Talen

by Shay Savage

  “I agree.” I look from Will to Samuel. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

  “You aren’t our keeper, son,” Samuel says. “As much as you’ve always helped, you can’t stop all the bad things from happening.”

  “I should have been there to help.”

  “Let’s get somewhere safe,” Samuel says as he looks back down the trail. “I don’t like being out in the woods at night.”

  “You’re safe with me.” I place my hand on his shoulder. “We have a camp up the hill.”

  “We’d be grateful.”

  “We need to keep moving, Sam.” Will narrows his eyes at Samuel and then looks at me with suspicion.

  “It’s dark,” I say to the young man. “I realize you don’t know me, but Sam does. It’s better for you both to rest for the night and start again in the morning. Besides, we have food and water to share, and it’s safer to travel together.”

  Samuel agrees and pulls Will close to grumble into his ear. Reluctantly, Will nods, still glaring at me, and the two men join us at our campsite.

  “Sam, are there any other survivors?”

  “From what I’ve heard, yes, but just a few.”

  “Heard? Heard from who?”

  “Keller.” Samuel rolls his eyes. “With all the shit that comes out of his mouth—begging your pardon for the language—I don’t know if I can trust what he says, but we’re headed to the place he said survivors are gathering.”

  “What place?”

  “Up north, where the river snakes closest to the mountainside. It’s a bit of a jaunt, but that’s where people are going.”

  “Why so far?”

  “The Thaves are burning all the villages in the valley,” Samuel says. “Everywhere from Roundbottom to here, and they’re not going to stop. If Keller is to be believed, the group at the river is planning to head out west. Maybe if we go far enough, they’ll finally let us live in peace.”

  “West?”

  “Over the mountain to whatever is beyond.”

  “Talen.” Aerin grabs my hand and stares at me meaningfully.

  “I know.” I press my lips together and then look back to Samuel. “We need to meet up with them. West isn’t the answer.”

  “Well, he said there is a tribe of Naughts whose homes have burned. They’re gathering what they can and moving far enough away from the Thaves that they won’t bother with us anymore.”

  “How many are there?” I ask. “How many from Plastictown?”

  “I don’t know. Keller is the only one I saw, and he told me there were others but didn’t mention names. Not many, I gather. Keller said they were heading to meet up with others. I told him not to wait for me. I’d just slow him down. Told Will to go with him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  “I’m not about to leave you on your own,” Will says. “You’d never make it.”

  “Humph!” Samuel’s eyes crinkle at the edges as he frowns and leans back against the ground, trying to get comfortable. “I’ve been around a long time without your help, boy.”

  Samuel is obviously exhausted and closes his eyes as soon as he lies back on the ground. Will sits and glowers at me for a few minutes before doing the same.

  When they have settled down, I lie down with Aerin in my arms, grateful for her warmth.

  “Are we going with them?” Aerin asks.

  “Of course we are.” I turn my head to hers and kiss her temple. “Samuel is hurt. I can’t let him make that trek alone.”

  “He’s not alone,” Aerin says quietly. “Will is with him, and Will clearly doesn’t want us around.”

  “He’s just being cautious. I would be, too, if I were in his position.”

  “Maybe we should be cautious, too,” she whispers in my ear.

  “Always.” I place my ear right up against hers and speak as quietly as I can. “I don’t know Will, so I don’t trust him, but I’m going to make sure Samuel gets to safety.”

  Aerin nods. I relax against her, silently grateful to have a clear, attainable purpose. Helping Samuel lifts my burden, and I close my eyes with a long sigh.

  Tomorrow, I hope to find answers.

  Chapter 20

  As soon as day breaks, we head north, following the directions Samuel received from Keller. With Samuel’s injury, I estimate it will take a good day and a half to reach the others.

  “Are you sure the directions are right?” Aerin asks me.

  “I’ve never found Keller to be a reliable source of information,” I say, “but we don’t have anything else to go on.”

  “This could lead us nowhere.”

  “It might.” I think about it for a moment. “I don’t think so, though. Keller is a nut, but he doesn’t tend to come right out and lie. If he said north, he at least believes it himself.”

  “What if someone from Hilltop fed him false information?”

  “Keller would never listen to someone from Hilltop, and he’s pretty good at spotting an outsider.”

