by T E Olivant
I was torn between her insulting our abilities and the fact that she believed us.
“You need to tell them,” Sam cried, his voice frantic. “You need to explain to Yohan…”
The woman shook her head. “They don’t want to hear it. The new Chief has no need to listen to an old woman. But perhaps I can help you.”
I felt the first flicker of hope.
“What can you do?” Sam asked.
The woman shrugged. “I’m not sure, some sort of distraction maybe. You see how the land lies?” She stretched her arms over to our right, where the snow dipped into a long valley down into a jagged field of black flints. “If I can get you one of our sleds then you can slip away quickly, then lose yourself in the stones.”
I looked at the ground doubtfully. Was the slope steep enough to take us away from the clan? And I didn’t like the look of the dark stones that jutted up from the snow like ragged teeth.
“Make yourselves ready.” The old woman said. She leant forward with a knife and before we had a chance to flinch she severed the ropes that bound us. I rubbed my hands to get the feeling back into them.
“Thank you.” I said, feeling it was inadequate.
“Do not thank me. I don’t like you, I don’t trust you and I don’t like what your people could mean for my people. I am only helping you because I will feel better when you are not in my camp.”
I swallowed, surprised by the edge of fear and disgust in her voice. “Well, we still owe you our thanks, whatever your motives.”
The woman shrugged and made to leave.
“You were his wife?” I asked quietly.
She turned back for a moment and almost smiled, but her face was too pained for that. “His mother.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
The Chief’s mother didn’t make us wait long for our moment. Less than an hour passed before there came a scream from the camp. Just a few seconds later we smelt the smoke. Fire! I heard Sam gasp beside me and we instinctively held hands as we watched. Underground, fire had been our greatest fear. There were extinguishers everywhere and even a hint of smoke would see whole areas shut down. We were told from childhood that a fire could wipe out every single human being in a matter of minutes. Out here the danger didn’t seem so great, but I could still see the dancing flames jump from tent to tent.
“Save the supplies!” Yohan’s voice went up, and I could see the great furred shapes running to move their provisions out of the path of the flames. I was so focussed on the streaks of red that shot into the dawn sky that I hardly saw the woman pulling the sledge until she was almost upon us.
“Quickly now,” she hissed as first Sam and then I jumped into the flimsy structure of bone and skin. The Chief’s wife gave a hard push and we were off, careening down the hill and away from the carnage behind us. I risked a glance back as we were swept along the snow and saw her running back to the camp, whether to help or to cause more damage I had no idea.
The sledge came to a halt a few feet short of the barren rocks and Sam pulled me to my feet. We ran as fast as possible feeling terribly exposed on the stark white snow. In moments we reached the rocks and ducked into the crevasses.
There were tiny corridors between the jagged stones and we slipped through them as silently as we could. Sam ran in front of me and I kept my eyes focussed on the back of his suit, not letting myself turn back to see if we were followed, even though I expected a clawed hand on my shoulder at any moment. The sharp rocks were often so narrow that we had to force ourselves through, scrambling over their rough surfaces. When Sam dropped to the ground exhausted in a small open space I fell down beside him and we lay there in silence listening for our enemies.
After a few minutes I began to relax a little. No doubt they would come after us soon, but it seemed like the fire was keeping them busy at least for the moment. I helped Sam to stand and we began walking again, this time at a steadier pace.
It wasn’t long before I realised we were in serious trouble. We had no packs this time, no water or food. And there was something worse. I looked down at my right arm. Where we had passed through the dark flints my suit had been rubbed and scratched. I could already see where it looked thinner and frayed, could begin to feel the first icy shoots of cold seeping through. Perhaps I was imagining it, but if the suits were compromised then we might only have a few hours left.
Kyrk will come for us. The thought came into my mind like a shaft of light. I could see him in my mind, his strong, broad chest and his serious brown eyes. He wouldn’t leave us out here alone, he would come and rescue us.
We passed through the flints and out into a tundra of mosses and mounds of snow. Sam hadn’t said a word, but as we trudged along he began to slow and fall behind. Each time I came back for him, took his arm and helped him along, but he was so out of breath he couldn’t even spare a word of thanks. I looked at his suit and saw it was even more damaged than mine. And then there were his eyes. They had a look in them that I didn’t like: one that said he had given up.
Another hour and we were both feeling the true cold of the White. My limbs were heavy and I didn’t like the blue colour under my fingernails. Sam’s face was pale and covered with a sheen of sweat. Yet still I knew we had to keep going.
I saw the figure ride out of the snow just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Atop a huge creature with massive bony arms that poked from its head – antlers, a deer, I thought numbly – our rescuer looked like an avenging angel, or some fierce creature from an old story book. I had almost given up hope, and I chided myself for the traitorous thought: of course he would come.
I dropped to my knees, but this time in relief rather than exhaustion. I could feel Angel Sam beside me, barely conscious but I tried to whisper to him that we had been found, that we were safe. I looked up as the noise of thundering hooves stopped by my side. I gasped.
