The Skotad began to laugh. He laughed so hard that Yara wished she had just killed him in the first place. She felt infuriated. Eventually, as he seemed satisfied to see how upset she was getting, he settled down.
“So…” he said smiling, “unmarked though you might be, you are a Photak then? You must be, if you also believe the lies they have been telling their people for generations…”
Yara’s mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. She realized she had been baited. Still, she couldn’t deny that there had indeed been lies… probably more than she even knew. She pressed her lips together, flew up, and knocked him out again.
That was enough for now… it was enough.
***
Toler opened his eyes slowly and peered through them. The pain in his head throbbed in pulsing waves. He winced. This Photak girl was a strong one… strong and impressive. He had never been taken by anyone before. Not even by the best warriors of the mountains. A part of him wanted to rationalize it. He wanted to believe it was because he had never seen anyone who looked like her before. An unmarked, blue-haired girl.
But… how does she know how to fight like that…?
His head pounded the more he thought about it. It didn’t make sense… not unless she was some kind of…
Photak weapon?!
If that were the case, then he knew his people were in grave danger.
Toler looked around for the Photak. She wasn’t there. He searched for any signs of where she could have gone. His eyes narrowed as he saw broken twigs heading away from the where he had last seen her. He cursed himself. He was stuck to a tree, and no one knew where he was. It could be days before another Skotad came this way, if at all…
The low-lying canopy was Toler’s secret hideout. He would go there whenever he needed time and space to clear his mind. The Photak girl had been the first person he had ever come across in this part of the Greens. It was known to be low in sustenance. He assumed that her presence there possibly meant that she too wanted to get away as much as he did. The question was,
What, or whom, is she running from?
He thought about what he did know. He knew based on her appearance that she was around his age. He knew that her being able to see so well meant she had been Light Blinded for some time. He also knew this based on how calm she seemed to be about the darkness. He knew that she was a very skilled warrior, despite his initial impression. He knew she didn’t like to be teased.
Toler smiled with a small chuckle at how aggravated she had become. As much as his head was killing him with pain, he thought her rage to be a little endearing. He had never met a girl who could knock out a warrior… twice!
“Well, you look pleased with yourself,” she called out as she walked towards him.
It was Toler’s turn to jump.
“I was assessing your many endearing qualities. I’ll add stealthy to the list,” Toler responded grinning.
He had to admit, he felt a bit relieved that she had come back. Being stuck to a tree indefinitely wasn’t how he had planned to spend the next few days.
She walked over to him and placed her pouch by his lips.
“Drink.”
He regarded the pouch suspiciously but then reminded himself that she could kill him at any time.
“In case this is deadly poison and therefore our last moments together, my name is Toler. I hope that name will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
She huffed and shoved the pouch closer. He placed his lips over the pouch’s opening and drank deeply. It was sapjuice. After he had his fill, he gazed at her. For once, a more serious look came to his face.
“Why are you helping me, Photak, and why haven’t you killed me yet? Isn’t that all you people know how to do? Plunge and plunder?”
She looked at him and gave a small, controlled smile.
“Well, I can’t have you die of thirst before I torture you for information,” she said with a sugary tone.
Toler laughed heartily even though a small part of him wondered if she was serious.
“You won’t be able to get that information if you keep knocking me out! Let’s make a deal. I’ll talk with you a little if you stop bashing me on the head… and also if you tell me your name, Photak.”
She seemed to consider whether it would make a difference if he knew her name. After a few seconds, she looked him in his eyes, tilting her head. Her next words left Toler completely baffled.
“I can’t make any promises regarding your head. But it’s Yara. And for the record, I never said that I was a Photak.”
Chapter Eleven
Yara had to admit to herself that there was something about Toler’s reaction that was… different. It enthralled her. Unlike the usual fear it struck in everyone else’s eyes, Toler’s burned with spirited curiosity. Even more than that, there was something that intrigued her about facing her new reality out loud. She wasn’t a Photak. She didn’t even know what she was. Somehow, for the first time in her life, she just felt…
Free…
Toler seemed to be deep in thought as he slowly trailed his eyes over her. He appeared to be probing for any hint that could clue him in on what she meant. She felt the corner of her lips tugging but resisted the urge to smile. She didn’t know why, but she enjoyed seeing him trying to resist her lure. She also enjoyed seeing him fail at it.
“Okay, not-a-Photak, you have my attention.”
“Mmmm… except, I have nothing more to say.”
Toler screwed his face a little. It was clear he was unaccustomed to being at such a disadvantage. Yara couldn’t blame him—she would hate it if she was in his shoes. She sighed, feeling a little guilty about his captivity.
“Look, Toler, its semi-clear to me that we aren’t trying to kill each other. So, it’s my turn to make a deal. You answer a few questions and tell me what you think you know about the Photaks… and I’ll set you free. We will both go our separate ways.”
Toler grinned widely.
“Photaks aren’t usually ready to hear the truth… but seeing as you’re not a Photak, perhaps you will be the exception, not-a-Photak.”
