by S. S. Segran
“Chayton!”
The wolf paused and looked back. A form hurried in their direction. Somewhat to the boys’ relief, it was a human shape.
The newcomer, a youth, dropped to one knee and slipped a rawhide collar around the wolf’s neck, reprimanding it in a strange language. The wolf lowered itself to the ground and whimpered roughly. The youth stopped his admonishment and stroked the animal’s head, then stood. Holding the wolf by the collar, he bowed slightly and said, “Akol.”
Kody leaned toward Jag and whispered, “What?”
“How would I know?” Jag whispered back.
“Maybe it means ‘sorry about that’ in his language,” Aari proposed carefully.
“Could be.”
The youth, overhearing, shook his head and indicated to himself, repeating, “Akol.”
Jag put two and two together, though he was startled that the youth had understood Aari since he didn’t seem to speak English. “It’s his name!”
The youth turned to him, beaming. Jag raised his eyebrows and introduced himself and his friends. “I’m Jag. This is Aari, and that’s Kody.”
Akol repeated their names, then turned around and waved for them to follow. After a moment’s hesitation, the boys quickly limped after him. The wolf looked over its shoulder at them and undecidedly wagged its tail, its dark fur shimmering in the moonlight.
It wasn’t long before the little party came upon a shelter similar to the one the boys had been in, albeit much bigger. The wolf eagerly trotted through the open door and the teenagers entered after it. Inside, the building was warm and cozy, built with the same material as the boys’ shelter, but the interior was different. It was furnished like a house, complete with a kitchen, a living room, and a small dining area.
Jag noticed a striking girl standing by a shelf, arranging flowers in a marble vase. When she saw Chayton looking up at her with a canine smile, she laughed and went over to a counter to grab a bone. The wolf accepted the treat, then padded out of the shelter and into the night.
The slender girl stared after him fondly before turning to Akol and the three friends. She and Akol engaged in a dialogue, again in that foreign—but strangely melodious—language. When she turned and faced the younger teenagers, they shuffled uncomfortably under her amused, intense gaze. She pointed to herself. “Huyani.” Then she indicated each of them. “Jag, Aari, Kody.”
“Hi,” Kody said, speaking in a lower register. “Your name’s Huyani, huh?”
Jag elbowed him sharply. “No flirting,” he warned under his breath. “We don’t actually know her. And I’m pretty sure she can’t understand you anyway.”
Kody snorted but wisely yielded. Huyani handed the boys and Akol a drink from the kitchen and helped herself to one as well.
“Wonder when was the last time I ate, because I’m starving.” Kody clutched his rumbling abdomen in embarrassment when his friends chortled at him, though not unkindly.
“That was loud,” Jag grinned. He paused with his cup halfway to his lips when a pang of hunger tackled him. “Okay, now I’m hungry too. Thanks a bunch for mentioning it.”
Akol chuckled and went to the other side of the shelter, bringing back three strips of juicy meat. Huyani placed wooden plates in front of the famished friends and proceeded to sprinkle some kind of powdered spice onto the venison. She turned to a counter flanking the first; this one had a glowing clay plate sitting on two rows of blue flames. As she and Akol proceeded to cook the meat on the hot plate, the mouth-watering aroma drifted from the sizzling strips to the friends’ noses.
Akol pulled up three padded stools for them to sit on as Huyani served them. She handed the boys cutlery that had a stark resemblance to forks and knives, and said something, though the boys couldn’t make heads or tail of it. Nor did they really care, what with the scrumptious food staring invitingly up at them. Their hosts dipped their heads at the friends and exited the shelter.
As the boys dug into the delicious, expertly-seasoned meat, Aari asked, “Where in the world are we? This place seems like some sort of getaway haven, but I’m getting the feeling that we’re the only tourists here.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Jag said, chomping down into the food. “We’re definitely out of the way somewhere. I’m pretty sure this ain’t Dawson Creek, but I’m still getting that northern Canada vibe.”
