‘Oi! You lot! Does this pile of boar flesh in here belong to you?’
I look towards the riverman who is guiding us. He nods at me, giving us permission to make the short detour.
We walk towards the man’s roundhouse and step around the sleeping dogs. One of them raises an eyebrow and then goes back to sleep. They must be quite tame.
‘Borvet is my name,’ the man says. ‘I’m the beast keeper. Come on inside.’
‘Thanks,’ I say, as we enter his roundhouse. ‘I’m Helix and this is Saleeka and Ug.’ I see a round lump on the floor in front of a fire. It’s covered by a blanket and is snoring loudly. ‘Is that Porgo?’ I say.
‘Yes, that’s the swamp boar. I’ve cleaned her wounds and stitched them closed. She lost a lot of blood so will need to rest. But she ate a large bowl of oats – my oats – without being asked, so she looks to be on the mend.’
‘Thank you for helping her, Borvet,’ I say.
‘Pleased to be of service,’ he says, with a wink.
‘Beast keeper?’ says Saleeka, as if she’s been pondering something. ‘Does that mean you …’
Borvet helps her out. ‘I look after the animals that work for us – the hunting dogs you passed outside and the beasts that toil in the fields.’
Saleeka is still looking confused. Ug doesn’t quite get it either.
I try to explain their confusion to Borvet. ‘It’s just that we don’t have a beast keeper where we come from. Lots of beast eaters,’ I say, with a laugh (I don’t think he finds this funny), ‘but no one whose job it is to look after animals.’
‘Interesting,’ says Borvet.
‘We’d better get going,’ I say, not wanting to wake Porgo.
Borvet sees us off with a happy salute.
We continue our walk through the village. A group of girls approaches us. There’s one in the middle, who the others are whispering to. As we get closer, I recognise her. She’s the one who shot arrows at me – and deliberately missed.
As we near the group, all the girls laugh except for the arrow shooter, who lowers her eyelids and looks down at the ground. But just as I pass her she looks up and, I’m pretty sure, smiles at me. It’s not a big smile, just a faint bend-of-the-mouth type of smile. The kind of smile that says, ‘Although you look like someone’s been stealing your dinner for the past twelve years, there’s something about you that I like.’
I smile back, but it’s more your goofy big-mouthed-toothy-grin smile, the smile of a gushing cave idiot. I wish I could take it back, but it’s too late. She’s gone.
Our riverman guide shows us into what must be Steevor’s roundhouse. Steevor is sitting with his back to us, whispering to an old man seated at the back, whose face is mostly covered by a hood. Steckman is sitting opposite them, on the other side of the fire.
Steevor’s roundhouse is not that much bigger than the others, but inside, its walls are heavily decorated. Some objects are hung, while others sit on shelves built into the mud walls. I notice some crude bone carvings that look a little out of place and remember back to the writings on Herb’s tablet. Could these carvings be Herb, Crev and Vedgar’s offerings to the river people?
After a moment, Steevor turns away from the old man and looks towards us. ‘Sit,’ he says, gesturing to the skins in front of his fire.
We sit. Steckman is on one side of me, while Ug and Saleeka are on the other. The skins are soft and thick. Unlike the guest skins in Korg and Speel’s cave, these ones appear to be new and clean. In fact, the guest skins seem to be of a much higher quality than the ones Steevor sits on.
Steevor looks at the three of us. ‘Welcome to Fenswell, land of the river,’ he says.
Fenswell … So the lowlands have a name.
Steevor’s eyes now focus in on me. ‘Helix, great-grandson of Herb, welcome.’
‘Thank you,’ I say. But why does Steevor feel he needs to mention my great-grandfather Herb?
‘Ug, whose father is unwell and who likes a physical battle, welcome.’
Ug nods, keeping his eyes lowered. I think he’s a bit ashamed of the way he acted earlier.
‘And Saleeka – I can sense your strong will and loyalty to your friends. Welcome.’
‘Thank you, Steevor, your greatness,’ says Saleeka. I think she’s blushing.
