Scavenger Girl: Season of Toridia

by Jennifer Arntson

  “I hope Mr. Graken will help me set the traps when he gets back. That other one said I can’t put any more out, and he only lets me check them once a day. I don’t think he likes to help me,” he whispered.

  “I think Graken would be happy to set these with you when he returns.” I held out my hand to him. “Come, I have something to show you.”

  He took my hand and stood. “Where are we going?”

  “To look at your rabbits.”

  “Is something wrong?” he asked cautiously.

  “Oh, heavens, no!” I squeezed his hand. “Quite the opposite.” Back at the hutch, I slowly pulled down the wooden door and showed him the newly born bunnies.

  “They had babies!” he squealed.

  “Yes,” I smiled, “and they’re going to need your help.” I explained they needed a calm environment for the mother to care for them.

  He had no hesitation about sitting at the garden gate to keep out the other children once he had his trap supplies with him. Davin would do a good job to protect his animals, I was sure of it.

  As I left him to his task, I thought more about what Trisk said earlier. Maybe work didn’t have to feel like a chore if it was something that a person had been designed for. Sitting in one place for a prolonged period of time would make me crazy, yet Davin jumped at the opportunity. We were lucky to have such a variety of talents all in one place. Everyone did something exceptionally well and enjoyed doing it. We couldn’t have planned it any better. If the Great One wasn’t so busy, I’d credit him with our assembly. Luck and good fortune were definitely on our side.

  Taking Trisk’s advice, I spent the day making sure the children and volunteers were cared for. I brought them water and made sure they weren’t overworked. After that, I ventured out onto the road to greet our visiting Citizens in line. As I crossed the bridge, the people knelt and bowed. The people behind them did the same, as did the people behind them. Although I was not completely surprised, the display made me uncomfortable. I helped people up, repeating over and over again that their gesture was appreciated but unnecessary. I didn’t want to offend them, nor did I want them kneeling in the dirt all day.

  After I stayed with them for a while, the Citizens stopped kneeling. We chatted, and I met their children and listened to their stories. Despite my compulsion to do so, I did not discredit the Authority, nor did I offer any opinion of the Woodsmen. I did well to avoid any discussion about the gods or the High Priest and made no promises about the future. No comment was above manipulation, and I didn’t want my words twisted to mislead innocent people desperate for answers. Instead, I found myself asking a lot of questions and listening to what the Citizens had to say.

  While an informal evaluation, I confirmed my own suspicions about the state of our people. They were scared, terrified of the Woodsmen, worried about feeding their families, and anxious about being unprotected and unprepared for Talium. Their stories were similar; they all had their birthright providing them a decent living before the catastrophe, but now they were homeless with little more than the clothes on their backs. For those who had homes, they were either taken by force or they fled from them in fear. What they left behind had been stolen and their homes destroyed. Everything they spent their lives working for was gone in a matter of days.

  While my family didn’t have a birthright, everything we knew had fallen victim to plunder or destruction. If it weren’t for Calish’s newly appointed status, we’d be in the same situation as the people waiting for soup. I found myself saying things like “We’re no different than you” and “I know what it means to have nothing.” Those two sentences led to many tears, hugs, and a few smiles. I had no trepidation reminding people who I was: A Scab. But when I confessed it, I no longer felt the shame the term carried for so long. When asked why I would feed so many strangers, I responded, “Because I can, and you’re hungry.”

  I was in mid-conversation with a family when I saw Calish approaching in the distance. I hadn’t seen him in days. In fact, he hadn’t been back since the first day we began serving. I quickly excused myself to welcome him home. He dismounted his horse and handed the reins to Graken, still on his steed. It felt odd being kissed by my husband while a line of bowing people glanced up to watch.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” Calish whispered in my ear.

