by S. S. Segran
* * *
The youth hiding behind the tree outside of the assembly neyra eased his eyes open. He had learned enough for now. He sprinted through the trees, weaving his way until he spotted one of the three bridges that connected the north and south sides of the village, which were separated by the gently-flowing waters of Esroh Lègna.
He broke from the darkness of the trees and, ignoring the bridge, leapt forty feet over the water to the other side in one smooth motion to throw off anyone who might be following him. He landed softly, following through with a roll, then rose to his feet. He threw a glance over his shoulder, immensely satisfied with his nimbleness and the fact that no one was tailing him. Slowing to a walk, he followed the river downstream to the second bridge and crossed back to the south side of the village where his cohorts waited.
Along the winding path surrounded by trees, four buildings rose into sight; a massive teal-colored glass structure with timber frames, flanked on the right by a combined stable and barn. Next to it was a nondescript but hardy-looking wooden construction used for storage, and beside that was a stone-clad tool and workshop building that exuded a certain charm. Together, these buildings made up the resource hub of the village.
Rounding the immense glass building, the youth walked through the doors of the stable. Inside a group of villagers about his age chatted and cared for the horses. One of the youths, sporting a brown mohawk, saw the lone figure enter. He nudged the others and as they all looked up, he grinned cockily. “How was your little sleuthing expedition, Hutar?”
Hutar leaned against a stall. The horse inside, a young, frisky stallion with a shiny black coat poked his head out nosily. Hutar fed it some hay and the horse’s velvety lips tickled the palm of his hand. The girl who was grooming the stallion paused and stepped out of the stall. A couple of other girls stepped out from where they were taking care of other horses as well. The boys—heavily outnumbering the girls—sat on bales of hay or stood around.
Hutar said nothing for a time, content to interact with the horse. His sharp, calculating blue eyes contrasted with his well-tanned skin. His black hair was shortly cropped at the sides and fuller on top.
“Well?” the youth with the Mohawk pressed. “What happened?
Hutar jabbed a finger at the youth. “You are an impatient one, Relsuc.” He took a breath to steady his temper, then continued. “From what I heard, the Elders have concluded the first verse of the prophecy, ‘Shades of Earth, Sky, River, Mist and Fire’, corresponds with our unwanted guests’ eyes.”
Relsuc frowned. “You mean to say the shades mentioned in the prophecy refer to the shades of eyes? But everyone always figured they were related to the crystals!”
“Who knows what they really refer to.”
“And the shades match exactly with the outsiders’ eyes? That is unbelievable.”
“Believable or not, that is what the Elders accept as true.”
One of the boys milling around spoke up. “But we cannot forget that the Elders met with the outsiders this morning. Do you think they would make a petty blunder on such a significant matter?”
“Who knows?” Hutar gave the boy a look that told him to keep quiet.
One of the girls wiped her brow. “Did they mention anything else?”
“Not that I caught. They will discuss more tomorrow, I assume.” Hutar stroked the horse that he’d fed the hay to.
The young animal eyed him with a glint of mischief, then grabbed his arm in its mouth. Hutar grunted in surprise and freed himself. To the other youths, he said, “We must assume the Elders are in agreement to teach the outsiders our ways—which means they will be entrusting them with the crystals. It is not right; I have gone through the prophecy many times and nowhere did it mention that the ones to fulfill it will be from the outside world.”
“Now wait a minute,” protested an attractive, auburn-haired native. She placed one hand on her hip and held up two fingers. “Two things: One, while you do have a point, nowhere in the prophecy does it say that people from this tribe would fulfill the prophecy, either. Two, we cannot assume that all the Elders are on board, because Ashack is naught but a grump and tends to be a skeptic. And remember, that was only the first verse. There is more.”
