by S. S. Segran
“Just as foretold in our ancient narratives,” Nageau said.
“Precisely!” Tayoka enthused. “Also, what are the chances of having these five youths brought to us from Cerraco by the Guardians themselves? It was not four, it was not six. It was exactly five, and they are not old—no, they are young, like saplings. Lastly, the odds of the shades mentioned in the prophecy matching their eyes… could all of that be mere coincidence?”
That quieted Ashack. He looked into the fire again and shook his head slowly. “I agree. There is too much here to be purely coincidental. But as I said earlier, it seems all too easy.”
“Maybe so,” Saiyu said. “But perhaps the miracle of the prophecy lies in its simplicity.”
“But there is much more to the prophecy, and we all know how the other verses foreshadow future events. I just hope that deciphering those verses will be as effortless as this was.”
“I hope so too, Ashack.” Nageau stroked his chin, eyes half-closed. “The prophecy . . . it does paint a disconcerting picture of the future.”
“My thoughts are with the five,” Tikina said quietly. “Will they—if indeed they are the ones—be able to stand together and carry the weight that we will place on their shoulders?”
Nageau looked unsettled. Ashack could see the growing grimness in him, and was almost certain that Nageau had traveled back to a time when he had been called upon to make one of his most difficult decisions as a leading Elder.
Tikina rested a hand on her mate’s arm, bringing him back to reality. Nageau started, but quickly cleared his throat and responded. “Events are unfolding out in the world that will require their combined force. We are called upon to train and prepare them.”
“But they are so young,” Saiyu murmured. “It seems unfair to expect so much out of them at such a tender age.”
“Well . . .” Tayoka shifted in his place, clearly uneasy. “If they are the ones, then we will do everything we can to guide them.”
“Moreover,” Nageau said quietly, “they will not be alone out there.”
* * *
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 groves, 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. Being the only one in the village apart from perhaps Tayoka who could leap such a distance, it was hard to not feel proud of himself.
Slowing to a walk, he checked to make sure no one had seen him, then followed the river downstream to the second bridge and crossed back to the south side of the village. Along the winding path surrounded by trees, four buildings rose into sight. The most striking was 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 wooden construction used as a storehouse, 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 stepped through the doors of the stable. Inside, a group of villagers about his age chatted while they attended to the horses. One of the boys, sporting a brown mohawk, saw him enter and nudged the others. As they all looked up at the newcomer, he called out, “How was your little sleuthing expedition, Hutar?”
Hutar leaned against a stall door, stretching. The horse inside, a young, frisky stallion with a shiny black coat, poked its head out. Hutar fed it some hay and the horse’s velvety lips tickled the palm of his hand. The girl who had been grooming the stallion paused her work to emerge from the stall. A couple of other youths did the same from where they were taking care of other horses. The rest of the group sat on bales of hay or stood around.
Hutar said nothing for a time, content to interact with the horse.
“Well?” the youth with the mohawk pressed. “What happened?
Hutar jabbed a finger at him. “You are an impatient one, Relsuc.” He took a breath to reign in his irritation, 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 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 other 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.
A girl who’d stepped out of a nearby stall wiped her brow. “Did they mention anything else?”
“Not that I caught. They will discuss more tomorrow, I assume.”
Silence draped over them. Hutar remained focused on stroking the forehead of the horse he’d fed. The young animal eyed him with a glint of mischief, then grabbed his arm in its mouth. Hutar grunted in surprise and freed himself.
“So what do we do, if anything?” Relsuc asked.
“We must assume the Elders are open to the idea of teaching the outsiders our ways,” Hutar said, “which means they will be entrusting them with the crystals.” He ran his tongue over his teeth slowly, trying to keep the disgust off his face. “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 youth. She placed one hand on her hip and held up two fingers. “One, while you do have a point, nowhere in the prophecy does it state that people from within 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 to the prophecy.”
“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 right with your 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 added 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 problem. How do we get close to them? I am
sure they are under some kind of order limiting their movement.”
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 flashed a 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, though . . .”
“Her brother is just as 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.”
Matikè 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 working on 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 them 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 entered their home, but his mate knew what was upsetting him. She brought him a hot drink 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 summers, 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 what was right 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 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 held her hand tightly even as she did his. Not another word was shared as they sat together, 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 onto Tegan’s shoulder. Tegan rested her head against Mariah’s 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. Tegan decided it was best to remain quiet for now. Mariah and Aari glanced at each other, shifting uncomfortably.
“Guys,” Mariah said. “We’re somewhere in northern Canada, in a forest, with the nearest town probably 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,” Kody said. “Why haven’t they found us yet?”
“It depends on how far from the crash site we are,” Aari 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 where the plane came down.”
“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 Akol said the valley’s name means? Dema-Ki, the ‘Hidden Valley’?”
“How long do these rescue 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 really paid attention to those things . . . 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 a wider area around the crash site. They may have also checked the towns nearby.”
Mariah lifted her head from Tegan’s shoulder and with exaggerated sarcasm said, “So, 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 a strange 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. “How would we 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. Plus, our phones are either busted or still at the crash site, probably all burnt. Not that it matters since there’s not gonna be any cell signal out here in Middle Earth anyway. 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 too much detail,” Kody grumbled.
“That’s the truth, and it’s no joke.”
“I know it’s no joke. And I’m not saying it’s gonna be a cakewalk, but I have a life and at the moment, it’s not in my ha
nds. I want it back in my hands. Who’s with me?”
The friends kept silent, not meeting his gaze, but Tegan 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.”
“It was a large meal,” Tegan pointed out, eager to be on a different subject.
The friends spoke quietly about other things until some of them slowly started to nod 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 many situations before, sure. But this is different, Jag.”
She could feel him studying her, 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 stepped 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.”