by Pedro Urvi
He came up to them with a wave. “How’s the work going?”
The five men turned and greeted him at once, bowing their heads in respect. He stopped and looked at them thoughtfully: as slaves, they had worked on the construction of triremes for the great river. They had been the first refugees to arrive, and were a blessing for him as they knew how to build ships and were expert carpenters, especially old Ilas, who had more than forty years of experience behind him. Ikai had entrusted him with building the fishing boats and the dock and he could not have been happier with the results.
“It’s coming along, Hero of the Senoca, Leader of the Shelter. We hope you’re pleased,” Ilas replied. His voice was grave and respectful.
“Very much so, Ilas. You needn’t address me so formally, you know that,” he added with a frown. He did not like being treated either as a hero or a leader. Both of those things had been simply the results of chance and necessity, not things he had sought or wished for. Particularly the latter.
“But you’re one of the Seven Heroes,” Ilas said. “You lead us, we owe you our freedom. We must show you the respect you deserve.” The others nodded emphatically.
“Just Ikai is enough…”
“We couldn’t,” said another of the men.
“You’re not slaves any longer, you’ll never be that again!”
Ilas nodded and they all stood up. Ikai sighed. It would take a long time to wipe a lifetime of servitude from his people’s minds. Probably several generations…
“When do you think it’ll be ready?”
The old carpenter ran his gaze over the jetty and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.
“I’d say we’ll need two or three more weeks to make it safe enough to withstand the attacks of Mother Sea when she’s in a rage. But it’s hard to tell. This isn’t the great river…”
“You’re doing very well, Ilas. Keep up the good work.”
“You honor us, Hero of the Seno… Ikai…”
Ikai shook his head, smiled at the old craftsman, and went on along the jetty to the first fishing boat to be tied up there.
“Good fishing, Airol?” he asked.
The fisherman and his son Taler were unloading the fruits of their day’s work while his wife Maira, who had come to welcome them, picked up the worn net to repair later on. Unfortunately they lacked supplies of any kind, and everything had to be made with whatever was at hand nearby. The family of fishermen greeted Ikai in the same ceremonious manner as the builders.
“There’s no need…” he started to protest, but he knew it was useless.
“Our dear Mother Oxatsi has blessed us with an excellent catch today,” Airol told him, and showed him a huge basket filled with different kinds of fish.
Ikai did not know enough to recognize them… “Wonderful, are they all edible?” he asked Maira.
“The biggest and ugliest, yes. And the ones Taler’s already unloaded. These ones here: we don’t know whether they are or not.” She indicated a smaller basket. “I’ve set them aside just in case. They’re kinds we’ve never seen before… they’re probably edible, but we’d better make sure before someone gets sick or poisoned.”
Ikai looked at the contents of the wicker basket. In fact there was so much they did not know in that new world that often he felt like a small child discovering the wonders of an incredible, unknown universe which he had been denied his whole life.
“You know the Rule: any unknown food we find, whether it’s fish, fruit, fowl or wild berries, must be taken to Idana so that she can study it and establish whether it’s edible or not. She’s the Apothecary, and the only one who has the authority to decide.”
“That’s the Rule, and that’s what will be done,” Maira said whole-heartedly.
“Any news?” Ikai asked Airol.
“We’ve been fishing near the continental coast, to the east. We didn’t go very far. There were plenty of fish and it wasn’t necessary.”
“Did you keep together?”
“Yes, we did, the four boats, as it was decided. No-one strays alone.”
Ikai nodded in agreement. They knew nothing of the perils which might surround them. On the one hand those of the sea and an immense, rugged, unexplored coast, and on the other the danger represented by Hunters and Enforcers of the Gods. They had to be very cautious.
“But I must say I’d love to explore the coast, and my son’s eager to go further out into Mother Sea. Isn’t that so, Taler?”
The thin young man nodded energetically and smiled broadly.