‘First of all, you are lucky – lucky to be alive. There is no excuse for entering our lands uninvited, and Steckman should have known better.’
Steckman’s head is bowed.
Steevor turns his attention back to me. ‘What do you know of your great-grandfather, Helix?’
His question is direct and I feel as if my answer will be important to him. ‘Not that much really,’ I say. ‘He died before I was born. All I know is that he told stories about the river and its people, but that no one in Rockfall believed him. And I also know …’ I pause, thinking of the tablet that I read in the cave on the Dark Side.
‘What else, Helix?’ says Steevor.
‘There was this tablet that talked about him, Crev, who is now Korg, and Vedgar and how they went on these adventures as far as Land’s End … Except they found out that there was no Land’s End, which is kind of the point of the story, I guess.’
Ug has turned my way. He has a look of shock on his face, a look that says, ‘I cannot believe you have not told me about any of this!’
‘Is this the tablet?’ says Steevor. He holds up a stone that is the same shape and size as the one I found in the Dark Side.
‘Where –’
Steckman interrupts me. ‘If I may, Steevor. I removed the tablet from the cave before you woke, Helix. I knew it was not mine, but I also knew that what was contained on it was too … er … shall we say sensitive to be shown to certain folk in Rockfall.’
‘You were carrying the tablet in that heavy sack you had on your back,’ I say.
‘Yes, Helix. It’s been with me since I left the Dark Side.’
I turn back to Steevor. ‘Do you know of Herb?’
‘Herb? Yes, I know him.’ Steevor turns towards the old man who has been sitting at the back all this time.
The old man looks up for the first time and removes the hood that had been covering most of his face. There is something about him that is different – different from the river folk, that is. He doesn’t wear a neckpiece, has a long beard and light skin. Looking at him more closely now, I see that his nose is bigger and his eyes are brown, instead of the deep blue of the river people’s eyes.
‘Great-grandfather Herb?’ I say. ‘Is that you?’
‘Yes, it is I,’ he says, with a broken voice.
‘It can’t be. You’re meant to be …’
‘Dead. Yes. Well, I’m not quite there yet,’ he says.
This can’t be happening. ‘But how … Why … When …’
Steevor raises a hand. ‘Your questions will be answered, Helix,’ he says to me. Then to Ug: ‘Steckman has explained your father’s injuries to me. A poultice will need to be applied to his wound, though we fear that it may have been left too long for the medicine to work.’
‘Do you have the medicine now?’ says Ug.
‘I am sorry, Ug. It will be prepared overnight. The ingredients are being gathered from the farlands as we speak.’
I’m still staring at Herb, who is looking down again. It’s Herb, my great-grandfather, my own flesh and blood. It’s a perfect feeling, as if my insides are being tickled with meaning and wonder.
Steevor tells us to rest and to make ourselves at home while we wait for Ugthorn’s poultice to be made. We are to spend the night in the same roundhouse where we waited before, and there will be a meal in the evening that we are welcome to attend.
We leave Steevor’s roundhouse. Outside, I hang back at the entrance waiting for Herb to appear, hoping we can talk. He moves slowly out into the light, aware that I’m waiting for him.
Ug and Saleeka are standing beside me. Saleeka notices me waiting for Herb and says, ‘Come on, Ug. Let’s go and
explore.’
‘Where?’ he says.
‘I don’t know … Somewhere. Come on,’ she says, grabbing his arm and dragging him away.
I’m not sure what to say to Herb. There are so many things I want to ask him. Where do I start?
But Herb is the one to talk first. ‘Come with me, Helix. Let’s sit by the river.’
He leads the way and I follow. We move slowly – Herb has a limp and holds a tall walking stick in one hand. At one point, he asks me to wait as he leans on the stick and stops to get his breath, then we continue the short way to the river.
We arrive at a spot where the river bends. There is a scattering of small boulders. With the help of his stick, Herb lowers himself onto one of the rocks. I want to help him, but am worried that he will see this as a sign of pity.
The first thing he says is, ‘Tell me about your family, Helix.’
The words ‘your family’ seem strange coming from his mouth – after all, it is his family, too.