  He took my hand and asked me to give him a tour of our operation. Apparently Reinick had been made aware of our field kitchen and approached him about it sometime yesterday. “I told him you had your own pet projects and I would not interfere.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “What could he say?” Calish chuckled. “Of course, I didn’t know the scale of your distribution. How many people are you feeding every day?”

  “I didn’t think to keep count,” I admitted. “We start at dawn, stop serving at dusk.”

  “You should keep count.”

  “Why?” I asked. “People are bringing thistle, and we have a few more volunteers to press it. If we need more, we’ll ask for help.”

  Calish argued we might prepare better if we had data to analyze. Soon, his words and explanation of its importance became boring, and I stopped paying attention to it. “If you want to count people, I suggest you find yourself someone to do it.”

  I finished giving him the grand tour, pointing out all the things we had done to make the days run smoothly. He voiced his approval not only to me but to everyone I introduced him to. Since he came back just before dusk, most of the activity had wound down. Kii snuffed out the firepits while Qarla and her helpers finished cleaning bowls and pots. The children and the rest of our volunteers who hadn’t eaten took a helping of soup while others continued to tidy up.

  Being so preoccupied with Calish, I forgot to eat. Aria brought a cup full of soup and offered it to me.

  “Oh, yes, thank you, sweetheart!” I took it from her. “Did you already have some?” I asked, and she nodded. I looked inside the cup. “Vegetables?”

  She smiled.

  “Did you have this, too?”

  The little girl patted her stomach and nodded.

  Calish tilted the cup to see for himself. “How did you get those?”

  “They just started growing,” I said, slurping the soup. “We have herbs, too.”

  Knowing I wouldn’t be allowed to help tend to the chores, Calish and I entered the tent for a more private discussion. He wanted to know what I’d learned from the Citizens and what their general concerns were. I figured some of that information would be useful to him especially since he didn’t have an opportunity to be among the people.

  “I appreciate you telling me all of this, although I may not be able to do much about it,” he confessed. “It does bring me to something I wanted to talk to you about, though.”

  Marsh and Trisk entered the tent. “Welcome back, little brother!” He gave Calish a hug along with three strong pats on the back before releasing him. “Does the place look different to ya?”

  “It looks like an overgrown garden,” Calish said, pulling his shirttails from his pants to get a bit more comfortable. “Have you figured out who’s responsible for it yet?”

  “No,” Trisk answered, “but whoever it is has helped us out. The animals are well fed, and we have vegetables and herbs! Isn’t it amazing?”

  “That’s one word for it.” Calish cleared his throat. “So I was just about to talk to Una about the future of this place. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and since we can’t move you to a more secure place, we need to prepare this place for Talium.”

  “We discussed that a little already,” Marsh interjected. “We considered repurposing some of the wood from the house, but there’s no way we’ll have what is needed to build a place big enough for all these people.”

  “You’ve got a lot of folks bringing thistle, what if you asked them to bring stones instead?” Calish asked.

  “We need them to bring thistle, or we’ll run out,” I replied.

 
“Then you ask for both.” He shrugged. “We can cut down some of the trees across the road around here and make a log home on a stone foundation.”

  “We have enough people visiting, there are plenty of hands to help lift it into place.” Marsh nodded.

  “Then all we have to figure out is the roofing,” Calish added.

  “Maybe we can take some supplies from the Temple,” Marsh joked.

  “That’s not funny.” Trisk smacked him on the arm.

  “Don’t give these Citizens any ideas, Marsh. I have a feeling Noran is going to try to shut this down. He’s heard about what you’re doing here and is quite verbal about his disapproval.”

  “What’s his problem with it?” I asked defensively.

  “Honestly, I think it’s because he didn’t do it first. He made some comment about how once the Temple is built, it will serve all the needs of the people.”

  “You don’t need a building to help people.” I groaned.

  “No, but he does for Talium,” Trisk said. “He’s taking care of his flock first.”

  “Are you defending him?” I gasped.