“You know, I did tell you my name…”
“Yes, but you also said you might not be a Photak… and I KNOW you aren’t a Skotad. Wouldn’t you be more focused on that if you were me?”
Yara huffed. She already found discourse with Toler to be exhausting. No one talked that much, or that cheekily, back in the village.
No one talked that much… to me…
It was a strange feeling that followed her realization. She couldn’t figure out why he didn’t seem more afraid of her.
Perhaps, he has seen scarier things…
Toler seemed to notice the shift in her mood. His voice softened.
“Yara… I really do have to ask… what… who are you?”
Yara twisted her head and considered him.
“I’m the one who’s asking the questions here. So… deal or no deal?”
“Hmm. Deal.”
***
For the next couple of hours, Yara sat facing Toler and listening to him. It hadn’t taken more than a couple of questions before he began chattering away on his own. He even seemed to forget that he was tied to a tree. At first, she felt cautious about his openness. After a while, though, her curiosity got the better of her. She settled in, and soon she got lost in his stories.
The narratives were similar to that of the Photaks, but Skotads, he claimed, were a peaceful and loving people. His account framed the Photaks as the antagonists. Their version of the history of the planet hadn’t been anything like what she had been told before.
“Our mutual ancestors, many millennia ago, never intended for our Tribes to be at war,” he had said, “but the Photaks were jealous of our relationship with our ancestors. Back then, when there were day and night, our ancestors would spend the nights teaching us their ways, and the days they would spend worshipping Sunstar and resting.
“The Photaks were
never exposed to these intimate teachings. They were envious. They felt it was unjust. When the planet was attacked, our ancestors were annihilated. But somehow the weapon used to damage Mira’s core, and kill them, was not able to kill the Photaks or the Skotads. We all survived… but Mira had stopped giving us day and night.
“The Photaks took advantage of the ever-present light and began to hunt and murder us. They wanted the knowledge of the ancestors and the language of the markings for themselves. We retreated to the mountains, where we have lived ever since. The Photaks began to teach every generation that followed that the Skotads were their enemy.”
“But how do you even know that any of this is true?” Yara had asked. “Perhaps, the Skotads also taught lies to their generations.”
“Because of the markings and what they say. We can read the markings. So, while your Elders kept the knowledge of the markings and their Truth away from your Tribe, our Elders insisted each Skotad generation be taught… just as our ancestors taught us.”
“You can read the markings?! Even the symbols on the trees?” Yara had balked.
“Yes,” Toler had replied proudly, “and I can teach you, if you want.”
As Toler continued his stories, Yara felt excited for the first time in her life. The more she listened, the more she learned about their beliefs and customs, their children, and their way of living. It seemed like a fairytale, so dissimilar to her village and her upbringing. The one thing that was very much alike, though, was Toler’s love for his parents and their love for him and each other. His father, like him, was a warrior, and his mother was a Tribe teacher. Toler seemed so proud when he spoke about them, especially about his father’s nobility and bravery.
“Once when my father had gone scouting in the Greens, maybe around a decade ago,” he continued, “he came across a Photak warrior and what looked like an Elder attacking one of their own from behind. A poor, defenseless food-gatherer. My father shot the warrior, and the Elder ran off. My father tried to revive her, but her wounds were severe… He knew she would die, but he still carried her close to where the warriors patrolled… as close to the edge of the Greens as he could risk. He was so broken about it… not just because he had been forced to kill but also because he felt like the Photaks were truly lost now… that despite living in the light, they would never see the light of their own ways…”
Yara felt her heartstar pounding so hard that she was sure Toler could hear it. She stared at him wide-eyed, mouth slightly open.
“Uh… are you okay? I’m sorry I can get a little carried away sharing—”
Yara jumped up and walked past him, disappearing from his sight. Pulling out her dagger, she swiped her hand down the vines at the back of the tree.
“You’re freeing me…?” Toler asked suspiciously as he loosened himself and rubbed the sore parts of his arms. “I talk too much, don’t I?”
“Yes, I’m freeing you. And, yes, you talk too much. But you held up your side of the deal. So, now we can both go our separate ways,” Yara stated stoically as she walked back to the low canopy and began to gather her things.
“But, where are you going to go…?”
“I’m hungry. And I’m done babysitting you.”
Toler let out an exaggerated gasp.
“But you did tie me to a tree… Babysitting me was only fair,” he replied smugly.
Yara rolled her eyes.
“Goodbye, Toler!” she called out as she began to walk away.
“Wait! I know a great place where food is abundant, not too far from here… but you won’t find it without me…”
Yara paused mid-step. She turned to face him, eyes narrowed.
“Or I could just tie you back to the tree and bash your head in until you tell me, Skotad!”
“Oh, so we’re back to Skotad and not-a-Photak again? Come onnnn… what do you have to lose? Plus, I can teach you what a few of the markings mean along the way…”
Yara’s stomach grumbled loudly in response, further enabling an annoying, hooting Toler. What she was savagely hungry for, however, was the knowledge of the markings. There was no winning against either one of her appetites. Yara’s shoulders dropped as she let out a heavy sigh.
