fighting. We’ll pretend that you’re irrational, and I’m a jerk.”
His fabrication of our situation made me smile, this time naturally. “I may have had some fault in our disagreement,” I played along.
“Should we kiss and make up?” his voice raised a bit.
I turned around, pulling the edge of my hood to see him. “I don’t think so.”
He roared laughing. “It was worth a try!”
I slapped his knee and turned back around. I knew he was kidding, and his humor did lighten my distracted, less than friendly mood.
When we reached the east road, we took a moment to look into the landscape. In the past, nothing in the village could be seen from here. The view used to be so limited, only a sliver of the river was visible on a clear day. Since the slide, the entire valley sprawled open, albeit under dirt and water. For anyone who didn’t know better, they’d assume what lay below to be a lovely, untouched piece of land, perfect to claim for a homestead. It would be, if a whole village hadn’t been buried under twenty feet of soil and rock.
Stretched along the valley, people stood pressed against an invisible barrier. Perhaps a line of twine kept them a safe distance from the debris field. I’m sure countless Citizens would feel compelled to search for survivors. If I thought my family might be down there, I would. Judging by what I saw, I doubt anyone could dig deep enough to find anything. The gods left nothing to find, not even rooftops.
For all we knew, the hillside was still unstable. If more of the ridge collapsed, all those well-intentioned rescuers might very well become unprepared victims, requiring help for themselves. Although it was impossible to tell who was who from up this far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Calish returned there in an attempt to manage the chaos. If Reinick was worth anything, he’d be there too, but deep down inside, I hoped the lands devoured him when they consumed everything else. He deserved to be buried under the rubble right alongside the Citizens he so selfishly ruled over.
We took a moment to say a prayer for those who were trapped, killed, or missing loved ones, then we soberly turned away. There is nothing a few Scabs and outlaws would be able to do to help. Like anyone else, we’d only get in the way or put ourselves in danger. As we soon found out, we were not the only travelers moving to higher ground. Waves of people migrated South as we did. Some carried armfuls of possessions, while others limped along without so much as shoes on their feet. Since it was midday, and the rains had begun, I wondered how many more would come. I’m sure there were countless more that made the decision to leave earlier this morning before us.
We headed away from the river. The road in this condition was nearly impassable. Between the fallen trees and upset cobblestone, every step became a calculated one. Fortunately, we were traveling so slowly with the ox and goats in tow that our horses weren’t overworked. As long as we were prepared to outrun or outfight those who would harm us, speed didn’t really matter. After all, our livestock were doing well so far. By keeping the demand low, they might be able to accomplish the task we’d assigned them, even if it took all night.
The rain was steady and didn’t care at all that it was responsible, at least in part, for the journey we were forced to make. There were no signs of it letting up, so those around us picked up their pace, trying to make the most of what remained of the daylight. I didn’t mind being passed up by faster families. They were determined to make a new start, and that was a feeling I understood.
Watching the migrants struggle in my periphery, I wondered how many of them would survive the year. They weren’t used to living off the land as my family had. Growing vegetables and butchering livestock seemed easier than it was. As much as they might be willing to do it, how many of them were skilled enough to homestead when they found a place to claim? Considering all that had been lost, what choice did they have other than to try?
* * *
Ino and I managed portions of time in superficial conversation, avoiding anything too complicated. However, as the hours passed, and we ran out of casual topics, we confessed things to each other I never thought I’d tell anyone. He shared with me about his life growing up, but how he never felt like he fit in anywhere. It was strange to hear a Citizen with a birthright struggled with a lack of purpose. I thought those demons were created specifically to torment Scavengers.
Once he’d heard the mission of the camp, he said he and his parents decided to stay. “I’m not gifted, like you,” he said, “but I feel like what I do matters.”
“Being gifted isn’t all that great.”
“But you know everything about everybody. It’s got to be more interesting than pretending to be a shrub in the forest.”
“You have an important role.”
Besides, I prefer being invisible.
“I know,” he agreed. “I’m not trying to downplay what I do. I’m just saying your job has got to be far more captivating.”
Of all the words to describe being a Seer, entertaining and captivating were not ones I would use. “It’s not pleasant digging into people’s pasts. Most of the people in this camp arrive with a lot of hurts, some that will never leave them. It’s not like we’re running a fun booth at the Atchem Festival, you know.”
“So does anything take you by surprise?”
“Every time.”
“Really?”
