by M L Adams
Luca rolled his eyes. ‘We were hardly chased. Maybe some of the animals were playing around too roughly… You know how those gorillas get sometimes; if you want a new crop field cleared you just have to entice them into a game of tag.’ His voice was casual, but Eden knew him too well to miss the note of uncertainty that coloured it.
She shot him a sceptical look. ‘Um, I don't think so, Luca — and neither do you, or you wouldn't have run.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘What? You can read minds now?’
‘No. Just faces.’
‘Riiight!’ he drawled, looking a little annoyed.
Too bad, she thought. She knew a lot more about him than just his characteristics.
‘So, why bring us here if you weren't worried? Why run?’ She crossed her arms over her chest. ‘I've lived here for many years — as have you,’ she reminded him, ‘and not once has anything like that ever happened. Never has the forest been so quiet.’ She rubbed at her arms to ward off the sudden chill. ‘It’s giving me goosebumps.’
After a moment, Luca nodded. ‘You're right. Something doesn’t feel… Something isn’t right…’
Eden let go of the breath she'd been holding. She felt better now knowing Luca had felt it too. ‘Maybe we should climb one of these trees to make sure everything’s okay?’
Luca nodded and stepped into the clearing.
Luca led them to the base of one of the taller trees. It’s roughened trunk offered much easier finger holds than the others. He glanced down at Eden, who seemed to be fussing over herself. A smile tugged at his lips. She was an image to behold, his Eden. Her hair had mostly come loose from its simple braid, stuck here and there with twigs and dead leaves, her pale dress would need a great deal of darning — if it could be salvaged at all — and it was clear her slippers were ruined. Never before had she looked so lovely to him. He had never seen her face so alive or her dark blue eyes so bright; she was almost fierce with vitality.
Luca looked at her feet once more and frowned. Her left slipper showed signs of fresh blood blooming from her toe within. ‘Maybe it's best you stay down here while I climb,’ he said.
Eden followed his gaze down to her foot and shrugged. Luca took it as an agreement and begun climbing. He was pleased with his choice of tree and found the task easy. Its thick, sturdy branches bore his weight with ease, and the coarse bark offered plenty of grip for his fingers. Luca reached for the next branch and swung himself up, looping one leg and then the other until he was seated on top of the limb. He must have climbed fifteen feet but was still only halfway up the tree.
Up here, the air was calm but still uncomfortably silent. The birds and insects had ceased their song, too afraid to be the first ones to break its hold. Luca had a clear view of Eden, who was sat below inspecting her toe again. He imagined he could hear her tutting over the ruined mess of it, and smiled — though he suspected Eden was more upset over the loss of her favourite pair of slippers than anything else. He vowed to himself that he would make her a new pair of slippers, even better than the last.
Luca resumed his climbing with renewed vigour, already visualising the silks he would use and how he would arch the sole, just so, for her added comfort. It didn't take him long before his head broke through the top of the canopy.
The sun fell fully upon his upturned face and warmed his back like a familiar embrace. Luca closed his eyes and drew in a breath as a cooling wind blew across his checks, drying the sheen of sweat. He opened his eyes and smiled. It was times like these when he could see the natural wonder of their home as he knew Eden did. From this height, he could see the world like never before. A horizon of green and blue stretched as far as his eyes could see. The only thing offering any interruption to the dense carpet of differentiating green was the river below. He watched it snake out to sea. His Father had always told him that this land was perfect. Maybe, in this instance, He was right after all.
The eerie silence was cut by a sharp buzzing near his ear. Luca whipped his head around, trying to find the owner of the sound, but saw nothing. He raised his hand to guard his eyes against the glare of the sun and squinted harder. A loud crack echoed not too far in the distance, moments before a great hole opened up in the carpet of green. Luca’s mind struggled to comprehend what was unfolding in front of him.