  “Even if his information is right,” Aerin says, “we can’t let them head out west. They won’t find anywhere to live there.”

  “I know. I’ve been thinking about that. We’re going to have to tell them.”

  “Now?” Arein glances over her shoulder at Samuel and Will trailing behind us.

  “Not until we find the others.”

  We continue on, going as fast as Samuel’s leg will allow. We have to stop frequently, but after nearly two days of walking, we reach the bend in the river.

  “They should be near here somewhere,” Samuel says.

  “See that line of trees up on the hillside?” Aerin says, pointing. “That would be a safe place to gather.”

  “They might have stayed closer to the river, too.” I point farther north. “It looks like the river is shallow there and a good source of water. Camping just out of sight behind those rocks makes sense.”

  “It’s getting late. We’re going to lose light soon. I’ll check the trees; you head for the rocks, and I’ll meet you there if I don’t find anything.”

  “Sounds good. Trekking up the hill isn’t going to be easy, so I’ll keep Samuel and Will with me.”

  Aerin nods quickly and runs off up the hill while I take the other two and move closer to the river.

  “I need to rest a minute,” Samuel says. He uses his walking stick for balance as he lowers himself onto a large rock by the river. “You two go ahead. Come back and tell me what ya find.”

  “Yell if you need me,” I say. “We won’t be far.”

  Will follows as I make my way around the river bend and through a stand of reeds. Some of the reeds have been recently cropped at the base, and I crouch down to get a better look. The ends are sharp, not rough like they would be if eaten by an animal.

  “I think they might be close,” I say.

  “How can you tell?”

  “The reeds have been recently cut with a knife. Someone is nearby; that’s for sure.”

  As we reach the shallow part of the river, I see a few footprints in the mud and show them to Will.

  “What if it’s the Thaves?” Will asks. “We have no way of knowing who is out here.”

  He is obviously still wary of me, and I don’t blame him. In an attempt to put his mind at ease, I place my hand on his shoulder and smile at him.

  “If Keller’s information was correct, this is where they should be. There aren’t any settlements occupied by Thaves in this area, and if we do run across anyone else, I’ll take care of it. It will be all right, Will.”

  He nods once, then suddenly narrows his eyes and tilts his head, studying my closely.

  “Have we met before?” he asks. “You look kinda familiar.”

  “Don’t think so,” I say, “but I did travel a lot before I settled in Plastictown. I’ve been to Roundbottom a few times. Maybe you saw me there.”

  “Hmm. Maybe.” He doesn’t seem convinced.

  I study his features for a moment but don’t see anything f
amiliar about him. He’s an ordinary looking guy. I realize he’s younger than I thought initially—he’s tall for his age—and is probably no more than fifteen or sixteen.

  He continues to study me as I start following the footprints up the pebbled shore and then toward the rocks.

  “Stop right there!” a voice shouts from the rocks. “Don’t take another step!”

  I freeze, but out of shock, not fear. I recognize the voice immediately, and I look up to see Milo’s head popping out from behind a tree with a large rock in his hand.

  “Milo!” I call out as my voice cracks. “Milo, it’s me!”

  He leans out a bit more, and I see his eyes go wide.

  “Talen? Oh my God, is that really you?”

  “Yes!” I rush up the hill with Will close behind me.

  “It’s Talen!” Milo yells over his shoulder before turning back and throwing his arms around me. “We all thought you were dead!”

  “I thought you all were, too,” I reply, pulling him close.

  “Jonny didn’t make it,” he says quietly. “He dragged me away from the flames and then went back in for others.”

  “I know. I buried him. I thought I buried you, too.”

  Before I can ask the terrifying question on my mind, Luther, the game hunter, joins us. A moment later, I hear Aerin approaching at a slow jog. She stops at my side.

  “Looks like you found them,” she says. “You picked the right place.”

  I nod at her and then introduce her to Milo and Luther.

  “Go back and get Samuel,” I say to Will. “Help him up the hill.”

  Will nods and rushes off.

  “I’ll get the others,” Milo says before he quickly disappears behind an outcropping of rocks.

  “Who else is here?” I ask Luther.

