by Lori Holmes
Aardn raised a warning eyebrow at Baarias but he forged ahead recklessly.
“Look at them!” He pointed at the couple standing uncomfortably at Aardn’s side. Nyri felt for them. This was going to be ugly. “Brother and sister? And their father was their mother’s sister-son. We are wrong. Open your eyes. Look at us, look at our children. The deformities and the still births are increasing-”
“Enough!” Aardn snapped. “I have entertained your concerns once before, Baarias, and you are mistaken! Are you so arrogant as to proclaim yourself wiser than Ninmah? It was she who made us who we are. We must preserve our strength. It is our sacred Gift!”
“At the cost of our children?” Baarias clenched his fists. Nyri had never seen him so close to the edge. It was unsettling; Baarias’ steadfast nature had always been the one thing she could depend on. “In the time of Ninmah we were many! We no longer have that luxury, Aardn. The Great Fury took that from us. We must abandon this folly! I am a healer. You are foolish to close your eyes to my knowledge as you have closed your eyes to the Kamaali herself! This misfortune is not due to the supposed power of the Woves! It is of our own creation in following of misguided teachings of a goddess who has abandoned us!”
The blood drained from Nyri’s face. The blasphemy spouting from her own teacher’s mouth was unthinkable. It frightened her to hear him speak of Ninmah so.
“Too long have we been isolated. We must try to find other tribes, other Peoples if we must. It is our only hope. If you continue down this path you have set, you are dooming us all. We bring the End of Days upon ourselves!”
The shocked silence that came in the wake of Baarias’ words rippled with an undercurrent of outrage. Reach out to other Peoples? The Souless creations of Ninmah’s brethren and willingly commit the Forbidden? Nyri stared at her teacher, questioning his sanity for the first time in her life.
“Enough!” Kyaati’s father, Pelaan, joined the fray. His anger lashed at Baarias and Nyri flinched, close as she was to his target. “We will not tolerate such defiance! Have you lost your mind, Master Akaab? Ninmah herself forbade such defilement of her own creation. I should cast you out for your blasphemy against the Sacred.”
“No!” someone cried and was quickly quieted. Nyri stared at Pelaan with wide, frightened eyes. Baarias was out of line, but the Elder could not mean that. Unconsciously, she clutched a handful of Baarias’ clothing; a childish gesture but she did not care. To be cast out was the death penalty. In the harsh world beyond the protection of the tribe, a lone Ninkuraa could not hope to survive for long.
The colour drained from Baarias’ hitherto flushed face. His fists fell limp at his sides. He took a step back from the Elder who was making threats upon his very life. Nobody moved. The breeze whispered loudly through the trees.
Nyri got to her feet; fighting the sick feeling taking hold in the pit of her stomach. She glared at Sefaan’s expression of vindication as she tightened her grip on Baarias and pulled. She had to get him out of the Elders’ sight before they made good on their threat.
“Come on,” Nyri urged, tugging harder. She dragged her teacher out of the auscult circle and away, terribly conscious of everyone’s eyes on their backs.
Baarias said nothing as he let Nyri tow him back through the eshaara trees. The shock was wearing off and her own anger with him mounted as they neared his dwelling. The one person in this world she had allowed herself to gravitate to as a protective figure and here he was endangering himself with heresy against Ninmah Herself.
“What was that?” she demanded as soon as they were inside his home. “What in Ninmah’s name were you thinking, Baarias?”
He blew out a ragged breath, putting his hands into the small of his back and stretching. Nyri felt his fury draining away as quickly as it had come. “All the right things,” he said. “I could not stand by any longer when I possess knowledge of the truth. Sefaan is right, I’ve been a coward and I can no longer hide, not when you might be the next one they inflict with this stupidity of theirs.”
“Stupidity? Baarias, I don’t know what Sefaan is up to or what her problem with you is but, you are mistaken. Don’t risk getting yourself cast out over me by antagonising the Elders. What do you think that would do to me, then? I need you!”