‘They’re coming!’ Squeaked a small voice to his left. Luca turned to see Triska; the dragonfly Eden had saved by the river, hovering by his ear. Her young voice was high and strained. ‘They’re coming! You must take Eden away from here. Quickly!’
Luca stared on as if trapped in a stupor, watching a pathway being ripped in the earth… It was heading straight for them. Now there were only seven trees between them and whatever was approaching.
‘Who are they?’ he shouted to Triska, but the whipping wind stole his words. The air thickened with a cacophony of pain, fear, shouts and splintering trees. Birds of every variety took flight, livening the sky with bursts of colour, as the branches they had once sheltered were ripped from beneath their feet. Luca stared blankly, rooted in the tree.
‘Quickly, Luca!’ Triska's blue body dove into the leaves.
Six trees.
‘Eden…’ Her name came out in a whisper at first, and then a shout. ‘EDEN!’
Luca half climbed, and half fell down the tree. Why did he have to pick such a damn tall tree? Strange sounds wrapped around him, trapped and amplified by the denseness of the forest. Hellish whoops clashed with shrieking brays as a troop of chimpanzees swung through the branches, followed by a stampede of zebra. Luca pressed on harder, faster! What the hell was going on? If Eden was calling for him… If she was hurt…! He couldn't bear to think of it.
Luca had to drop near a third of the way down the tree before he found an opening in the leaves large enough for him to survey his surroundings. What he saw nearly stole the very breath from his lungs. Mindless, colossal and terrible were the beasts that came for them. Fear gripped Luca like a fist, blurring his vision and nearly taking his legs from under him. He managed to catch himself moments before falling. He knew it wouldn't kill him, but the injuries would have hindered him too greatly for what he felt he must do next. Luca scrambled to stand upon the thick limb again, this time sinking his nails into the bark for added support. A herd of elephants, led by Old Mother, their matriarch, was stampeding straight towards them.
Four trees.
Without thinking, Luca began sliding down the trunk once more, catching on to passing branches to guide his descent. It was as if time had slowed around him, letting him see with crystal clarity. He spotted her just a few paces away, staring, as if transfixed, straight towards the direction of the oncoming herd. He cried for Eden to either run or hide. Luca welcomed the fury that ran through his veins, washing its cool nothingness upon his soul.
Three.
Luca grabbed hold of the last branch to steady his descent, ripping it clean from the trunk before landing in a smooth crouch. Without missing a beat, he charged past Eden, who was still frozen in shock, towards the oncoming herd, letting out a savage war cry and brandishing the branch as a spear.
Two.
He could see them clearly now. Their glazed eyes, rolling around their sockets, were wide with fear. Their trunks trumpeted in sharp trill blasts, swinging madly about their tusks. At that moment, Luca realised just how long and sharp those ivory points really were. A cloud of leaves and dirt were kicked up by the herd’s gigantic feet. Their massive leathery ears added to its dispersal as they waved them about their heads. Every tree, rock or obstacle was either crushed or knocked aside in the path of their mindless assault.
One.
A cry sounded, unheard by his ears. Luca stopped to drive the base of the branch deep into the earth with all his might, tilting it forwards towards the approaching grey masses. He braced his full weight upon the branch, not leaving anything to chance. Just before Luca felt his bones shatter and body becomes airborne, he felt the dull thud as wood came into contact wit
h flesh.
Chapter 2
There is no me without you, no day to my night.
I hear neither song nor laughter and care naught for no one.
I feel my vision darkening; my heart shall beat no more.
There is no me without you.
For a moment, Eden remained rooted to the ground as everything came apart around her. A loud ringing sounded in her ears. Even her memory of the immediate events deserted her. Blurry outlines of figures moved about as if dazed. Something beyond her comprehension had just occurred, yet she knew there would never be any going back from this. A cacophony of wailing made the hairs on her body stand to attention, rousing her from her stupor. She stumbled briefly before falling to her knees, her hands sinking deeply into a warm, viscous puddle. They made a strange sucking sound when she pulled them out and raised them to her face. An array of debris from the forest floor had stuck to her palms in a poor ruse attempt to hide the red truth. ‘Oh, Lord!’ she whispered in horror.