“Expecting someone else?” said a girl with bright white fur and fierce blue eyes.
“My name is Felkyo,” the girl said. She jumped down from the beast in one quick agile movement, animal and athletic.
“I’m Felkyo.” She repeated. “I’m a friend of Kyrk’s.”
My face felt too numb to move, so I stopped myself from trying to ask what kind of friend, but I hadn’t liked the smug expression when she said his name.
I shook off the strange pricking of envy: there were much bigger things going on that who was friends with who: at least we had found a saviour.
“He can’t ride,” I managed to say through my chattering teeth.
Felkyo looked at Sam who was upright but swaying in the wind and nodded, her face grim. She reached into a pack that was tied around the creature and took out some ropes. With a sudden display of strength she yanked Sam onto the deer and deftly lashed him on, gesturing to me to climb up behind him.
I only just managed it, determined not to be so weak as to fall in front of the stranger. I had barely laced my hands into the ropes when the girl gave a shrill cry and we set off. I realised I hadn’t even asked her where she was taking us, but it didn’t matter. Anywhere was better than here.
The girl rode without stopping, and it was all I could do to cling on to the beast’s fur. Angel Sam beside me was deep in sleep – or at least, what I hoped was only sleep – and his head lolled forward, straining against the ropes that tethered him. I envied his blissful ignorance of the journey, but after a while I shut my eyes too. Not to sleep, only to block out the blurry, strange landscape that flew by ahead of us. Not for the first time I felt frightened by the expanse of White, and I wished I was like Kyrk, or like this strange girl, who seemed to take it for her own. When I thought how close we had come to death in a matter of hours, all my plans to live out here, away from my city, seemed like the dreams of an ignorant child.
By the time the girl slowed the beast to a stop, I had slipped into a state that was half sleeping, half awake. Being pressed into the warm fur had at least warmed and soothed my
body a little, and I felt more like myself when I swung my legs down from the creature and landed on the soft snow. Felkyo was already untying Sam, whose eyes fluttered open.
“Where?” He began to say, but I shook my head at him. Even though she had said she was Kyrk’s friend, I didn’t trust this stranger yet. We already knew that plenty of these people had a reason to hate us. Who knew how far the news of the Doctor Chief’s death had spread?
“Help me get him inside,” the girl said, and I supported Sam’s left side while she took the right. It slowly dawned on me that we were in another camp of some sort, but it was eerily quiet and I couldn’t see any people, only the large low tents that were almost the same colour as the snow. She led us to a large tent that was filled with furs that I gratefully wrapped around myself. Felkyo laid Sam down and I leaned over him anxiously.
“He’s just sleeping. He’ll be fine here in the warmth.” I nodded but brushed my fingers against his cold skin, feeling the heart beating underneath to be sure.
“Come with me,” the girl said, walking out of the tent without looking back to see if I was following. I sighed and got up - what choice did I have? Once we were outside she turned sharply and came within a few inches of me.
“What did Kyrk tell you about us?” The girl spoke the words like an accusation and I wished I knew what Kyrk would want me to tell her.
“Not much,” I replied truthfully, “just that he had joined the Seeker clan, and that he was trying to find out what happened to his parents.”
The girl said nothing, but crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“So, he didn’t tell you anything. Well, at least he’s got some sense.”
I felt my cheeks start to burn and turned away. Of course, she must know Kyrk much better than I did - I had only met him three days ago. But the pit of my stomach clenched when she talked about him like that.
“How did you find us?”
“Kyrk sent a signal. I rode out as soon as I saw it. When I got to the camp and found the fire, I searched for Kyrk and he told me to come and get you. Once I got to the rocks it was easy enough: even a Builder could have followed your tracks.”
“Where is Kyrk?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. The girl looked at me sharply.
“He’s gone to find out what happened to the dead Chief. You are my responsibility now.”
“Great,” I replied, the girl’s frown matching my own.
Chapter 14: Kyrk
The Doctor’s camp stank of smoke long after we put the fire out. We fought the fire for nearly two hours. At first, when I had stepped in to help I had met with angry cries, but when they saw my strong Hunter arms beating the flames with thick animal hides and piling snow around vulnerable tents, the Doctors understood that I was on their side.
We had worked together, women, men and children all moving as quickly as possible to combat the flames. It seemed like a fat store had gone up first, and it was here that the fire was fiercest. I felt like my blood was boiling as I shovelled the fresh snow in a circle around the fire. One thing my people are not built for is heat. The smoke was thick and dense and we had to be careful to keep upwind. It was amazing that no one was killed.
She came to me out of the smoke like a ghost.
“What on the White have you got yourself into Kyrk?”
Felkyo shook the snow from her fur and ran her claws through her tangled hair.
“What are you doing here?”
I had moved towards her in shock, wanting to embrace her but not sure if that was wise.
“I saw your signal. Swift sent me. Of course, if he’d known you were in the middle of a Doctor’s camp he might not have been so quick to send help. You’re lucky I’m the best Seeker there is or I’d have been spotted for sure. Now let’s get you out of here.”