“Matikè does have a point,” Relsuc said. “Until you get sufficient information and further decisions from the Elders, you cannot risk doing anything. And by you, I mean our whole group. We are just as opposed as you are to the idea of the outsiders being the fulfillment to our prophecy, but we need to tread cautiously. You know we trust you as our leader, but we cannot afford to jump to conclusions. Also, I cannot begin to imagine the consequences that would arise from our defiance of the Elders if this comes to light.”
“No one will find out,” Hutar said icily. “But I know, I just know, that somehow, these five are going to be trained by the Elders.”
Relsuc shrugged apologetically. “Normally I would agree, considering how many times you have been correct when you make such suppositions, but at the moment, I am going to have to wait and watch for a little while.”
The group agreed quietly. Hutar, resenting it when the crowd went against him, kept a cool face. “Fine. We will each do our part to learn what we can before making a move. Meanwhile,” he said with a cold glint in his eyes, “I suggest a few of us get friendly with the outsiders. It would be better for those of us who are omnilingual to put that ability to good use.”
“That leaves me out,” Relsuc said thankfully. “But you, my friend, are fully capable. So is Aesròn.”
Aesròn, Relsuc’s cousin with an aquiline nose and unique light green eyes, grinned. Then his grin vanished., “There is one little problem. How do we get close to them? I am sure they are under some kind of order preventing them from mingling with us.”
A girl near one of the stalls leaned over the trough she was using to bathe a foal and yelled, “Huyani and Akol are seeing to that, are they not?”
“I have spied on them shepherding the outsiders,” Relsuc supplied.
Hutar put a hand on one of Aesròn’s wide shoulders and said with a flash of a malevolent grin, “Talking to Huyani would be no problem. There are ways to accomplish this.”
“Do not underestimate Huyani,” one of the boys said.
“Her brother is more rigid when it comes to following orders given by the Elders,” Matikè countered. She had gone back inside the stall and was using a pick to clean the young horse’s hooves.
“Not a problem,” Hutar said. “Between us, there has been talk going around that Akol is taking an interest in you.”
The fair-skinned girl fumbled with the pick and blushed. “It is but a rumor. And besides, how would I be of help? I only speak in our native tongue.”
“I did not say you would have to speak with the outsiders,” Hutar replied smoothly.
Matikè finished picking the horse’s hooves and stepped out of the stall again. “Listen, Hutar. As much as I am not pleased with these five outsiders being in our valley, I refuse to manipulate Akol.”
Hutar was losing patience. “Now you listen. When we first overheard the Elders after the Guardians brought those five to our home, there was an explosion of speculation. We decided then to pick sides. You stayed with us while your sibling ran away, afraid of what would happen if the Elders caught us. I repeat; you stayed. Now you must commit.”
Matikè shot daggers at him. “Alright, fine!” she snapped. “I will do it, but I will not be happy about it.”
“No one said you had to be.”
Aesròn turned to Hutar. “We should leave before sundown so we can join them for their evening meal.”
“Good idea.” Hutar smiled. “Matikè, you will be joining us.”
Matikè swore vehemently under her breath and turned her back to the pair as she continued to care for the horse.
Back in their neyra after the Elders’ meeting, Nageau sat at a table, gazing out the window. He hadn’t spoken a word since he and Tikina entere
d their home, but his mate knew what was upsetting him. She brought a hot drink to Nageau and rested it on the table. He gave her a small smile in thanks. As he took a sip, Tikina sat across from him. “Nageau,” she said gently.
He glanced at her, then back out the window. “I am sorry, love. I should not bring such a discouraging atmosphere into a home of peace.”
She took one of his hands and inspected his fingers for a minute. “Things of the past must remain in the past, Nageau.”
He put the mug down, his mouth working as he tried to find the right words, but no sound came out. Pulling his hand back from Tikina’s soft ones, he buried his face in his palms. “I know it has been over twenty-five years, but it still weighs me down,” he finally managed. “And now, with the arrival of the five, I cannot help but wonder if I did the right thing back then. What if there had been a better alternative? What if—”
“You did the right thing,” she told him firmly. “We do not know for certain that the decision you made at the time has anything to do with the storm that is brewing in the world outside. In all my years that I have known you, beloved, you have never wavered a hair’s breadth from what is best for our people. You did the right thing.”