For the first time in her life, Eden screamed.
She knew that it was blood. With eyes wide, she focused on the scene before her. There, only four feet ahead, lay the impaled body of Old Mother, surrounded by the surviving members of her herd. The sheer volume of blood upon the earth and the way in which Old Mother's body lay, crumpled around a thick branch which protruded from her shoulder, convinced Eden of certain death, but as she stared in abject horror the minute rising and falling of Old Mother’s sides sparked something deep inside her.
‘Step aside!’ Eden ordered as she struggled to regain her footing. ‘She's still alive! Please!’ She slid on the thick layer of blood as she tried to run to the elephant’s aid. With effort, she managed to stand upright again. ‘I said step aside!’
With those words, the elephant family, no longer puppets of madness, and the other animals who had gathered around loosened their protective ring, allowing Eden to approach the matriarch. Eden tried to avoid the probing eyes watching her, wondering what she was going to do. The hope that glittered there was almost too much to bear. When she'd managed to get close enough, Eden sank down to her knees. Her dress, already stiffening with the cooling blood, caught and wrapped about her legs, but she didn't care. Eden placed her bloodied palm on the flat dome of the elephant’s head. She stared at it for a moment, hypnotised by how small it looked in comparison to the vast plains of roughened grey skin.
‘Mother? Do you hear me?’ She was shocked to feel how cold Old Mother’s skin had become. ‘Mother, tell me how we can help you. Tell me what we can do!’ Eden began to cry. ‘What can I do?’
Old Mother’s voice was as cool and crisp as water, shaped by the wisdom of years gone by. ‘It is done, my child. I am done.’ Her small, gentle eyes swivelled to look upon Eden. She was deathly still, but for the shallow movements of her breath. She looked at Eden with a depth of compassion so profound. ‘I am done, but you are just beginning. This world is yours, my child, and with that comes great responsibility…’ Her voice faltered. ‘My daughter… Where is my River?’
The largest of the surrounding females broke free from the embracing wall of grey. Eden knew it was River, Old Mother’s firstborn. River reached out her trunk to caress her mother's face. Each soft touch spoke of their mutual reverence and love for each other.
‘River.’ A large tear fell from Old Mother’s eye. ‘You must be strong. You must lead our family…’
‘No!’ her daughter cried, the tears running a dark track to drip down from her tusks.
‘Hush, my girl, and listen!’ Old Mother interrupted, drawing another rasping breath. ‘You know the old ways, and therefore you will not lose me; I will always be here. I will remain in the trees, forever living. I shall be with you and our kin — and so shall you one day when you join me.’ Her voice died down to a whisper. ‘Avoid the red mists, my daughter.’
And with those words, a great sigh rose up and surrounded them as if the very earth itself shared Old Mother’s last breath. All went still.
The elephants hugged each other close. Eden moved out of the way, allowing the family to envelop the body of their fallen leader. Hot tears rolled silently down her face, mingling with the dark congealing blood at her feet. Eden's world had turned upside-down and she so desperately needed an anchor to hold on to. Her thoughts turned suddenly towards Luca. How could she have forgotten about him? As soon as she'd seen what he planned to do with the branch, she had panicked and tried to stop him, tried to tell him to let the elephants pass. But, like her, he must have realised the devastation they would have caused if not stopped. The last she remembered was the thick sound of flesh against wood.
‘Luca!’ she called, looking wildly around her.
Ember, the big female forest wolf, happened to be limping past her and Eden seized hold of her fur. Startled, the wolf swung her head back and bared her teeth. Eden immediately let go, knowing that if she were anyone else, she may have been bitten.
‘Ember, please forgive me, I should never have grabbed you like that.’
