“It is only I, Adera, your green friend from Joro.”
Adera’s heart had leapt up into her throat. Adera still clutched the rock and her fingers ached from holding it so tightly.
Poge gently pulled it from her grasp.
“You need to learn to protect yourself, mermaid.”
Adera nodded. Poge’s skills were impressive, but Adera couldn’t imagine being able to do any of what she did.
“Okay, I’ll teach you some basics, after we pack up and find a new camp.”
“Are we not sleeping here, under the stars in the night so clear?” Adera asked.
“No, they weren't injured badly enough. If they return, I’m afraid they’ll be rough.” Poge said with a faraway look. Something in her eyes told Adera she didn’t want to find out any more.
They packed in haste and, after Poge stomped out the fire, she lay a portion of meat in the dirt and covered their tracks. The meat, she told Adera, was to attract beasties to help cover their old camp in case the boys came back for them tonight. Poge walked fast through the night, only stopping occasionally to look at something then slightly shift their trail either to the left or right.
“We need to be moving much faster. A beast or two will be better,” Poge said.
“Where are such beasts to be found, they won’t be just lying around?” Adera asked.
10
THE FIGHTING GREW WORSE AS Sanee and the twins traveled along the edge of Karmir lands. Other people from the south were making their way north and setting up along the border. Sanee disguised himself as they travelled. It felt like such a betrayal of all he’d trained to be. If his family saw him now, they’d be shocked and ashamed. Things only got worse that afternoon.
The three of them were talking about what kinds of skills they possessed to survive in the north. Sanee wasn’t sure he had any skills other than what would be useful to him in Karmir. He was supposed to be the future chieftain of the hunters of Karmir. He didn’t know what he would do for food, shelter, or clothing in the north. His title had always been enough. Sanee's travel with the twins showed him how unprepared he'd been to leave his home. He wondered how he'd settle in another place and care for Adera with nothing but the clothes on his back?
“You get used to it,” Jiden said. “After a while, it's no big deal. We’re all a part of the same system.”
“Eating and drinking is a natural-born right, so we only do what we have to do,” Neke said.
“What about farming? You could learn to grow your own food. Earn your coins by hard work.” Sanee did his best to speak in their way.
“We’re not farmers,” Neke said and laughed. “Imagine us, growing food some place.” He punched Jiden in the arm and his brother punched back. Soon, the two were throwing punches and dodging them with huge smiles on their faces.
Sanee shook his head as they tumbled around like two yune cubs. He saw the tracks before the first arrow flew.
“To the trees.” Sanee pushed the boys apart.
They scrambled up the nearest trees to avoid the fighting below. They’d walked into the middle of another battle. The three sat in the trees for what seemed like hours before he heard Jiden and Neke using their wild animal calls to check on each other. Sanee still didn’t understand the patterns well enough to understand what they’d decided, so he slipped down from his own tree and waited. The fighting seemed to have stopped. He looked around. Maybe there was a way to avoid this particular road to the east and go around. He wondered about Adera. How could she have avoided all of this fighting? She might have been captured.
A howl to his left put Sanee in motion toward the sound, crouching and running until he reached Neke. Jiden got there at the same time. A Karmirian arrow stuck out of his brother's side.
“Help him,” Jiden said looking at Sanee. He had a hand on the arrow.
“No, don’t pull it out,” Sanee said. “It will only make it worse.”
“Can you walk?” Jiden asked Neke.
Neke’s face had gone even more white, in Sanee’s estimation.
“No, we shouldn’t move him yet.”
Without any hesitation, Sanee ripped open the boy’s shirt to expose the wound. The blood didn’t seem too dark, but he wasn’t sure. Once removed, the arrow would leave a gaping wound. He’d need something to help stop the bleeding. Neke moaned as Jiden spoke softly to his brother. Sanee foraged through the brush but didn’t find what he needed. He would need Jiden’s help since he was unfamiliar with the area.
“Find a tree with a large leaf, it will have a naturally rounded edge.”
Jiden hesitated, not wanting to leave his brother alone.
“We need to hurry,” Sanee said.
Jiden nodded and gave his brother’s hand another reassuring squeeze before he dashed off into the forest.
Sanee looked for the purple flower with the yellow center that turned white when made into a paste. It would stop the bleeding. He walked for a while before he found it. He gathered a fistful then ran back to the brothers.
Neke was in poor shape. His breathing was shallow, and he’d sweated through his collar. The color of his face had gone from its pale white to ashen. Jiden still hadn’t returned yet.
“I’m going to die. I need my brother.” Neke’s voice a whisper.
“You’re a young warrior. You will not pass on to another life. Your wound is clean through.” He pulled a small container of water from Neke’s pack and rubbed the petals of the flower in the palm of his own hand. The paste formed, and it was time to remove the arrow.
Jiden came roaring through the trees a moment later.
“This one?”
Sanee inspected the leaf. It was round on the edge with a long stem.
“Yes, he will also need a binding.”
Jiden thought for a moment.
“Let’s use the shirt he’s got on and he can wear my spare shirt.”
