by Al K. Line
"Well, there's no chance of any others coming back any time soon now, you will have scared them all off, so let's make our way back and cook shall we?"
Woof.
"Good girl." Arcene reached out and patted the sitting Leel, her shoulder feeling exhausted as she lifted her arm to almost her own head height to pat her companion lovingly. "Oh, have a drink first, otherwise we'll be back again soon as you know what you're like."
While Leel lapped at the water, clearly thirsty, Arcene took a look at the corpse of the mother. It wasn't a pretty sight, it never was, but this was the way of things, nature doing what it had always done. It was very fresh but Arcene wouldn't touch the remaining meat, it could be tainted as she didn't know what the large female had died of, and never would.
Finally Leel finished, so they headed back to camp the way they had come, moving from the comfort of the little mossy clearing into the cover of the forest once more.
Hands Off
"Oi, leave it alone." Leel kept trying to grab the boar, unable to contain herself now she knew it was almost time to eat. She acted like she felt justified in devouring it right now as she had caught it. "C'mon, you know we share. I've caught plenty of food and haven't tried to eat it all before you had any." Arcene felt a little guilty for her blatant lie, as she had tried to do exactly that on many occasions, but Leel's keen senses always outwitted her secret eating attempts.
With a final sad look at the prize in Arcene's left hand, Leel gave in and moved on ahead, following trails, nose to the ground, tail wagging like a demented snake.
She's a good dog really, just hungry. Always hungry.
Yip, yip, yip.
What's she up to now?
Arcene sped to a gentle jog, trying to keep quiet yet not wanting to lose Leel or whatever it was she was after. It was definitely her chasing sound, no doubt about it. There, over to the right, deeper into the woods rather than heading back to camp. She hoped this wouldn't take long — Arcene was worried about the fire going out and being unable to cook. By now the temperature was dropping and the shade of the forest was getting a little too cold for comfort.
With long easy strides, Arcene picked up speed and moved further into the darkness.
"You daft dog, you could have got lost. Why are you barking at a tree? Squirrels is it? I've told you before they don't taste that great, well, like chicken, sort of, but it's not worth the trouble. You never catch them anyway."
Leel wagged in expectation, leaning back on her legs, belly almost on the ground, barking at the base of the trunk. The sound echoed back at them with a weird distortion.
"Let's go Leel, I'm hungry. Aren't you?"
Leel just yipped at the tree again. It must be serious for it to be more important than eating freshly cooked meat.
"Go away, leave me alone."
Yip, yip, yip.
Arcene got on all fours and from the lower vantage point realized that there was a large hollow in the old tree. The earth looked like it was excavated but maybe not by Leel as she had first thought. "Hello? Is someone in there?"
"Well, duh. You wouldn't be hearing me unless I was. Go away and take that beast with you."
With a rock backward Arcene squatted, frowning at the rude voice, before peering into the hidey-hole. "That's not very polite you know?"
"So? Don't care, go away."
Arcene stood and ordered Leel to move away and sit. She wasn't too happy about it but did as she was told, ears twitching, pulling her sad face. "Good girl," whispered Arcene into Leel's ear. "You stay here a minute while I see what's going on."
Walking back over to the dark hole Arcene got onto her belly and said, "Hello, it's safe now. You can come out." There was no answer. "Hello?"
A head popped up, two wide eyes shining bright against the gloom. "He won't eat me will he?" asked the young boy. At least it sounded like a boy but the long hair, muddy and plastered to his face, made it a little hard to tell from his hiding place.
"It's a she, her name is Leel, and no, she won't eat you. I don't think so anyway." No, Leel wouldn't eat a person, would she? Of course not, she's a good girl. Arcene turned and looked at her friend, smiling at the stupid dopey look on her face, ears twitching like she was under attack from a swarm of flies. Definitely not, but she is looking at the boar. Arcene pulled their evening meal closer and turned back to the pair of eyes. "And you, are you a boy?"
"Of course I'm a boy, what else could I be?"