“I can understand that, but what you want is dangerous, and you know it. These boats are small and fragile, and the coast is treacherous…”
“Mark his words, you blockheads,” said Maira. She was shaking her head and looking disapprovingly at her son.
“But a Senoca must dream of going out into Mother Sea… sail her immensity, explore the horizon…” Airol replied. There was a dreamy look on his face.
“Of course,” Ikai said, “but for the moment we’d better be extra cautious and keep on dreaming. One day, not too far in the future, when we have a better understanding of our environment, of the sea which bathes this coast, the climate and its cycles, your dream will come true.”
“I’ll be waiting for that day.”
“Just as I’ve been waiting a whole lifetime for some common sense to make its way into that thick head of yours,” Maira scolded, with her hands on her hips.
The good humor infected Ikai, who smiled cheerfully. He gazed along the coastline as far as his eye could see.
“Any sign of danger? Enforcers?”
“No, we didn’t see a soul. The whole eastern coast seems uninhabited. White sand beaches, rough cliffs, a small bay and forests: that’s all we’ve seen.”
“Very well. Always be on the alert. If you come across any kind of danger, avoid it and give the alarm promptly.”
“So we will.”
Ikai took his leave of the family, who went back to their tasks again, and visited the other three fishing boats which were also unloading the fruits of the day’s work. He exchanged greetings and friendly words with the fishermen and listened to what they had to tell. Fishing had quickly become the community’s main means of support, and he paid close attention to any comments the fishermen had to make. He was also worried that one of the ships of the Gods or their Enforcers might discover them. It was something that made him restless, a fear which haunted him like an ominous shadow and robbed him of sleep at night. The fishermen told him a storm was brewing, but they were not sure whether it would reach the island.
When he had finished his visit he turned toward the village. His mother was expecting him for the night council, and he did not want to make her wait. Solma was always very uneasy if he or Kyra did not return when they were supposed to. She had not yet come to terms with all that had happened; probably she never would.
None of us have. We’ve barely spoken about it. Nobody wants to mention it, as if it might bring bad luck, as if the Gods might hear us if we did, and find us. A stupid superstition, but none of them, Kyra, Idana, Urda or Albana, have put it to the test.
He took off his shoes and made his way across the beach, letting his feet sink into that soft white sand which charmed his senses. Walking through that paradise, with the now indigo sea, the golden sand under his feet and the green forest before his eyes, was a dream come true. Like a child he enjoyed every moment in that paradise, enjoyed what he had always longed for. He looked around, stretched out his arms and spun in a circle, letting the sea breeze caress him with its moist hands. He could not have been happier.
I can’t believe we’re here, in this wonderful place… and free!
He smiled at the sky. For the first time he realized his soul was joyful: more than that, he was happy… That was something he had not been for an eternity, ever since they had put the Ring on him as a child.
I have everything I’ve ever wished for: my family, a home in a wonderful place and f
reedom. I don’t want anything else.
For a moment, in the middle of the bay, listening to the song of exotic birds, the rustle of the breeze and the murmur of the waves breaking on the beach under a sky of pink and orange silk, he felt he was in a dream he had no desire ever to wake up from.
“Enjoying the touch of the sea breeze, Hero of the Senoca?”
Ikai turned to the voice and saw Isaz waving at him from under the trees on the edge of the forest. He returned the wave and went over to the trapper, leaving the beach behind.
“Where have you come from, Isaz? I haven’t seen you for several days.”
“From the continent, to the west, from the great forests. Hunting is great there.”
“That’s true. You asked for permission to leave the island and explore them last week.”
“Too many things in a leader’s head, you can’t remember everything,” Isaz said with a friendly laugh.
Ikai liked the experienced hunter. He was direct and always said clearly what he thought. And he was almost always right, which Ikai was deeply grateful for. He was nearly fifty springs old and came from the Fourth County, where he had been a trapper. His skin was weathered, his muscles sinewy and his eye experienced, and he was one of the few who felt truly at ease in this wild environment.
