A Quick Sun Rises

by Thomas Rath

  “Of course,” Pan offered, “no one would expect either of you to go after all you have been through. There is always next year.”

  “Right,” Taq said in support, “and the Kinpa will be early with the sun to visit with you both. A good night’s rest is probably what you need most right now.”

  Dor stole a glance at Tam but was unable to determine her thoughts as she had half buried her face against her mother’s arm. He knew they were all waiting for an answer but he wasn’t quite sure what to say. If he seemed eager to go without Tam leading out he was afraid she might think he was hoping another would choose him. Although, should he decline, Tam might think him not interested in her choosing him. Both were just barely of age so no one would think twice if neither entered but that didn’t matter to him. Why wasn’t Tam responding? He could feel the sweat forming on his forehead as the time seemed to tick away into a gulf of silence. But Tam still remained like a mountain face, treacherous and immovable. Suddenly the thought came to him that maybe, now that they were home, she was no longer interested in him. Maybe their relationship had been built on the excitement and fear of the moment and now that that had passed she had other ideas. The sweat was now starting to roll down his face and his heart felt like it was stuck in an avalanche of rock.

  His mother noticed his reaction turning a concerned look in his direction. “Are you well, son?” she asked.

  Almost on top of her, Tam suddenly sat up and said, “Yes, I want to go.”

  Dor almost fell over. Waving his mother off who had risen to catch him, a bundle of worry for the boy she had thought dead only hours before, he let out a heavy sigh of relief only able to nod his head to the original question and to his mother. “I’ll go too,” he finally squeaked.

  * * *

  Passing silently in a wide arc around the village, Thane marked the patrols that had been set should the trolls make a raid. He could tell by their careless manor that there hadn’t been the normal raids in quite some time. He smiled sardonically to himself knowing all too well why that was. None had even the slightest notion that he had been close, although he hadn’t gotten too near their immediate vicinity to discover each individual person.

  Darting through the forests he felt a moment of peace as he ran. Though his mind was set on what needed to be accomplished, it was invigorating to once again take in the smells and feelings of his forest home. He’d not realized how much he had missed it until he’d returned. Seeing something to his left, he abruptly stopped, his breathing controlled though his heart suddenly quickened its pace. Frozen in place, as if becoming one of the towering trees surrounding him, a tear unexpectedly trailed down his cheek. A flood of emotions crashed over him making him feel woozy as he sorted through the mixture of anger, loneliness, love, shame and a hundred other feelings that marked his life growing up in the hut now facing him in the dark. He chastised himself for not thinking of coming here the first thing after their return. Besides the obvious urgency in their mission, there really was only one person he wanted to see—his mother.

  He found himself taking a step forward as if he would merely walk up to the door and walk in but with great effort forced himself to hold fast. Those days were long past since his father had sent him from the hut. His mind battled over the possibility that his mother might be in there this very instant and how easy it would be to just sneak in to see her, to hold her close one last time and let her know that he was alive. He took another step forward but stopped when a loud cry from the direction of the council fire broke through the night air. He looked past the hut in the direction of the noise and blinked. Of course, she would be there as well. A feeling of complete isolation quickly took hold of him and the one tear turned into many.

  Running quickly through the trees, he dared not looked back at the home that had housed so much love yet a tremendous amount of pain. He would come back, he told himself. He would see his mother before he left, no matter what the sacrifice or cost. His tears were making it difficult to see and more than once he almost threw himself into the trunk of a tree. Finally he slowed, whipping his eyes and forcing away the feelings that continued to beat him mercilessly.

  A shadow in the dark caught his attention and for a brief moment he felt his hand reaching for one of the two swords that were strapped securely to his back. Taking in his immediate surroundings he quickly realized that he had returned to where he’d begun and that the shadow was Jne, poorly hidden behind some brush. He chirped the sound of a cricket as he approached having made the mistake once before of coming up on her in silence and almost taking her blade into his chest for it. He could see her head snap around a blade instantly pulled from its hiding place somewhere on her body. Knowing she lacked the night vision he possessed, he whispered to her as he drew near so she would know it was him and avoid the problems that might arise should she forget his signal.

  Returning her blade to its hiding pace, he could see her visibly relax as he closed the final distance between them. Though he knew she could not see as well in the dark, she surprised him when she almost instantly asked, “Are you well?”

  He shrugged off the question. “Just strange to be back, I guess.” When she didn’t respond he found himself blurting out, “How long must you remain jinghar?”

  She gave him a puzzled look that quickly dissolved into the stone face she always wore when there was something unpleasant that had to be done. A long moment passed into uncomfortable silence and he was beginning to think that she would just not answer when finally her eyes took on a challenging fire as if steeling herself for what might occur next. “My debt to you was paid that day I saved your life from the orc.”