"Well, you could be a girl," offered Arcene helpfully.
"I've never been a girl. You're one."
"I know."
"Oh."
Reaching out a hand, Arcene said, "Do you want to come out?"
"Not really, I don't want to be eaten."
"Don't be silly. I told you, Leel's a big old softy. She won't eat you."
"I don't mean the dog, but she is very big and she chased me, I mean..." The boy cried, tears glinting in the small patch of sunlight angled into the hollow between the oak tree's roots, streaks of pink flesh now visible beneath the dirty cheeks.
Arcene got a bad feeling, a very bad feeling indeed.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm here now. Me and Leel."
"It was horrible, I don't want to go back. You're not going to make me, are you?"
"Go back where? What's happened to you?" All Arcene got in reply was more crying, so reached in a little more and said, "Here, grab my hand, let's get you out of there. I promise, we won't hurt you."
"If you're sure? Okay." A small hand reached up and took Arcene's. It was definitely the hand of a child, and it was very dirty. Not just dirt from being in the hole, but ground-in dirt, the way she used to be when all alone and too young to be concerned about washing or being presentable.
"Here we go, out you come." Arcene pulled the boy from his hiding place, grabbing his other hand once it appeared out of the hole, her shoulders weak from the escapade at the moat. The boy wasn't very heavy though, certainly no Leel, so she pulled him out easily enough.
Once he was out, he stood and backed up to the tree, frightened and unsure of himself.
"Where are your parents? What are you doing here?" The boy just stared at her, switching from her face to the sword he could see poking over Arcene's shoulder. He cast a worried glance at Leel, then spotted the boar on the ground next to Arcene. She picked it up and said, "Are you hungry?" The boy nodded a mute reply.
"Leel, come here please, and be good." Leel walked over, quiet now she knew it was a person and not something to chase down. She sat next to Arcene obediently and lifted a paw up in the air toward the boy. "See, she's a good girl. She likes you. You gonna shake, then you can be friends."
"Really?" said the boy, hope in his eyes. He wiped his face with a filthy green shirt then tentatively reached out to Leel, having to raise his hand to reach the massive paw. He touched it nervously and when he found his hand wasn't bitten off he wrapped small fingers partially around the paw and shook it ever so slightly.
"Say hello, Leel," instructed Arcene.
Woof.
The boy jumped back in shock, but Arcene said, "It's okay, she's just saying hello."
"Oh, okay." He suddenly brightened and focused on the boar again.
"Well, it looks like we'll have company for our supper. You want to come and eat with us?" The boy nodded, eyes glued to the boar like he hadn't eaten in days. "Okay then, what's your name? I'm Arcene, did I say that already?"
"Yes. I'm Beamer."
"Beamer, that's a nice name."
"My dad said it was because I was smiling when I was born, and um, because of what happened after, he thought it would be good to have a happy name. To take away the sadness."
"He sounds like a clever man. Where is he?"
"I don't know," said Beamer, tears falling again. "I don't know where I am, where he is. We were in the city, but now I'm lost. Do you know where we are?"
"Well, I know you're here, and I know where the city is, so maybe I can help?"
&nb
sp; Beamer brightened at the reassurance. "Really? Oh, but what about...?" He started to sob again.
"Leel, up," ordered Arcene. She moved over to Beamer and whispered in his ear, "How about you have a ride on Leel back to our camp and I'll make you something to eat. Okay?"
Beamer cupped his hand to Arcene's ear and whispered, "Okay."
Arcene nodded and said, "Right, here we go then," and before he could change his mind, or cry, she picked him up and swung him high so he straddled Leel. "Now, hold on to her collar, but don't grab her ears, she doesn't like it. Leel, you be a good girl and no running off, you have an important job to do now. Let's go."
Leel stood a little more erect, held her head higher, proud and dignified now she had an important role to play, and as Arcene retrieved the boar and moved off she took her place on Arcene's left.
They headed back to their camp where hopefully the fire was nice and hot and there would be plenty of coals waiting to cook the meat.