“Yes, too many. At this rate I’ll end up completely out of it, or else in total despair. Or both.”
“Hah! Leading a colony of refugees like ours is exhausting. Everything to be built, still needing to be done. We’re starting from scratch. It’s the beginning, and all beginnings are hard. And this one is going to be even harder.”
“Well, yes, it’s proving difficult…”
“That’s natural. Most of the refugees are farmers, and they’re completely at a loss in this distant place that’s so different from what they’re used to. It’ll take time, but in the end they’ll make it their home. I’m sure of it. Now they need direction and leadership, with someone telling them what to do and how.”
“I wouldn’t mind letting you have the privilege for a few weeks. I know perfectly well you’re very capable…”
“Oh, no! Not for all the Regent’s wine! I’m a trapper, and this is my contribution to the community.” He showed Ikai a dozen hares he was carrying, hanging from his belt.
“We can go without your hunting,” Ikai said, waving his hand towards the fishing boats in the distance.
“Ha, ha! Fish? Who wants fish when they can have meat?” He turned to open a huge leather satchel. In it were pieces of meat wrapped in leaves to keep them fresh.
“What’s this delicacy you’ve caught?”
“A pretty big deer,” he replied, and smiled proudly.
“I have to say you’re right…”
“And what’s more, fish don’t provide pelts for the winter,” he added with a wink.
Ikai laughed cheerfully. “Come on, let’s go back, they’re waiting for me…”
“Are you sure you want to go back to that torture?”
“I can assure you there’s nothing I want less. If at least they’d let me join in the building work…”
“You? Work building houses? That’s not worthy of a leader, and even less worthy of a Hero of the Senoca,” Isaz said with a roguish grin.
“Let’s go, before I name you my counselor and you have to be tortured alongside me.”
Isaz laughed. “No, please, no! Have mercy!” They went into the thick vegetation, away from the beach, towards the hidden village.
Ikai took advantage of the walk to have a good chat with the trapper. This was one of the men he thought might be most useful in the small community, and it was a chance to get to know him a little better. The path led them to a dense area of forest with lush vegetation. They went into it, admiring their surroundings. Birds and flowering plants which left Ikai speechless now surrounded them on all sides. They went further into the forest towards the north, using as their point of reference a solitary bald peak which rose in the distance.
“Everything in order, out west?” Ikai asked as he parted the vegetation.
“I didn’t find any trace of Enforcers or Hunters, or any other men.”
“That’s good news.”
“But I did find the footprints of an enormous cat.”
Ikai glanced at him and saw worry on Isaz’s face.
“Prints that were too big… of a huge cat… not natural… I couldn’t see it, but judging by the size of the prints and their depth in the mud, it had to be hellish big.”
“I see. I’ll give warning.”
“You’d better, or we might have a disaster.”
They went on, until suddenly the forest disappeared, to be replaced by an immense open area of tall grass.
Ikai’s spirits rose. “Here we are,” he said.
Isaz smiled. “You go away for a few days and you miss this place,” he said.
The area of grassland was completely surrounded by the forest which protected it. It was divided by a river which flowed from north to south towards the sea. The two men stopped to contemplate the place with broad smiles. In the center of the area, a hundred or so houses in different stages of construction formed a rectangular labyrinth of adobe. More than a hundred people were working on the building of the village, like tireless ants raising a new colony to live in. To the east, where the land was richer, fields had been cleared, and several families were tilling the soil.
“There are more of us every day,” Ikai said. He shook his head in disbelief. “And to think there weren’t even a dozen of us when we came…”
“How many are there now?”
“With the last group, over five hundred.”
“By Oxatsi! We’ll soon be a real big city!”
“Or we’ll die if we don’t tread much more carefully…” Ikai said. He was watching a group of children running and laughing happily as they played among the vegetable plots south of the river.