  Thane was incredulous. “But then why…?” He let his question tale off without being voiced. She had stayed with him all this time acting as if she were still beholden to him but for what purpose? Suddenly the answer was so obvious that he felt the fool for not having seen it before. The moment came back when she’d seemed a different person when the birds had first come and she’d seemed emotionally naked before him. The day she’d promised him a svaj and Jack had made such a huge deal about it. All the other tiny moments and smiles she’d given him without the slightest return on his part. She loved him. He suspected it for some time but had been afraid to believe it or broach the subject lest she become angry and deny what he suddenly realized was something that he’d been hoping for deep within. He wanted to reach out with his senses to confirm what he already knew was true but understood that to do so would be a gross breach of decency and trust.

  She eyed him closely but could not make out his facial features in the dark to see what he felt inside. Part of her was grateful for that darkness so Thane would not see the embarrassment and pain splayed across her own face. She wanted to say more but felt there was no reason now. He would either both accept her explanation and allow her to stay or send her away to her ultimate shame.

  As if on its own volition, Thane’s hand suddenly reached out and took hers into his own. It was warm and calloused baring the marks of one who lived by the sword. Jne soaked it in, a thrill she’d never experienced before racing through her body as she allowed herself to be swept away by a cascade of new emotions and feelings. She opened her mouth to speak, her hand tightening its grip on his when suddenly he broke contact. She gasped from the pain of lost touch but her ache was quickly extinguished by his words.

  “Someone approaches.”

  Jne immediately reached for her sword but Thane’s hand shot out and caught it, an amazing feat in and of itself. Leaning close to her ear he whispered. “Stay right here.” Her immediate reaction was one of disdain at being told what she should do as if she were a mere damsel needing the protection of a man. But she surprised herself when she remained still and didn’t argue. And though the feeling of his breath and the closeness of his lips had suddenly made her feel dizzy, she trusted him with her life.

  Thane rushed away without the slightest rustle as he navigated the forest floor in com
plete silence. She watched him, her face still flushed as he suddenly ducked behind a tree and disappeared. Whether he was just beyond on the other side or rushing headlong into the night, she could not tell. Remaining still so as not to give away her position, she strained to see or hear any sign of an intruder. Long minutes passed without so much as a whisper against the night when suddenly, the passing of a shadowed figure caught her eye as it moved cat-like toward her position not too far distant from where Thane had left the area. She instantly felt exposed, knowing all too well that should it be one of Thane’s people, she would be easily spotted in mere moments. Still, she remained frozen, knowing that to move now would certainly give away her position. No, the closer her opponent got, the worse it would be for him and the better chance she would have at dispatching him before the alarm could be called.

  The form drew nearer and then abruptly halted. Jne knew she’d been marked but still had the discipline to keep still on the off chance that something else had grabbed the intruder’s attention. She strained to see who or what it was but the shape was still too far off for her to make out. Where was Thane? Then, with the fluidity of water, it moved, reaching for something at its back that it then pointed toward her. All she heard was the slight twang of a bowstring as its arrow was released towards her.

  * * *

  Dor moved slowly with the rhythm of the dance and the other young men positioned on either side of him. The circle surrounding the fire was not large as the number of eligible male participants was never more than just a few. Since Chufa women did not reproduce very quickly, the whole Chufa nation had struggled to increase its numbers since almost being completely wiped out over a thousand years before. Luckily, their life cycle was extended as compared to other groups but the regular raids on their village from the trolls in the mountains had offset any progression in population increases.

  Still uncertain of Tam’s intentions, he’d joined the dance just in case she decided to make their budding relationship more permanent and official. At the same time, he feared she might misinterpret his actions as trying to force her into something for which she wasn’t ready or even worse, a desire to find someone else. The sweat was dripping off his chin now more from the anxiety of the moment than the heat of the flames. He kept a keen eye locked on the crowd as he slowly made his turns around the fire as he tried to catch even a quick glimpse of Tam. He’d been at it with the others for close to an hour now and still had not seen her even once. What if she had changed her mind? There was no shame in being left not chosen during the FasiUm, especially at his relatively young age, but though he wasn’t certain himself that he wanted to make such a commitment at this point in his life, he still felt a little unsure about what Tam wanted or if she really even had the same intensity of feelings for him that he’d developed for her.

  A cheer went up from the crowd as one of the older boys in the group had been chosen by a girl who had just come of age. Though he seemed a bit surprised at who had taken his hand, he seemed pleased with the match and did not let go. As the dance made one more turn around the fire ring, the couple broke away to the congratulatory words and back slaps of friends and relatives. It would now be left to the parents to determine the price to be paid by the boy’s parents as an endowment to the couple and to the girl’s family.

  Dor’s heart leaped briefly when he thought he’d caught sight of Tam but then thudded like a fallen rock when it turned out to be someone else. Another cheer broke from the noisy crowd as yet another match was made and agreed upon. Dor was suddenly feeling somewhat foolish and thought of leaving the dance all together. He was still young after all, as his parents had reminded him. More importantly, he didn’t know what was going to happen in their lives or if they would even be back the following spring to complete the ceremony. Maybe he had rushed into this a little too quickly. His face fell. Tam must think me a fool, he thought as another of his companions was chosen to the exultation of the crowd. Just he and one other remained. He loved Tam, he knew that and the fact that she had not chosen him this year did not change his feelings for her in the least. It was just too soon, he could see that now.