The Silent Type
As Beamer rode on Leel at Arcene's side, she snatched glances at the boy when he wasn't looking. He was a raggedy thing, clothes ingrained with dirt, clearly unwashed for some time. The cuffs of his shirt were threadbare and he had a habit of pushing them up his scrawny arms before they fell back down a few minutes later.
He had a pair of faded gray cotton trousers on, good boots if in need of a very vigorous polish, and appeared terrified of just about everything.
Arcene tried to ask a few questions, but as soon as she did he went from smiling at the fun of the ride on Leel to casting his eyes about nervously, avoiding looking at Arcene and saying little. Something terrible had happened, that was clear, but at least he trusted Arcene enough to not run away as soon as possible. Whatever had happened was certainly worse than any misgivings he might have about a girl with a sword and riding a dog that stood taller than him.
What struck Arcene the most about the boy were his eyes. They were the darkest she had ever seen, close to black with the slightest hint of pale brown flecks that shone with an odd intensity, as if they were smiling yet deadly serious at the same time. It was a strange combination and somewhat disconcerting, but they were beautiful, large and an open window into his emotions.
He was also extremely dark, tanned a deep hazel as if he'd been spending the summer just lazing around — which obviously wasn't the case at all. His hair was as black as his eyes, but again there were streaks of light brown that caught the sun, shining bright, even through the dirt and the grease — he really needed a wash.
All of a sudden Arcene felt old, the freedom that lifted her spirits replaced by responsibility and the need to be the adult once more. This boy seemed about her son's age, maybe a little older, and it reminded her how precious he was to her: more precious than anything else in the world. How was he doing? Was he eating enough, brushing his teeth and combing his hair as silver as his mother's? She hoped so.
The carefree euphoria vanished, replaced by a sense of duty: she would have to find out what had happened and return the boy home. He said he was from the city, so that was something. It was where she'd been heading anyway before getting sidetracked by the stupid castle. It was connected to what had happened to Beamer she was sure of it, but his safety came first, and that meant getting him home — alive.
The camp was as they'd left it, clothes and blankets dry from the sun, objects scattered around the fire, just as dry, the leather backpack itself still looking somewhat patchy, dark spots where it hadn't quite dried out.
What was most welcome was the sight of the fire — strong flames burned bright now that the large logs Arcene had arranged with care had caught and were burning well. It probably hadn't even been that long they'd been away for, a few hours if that. Arcene's belly rumbled as she put the boar down by the fire; before she had a chance to say anything Leel sat down unexpectedly.
"Hey. Whoa!" Beamer tumbled off Leel backward, hitting the ground with a thud. Leel didn't even seem to notice, there were more important things to occupy her now: supper.
"Are you okay?" asked Arcene as she grabbed him and stood him upright.
"Um, I think so. Knocked my noggin a bit though."
"Noggin?"
"My head," said Beamer, as if explaining to a child.
"Oh, right. Never heard that before."
"Is that because you're a girl? Do you speak differently?"
"No, at least I don't think so. It's just different people use different words, depends where you come from."
"Where do you come from?"
Arcene had to think about that for a while. "Well, lots of places I guess, but now I live at The Commorancy."
"Wow! Really?" Beamer's eyes were saucer-big, his curiosity getting the better of his nerves and fright.
"Yes, it's pretty cool. Very cool." Should I tell him I have a son? Probably not, it will just make him ask too many questions. Arcene saw his eyes dart to the boar; he licked his lips. Her belly rumbled at the reminder. Leel whimpered, eyes still locked on the meal-to-be. "You ready to eat?" Beamer nodded. "Wanna help?"
"If I can, but I don't know what to do."
"No problem, I'll show you."
"Okay," said Beamer warily.
Where has he been living? How come he doesn't know about this stuff? Arcene decided the best possible thing to do was not ask questions. The boy wasn't ready to talk, maybe keeping him occupied would change that?
"Right, first we have to spread out the coals and move the big logs out the way so we don't burn the meat while it's cooking. I'll do that, but we need some long sticks with a V on the end, and a strong one to act as the spit to put the meat on. Can you find them?"