“You can’t blame them for being happy, for wishing for a better world, for fighting with all their hearts for a new beginning, in freedom.”
“I know, but I don’t want them to forget what’ll happen to us if we’re found… There should be someone watching here. Where is the Guard?”
“Don’t worry so much, Ikai, I know you do it from your heart, but you must live a little.”
A man emerged suddenly from their left, carrying a thick trunk on his shoulder. “Ikai! Isaz!” he hailed them. He carried a horn tied to his belt. Ikai looked at him in surprise. When he came closer, he saw a second man appear at the other end of the tree trunk.
Ikai pointed to the horn he was carrying. “Martis, shouldn’t you be on watch duty?” he asked sternly.
“Yes, well… I… you see, Danco came and he needed help with the tree and …”
Ikai shook his head.
Isaz came up to the two men. Glaring at Martis, he said: “If you’re on watch duty, you’re on watch duty, you melon-head!”
“Yes, yes, you’re right, I’ll get down to it right away.”
“Get back to your post, this minute. And don’t let this ever happen again!”
The two men walked away so fast the tree nearly ended up in the river.
“Thank you,” Ikai said, and gave Isaz a grateful smile.
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed that, I should do it every day,” Isaz said, and burst out laughing. Ikai joined in the laughter, and the two went towards the village, which the refugees had named The Shelter.
As he walked by, the people dropped what they were doing to call out to him. Smiling, he greeted the builders who were putting up the mill, the group building the bridge which would join both halves of the village, the women working in the vegetable gardens, the children who came to see one of the Heroes, the archers who were practicing their aim and looked for his approval, and whom Isaz stayed with. He greeted them all, and with all he exchanged kind words.
“They love and respect you, my son.” Solma told him. She was waiting at the door of
the council house. Beside her was Idana, smiling.
“There’s chicken broth and stew waiting for you,” Solma said with a smile.
“That certainly cheers my soul, Mother. I’m famished,” he said gratefully. Exploring with Albana had given him a healthy appetite.
He ate in the company of the two women, and they chatted easily about village affairs until night fell.
Suddenly there came the sound of a horn. A sustained complaint.
The alarm!
Ikai got to his feet. The horn sounded again. He leapt over the table and hastened into the village square.
Telmas was running toward him. “It’s coming from the south!” he said. He was followed by his brother Volte, and both were carrying their bows.
“It sounds too close, on the border,” Ikai said. He ran in for his bow, hung the quiver on his back and…
“What’s the matter, son?”
“I don’t know, Mother, I’m going to find out. Both of you stay here and don’t come out.”
Idana nodded and took Solma’s arm. Ikai ran away.
“Everybody get into hiding! Get inside your houses and bolt the doors!” he shouted at the top of his voice.
As they ran to the south following the river, he saw the people following his order as fast as they could.
Isaz appeared from one side, running, bow in hand.
“What’s… the matter?” he asked, panting with the exertion.
“I don’t know,” Ikai replied without slowing down. “Alarm call, to the south,”
They ran to Martis’ post and stopped. Martis was not there. His horn was on the ground, but there was no trace of him.
“Get ready,” Ikai whispered to his companions.
They all nocked their bows but the darkness barely allowed them to see anything. Ikai went forward carefully, bow at the ready. He found the trail which showed where a body had been dragged. He pointed it out to the others. Isaz nodded. Moving more stealthily now, Ikai went in among the trees, following the trail. A few steps later the forest swallowed him up and he could see nothing in the dense vegetation. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, then turned and met the eyes of Isaz and the Arken brothers. Their presence reassured him, although in that environment and with such darkness danger could materialize and prove lethal before his companions had time to react. He concentrated and used his senses, inhaling deeply, sniffing for any scent which might mean danger. Nothing. He took a couple of steps, deeply alert, and stopped. He strained his hearing in all directions until a sound reached him from the east. He concentrated on trying to establish what it might be.