  “Not many,” he says with a shake of his head. “The north side of town went up too fast. I was on a hunting trip, and I only came out of the woods when I saw the flames. Just a few from the south side were close enough to the river to jump in. We found them when we climbed to shore.”

  “Who?” I ask softly, my chest tightening as I speak.

  “Milo, as you already know. The lumberjack hauled him out of the flames before he went back for the weaver and her son. She works on the north side of town, just a few shops down from Samuel. Not sure what she was doing in the southern market.”

  “Layshell?”

  “That could be her name.”

  “It’s her brother, not her son.”

  “Not sure.” Luther shrugs and looks over his shoulder as his eyes lose focus.

  He’s never been much of a talker, and I realize he’s said more to me in the last minute than he ever has before.

  “Anyone”—I stop to clear my throat—“anyone else?”

  “Keller is here though I’m not sure how he got out.”

  I hear footsteps, and Milo emerges from behind the rocks with more former residents of Plastictown. My throat tightens as I recognize each of their faces. Each one takes my hand briefly, many of them with tears in their eyes.

  Then, without ceremony, she’s standing in front of me.

  My heart stops and my knees buckle. I nearly fall, but Aerin grabs onto my arm.

  “Talen, are you all right?” she asks.

  “Ava,” I whisper.

  I regain my footing and pull away from Aerin to move toward Ava. She takes a step forward as tears stream down her face. Wordlessly, she reaches out and grabs hold of me.

  “Ava!” I wrap my arms around her and hold her close. “Jesus, Ava! I thought…”

  “I know,” she says through choked sobs. “You were gone so long, I thought you were dead, too.”

  “You’re alive!” I bury my face in her shoulder, smelling the familiar scent of her silky blonde hair. “You’re alive!”

  “Layshell is, too. She and her brother are here.”

  “You’re alive.” I can’t seem to stop repeating myself as my heart finally starts beating again. “You got out.”

  “Jonny saved us,” she says. “He got Milo and Layshell’s brother out, then came back for me and Layshell. He went back for others, but he…he never came back out again.”

  “I found his…his body,” I say. “He was near your tent. I knew he’d still be watching over you, and when I found him with two other bodies, I thought it had to be you and Milo. I even buried you, you bitch.”

  Ava laughs and pulls away. She places her hands on my face and leans in to briefly press her lips to mine.

  “You are going to have to tell me where the hell you went,” she says. “You’ve never been gone that long before.”

  I see the hurt in her eyes, and wish I knew how to take it away, but I’m overwhelmed with the relief of finding her alive when I hadn’t even dared to hope it was possible.

  “It’s a long story,” I finally say.

  “Later, then.” Ava relaxes her shoulders and gives me a glorious smile. She shakes her head slightly before looking behind me. “Who’s that?”

  I turn to see Aerin standing stoically behind me with her eyes cast to the ground.

  “Aerin!” I reach out for her, and she glances up. “Aerin, this is Ava. She’s alive!”

  “I see that.” Aerin takes a step closer and offers Ava a tight-lipped smile.

  “We’ve been doing a little exploring together,” I say to Ava with a wide grin. “It’s part of that long story.”

  “So I see.” Ava raises an eyebrow but says nothing else.

  As Will and Samuel reach us, Milo rushes down to help them up the hillside, and we all retreat behind the rocks. Nestled among some scraggly vines and bushes is a deep depression in the mountainside. Though it’s not quite a cave, it offers some shelter to the people inside. I see Keller tending a small fire near the entrance, assisted by Brian, the butcher who recently moved to town. Samuel and Will sit beside him while Layshell and her young brother take their places on the other side. Ava leads me to a spot close to Layshell, and I sit as Aerin continues to stand and examine the surroundings.

  The fire warms the area, and the open front of the depression allows most of the smoke to exit before it gets too thick. The crackling wood has a much more pleasant smell than burning plastic but still serves as a reminder of what happened, putting everyone in a somber mood.

  Including Aerin and myself, fourteen survivors sit around the small fire in the center of the group. In turn, they each tell their own story of how they survived the fire and shed tears over those who did not escape. Other than Luther and those rescued by Jonny, everyone else was close to the river when it started.

  “We figure if we just keep going west long enough, we’ll eventually be out of the reach of the Thaves,” Milo says. “We can’t go east or south without running into more Thaves, so west it is.”