“I want to know where my dad is,” Kody said. “I’d feel better having him around.”
“Don’t forget the girls,” Jag added. “We need to find them too.”
They finished their meal in silence. As they sat leaning with their backs against the counter and drank from their cups, Akol and Huyani returned.
“Oh, joy,” Kody muttered. “I’m hurting again. Not as badly as before, but still.” He rubbed his temples.
Huyani clucked her tongue and grabbed a bowl on the far side of the counter, dipping her hand into it. When she withdrew her hand, greenish-brown goop dripped from her fingers and she waved them at the boys. The friends leaned away, disgusted.
Behind them, Akol snickered. Huyani’s lips twitched as she tried to control her own amusement. She moved around the counter to Kody and raised her messy fingers to his face. He jumped off his stool, playfully telling her to keep away, but couldn’t dodge her again when she reached out and dabbed the cuts on his face with the goop. He grimaced but stayed still as she applied the mud-like sludge, then ministered Jag and Aari.
“Ugh, lovely,” Jag muttered, poking the fast-hardening mix on his wounds. “Alright, now that we’ve got all this out of the way, let’s try to find the rest of our party, huh?”
Kody turned to Akol and Huyani. “Have you seen two girls and a man?” he asked, dragging out his words.
Aari smacked his shoulder. “Dude, just because you speak slowly doesn’t mean they’ll miraculously understand English.”
“Eh, it was worth a shot.”
The boys spent the better part of the night trying—and failing—to communicate with the youths. Kody even went through the painstaking trouble to mime out the entire crash and everyone inside; Akol and Huyani were more than a little taken aback by his attempts to mimic the girls.
The lack of progress frustrated the friends immensely, and along with their growing despair, produced throbbing headaches and overwhelming weariness. Akol and Huyani glanced at each other before serving hot drinks to the boys. They drank half-heartedly and by the time they’d reached the bottom of their mugs, they had no energy left to spare.
Akol led them back to their shelters. Thanking him, the trio ducked inside and, though it hurt, flopped down on their sleeping bags, weary in both body and mind. Too exhausted to remain awake any longer, they fell asleep within moments.
7
A soft blanket of mist lifted from the valley as dawn crept in to announce a new day. A glow of daylight gently rolled down the slopes of the mountains that bordered the snugly-nestled village. Birds began their early morning choir as they spread their wings and flew from branch to branch. Somewhere in the trees, a young fox barked excitedly as it spotted a shrew.
The sun climbed over the snow-capped peaks that guarded the hidden valley, its rays shimmering on the surface of a slender river that meandered through the entire length of the village, neatly dividing it in two. Dotting the northern bank were an assortment of neyra, cabin-like shelters that were mostly five-sided and housed just over seven hundred inhabitants of the valley.
Nageau rolled out of his bed and stretched easily. Entering the kitchen, he found his mate already catering their morning meal. She looked up and gave him a big smile. Warmly greeting him, Tikina said, “First-light meal is almost ready.”
“Many thanks,” Nageau replied, giving her a quick hug. “I will join you in a moment. Do not wait for me.”
He threw on his cloak and strode out of their neyra. Outside, his people were already roused from their sleep. As he passed them, they acknowledged him in equal measures of respect and friendliness.
As he scratched the sheep’s fleece, his only offspring, a woman of thirty-eight summers, spotted him and walked swiftly over. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as the sheep trotted off.
“Father, may I assist you in something?” she asked. Nageau beamed at her and ruffled her dark hair as he’d always done since she was a child.
“Actually, I heard that Huyani has done a wonderful job tending the injured ones,” he said, adding, “I need to remind her that the Elders are expecting to hear from her about our five guests today.”
“I will take care of that. When are you holding the meeting?”
“At quarter-morn.”
“Then I must get to her right away.” She embraced him, then twirled around and walked briskly to Huyani’s neyra. Nageau watched as she poked her head in, then retraced his steps. Back inside his home, he and Tikina had a warm meal of poached eggs, flax seed bread, and goat’s milk.