He gazed at her and knew that she could tell he was struggling to believe her. She looked down at the table for a moment, then reached for him again. He y held her hand tightly even as she did his. Not another word was shared as they sat together, staring out the window, taking in the strength of each other’s company.
12
The friends lazed around outside the boys’ neyra. They’d enjoyed a good lunch brought to them earlier by Akol and Huyani. Now, sitting out in the early-evening sun and feeling the cool breeze on their skin, they mulled over their situation.
Yawning, Mariah dropped her head to Tegan’s shoulder and closed her eyes, but Kody’s voice forced them open again. “I don’t know about you guys,” he said, “but I’m not keen on spending a few more days here. Sure, the food’s good and Akol and Huyani are real nice, but I want out. I need to find my dad and find my way back to civilization.” Jag muttered his agreement, and Tegan remained quiet.
Mariah and Aari glanced at each other, shifting uncomfortably. “Guys, look,” Mariah said. “We’re somewhere in northern Canada, in a forest, with the nearest possible town a long way from here. I’m talking maybe dozens or even hundreds of miles. I think we’re better off staying put for now. Then those Elders can answer our questions, too. If we leave before they talk with us again, we could miss out on something really important. For all we know, once they speak with us, they could show us the way out. There might even be people out there looking for us.”
Jag’s head jerked up. “That’s right. The search and rescue teams should definitely be out looking for us.”
“They might have already done that,” Tegan said.
“We’ve been here for at least a week,” Aari said. “Why haven’t they found us yet?”
“It depends on how far from the crash site we are,” Jag answered. “I don’t know for sure how long we rode on those bears, but like Mariah said, we could be miles and miles from anywhere, especially the plane.”
“Yeah, but they’ve got helicopters and stuff. Surely they can spot a village from the sky.”
“But remember, the village is supposedly well-hidden,” Mariah said. “Isn’t that what the valley’s name means? Dema-Ki, the ‘Hidden Valley’? Akol mentioned it.”
“How long do these teams look for people before they call off a search?” Tegan asked.
Jag snorted in response. “I don’t know. Shouldn’t you? Your dad’s a cop, after all.”
Tegan laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, but I never paid attention to those things, though I really should have . . . Okay. Let’s say they located our plane. Kody’s dad could’ve been found”—Kody perked up—“but then they don’t find us. They would have started searching the area around the crash site. They may have also checked the towns nearby.”
Mariah lifted her head from Tegan’s shoulder. “So if my guess is right, based on the discussion so far . . . the rescue teams have no clue where we are.” She added with an attempt at dry humor, “And we’re possibly on the news, with headlines screaming things like ‘TEENAGERS MISSING FROM CRASH SCENE’, ‘DAY WHATEVER OF MISSING KIDS’. Or quite possibly, ‘TEENAGERS ABDUCTED BY ALIENS!’”
Aari squinted at her. “You have the strangest mind.”
“Who, me? Nah, you’re looking at Exhibit F of weirdness. You want Exhibit A? Just turn your head and look at Kody.”
The five had to laugh. Laughing was always a thing with them, but given their situation, the levity had a therapeutic effect.
“Well, I still want out,” Kody said, rubbing his eyes.
Aari lay back on the grass with his hands laced behind his head and stared up at the sky. “But heaven knows how we’ll even escape this place. We don’t have a map. Even if we did, we don’t have a compass to tell us which direction we’re heading. Also, we’ve got to get past this expanse of wilderness first before reaching any village, town, or city.” His analytical side had taken over. “Who knows what’s out there? And you’ve got to take into account weather, food, water, emergency supplies, and shelter. And good clothing for this kind of environment, even though it’s summertime.”