“I’m not like Nik. He’s had years of practice, whereas I’ve just started this season. It takes a lot of effort and concentration. So far, I’ve only learned to observe people’s pasts, and most times I struggle with that.”
“What about your dream last night? I mean, isn’t that the reason we’re traveling now?”
/> “Occasionally I’ll see things, but I don’t have any control over it. The only glimpses of the future I get are to warn me of something terrible happening. The worse the circumstance is, the clearer it is.”
“Can I ask something?”
“Sure.”
“If we were to stay at your parents’ place, would I have died?”
I breathed a heavy sigh while considering how Nik would instruct me to answer. Ino didn’t ask me what his future would be; he was curious about what it could have been. By leaving, we’d changed his future.
“Wow. That bad, huh?”
“It’s not that. I’ve been learning a lot from Nik, and he never tells anyone their future. He doesn’t want to influence anyone’s free will.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Saving my life.”
I bobbed my head, confirming his suspicion.
“As someone without the gift of Sight, can I offer you some advice?” He paused, letting my interest build. “Make the right decision for me when I cannot. I understand that you’d be bombarded with questions if you allowed them. Some would be big like ‘who should I marry,’ but most would be small, like what shirt to wear. Not answering them all is probably a good strategy.”
I laughed.
“But,” he said in a serious tone, “in the event you see something you can alter for a dumb shrub like me, do it. We trust you. The gods blessed you greatly and led you here for a purpose.”
“I don’t believe in the gods.”
“Neither do I. That doesn’t change the fact that you were created for a reason. Since when does belief matter? Whatever controls our world exists independently of our opinions. Belief, or lack thereof, doesn’t determine its worth or ability. Something is out there, and it’s real. You saved our lives with a dream, Una. If that’s not divine intervention, I don’t know what is.”
“I’m no proof that a god or gods exist.”
“You’re proof enough that something, or someone, is watching over me.”
Our discussion paused as we approached our biggest obstacle yet. The road had been completely blocked by a giant fallen tree. The trunk hung suspended in the air by the massive branches that broke its fall. It reached so high, there was no way over it, and the splintered branches were so dense, going under it wasn’t an option either. It would have taken the better part of a day to cut our way through, and even then, we may not have a clear path on the other side. On the left, the hillside was steep, piled with a tangled mess of fallen trees, and on the right, deeper in the woods, the tree’s root ball had been pulled up whole.
Marsh turned his horse around to face my parents and us. “So what do you think? Go around?” His horse took a couple steps in place as if nervous by the suggestion.
My father dismounted and evaluated the tree in each direction. None of us were particularly excited about entering the woods, but there was no other option.
Marsh jumped down and prepared his bow with an arrow. “I say we check out what’s on the other side of that root ball.”
Ino joined them on foot. He removed his blade, finding comfort in his grip. “I’ve got the rear.”
Trisk readied her sling, keeping the stone in her hand rather than putting it in the harness to launch. I felt strange not having a weapon to defend myself. Everyone else had been trained, so it was probably safer for me to stay out of the way.
My father stepped off the road and into the woods where the sun had less of a reach. He pulled the line to the ox as he went, careful to survey the area for enemies. The root ball, although dense, did not run deep. Some quick machete work left a passable trail around it. The goats were less willing to participate than the ox ahead of them. They darted back and forth, needlessly taking different routes around the saplings too flexible to snap but rigid enough to stand as knotting points. My father cursed them as he held the ox’s rope in his teeth to untangle the skittish goats from where they hung themselves up. The detour took longer than any of us were comfortable with in the setting sun, but we made it back to the road uninterrupted. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped back onto the uneven cobblestone.
“We’re going to need to find a place to stop for the night,” Ino said aloud.
“My thought exactly,” Father replied.
“It would be best to camp under the cover of the woods for the night, but we should put some distance between us and that tree, for sure,” Marsh suggested.
“It’s getting too dark to set the tents,” I said, noting the position of the sun.
“I don’t think we should set them up at all.” Ino shook his head. “It will draw too much attention.”
“And would use up too much time,” Marsh added.
“You girls willing to sleep in the rain?” Father looked to each of us, hopeful we wouldn’t protest. It seemed as if we all mutually agreed that arriving wet and alive was better than the alternative. Father smiled, patting my mother’s hip. “Let’s keep going until we can’t go any further, then.”