"Sure." Beamer skipped off to hunt around for wood, while Arcene made the fire ready for the meat.
In a few minutes she was ready, and Beamer returned with suitable wood for the next task. "Good job, you've done this before, I can tell."
"Nope," said Beamer with pride. "First time."
"Oh." What has he been doing? He said he has a dad, hasn't he taught him? "Oi, Leel." Leel backed away, head bowed, caught in the act of stick thievery. "Now, what's next? Ah, the boar. You like boar?"
Beamer nodded vigorously. "I had it once, it was yummy. But we never got to eat much like that, mostly vegetables and maybe eggs usually. Not many animals in the city. Some, but not like here."
"Right, well that sucks. We always eat meat, don't we Leel?"
Woof.
It was hard to believe Beamer's knowledge of such basic stuff was non-existent. Maybe he was younger than he seemed? "How old are you Beamer?"
"Nine," he said with pride. "I'm nine."
"And you live in the city where all the big old buildings are?" He nodded, acting evasive, back to being mute. "Okay, let's get this meat ready then."
With the correct amount of patience, Arcene instructed him on how to put the two uprights in place, ready to take the spit, then had him pour water slowly over it, explaining the purpose. He did everything with deep concentration, frowning as he performed each task.
Arcene busied herself with the knife, taking off feet, emptying the viscera. Beamer finished his chores and turned to see Arcene with hands bloodied. Leel stood beside her licking her lips, the innards devoured in one quick gulp.
"Ugh, what are you doing?" Beamer stood from his squatting position and jumped back like Arcene was performing a despicable act.
"What? What's wrong? I'm getting it ready."
"Like that? Is that what it looks like inside?" He craned his neck forward, fascinated yet repulsed.
"Um, yeah. You never seen it?" He shook his head in reply.
"Maybe you ought to turn around for a while then. Oh, actually, can you go over there," Arcene pointed to a spot a little away from the camp, "and dig a hole, not very deep. Use a stick or something." Beamer seemed more than happy to comply and dashed off.
No wonder he's so skinny. How can you grow up to be nine without knowing this? Arcene focused, skinned the
boar with easy moves, skewered it and set it to roast above the embers but away from the logs still burning on the other side of the fire pit.
Leel returned from a quick visit to see what Beamer was doing, then sat watching the meat sizzling. With a yelp she jumped up and pawed at her nose. "I told you before not to to sit so close, the fat spits at you Leel. Stupid dog. Make yourself useful, go put the feet in the hole." Leel did as instructed, sending Beamer running back to Arcene, looking rather worried.
"She just ate a foot. Ugh."
Arcene turned and caught Leel about to eat another one. "Leel! In the hole." She dropped them in reluctantly then came back, subdued for a second, until she found a stick to play with and bounded away.
"You want to turn the spit for me?" Beamer was nonplussed, so Arcene demonstrated the slow turning needed to ensure the meat cooked evenly. He really was a strange one, how had he survived and who had taken him from his home? He must have grown up in odd isolation to be so clueless about the basics of food and preparation.
"Good?" asked Arcene, ripping into the meat eagerly, wiping juice from her chin with soot-stained fingers. Her manners had been discarded the moment she stepped foot in the wilds, reverting to her more animistic ways. She was loving it.
"Mm, mm. Really good," said Beamer, still smiling, face stuffed with meat.
Oops, should have made him wash his hands. Must think of him like my own child.
It was hard for Arcene: being away from Lucien. She missed saying the name, a name she'd chosen to reflect her French ancestry. Just as her name meant silver, so Lucien meant bright, or light, his hair as pale as his mother's. She knew she was a less than perfect mother, knew she wasn't as grown up as she should be, but her brain wasn't wired to develop that way. Still, parental responsibility was a joy if truth be told, and she must remember to act the right way for Beamer. Maybe a little anyway. Life was for living, for having fun, but there was also a much darker side to Arcene — you crossed her at your peril.