  That man had no altruistic fiber in any part of his being. He tricked and manipulated people, using them for his selfish purposes and personal gain. He hid behind rumors of false gods and preyed on the weak and misguided. I wasn’t sure who I hated more, Noran or Reinick.

  “Not at all!” she replied anxiously. “I’m just saying maybe his priorities are in a different order.”

  “His priorities are all self-serving!” I spat. “Don’t ever compare him or his motives to the actions of this family,” I warned. “I mean it. If you decide to be hoodwinked by him, you’ll do it somewhere else.”

  Silence fell heavy inside the tent.

  “I have work to do. Are we done here?” I said, standing up. When no one answered, I took my leave.

  Still fuming from my short words with Trisk, I decided to check on the children who were finishing their supper or readying themselves for bed. I counted them for the hundredth time that day.

  …eleven, twelve, thirteen.

  I counted again.

  Thirteen.

  My heart skipped a beat, then I realized Graken wasn’t there either. Davin had left his post.

  They must be setting traps together.

  I walked to the bridge to look for them myself. The sun had set, but the sky remained bright with the two moons shining in the night. In that light, coupled with my enhanced eyesight, I saw clearly and searched for their movement in the darkened corners of the field where I knew they would be resetting their traps. I took a deep breath in an effort to pick up their scent, but it wasn’t theirs I picked up. A couple of short sniffs in the air, and I confirmed the putrid smell of a Woodsman who recently subjected themselves to their leader’s poison.

  Someone is out there.

  My breathing slowed, and my eyes narrowed across the field. If I didn’t fear the other guards seeing the blackness of my third eyelid, I would have searched for the heat of the trespasser. I adjusted my focus in the direction the odor emitted from upwind.

  He could be anywhere over there.

  If Davin set his traps in the usual place, they would never cross paths; still, their proximity felt too close for comfort.

  I waited and watched.

  If you move, I will come after you.

  A growl rolled at the back of my throat.

  Calish teased the ends of my hair. “Una, I understand—”

  “Shh!” I hushed him. “There’s someone out here,” I whispered.

  Calish turned his back to the field across the road as if he’d come to have a casual conversation. “Do you see them?”

  “No, but I can smell them.” I kissed his cheek, playing as if I were unaware of the spy. “Graken and Davin are out there,” I said, not moving my lips. “We need to bring them back, right now.”

  “How many of them are there?” he said, touching my belly to feel the baby, still pretending.

  “One for sure. I can’t tell if there are any more. If there are, there are not many.”

  “It’s a scout, not an attack,” he surmised.

  I can take a scout by myself.

  My tongue moistened my lower lip.

  “You keep an eye out, I’ll send someone to get Graken and the kid.” Calish hugged me before calmly speaking to two of the guards. A moment later, they were off to find our people.

  Fairly certain only one Woodsman hid out there, I was not naïve enough to believe I couldn’t be mistaken. Forcing myself to stay put, I trained my eyes on the trees until Graken and the boy returned.

  The smell didn’t dissipate. It stayed constant in the air and ever present on my mind well after Calish pulled me away from my post.

  We’re being watched.

  Hawk cautioned us. He said we had captured the interest of many foes. That night, his suspicions were confirmed, and I finally respected the depth of his warning.

  It was a good thing Davin’s rabbit had babies, because he wouldn’t be setting traps anymore.

  Chapter 34

  While I insisted on staying up as part of the evening’s watch, Calish assured me his men had us covered. Even still, he helped patrol the perimeter. Since he wouldn’t let me work with the security team, I stayed with the children in the wooded area of the pasture. I kept my eyes searching the darkness for any trespassers. Eventually sleep took me despite my best attempts to stay awake. I wasn’t sure if it was the argument I had with Trisk, the anxiety of being under surveillance, or a combination that had me on edge. It didn’t matter; I blamed them both for robbing me of dreams I could have had and forcing me into haunting visions I didn’t understand.