Chapter 27
It stopped raining sometime during the night, so everyone was fairly dry in the morning. Thanks to my cloak, I had been protected from much of the moisture that was retained in the soil and was able to stay warm. Although I knew Marsh slept in a nearby tree, I had a hard time finding him after I woke. Just as I suspected, he checked the grounds for any would-be attackers.
“We’re all clear,” he announced as he returned with Trisk. “There’s a few people out there in the woods, but they won’t be moving too fast this morning.”
“Are they all right?” I asked, suddenly thankful that we were able to leave quickly if necessary.
“They’ll live,” he answered, giving the hand gesture to Ino to load up.
“What does that mean?” I asked Trisk.
“He means they kept the robbers busy. I’m constantly amazed at what people will do to each other.” She passed me, not offering any additional details. If neither of them wanted to tell me, I wouldn’t badger them about it, but it did make me turn and check for movement behind us. All I wanted to do was get back to camp where my family would finally be safe.
I mounted the horse with Ino, and we took the rear of our little caravan. We seemed to be the first ones out on the road this early. I wondered if the other travelers were still sleeping or incapacitated. As slow as we were going, I found myself glancing back more often than necessary. Fearing we were being followed by an unknown enemy kept me alert, but part of me hoped to see other families were making it this far, too.
“What are you expecting to see back there?” Ino asked.
“Nothing specific, really,” I admitted, pulling my cloak back into its proper position.
“Then give me a general idea. You’ve looked back a dozen times since we got back on the road.”
“Marsh said that some travelers were attacked during the night. I’m just curious if anyone else would have made it this far today.”
“The woodsmen can’t attack everyone out here,” he replied. “I would assume they only made examples of the people who fought back. A few folks that passed us last night did so empty-handed.”
“So the robbers got close to us?”
“Not enough to give away our position, but it kept me awake when my shift started.”
“Well, thank you,” I said, underestimating how vulnerable we were out there.
People were scared and for good reason. There was nothing but uncertainty for so many. Losing everything in an instant would make anyone do irrational things. Depending on their nature, that would mean different things to different people. I certainly wouldn’t kill or steal, but I have no doubt that there were people who would under the circumstances. For those who took advantage of others, there was little risk; the Authority had all but been wiped out, and what was left was in shambles. With no prison, no one could be punished. Even if someone were caught in the act of a crime, what would be done? The rules no longer
applied. We were all on our own, and we all knew it. Those who didn’t were still suffering from shock.
Ino tapped me on the shoulder. “See, Una? There’s hope for humanity yet.” He pointed to a sign hanging next to the road that read free room, free food.
“Keep moving,” I muttered as we approached the entrance. I told him Marsh and I had met the man previously. “I don’t wish to make his acquaintance again, thank you very much.”
“That bad, huh? You know, I knew a girl like that once.”
Assuming he made a joke at my expense, I sat forward to put space between us.
“Ha! Not you,” he roared. “Let me tell you about Kaprilla and her suitors…”
Ino entertained me with stories of his neighbor and the men who practically lined up at her door for a chance to marry her. “The girl had little going for her. When she spoke, she sounded like Kalin, and she clomped around worse than this horse. I’d say she had a pleasant personality, but that wasn’t true either.”
“Were you friends?”
“Oh, no. But I used to watch the introductions through her family’s window while tending the flower garden between our houses. It became a ritual for me to spy on them.”
“Didn’t your parents object?”
“Our gardens were meticulous, what do you think?” He laughed. “When my mother suggested I meet her, I quickly declined. I never felt the need to marry, and watching the process to find a bride is probably what convinced me of it.”
“Imagine how she felt.” I chuckled.
“One time, I saw her sniff the cushion where the man sat after he left.”
What?
He clicked his tongue. “Yep. She did strange stuff all the time, and I had a front-row seat to it all.”
His stories passed our time, and for a few seconds at a time, I could ignore the ache in my heart and pretend the misfortunes of Ino’s neighbor were the only thing to think about. In the moments between, I saw flashes of Merci holding on to Calish’s arm and his accepting of her casual affection. I tried to focus on the stories of the girl next door, but time after time, I ended up back in Calish’s office, sitting on the couch facing his desk. Unbeknownst to Ino, my questions about his neighbor were a way to keep him talking. The more detail he divulged, the more images I could conjure until my mind pulled me back into the room where two polished medallions hung around the necks of the couple awaiting their time in the Chapel.
Season of Hytalia Page 31