I had tried to order my thoughts and not be distracted by her. “Thank you for coming, but it’s not me that needs help.” It was so hard to explain and there was so little time. “When I was trekking on the ice I found two people who were… well from another place. They are not like any of the clans. Anyway, I was taking them to Swift and we were grabbed by the Doctors. Their Chief was killed and they blamed the couple I found, but I don’t think it was them…”
Felkyo had looked at me, her eyes sharp. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“Find them. They can’t be far away. They have no fur, no protection. If we leave them out on the White they’ll die. Take them to Swift.”
With one quick nod she disappeared, leaving only a swirl of smoke behind her.
With Felkyo gone I went back to fighting the fire, and it seemed like we were finally winning. By the time the flames had died down to an occasional flicker I was exhausted and my fur stank of smoke. I had just staggered to a clean patch of snow to sit down when I felt a swift kick to the chest.
I grunted in pain and rolled across the snow to see my attacker. It was no surprise to see the burly figure of Yohan, but I was shocked to see the expression of hatred on his face.
“Clan traitor, you’ve gone too far this time. You’ll pay for this!” He came towards me again and I was so tired that I could only just deflect the blow that he aimed at my ribs. I knew I couldn’t fight him for long.
“You nearly burnt it all!”
“I had nothing to do with…” but he kicked out and swept my legs from under me. I landed on my back with the air whipped out of my lungs.
I managed to push up off the snow and stagger to my feet. By now Yohan and I were surrounded by a circle of Doctors.
“He can’t have set the fire: he was under guard at the time.” A tall man – Brand’s brother, I remembered – tried to hold Yohan back, but he shrugged him off.
“Then how do you explain the fact that our two little murderers have disappeared, Connoher?”
I spat blood onto the snow. My ears were ringing and my mind was so fuzzy from the beating and the smoke that I could barely focus on what he had said. Lisanne and Sam were gone? Felkyo must have got to them in time.
“You’ve made your point Yohan. But we need to do the swearing in ceremony or you will never be the new Chief. There have been enough delays already.” The old woman spoke gently to the angry young man and he finally stepped away from my bruised body.
“I’ll take care of this one,” Connoher said and pushed me forwards.
I thought through my options: fight or flee both held appeal, but either way would mean my probably death and Lisanne and Sam’s definite end. They had no one else in all of the White – they needed my protection, for what it was worth. I glared at Yohan. I wouldn’t forget this beating, and I silently vowed to get my own back some other time.
But for the moment I nodded and stumbled ahead of the dead Chief’s brother. The man – Connoher, Yohan had called him – led me into a tent and gestured to the floor. We were followed by two more Doctors and Connoher began to have an urgent whispered conversation with them. I took the opportunity to lie down and rest my battered body.
A moment later, Yohan stormed in after us.
“You should not speak with this traitor without me, uncle, who knows what else he is capable of.”
The old Chief’s brother turned on him with a short growl.
“Do you think I should be afraid of this boy? Should you show such fear, young would-be Chief?”
Yohan looked affronted. “Be careful, uncle, they are about to start the ceremony. I am your Chief now, and I fear nothing.” After a moment when I wondered if the two would fight, but Yohan merely bared his teeth then he backed out of the tent.
The older woman brought me a pitcher of water which I gulped down eagerly. Connoher watched without saying a word.
“Thank you,” I said, handing back the empty pitcher.
The woman nodded then turned away.
“And now,” Connoher said, looking directly at me, “you must convince us to spare your life.”
I looked at the Doctors more in frustration than fear.
“I cannot plead for my life when I don’t know what I’m supposed to have done.”
“Set the fires. Killed my brother. Brought those creatures into our camp then let them escape.” Connoher voice hissed at me.
I opened my palms. “I brought the two strangers here, that’s true. But all the rest… We never even meant to visit your camp. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Connoher exchanged a look with the woman.
“That is hard to believe,” she said. Who was she again? I couldn’t remember.
“It’s the truth.” I picked bits of soot out of my fur.
Connoher looked over at the other two Doctors who stood guard. “You can go. He won’t be any trouble.”
“But Yohan said…”
“Go help with the clean-up. Check on your families.”
The men gave grateful smiles and scurried out of the tent. When they left Connoher gave a huge sigh and sat down on a pile of furs. After a moment the woman did the same.
“You are definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Connoher said to me, a trace of a smile on his face. I had never seen someone look so tired, and I reminded myself that he must be grieving.
“I’m sorry about your brother.”
He looked up sharply. “You have no right to that sorrow, you didn’t know him. He could be damn difficult at times, but Brand was a good Chief. And a good brother.”
“Yohan is his son?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, for what that’s worth. And my grandson. And he will be elected the new Chief this evening, even if many of us have… misgivings.”
I didn’t know how to answer that, so I kept silent.
“Do you believe that those strange creatures killed my brother?” I could see the tension still in Connoher’s muscles.