He laughed softly and shook his head. “What would you have me do? I am not mistaken. You will be made to have children and they will be born sick and die. That is the reason I cannot bear to see you Joined. It will destroy you and I cannot let that happen.”
“You cannot know that, Baarias,” Nyri argued. “You said yourself that the future is not certain. And if my children are born cursed, it will be the fault of the Woves, not you.”
“How wrong you are, my dear Nyriaana,” he said sadly. “You can never know how wrong. The Elders see our impending doom and it frightens them. They will do anything to try to regain our former strengths. They see us as the only true People, blessed by Ninmah, set above the likes of the Thals and the others, whom they convince us are nothing more than Souless beasts camouflaged in our form. They focus all our hate and blame for our misfortunes on these raiders, these Woves, as we call them—”
“And they are right to do so!” Nyri burst out. “Baarias, please, stop this. The Elders do not have to focus anything. We know who has done all of this to us! Aardn is right. They have terrorised us, driven us from our homes and murdered our people. They have taken everything from us. They are monsters. Evil spirits. How can you stand there and say that they are not to blame while accusing the sacred teachings of Ninmah Herself? The evidence is right before your eyes.”
“Is it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Despite what the Elders would have you believe, the Woves are made of the same flesh and blood that we are, same as the Thals and the rest, same as the Children of the Great Spirit. Do you believe anyone of such mortal bindings could empower Ninsiku and unbalance Ninmah?” He stared at her. “Think, Nyriaana, you are an intelligent woman.”
“We have no idea what they are.” Nyri thought of the visage that tormented her nightmares, the demonic face that had considered throwing her into the burning beast of its own conjuring. Nyri could not accept that that creature was a living being. “They are evil,” she said with conviction. “They are not of the same flesh and blood.”
“Oh, but they are,” Baarias said. “Of that I am certain.” His words rang with an unassailable finality.
Nyri threw up her hands. “Well, if that is so, how else has this happened? How else has Ninsiku grown so powerful that he can once again extend his Fury and banish Ninmah’s Blessing?”
“I do not claim to have all of the answers, Nyri. There are powers in this world that we can never know. I do agree the Woves should be feared and mistrusted.” He rubbed once at his scarred jaw. “I learned that the hard way, as have the rest of us, but they are a long way from being evil spirits. They are not responsible for the changes in the world and they are certainly not the ones who are diminishing our people in the worst imaginable way. For that, we only have ourselves to blame.”
Nyri closed her eyes and turned away. “Please, Baarias.”
“Do not hide your face, Nyriaana. Listen to me. I do not say it lightly, I know how much distress my words are causing you but I have delivered too many dead or deformed babies in my life to not see it. As a healer, I have a deeper understanding of how life works. Can you look at boys like Omaal, blind and crippled, and not see that something is terribly wrong. No Wove, bitter Fury or predator can do this to us. Our own Elders are responsible. They have cut us off from the rest of the world because of misguided teachings and now they are reaping the misery of their actions.”
Nyri shook her head. “No, Baarias. If I allow myself to believe that, I will go mad. The Elders are right to keep us away from outsiders. Ninmah Herself forbade it. I do not question the wisdom of the one who gave us life and I do not know how you can. The Woves are the only evil I see here. It is they who have done this. They are demons, every singl
e one of them.”
Nyri felt his irritation rise. “Truly, Nyriaana? I would have thought you of all people could see past petty differences. Remember, Juaan-?”
Nyri stiffened. “Baarias,” she warned. He of all people should know better. She felt the pain Juaan’s name always inflicted stab like thorns inside her chest.
“Well, don’t you?” He ignored her warning. He seemed to be enjoying pulling the tail of the grishnaa tonight.
Nyri rounded on him. “Yes, I remember! Ninmah only knows how much I remember!”
“Good. That’s something I suppose.” Baarias turned away.
“What?” Nyri demanded. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He waved a hand. “Never mind.”