“That’s detailed,” Kody grumbled.
“That’s the truth, and it’s no joke.”
“I know it’s no joke. And I’m not saying it’s going to be a cakewalk, but I have a life and at the moment, it’s not in my hands. I want it back in my hands. Who’s with me?”
The friends kept silent, not meeting his gaze, but Mariah saw Jag catching Kody’s eye and giving him a quick, firm nod.
Content that he was not alone, Kody picked at a blade of grass. After a moment, he flicked it away and leaned back against the neyra. “It’s not even nighttime and I’m feeling kind of drowsy.”
“The meal was heavy,” Tegan pointed out, eager to be on a different subject.
The friends spoke quietly about other things until some of them slowly started to doze off. Eventually, only Tegan and Jag remained awake. They gazed out at the river, both lost in their own thoughts and concerns.
Tegan stretched out her legs. “Jag?”
“Hm?”
“With all that we’re going through right now . . . I want us to band together and not get pulled in different directions.”
“We’ve always held together. What are you worried about?”
“We’ve held together through different situations before, sure. But this is different, Jag.”
He turned and studied her closely, wondering where she was going with the conversation. She continued. “We just survived a plane crash. Kody has no clue where his dad is or what’s happened to him, and we have no idea where we are. All these uncertainties . . .” She rubbed her forehead. “What I’m trying to say is, I think there is a need here for us to stick together more than ever.”
Jag’s eyes narrowed as he began to read into her intention. “Go on,” he said cautiously.
She turned now to look at him. “I think it’s time that one of us steps up to lead the group.”
Jag crossed his arms. “We’ve never needed a leader, Tegan. We’ve been able to speak for ourselves and hold out on our own well enough.”
Tegan noted his defensive posture and altered her tone. “Yeah, we can all speak for ourselves, but now it’s time for us to speak in one voice. We need someone to keep this group together. I know we’ve never had someone really lead us before, but you can’t deny that we’ve looked towards you when we needed direction.”
He held up a hand to stop her. “No. Don’t even go there. I’m not cut out for this. Besides, we’re friends. We’re equals.”
“Now don’t you give me that. Sounds like an excuse for not stepping up to the plate.” That earned her a sharp glare, but she pressed on. “We need you to take charge.”
Jag looked away as a lump g
rew in his throat. The last time he’d taken responsibility for a group was a year ago when he convinced a few friends from school to go rock climbing. His friends had been new to the activity and he’d promised that he would take care of them. He could still clearly remember what had happened and flinched inwardly. The images were vivid, and as much as he tried to erase them, they stubbornly remained. Recalling the event was a gut-wrenching guilt trip.
Tegan lightly nudged him. She wore a concerned expression and, upon realizing what he had been thinking about, softened. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for what happened to Roderick. It was an accident.”
“An accident because I made a mistake up on the mountain—a mistake that paralyzed him from the waist down. Cade almost decked out, too. If it hadn’t been for his safety harness . . . Roddy’s wheelchair-bound because of me, Teegs. His life hasn’t been the same since, and it never will be. And I’m responsible for that. I don’t think I want to be accountable for anything else.” His voice cracked, and he clamped his mouth shut.
She slid her arms around one of his. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for this. It was an accident. No one could have known that cam was defective.”
Jag shook his head, lowering his gaze. “I can’t take the responsibility of leading our group.” He ran his hands through his hair, digging his fingers into the back of his head. “You guys are my second family. I don’t trust myself to lead you. Why do you trust me?”
Tegan rested her head on his shoulder. “Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been the one leading us throughout the years we’ve been together. It’s only natural for you to take this up.”
He didn’t reply but rested his head against hers and they returned to their own thoughts. Tegan looked over at the others as they slept and cracked a small smile. The group rarely ever napped; they didn’t like wasting their day sleeping when there was the nighttime for that. Unbeknownst to them, the nights that were to follow would deprive them of more than a little sleep.