“Will Huyani come to the meeting to enlighten us on the five?” Tikina inquired.
Nageau nodded.
“Good.” Tikina gave him a playful look, then said, “Don’t forget, you’re making tomorrow’s meals.”
Grinning, Nageau finished his breakfast and together with his mate, left their home and followed the winding path adjacent to the river. It led them to the western end of the village where the Elders’ assembly shelter was located; they found Saiyu and Ashack already there. The couple looked up and Ashack’s usually guarded features broke into the slightest of smiles. “It looks like Tayoka is the last to arrive . . . again.”
“I am here, I am here!”
The four Elders turned to the source of the voice. A slim figure with a headful of bright red hair was running towards them, so fast he was almost a blur.
“Tayoka, how nice of you to join us,” Nageau teased the approaching Elder.
Tayoka darted through the open door and pulled up beside Tikina, not at all out of breath. “Good morning, everyone.” He gave the other Elders a sheepish look. “I apologize for being a little late. I am not as quick as I used to be.”
Tikina warmly squeezed his shoulder. “Good morning to you, too.” She smiled. “You may have the speed of lightning, but age does eventually catch up with us. Or perhaps you are simply becoming lazy.”
Saiyu, Nageau and Ashack laughed at the youngest Elder’s indignant expression. Saiyu had already started a small fire in the pit at the center of the room. They sat around it, and Nageau cleared his throat. “Have we come up with anything since our meeting yesterday?”
“On my part, I am afraid not,” Tayoka said. “However, I am in full agreement with Tikina’s proposal to meet with our guests as soon as possible.”
Saiyu lightly touched Ashack’s arm. “As are we.”
Her mate grunted, keeping his gaze on the fire. “By meeting face-to-face with them, we may be able to unlock some of the mysteries of the prophecy.”
Nageau nodded slowly. “Agreed. Huyani is coming to brief us on the progress the five are making health-wise. We can ask her about her encounters with them as we prepare to meet them.”
Just as he spoke, the door opened and a beam of light flashed into the neyra. A second later, Huyani stepped in. She bowed to the Elders.
“Elder Nageau,” she said formally. “Am I disrupting?”
Nageau smiled broadly. “No, not at all, Granddaughter.” He patted the space between him and Tikina on the low wooden bench. “In fact, we are just about ready to hear what you have observed.”
“There is a lot to share,” Huyani said, taking her place between her grandparents.
Saiyu folded her arms on her lap. “We are most interested.”
“Well, if you are all comfortable, then I shall begin.”
The Elders nodded in unison, and Huyani began reciting her observations.
8
Tegan cracked open an eye and glanced about. Where am I? she wondered. She saw Mariah lying on her back inside a sleeping bag and felt relieved that she wasn’t alone.
She gently shook the other girl. “Mariah.” When she didn’t stir, Tegan shook her harder. “Get up already!”
“Mmh . . .”
Tegan rolled her eyes. “Wake up or I’ll let Kody at you.”
Mariah bolted upright. “Don’t you dare!” She looked around, her eyes settling lastly on Tegan. She was not amused. “Kody’s not even here.”
“Works every time,” Tegan said with a tired smile. She pushed her hair back, letting the ash-brown waves cascade over her shoulders, then winced when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.
Mariah scratched her head. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know. The guys aren’t here, and it looks like we’re inside some sort of cabin.” Tegan peered into her sleeping bag, then at Mariah. “Who changed me out of my sweatpants and into a robe?!”
Surprised, Mariah pulled down her sleeping bag. “Um . . . I’m wearing one too.”
“I’d like to know how.”
“Let’s get out and find the guys first.”
“Good idea,” Tegan said. “Hopefully they know what’s going on.” As an afterthought, she added quietly, “I hope they’re okay.”
She got out of her sleeping bag, feeling stiff and uncomfortable. Taking a few steadying breaths, she headed toward the door with Mariah right behind. She cautiously opened the door and the girls instantly shrank from the harsh light that struck them.