Nyri pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache that was taking hold. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“To make you see your folly.”
“And what folly is that?” Nyri whispered.
“That everything we have been taught is wrong and unless everyone wakes up to that fact, our people are finished!”
Nyri took a step back, tears of shock welling in her eyes. She turned her face abruptly away and stared at the ground, determined to hold back the hot tears. She shook her head slowly back and forth, denying him.
With a defeated sigh, Baarias relented. His voice was heavy when he spoke. “You are not the first to close your eyes and hide behind your hate. Sadly, I know your eyes will be opened. I just hope you do not have to see and be a part of as much loss as I before they are. I hope you can make a difference one day. That is my wish.”
Nyri drew a shuddering breath and then released it in a long sigh. She wasn’t going to argue anymore. For the first time since that morning, she just wanted to be alone. Baarias had poked open old wounds and she was bleeding. He had frightened her deeply with his heresy and shaken her faith in him. She needed space for a while to sort out her feelings before she could face him again. She turned to leave, keeping her eyes downcast.
“I am truly sorry for frightening you, Nyriaana. Please know that I have not lost my mind. I only seek to protect you.”
Nyri grimaced and left him, walking out into the night. The forest was black and grey around her, silent but for a soft breeze twisting through the leaves. Nobody was in sight. The disastrous auscult was over it seemed. She wondered idly if the Joining had been completed.
Nyri reached her tree and scrambled up into her home. She was now too exhausted to even think and she welcomed that. Throwing herself into her bower of leaves and cotton moss, she stared into space, glad that this day was finally over.
Nyri did not remember falling asleep. The only thing that she could recall in later days was the desperate warning that woke her as it came screaming through the trees.
“Woves!”
8
Trapped
Nyri was on her feet before her eyes were even fully open, every nerve end alive and pulsing. Her heart was in her throat, mouth bone dry as she leaped from her tree and swung to the ground. There was movement all around as the whole tribe gathered tightly together. The panic could be tasted on the air. They stared around, peering into the shadows, testing the forest’s energies, reaching out to each other for support. Nyri clung to the belief that this could be a false alarm, the wild imagination of a young lookout, an idea of a bad joke.
Like hunted animals, everyone flinched and almost bolted as the sentry threw himself from the trees into their midst. He was breathless and trembling from exhaustion.
“Woves!” Javaan panted thickly. The terror glazing his eyes confirmed that this was no deception. No hope that it was just a bad dream. Reality stood before them unchanging, stark and terrifying. Families automatically pulled each other closer, some women started to wail.
The Elders were quick to take charge, impatiently silencing the noise. Pelaan grabbed Javaan by the arm, holding him up. “Where?”
“Heading from the east,” the sentry gasped. “They’re coming this way.”
“Did they see you?”
“No,” Javaan answered, breathlessly. “They are searching but do not know of our presence yet. We need to move from here, deeper into the forest before they discover us. Daajir is keeping watch on them from a distance.”
Nyri’s heart thumped hard as she listened. Kyaati grabbed her hand, her palm slick with sweat. Nyri felt her friend’s energy zing against her own, escalating it twofold. Baarias appeared and shifted closer to both of them in a protective motion, his face grim. Nyri was grateful for his presence. What had passed between them following the auscult ceased to matter. She wanted him with her. The air was vibrating. Just the word ‘Wove’ was enough to send them all flying like deer before the wolf.
“Everyone!” Aardn raised her voice in an attempt to bring control and focus. “Listen! Listen! Our enemies are upon us at last, sooner than we even thought. My fellow Elders and I will lead you to safety. We will retreat to the thickest parts of the forest, leaving our home until the threat has passed. If they do not find us here, they may leave it standing. Gather your possessions; carry as much food as you can. Make it as if we were never here. Go! Hurry!”
The harvest from the Gathering was still inside the auscult circle at the centre of the clearing. Nyri followed as they all descended upon it, picking up everything that they could carry and hastily concealing the rest in the thick undergrowth. They then rushed in the direction of their homes.