Sanee prepared the paste and spread some of it onto the leaves Jiden brought with him.
“The arrow didn’t pass all the way through. We will have to push it to the other side and then apply pressure. Do you understand?”
Jiden nodded with his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“It will hurt, but it won’t kill him.”
Sanee pulled out his knife and cut the end off of the arrow. He rolled Neke to one side so they would have easy access to his front and back.
“I’m going to push it through, you need to pull it out. Can you do that?”
Jiden’s face went ashen, almost matching his brother’s, but he nodded.
“When the arrow is through, we’ll put the leaves one on each side of the wound and tie it on with the shirt.” Sanee took a deep breath that Jiden imitated.
Then, just as he said, they got the arrow out and the leaves tied to his side within a minute. They let Neke rest again on his back and his color gradually returned to its normal tone. Jiden slumped next to his brother, and the two breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
Sanee looked down at his hands and realized something important. He had the skill to take care of Adera. Sanee was an experienced hunter. He knew how to perform basic medicine. They'd be okay living in the north on their own. He only needed to get to Adera before something horrible happened to her.
11
ADERA HATED THE SUN AS she trudged along and felt her legs giving way as she stumbled and tripped behind Poge. She missed the feel of the water and her legs grew stiffer each day that passed that she wasn’t able to swim.
“Do Karmirians make you unhappy? Why don’t you like them?” Adera asked, speaking slowly and trying to sound more like the land-dwellers. It wouldn’t do for a mermaid to be caught this far north.
“The Karmirians are hunters and fighters. It’s in their natures to be violent. My people the Joro are naturally curious. Our big eyes, we believe, stem from the desire to learn how other cultures behave. The Karmirians always seem to be in conflict.”
Adera shook her head.
&
nbsp; “What have I said now?”
“You rely on your sight but remain apart. You must learn to see people by using your heart.”
“It’s still a valid form of learning about different lands. I can’t just walk up to the Karmirian chieftain and demand an audience.”
“But what if you did? We wouldn’t have to live like this,” Adera said.
Poge paused a moment.
“I guess I never thought about it before.”
“The Tero and the Joro learned to work as one. Imagine the world if it weren’t just two but everyone.”
“In the meantime, we live in this world. You need to know how to defend yourself.” Poge dropped her satchel and put it aside to face Adera with her hands up.
“We can go, I don’t want to know.” Adera waved her hands in front of her. She had the distinct feeling she wasn’t going to like learning how to fight.
“No, this is important. You must learn how or you could be in danger when I’m not around.” Adera never considered that she and Poge would part ways. Of course, they wouldn’t be together forever. If she were honest, once she found Sanee she would have no need for Poge. How would they even maintain a friendship if Poge went away?
“Put your hands up just like me and move your feet like me,” Poge said as she held up two fists and spread her legs apart and circled Adera.
Adera tried, but she stumbled any time Poge changed direction.
“Stay in place and see if we can pick up the pace,” Poge said when Adera stumbled again.
“I’m sorry, I’m not a warrior.”
“No talking, just use your eyes and follow me.”
Soon, Adera was able to follow Poge’s every move. Then they went into attacks.
Poge showed Adera what to do if someone attacked from behind. If they approached from the front. How to maim them if someone grabbed her by the neck. Poge even pointed out a few places on most men that were more vulnerable to attack.
Adera had no idea that there was a way to move grown men to tears.
They were both panting when Poge held up a hand. Her eyes locked onto something behind Adera’s shoulder.
“What is it you see? I have to pee.”
“You won’t for long, there’s an obulong.”
Adera heard the growl of the beast. She shook her head. She didn’t know what an obulong was.
“Big, lots of teeth. Get ready to move your feet,” Poge said.
“What about my defense, will it not work on these beasts?
“Not in the least.” Poge kept her eyes locked on the beast ahead. With lightning speed, she clamped onto Adera’s arm. The two were off running at a mad dash into the woods with the beast snapping at their heels. Adera’s scream sent animals of flight to the sky.
Adera ignored the pain in her legs as she ran. When Poge leapt into the nearest tree, she kept running because she couldn't follow. She'd never even climbed a tree before. The squeal of a hit slowed her run, and she saw the beast running toward her. Not running, falling toward her, his wide mouth open and his teeth bared. Adera ran into a tree and the beast slid at her feet, its neck still holding the arrow.
Poge loosed two more shots and two beasts following the first one retreated with howls of pain. Poge jumped from the tree and ran after Adera.
Adera sat transfixed with the Obulong’s teeth ready to clamp down on her ankles. She trembled despite the sheen of sweat trickling down her neck.
“That’s enough defense for one day. Let’s go find our beasts.” She reached out and pulled Adera to her shaking feet.
“I’ve seen too many beasts for one day. I’d like a moment to thank the gods and pray.”
“Later. For now, we need a ride.”
* * *
Poge tried to leave Adera as she went to steal the beasts from a neighboring farm, but the mermaid couldn’t bear to be left alone.
Adera waited close by while Poge grabbed the beasts.