This is such a bad idea…
***
Toler strolled alongside Yara and found himself staring at her as he did. She didn’t seem to notice it much. He could tell she was engrossed by all the sights and sounds of the Greens, and by her newfound knowledge.
Or perhaps, she is just accustomed to people staring at her… for her entire life…
Toler wanted to ask her about it, but he didn’t want to interrupt her childlike awe. He had been surprised at her almost immediate change in mood when he began to explain the markings around them.
“There it is again! That one!” she exclaimed with a smile, interrupting his thoughts.
She pointed her finger towards a large tree trunk. She had learned that the wooden pendant she had fashioned out of a Saptree’s markings when she was younger had been the symbol of Sunstar. It was two curves, with their lines crossing like an arced X, each curve perfectly mirrored. When he told her, she seemed to have an array of emotions before she smiled to herself. Her eyes had gleamed as she had reached up to touch her pendant. Toler didn’t know why but seeing her happy made him feel like she had never been happy before.
“Yara… where did you come from?”
Yara’s smile instantly vanished, and Toler felt a small surge of regret.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay. I know I can be very inquisitive. OH! We’re here!”
Yara’s pensive expression changed to relief as she surveyed the hidden bounty of Saptrees, and mushrooms of every kind, in a small pocket of the Greens. She ran to a Saptree and gently slit its trunk, pressing her mouth against it as she drank deeply. Toler laughed with amusement. He pulled out his hidden dagger. Yara eyed it closely, face still pressed into the soft trunk. He slivered into the trunk with swift, habitual precision, allowing a halved funnel to be drawn out from the tree.
“So, you don’t have to look as ridiculous as you do squashing your face like that…”
Yara glared at him. Then, she squished her face into the trunk even more. Toler laughed so heartily that Yara felt herself beginning to giggle. The giggle grew into a full-on laugh, and they both couldn’t stop for a full minute. Toler felt her laugh was the most delightful thing he had ever heard. By the time they had their fill of laughter, they settled into the mushroom patch and leisurely picked and ate.
Toler lay back, hands on his full stomach, and twisted his head to look at Yara.
“You aren’t used to laughing, are you?”
She looked at him with a pensive expression.
“There wasn’t much to laugh about in the village,” she replied softly.
“You stop smiling every time I ask you about your past. I know that Light Blindness can be tough at first, but it does get easier over time. I know a few Photaks who lead very normal, happy lives, but they told me the transition was hard when they first left the rays of Sunstar behind.”
“Light Blindness…?” Yara responded, brows furrowed.
“Yes… How long have you been able to see in the Shadows…?”
Yara stared at him and looked down.
“It’s been a while, I guess… But… wait, the Photaks told you this?!”
“Yes, a few of them live in the mountains too—”
“Live like Skotads?!”
“Yes… Yara,” Toler said with a touch of irritation, “where else do you expect them to live when they can’t withstand Sunstar’s light anymore?”
“I guess, I never really thought about it…”
“Yes, because all you’ve ever thought was that Skotads were evil, came from evil, and only did evil things, right? Just like your honest and upright Photak Elders taught you?”
Toler sat up. He didn’t know why, but he was on the edge of his patience. He didn’t like the way s
he seemed to despise the Skotads even after all he had told her. Yara balked at him, and a sad expression came over her face. He lay back down in frustration.
Then, finally, she spoke.
“I don’t know where I come from… or what I am…”
Toler slowly rose and rested back on his elbows.
“What do you mean… Who were your parents…?”
“I don’t know. No one does. My Tribe mother found me in the Greens as a baby.”
Toler’s eyes widened. Yara shifted uncomfortably at his stares and then gave him a half smile.
“They thought I was a Skotad weapon for quite some time… except for my loving parents, of course… and one or two others… As for everyone else, I’m not quite sure if they ever stopped thinking it…”
“What a compliment!” Toler joked, returning quickly to his jovial manner. It didn’t take much for him to center himself.
“Was it because of how you fight?”
Yara looked at him, surprised.
“Well, that’s a part of it, yes, but… do I really fight like a Skotad?”
Toler looked away while he tried to find the words to explain it.
“Well… not exactly. It’s different but still has the same foundational style… You’re actually quite impressive!”
Yara beamed.
Then, both she and Toler stiffened. Before she could say a word, an arrow cut through the air and plunged straight into Toler’s chest.
Chapter Twelve
“NO!”
Yara rushed to Toler’s side. He was unconscious, but the arrow was on the opposite side of his heartstar. She thanked Sunstar, and then felt her pores rising. She slashed out her daggers. She could hear the attacker running towards them, and she could feel the fire building within her. As he broke into the clearing, Yara spun into the air to deal her deathblow.
“YARA!”
She could feel her heartstar stop in her daggered descent towards—
Kristos?!
She barely managed to divert the cut of her blades as she landed facing him. His eyes were squeezed shut, almost as if he had been expecting to die. Slowly, he opened them and peered at her.
The Unmarked Girl (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 1) Page 8