  Completing one more circuit around the fire he finally decided to drop out. Nodding to the other dancer, he turned on his heel and had taken one step toward the crowd when an immediate hush fell over the gathering. His eyes widened slightly at the sight before him, his mind racing, when a hand suddenly slipped into his and a soft voice spoke into his ear. “And where do you think you are getting off to?”

  * * *

  Jne dropped to the ground feeling the arrow pass over her shoulder knowing it would have embedded itself straight through her heart had she remained erect. Rolling to the side, she pulled a dagger and made ready her attack when suddenly another shadow sprang out the tree next to the intruder and wrestled it to the ground. Not waiting to see who the winner might be, she rushed to the spot where the bodies continued to grapple and find Thane with his dagger suddenly pressed hard against the attacker’s neck.

  “Stop fighting,” he said, “or I’ll slit your throat.” The shadowy form suddenly went limp all resistance ended. Thane turned quickly to Jne and whispered, “J’enst!”

  She hesitated at his command for her to hide. Her natural reaction was one of anger but the inflection in his voice seemed almost as if he were pleading with her.

  “J’enst,” he repeated, adding, “J’omane’bak’silfaj.”

  Immediately, she slipped back behind the tree where he had been hiding and then moved as quietly as she could away and then behind another trunk.

  “Who are you?” the person under Thane demanded. “What is that language you speak?”

  “I ask the questions,” he hissed, pressing the blade a little harder against his opponent’s neck.

  “I am DaxSagn,” the person said, his voice strong and without the slightest hint of fear.

  Thane’s grip suddenly went slack. “Dax?”

  Another roar could be heard from the village revelers as Dax got to his knees and then turned toward Thane. There was a moment of anger at seeing that he’d been attacked by one of his own people but that instantly turned to shock when he saw who it was. “By the Mother’s blood and all that lives, I don’t believe it. Thane?”

  Thane smiled and nodded.

  “But how?” Dax asked, his surprise still not abated. “We thought you dead.”

  Thane’s eyes narrowed. “Yes,” he breathed, “I am certain that some would have hoped that true. But I have not the time to explain about that right now.”

  “Wait,” Dax raised his hand for silence. Looking back to where Jne had been, he could see that the body he thought should have been there in a heap of death had disappeared. “Where is it?” Turning back to Thane, he asked, “Did you see it?”

  “See what?” he asked, knowing by where Dax had looked, exactly who he was talking about. “I saw nothing.”

  “But it was there,” Dax insisted, pointing his finger to Jne’s ill gotten hiding place. “I shot it.”

  That’s why you have that crack on your head, he thought. Whether by his attack on Dax or Jne’s quick reaction, or both, he didn’t know how the arrow had missed but he knew that Jne was lucky to still be alive. “I saw nothing,” he lied. “But, as I said, we have no time for this. I must have a favor of you or all might be lost.”

  Dax touched his head where Thane had initially hit him, the grimace on his face confirming a solid connection from the hilt of Thane’s dagger. Still searching the place with his night vision, Dax was not so easily convinced that he’d not seen something. “What is this you speak of? There have not been any troll attacks since…” he paused, “well, actually, since you’ve been gone.” Now his attention was fully back on Thane. “Isn’t that strange,” he commented, though Thane could not tell if he was being accusatory or simply stating an anomaly.

  “Listen,” Thane insisted, his knife unconsciously rising with his voice. “I told you. I don’t have time for this. I
need a favor of you and how you answer may determine the lives of all Chufa and more.”

  “What are you blabbering about, boy?” Dax hissed angrily, his eyes flashing at being threatening by his dagger once more.

  “I need your arrow,” Thane blurted out. It was not how he and his friends had planned it, but since they were together and he’d been discovered, he saw no need for pleasant manipulations.

  “My arrow?” Dax asked incredulously. He knew which arrow Thane meant without asking. There was no other arrow he had that Thane, or any other Chufa for that matter, couldn’t just as easily make on their own. Thane was after the arrow that could penetrate steel. “Well, if that’s all your after,” he said, “then the answer is, no.”

  Thane sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I can’t explain right now. All I can tell you is that if I don’t get that arrow, we will all certainly perish.”

  Dax regarded him for a long moment. Though hated by most, he always thought highly of Thane and his abilities. Never had he known him to be negligent in his duties or to speak anything but the truth. But this was too much. To simply show up after so long and ask for the Chufa’s most prized possession without the slightest explanation was just too far beyond sensible.

  “Please,” Thane pled, his need fused in his voice and posturing.

  Dax sighed, shaking his head. “I can’t. Not without more information as to why and what threatens us. But I will consider it after I hear the whole story and receive the consent of the council.”