Tegan shut her eyes firmly. Flashes of orange, yellow and black danced within her closed eyelids. Mariah was no better and muttered, “That was awful.”
“Quite.” Tegan turned back to the door and squinted. “Come on.”
They took a few steps out and stared, open-mouthed. Majestic mountains adorned with snow-capped tips surrounded them. As the sun bounced off the icy peaks, the light created a dazzling halo around them. Midway down the mountains, pine trees filled the landscape, growing denser as they approached the turquoise river at the base. Woven between the tree line and dotting the banks of the river were many other shelters of various sizes.
As the girls scanned the structures, they spied one in between the trees not far from where they stood. It looked identical to their shelter. Exchanging inquisitive glances, they headed that way in anticipation. As they brushed past some ferns, Tegan’s keen ears picked up a rustling. She stopped abruptly and swept a restraining hand in front of Mariah, then spun around.
Before she could hiss a warning, a golden-brown creature three times the size of a domestic house cat sprang over them. It landed silently on its huge padded paws and turned to face the girls. Taken aback, it took the friends a few moments to register that they were looking at a lynx. They eyed the wildcat in disbelief. It stared right back with something more than just feline intelligence. Was it . . . amusement? It had an almost human quality that sent shudders up the Tegan’s spine. Sitting back on its haunches and blocking their path, it appeared that the lynx wasn’t going to leave. It gazed at them, licking a claw, then leapt into the trees and disappeared.
A few heartbeats later, Mariah looked at Tegan with an air of delayed fright. “Was that really a lynx?”
“Yeah.” Tegan glanced back at where the cat had been to make sure the animal was no longer there. She didn’t know what to make of that little incident. “That was really weird. Did you notice how it looked at us?”
Mariah shivered and nodded. Trying to push the encounter from their minds, they weaved their way through a stand of fir until they came into full view of the shelter. A mixture of anxiety and anticipation arose in the pit of Tegan’s stomach as they increased their pace. Questions raged in her mind: Are the guys inside? Are they injured? What do we do if they’re not there? She didn’t dare wonder who might be inside i
f the boys weren’t.
As they closed in on the shelter, they slowed down and lowered instinctively into a crouch. Not wishing to startle the occupants—whomever they were—the pair treaded quietly over the uneven ground. To their chagrin, Mariah tripped over an exposed root and, with a muted cry, almost fell on her face. With quick reflexes, Tegan grabbed her friend’s arm before the impact. At that exact moment, the door flew open and a tall figure stepped out from the shelter. The girls froze.
The figure turned back to the opened door, and with a husky voice they knew all too well, called out impatiently, “Hey, boneheads! Get your butts out of there—we gotta find the girls!”
Kody and Aari stepped out of the shelter, blinking sleep from their eyes. Tegan and Mariah shrieked and charged toward the boys as fast as their robes allowed, flinging themselves at their bewildered friends. Hollering in delight, Jag hugged them both fiercely, Aari and Kody following suit.
Minutes lapsed as the group reunited with strangling bear hugs and cries of happiness. As they settled down, Aari stepped back and observed the girls’ robes with amusement. “Nice threads,” he grinned. Mariah bowed at the praise, and was brushed into yet another bear hug from Kody. She grimaced good-naturedly.
Tegan snickered, then choked as Jag enveloped her in a playful headlock. “Hey, let go! You’re gonna crack my head!”
Jag winked. “Yeah, right. Your skull’s too thick for that.”
“You’d better learn to sleep with your eyes open.” Huffing, Tegan scrambled out of his strong grip. The group laughed, relishing being back together.
“I feel almost whole now,” Kody murmured as he sat down on a log. He passed his fingers through his short hair, eyes fixed on the ground.
The others glanced at one another, then quietly went to stand by his side. Jag rested a hand on his shoulder. “We found each other. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we find your dad.”
Kody said nothing. The friends were silent for a while after that until Tegan tentatively asked, “Does anyone know where we are? Or how we got here?”