Separating from her companions, Nyri bounded into the branches of her tree and quickly threw her few possessions into a gathering basket. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely function.
Images of past destruction and bloodshed flashed through her mind, overwhelming everything until all she could see before her eyes were flames and death. It took all of her courage not to collapse to the floor in a helpless heap of terror.
Nyri forced the images back and glanced around the young tree that had been her beautiful home for the last few cycles of her life. She wondered if she would ever see it again or whether it would be murdered and burned to ash before this night was finished.
Sudden fury burned away her terror. Just one more thing the Woves would take from her. Nyri touched the living wall in brief farewell, grieving its sleepy presence, as yet unaware of the coming danger, and clambered back to the ground.
The tribe waited until all were present and then fled into the darkness without looking back. The Elders led the flight. Branches and leaves whipped at Nyri’s face. It was pitch dark. She counted it a blessing that Ninsiku’s half open eye was veiled behind the clouds. He would not see them unsheltered and vulnerable. She followed her people using her higher senses, latching on to the panicked energies flitting through the dark ahead and to the side of her.
She was so focused on running, she nearly smashed straight into Kyaati, standing bent double in her path.
“Kya,” she breathed. Kyaati was gasping, clutching at her side, face contorted with pain and exhaustion. Nyri gripped her arm, letting some of her strength pour into her friend. She should not be running but what choice was there. “Kya, we need to go! Come! Come with me!” Nyri grabbed her hand and struggled on into the night, dragging her heavily pregnant companion in her wake.
To Nyri’s increasing dismay, she realised they were falling further and further behind. The presences up ahead were almost beyond her senses now. Where were they going? Nyri struggled on frantically, forcing Kyaati along. She needed to catch up and get them both to safety.
“Nyri,” Kyaati’s voice was so weak it was barely recognisable. She gripped Nyri’s hand. “I c-can’t go on any further.”
Nyri’s throat constricted. It was far too close a reminder of that night long ago when she herself had been dragged through the trees. It was happening again. Tears started in her eyes as Kyaati sank to the ground.
Nyri stared into the darkness in open desperation. They were now completely alone, the distant noises fading into nothingness. It was as if t
he very world was holding its breath around them. She started badly when a bird flapped from the trees. The tribe had left them behind. In the panic, their presence had not been missed. Nyri wondered if the Elders would dare come back for them with the Woves this close. Such a move would risk the entire tribe.
Nyri opened and closed her fists rapidly in a motion of stress. What could she do? They were exposed and alone and would surely be found if she did not think of something. Her teeth were chattering but not from the cooling night. She was trembling from head to foot with fear.
Kyaati’s hand flexed in hers.
Kyaati. Knowing her friend needed her now gave Nyri the strength she needed to push the growing panic aside enough to think. She looked to the trees.
“Come on,” she heaved Kyaati to her feet. “We’re going to climb. We will sit in the branches until the danger has passed. It’s our best chance.”
“I don’t know if I can.” All Kyaati wanted was to stay on her knees.
“Yes you can and you will!” Nyri snapped, losing patience quickly in her desperation. “Let me rephrase. It’s not our best chance, it’s our only chance and I’m not leaving you on the ground, it’s too dangerous. Think of your baby, Kyaati. Ninmah help me, you are going to climb!”
To her surprise, Nyri thought she sensed a faint smile. “Yes, exulted Elder.”
“That’s better. Now come.” Nyri found the strongest looking tree with multiple branches thick enough to make it an easy climb. It was no eshaara but it would have to do. Nyri pushed Kyaati towards it and her friend began to heave herself up at a painfully slow pace.
Nyri danced with the urge to throw herself into the branches and climb right to the top. It was wrong to be on the ground when safety beckoned above. Every shadow seemed to morph into the skull of a Wove before her darting eyes, every snap of a twig or shift in the undergrowth became the movement of an enemy waiting to pounce.