‘They’re well,’ I say. ‘Mum takes care of us. Dad is … well … Dad. And Sherwin, my older brother, is getting married soon.’
‘Lucky for Sherwin,’ says Herb.
‘Lucky for Sherwin, but not so lucky for Saleeka. She isn’t that keen on marrying Sherwin – or anyone else for that matter.’
Herb nods sympathetically. ‘Sounds like a difficult situation.’
‘Yes, it is.’
Herb’s wrinkles tighten as he blinks his eyes slowly, closing and then opening them. ‘And what of Korg – or Crev, as I used to know him? I hear he is still alive?’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘He’s still alive, though he’s getting old.’
‘I suspect so,’ says Herb. ‘We’re the same age – look at me … It seems like only yesterday that the three of us crossed the river.’
There’s a break in our conversation as Herb’s eyes lose focus and he drifts back into the memories of his life long ago. I give him a moment’s peace but end it by asking him something that’s been on my mind.
‘They all think you’re dead,’ I say. ‘Dad, Mum, Sherwin … everyone in Rockfall. Why did you let them think that?’
‘It was for the best,’ he says. ‘It got to a stage where everyone was sick of my stories and no one believed me.’
‘Was there a time when Rockfall was different?’
‘Oh yes,’ he says. ‘People from the mountain have always been a fearful lot but there was a time, when I was young, that they came to know and respect the river folk. There was free passage over the river, and even the exchange of goods and knowledge.’
‘Why did it change?’
He looks down and takes a deep breath. ‘Change always occurs for a reason, Helix. And there is always someone who benefits.’
‘It was the Storykeepers, wasn’t it?’
He nods. ‘It started with Geeldo and continued with his son Baleel, who was the father of your present-day Storykeeper, Speel. Geeldo could see that the river people held knowledge that was missing from the mountain. But instead of forging a path towards learning, he began to make up stories of how the river people lived in filth and despised mountain folk. All lies, as you know.’
‘He did it so that he could control the knowledge and gain power, didn’t he?’ I say.
Herb gazes hard into my eyes. ‘I’m impressed by your understanding, Helix.’
‘Thanks,’ I croak. I feel like I’ve just been rewarded for being who I am.
‘I am told you can read word signs, Helix,’ says Herb.
‘Yes. I don’t know how. I just can,’ I say.
‘When I was young, nearly everyone could read. That was one of the first things that Geeldo changed – he forbade reading, said it was only for a chosen few. Of course, this made it easier for him to create his own version of what was knowledge.’
‘That’s just how it is today with Speel,’ I say. ‘No one is allowed to read the tablets except for him, and I’m sure he changes the meaning to suit himself.’
‘Speel.’ Herb shakes his head. ‘He was just a child when I left. His father, Baleel, had taken over from Geeldo, and I could see that Baleel craved power just like his predecessor. It was then that I knew for sure that I could no longer live in Rockfall – nothing was going to change.’
‘Baleel made you leave?’
‘No. No one made me leave, Helix. I chose to leave. It was the hardest thing I ever did, leaving my family behind and letting them think I had died. Yes, it was my decision, and in some ways it was a selfish choice.’
‘I don’t think it was selfish, Herb,’ I say. ‘I think you made the right decision. Look where you ended up – this place is much better than the mountain.’
‘It’s not for me to say, but thank you, Helix,’ he says, his voice seeming even raspier than before.
‘One thing I don’t understand, though, is how I ended up finding your tablet when I stayed on the Dark Side.’
‘Oh, the tablet,’ says Herb. ‘I wrote that in better times – Rockfall’s golden age, as I like to think of it now. When I left Rockfall for good, the first place I went was the Dark Side. I’m not sure how it is now, but back then it was a wild land, full of angry folk who had been treated badly in Rockfall.’
‘In some ways, I don’t think it has changed much,’ I say. ‘There are some odd folk there, but most of them are quite friendly once you get to know them.’
‘I found them friendly after a time, too, Helix,’ he says. ‘Anyway, I lived on the Dark Side for about a year. The tablet you read was the only belonging I took with me from Rockfall. I decided that if I was going to take one thing with me, it would be something that reminded me of the special times, the times I shared with friends.’