The tuskins didn’t protest and the people from the farm didn’t even notice Poge ushering them to the gate.
“Come on,” Poge said, pushing a beast toward Adera.
Adera had never been on the back of land beast before. She wasn’t sure what to do. The animal wasn’t resistant, just confused by her attempts to get on.
Poge jumped off her beast and hoisted Adera up before leading them away and back to the road. Adera heard the sad sigh of the tuskin she sat upon as they rode away.
“My beast he is sick. He will not make it to the next stick.”
“We have to keep going, we’re losing light and we don’t have anywhere to camp tonight.”
The beasts walked on and she lay her body down on the beast’s back and felt for what was wrong. When she lifted herself, Poge was looking at her in confusion.
“He doesn’t belong in this fold. He is not young, he's far too old.”
Adera patted the neck of her beast and sang him the song of death. He would at least have the mermaid’s song in his ear when he took his last breath.
* * *
Adera watched as Poge arranged the fire for them and prepared to cook some of the meat they’d carried and kept dry. She no longer felt safe sleeping outside under the stars as she once had. Without Sanee, she jumped at every sound. Poge was a great teacher, but Adera didn’t think her training would do her any good when the time came.
After running from what Poge called the obulong, it was as if there were sinister eyes in every tree. She feared they'd pounce as soon as she relaxed her guard. When she heard the snap of a twig in the woods, she let out a yelp.
“Calm yourself,” Poge said as she reached for her bow.
“Did you hear something to fear?” Adera asked.
Poge took aim into the woods to their left. Poge fired and a howl in the distance answered back.
A hand reaching out of the woods from behind Adera touched her shoulder. In a panic, she grabbed hold of the arm behind her. She stepped back into the embrace, as Poge had taught her but stumbled backwards. She rolled over the body then scrambled up, getting free before dashing into the dark woods, screaming the entire time.
12
JIDEN AND NEKE TOOK THE lead as they continued North, with Sanee bringing up the rear. The sky grew dark as they went. Neke’s arm had improved, but he'd lost mobility so he rode behind his brother. Sanee kept his staff at the ready and when he caught a whiff of change in the air, he whistled for the twins to stop.
“There is something amiss. I smell death.”
Jiden and Neke yielded to let Sanee pass in search of the source of the offensive odor. When he found the beast dead on the road, he whistled again and the twins joined him.
“What smelly mess is this?” Neke asked waving a hand in front of his nose.
“Horrible,” Jiden said.
Sanee jumped down to examine the beast left on the side of the road. Whoever had left him couldn’t move him but had placed wild flowers over the eyes and tied the limbs with vine.
“Is this the way of your people?” Sanee asked the twins.
They both shook their heads.
“Nor mine.” Sanee looked down at the tracks. "They travel on one beast now and they are moving slow. We should catch up to them before dark.”
“Who are they?”
“I do not know,” Sanee said, looking at the odd combination. “This is Tero land. Be ready.”
“With their large ears, they’ll hear us coming before we see any sign of them,” Jiden said, looking around in the trees.
“They are so green, they could be here now and we wouldn’t be able to see them. They’d blend right into the trees,” Neke said.
Sanee looked to the trees as they did.
“This doesn’t look like the work of Tero, however.” He left the rest unsaid.
* * *
They continued on with their weapons at their sides, following the tracks of the beast that carried two. Sanee smelled the smoke before he saw it. The sky had darkened by the time they spotted the
dim light of the fire in the distance ahead of them.
“Hunters?” Neke asked as he flinched then held on to his bandaged arm.
Sanee shook his head. Hunters would never be so careless. That didn’t mean they weren’t in danger. He climbed down from his beast and decided the best approach would be one on soft feet. The twins did the same. Sanee nodded for them to spread out on opposite sides of the camp.
Sanee was proud that the twins were almost as quiet as he when approaching the camp. When they reached the fire, to their surprise, they found it abandoned.
13
ADERA COULDN’T REMEMBER HOW LONG she ran. The tree root that reached up from the ground to trip her saved her life. Boys surrounded them. Adera heard male voices getting closer as she rubbed at her twisted ankle. She’d fallen underneath the large leaves of a short tree. The ones who’d attacked the camp were right behind her and she watched as they continued off into the woods looking for her. They didn’t use illumination, perhaps wanting to catch them off their guard.
Poge hadn’t seen them because they’d used the cover of darkness to hide their intent.
Adera felt her eyes mist as she realized now she’d left Poge at the campsite and didn't know in which direction she'd run.
One boy who’d been chasing her stopped to catch his breath. He stood less than three feet away from her, panting.
“She runs fast. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Come on, we’ve got the one. The other we can come back and get later if she survives the night. She’s won't get too far with only the clothes on her back. These woods full of the obulong. If they don’t get her, we will.”
His laughter retreated and Adera’s throat hitched in fear of dying by obulong. Instead of staying where she was and taking her chances with them, she crept along the ground, following the boys back the way they’d come. As she hoped, they lead her back to the camp. She waited far enough away to watch the camp where several boys gathered.
The First Kingdom Page 5