  Marsh stood a few yards out, his arrow drawn tight. His eyes piercing mine. The tip of his weapon hungry for the center of my chest. Hot breath moistened my ear and cheek from behind, muttering words I could not hear, while I was held tight by an arm pinning my shoulders.

  Am I protecting them, or am I a shield?

  Take the shot.

  Confused and reluctant, Marsh struggled to hold his arrow true. His head shook as he argued with himself.

  Take the shot.

  He wrestled with his decision.

  Take the shot.

  Laughter and screaming.

  Darkness and light.

  The crack of the bow under the stress of Marsh’s arm.

  Take the shot.

  I woke for the umpteenth time from the same vision. Unlike others I’d had, this one offered no variation, no alternate ending.

  What am I missing?

  I focused on my own essence, slipping back into sleep.

  The trees hid the orange sun.

  Take the shot.

  My eyes opened again. And again. I rubbed the sand from the corners of my eyes, curious how it had time to collect. I rolled to my other side, so tired but so awake.

  In the vision, I was calm, a bit scared, but committed. I was determined to make my brother shoot me.

  Why would I want Marsh to shoot me?

  The memory burned behind my dry eyes.

  I tapped my left breast with my right hand. Right here. “Take the shot.” Right here.

  I opened my eyes and breathed deeply. I didn’t remember wandering to the tree or propping myself up against it. When did I surround myself with children like a bitch and her litter? Aria lay at my side, like always, cuddled in her blanket with the corner bunched up as a pillow. I carefully pulled the long strands of hair from her face before repositioning her from my side. Moving Kort from my other side, I pushed myself up and tried to stretch out the kinks I earned from sleeping in such a poor position.

  Unsure how I did it, I eventually made my way out of the labyrinth of sleeping children. When I did, Marsh rewarded me with a cup of tea.

  “Thank you,” I said, accepting the cup from him.

  He offered me a seat on an overturned crate.

  “Looks like I’m up before the sun,” I said before tak
ing my first sip.

  “It’s been a long and quiet night.”

  “Have you been up all night?”

  “No, I got a bit of sleep.” He yawned. “Why are you up so early?”

  I shrugged. “Pick a reason.”

  “I wanted to ask, how’d you know someone’s out there?” He leaned forward, still holding his tea.

  “I can smell them. Kash and his men give out this thing, some type of herb making them reek like rotting carcasses. No one else seems to notice though. It’s so strong, I can’t miss it.”

  “Like Sakenbrush?” Marsh inquired.

  “Sort of, I guess.” I rotated my head, hoping to ease the cramp in my neck. “Whatever it is, it’s addictive. The more they have, the more they want. If they get too much, it’ll kill them.”

  “Geez, Una. How do you know that?”

  “I read that guy who dragged us to the stable. It was all he thought about. Pretty easy to read.” I took another sip of the tea.

  “That’s so creepy, little sister.” He paused, wondering if he’d offended me. “I’m glad I’m not a Seer.”

  I snickered.

  You have no idea how true a statement that is.

  We finished our tea in silence while watching the sun come up over the trees. As had been for the last several days, the grass grew taller than the day before, and the property was beautiful with wildflowers and singing birds.

  Our little oasis in the middle of a scorched land.

  I needed to figure out who the Grower was and help them learn to control their ability, not that I knew how to do that.

  My nerves settled a bit when I could no longer detect the rotting smell of the Woodsman. Graken and two other guards walked the field across the road with me to confirm he left.

  “Why is she with us?” one guard asked the other.

  “She’s not even armed.”

  I’ll let Graken make up an excuse.

  With the threat gone, I started my chores for the morning. Qarla and I made an egg breakfast with the vegetables from the garden and milk from the goats.

  “Next time I come, I’ll bring seeds,” Calish offered between spoonfuls of food. “If you’re growing things this quickly, you’ll be able to maintain crops large enough to prepare for storage. Maybe we should consider creating some sort of silo for grain.”