‘But you forgot it,’ I say.
‘Forgot it or left it on purpose … I don’t know, Helix. Anyway, thanks to your thirst for knowledge, which led you to find the tablet, you’re here now.’
I think about what Herb is saying. It’s as if everything that’s ever happened in my short life has been leading me to finding Herb’s tablet in that cave on the Dark Side.
‘And then you decided to leave the Dark Side for the lowlands – I mean, for Fenswell,’ I say.
‘Yes, but even though that’s what I’d decided, it was a hard move to make. It had never been done before – someone from the mountain moving to Fenswell. Even today, I still feel like a bit of an outsider caught between two worlds.’
‘But you wouldn’t change anything, right?’ I say.
‘Oh no, not for all the skins on the mountain,’ he says, smiling at me through his beard. ‘I feel blessed to have lived such a rich life. My fondest memories are with the people of Fenswell.’
I’m happy for Herb. He has lived a life worth living.
We sit, watching the river flow and letting time pass. Herb asks more questions about our family. I tell him everything there is to know. I also mention my Arrival and he shakes his head in sympathy.
‘It is not only hunting and memorising stories that defines a caveman,’ Herb says, and he smiles at me so that the wrinkles in his cheeks come to life.
I nod. This means so much to me: it is comforting to know that Great-grandfather Herb, at least, understands how I feel.
‘I’ve got something to show you,’ I say.
I stand up and walk the few steps to the river, bend down, scoop some water in my hand and return.
‘What is it, Helix?’ he says.
I open my hand to reveal the glistening flint.
Herb reaches out and gently takes it from my palm.
‘Dad gave it to me when I set off for my Arrival yesterday. He said that it once belonged to you and it would bring me luck.’
‘It is strange how something so small can bring back so many memories – memories from when I was your age, Helix.’ He holds out his hand for me to take the flint back.
‘Keep it,’ I say. ‘It belongs to you. It’s done its job and helped bring us together. Now it can return to its ri
ghtful home, with you.’
Herb nods and closes his hand over the flint. His cloudy eyes swim with the river. After a while he says, ‘Help me up, will you, Helix.’
I help him to his feet.
‘I need my rest. I am not a young man anymore.’
‘Will you be at the meal tonight?’ I ask.
‘Of course,’ he replies. ‘It is one of the things I love about Fenswell and the river people – the sharing of food. And good food at that!’
He can see by the look on my face – and possibly by the stream of dribble about to slide down my chin – that I’m a fan of river-folk food as well.
I walk Herb to his roundhouse, which is on the edge of the settlement but still a part of it.
‘It was the most wonderful pleasure to meet you, Helix – more so than you could ever imagine,’ he says, and disappears through the entrance.
The crushing weight of the mountain has floated away. I’m certain that if I flapped my arms, I would fly up into the evening air and soar above the craggy mountain.
I find Ug and Saleeka sitting on a log, one of many that form a circle around the cooking fire.
Over the fire is a large pot. I can hear it gurgling away, as if it’s mumbling to itself. Although there is a lid on the pot, steam is still escaping. I take a few deliberate steps in its direction so that the vapours can reach my nostrils. As they enter my nose, the flavours settle in the back of my throat, just long enough for me to taste it in my mind’s stomach. For the first time ever, I am interested in food … In a good way, that is, as opposed to being hungry or dreading my next charcoaled snack.
I sit beside Saleeka. Ug is on the other side.
‘Did you speak with Herb?’ asks Saleeka.
‘Yes,’ I say.
Ug leans in front of Saleeka. ‘Saleeka told me about your great-grandfather and the tablet. You should have told me.’ He seems offended.
‘I would’ve, but you haven’t exactly been in the mood for talking lately.’
Ug stares ahead, his arms crossed, trying to look annoyed at me.
‘Listen, Ug,’ I say. ‘Next time I have world-shattering news about a long-lost relative, I’ll be sure to tell you before anyone else. Okay?’
Helix and the Arrival Page 14