Ember's haunting honey-coloured eyes hovered over Eden's face, made more startling in colour by the black shading of her fur.
Eden swallowed but pressed on. ‘Have you seen Luca? Did you see where he went?’
The wolf shook her head as if she were trying to clear her thoughts. ‘Luca?’ Her soft voice was dry as autumn leaves. ‘No, I am sorry Eden, I have not. Have you seen Shale? I can't find him anywhere. I'm so worried.’ Ember's voice broke into a shuddered whisper.
‘No, I haven't, but I'm sure you will find each other soon.’ Eden went to offer the wolf a hug but stopped. ‘What has happened to your paw?’
The wolf looked down at her left leg as if she hadn't noticed the blood that dripped freely onto the rusty leaves below. ‘Oh, it's not my paw, it's my leg. I must have cut it while I was… What is happening, Eden?’ Ember's face was full of despair. She shook her head again as if trying to clear it. ‘I must find —’
‘Hush now,’ Eden interrupted sternly. ‘You will be of no good to anyone if you let yourself bleed like that.’ She desperately needed to find Luca too, but she would never have forgiven herself if she left the wolf in this state. ‘Let me help you.’
All around her, Eden could see others who had been flushed into this area of the forest and injured during the stampede, some worse than others, but she wasn't alone in lending a hand to those in need. A troop of black howler monkeys, usually loud and boisterous, had come down from the trees to assist the wounded. The howlers’ tails, many times the length of their bodies, held on to those in need of comfort while tending to their injuries. The monkeys were accompanied by their much smaller marmoset cousins, and soon they made short work of seeing to the most severely wounded of those present.
With that thought, Eden grabbed hold of the torn and bloody hem of her dress. It wasn't clean, but it would have to suffice. With a savage yank, she tore off a thick strip of cloth and bound it tightly above the wolf's elbow, cutting off the steady stream of blood. Ember didn't make a sound apart from a sharp intake of breath. After checking the knot was secure, Eden stood up and brushed her hands together. ‘There, that will see you for the moment. Now, let’s get you to one of the monkeys. I can see the orangutans have joined us too.’
Eden had spotted the family while hurriedly tending to Ember's leg. They had set themselves up at the base of a mature oak tree. Their long ginger fur camouflaged them amongst the trees and shadows. The youngest, now just over five years of age, was obediently handing his mother, Fig, all the herbs she required. Fig carefully inspected her son's prime selections. The ones that met her satisfaction made it into the mixing bowl. With the aid of a smooth stone, Fig pounded the ingredients into a thick green poultice, which she then handed to her husband, Willow. Willow busied himself with the injured, looking them over as they presented their many wounds to him. He was very generous with his wife's poultice, making sure that every cut, scrape or bump was slathered with the green gloop. Anybod
y deemed in need of stitching got passed on to the troop of howler monkeys.
‘Come,’ said Eden, ‘let’s get you over —’
‘No, my sweet child,’ Ember interrupted, her eyes beseeching. ‘I see that you burn to find your mate. I shall be fine now, and I see your wisdom in tending to this wound.’ Very tentatively, the wolf stretched out her neck and licked Eden softly upon the cheek. ‘Be safe, my brave one.’ And with that, she limped towards Willow's healing hands.
Eden was struck by her words. Her mate? Did she truly burn for Luca? What did others see when she gazed upon him? With this weighing upon her mind, she retraced her steps to the tree Luca had chosen to climb. Old Mother's body, surrounded by mourners, lay several feet from it while whispered questions about what had occurred thickened the air. With difficulty, Eden turned her back on that scene and tried to look at the forest with new eyes. She couldn't rely on her ears because the forest was alive again, only now with the soft sounds of sorrow and pain. She remembered before everything went still, that Luca had braced himself against the branch he'd fashioned as a spear. The force of Old Mother's body colliding with his must-have catapulted him backwards. ‘Oh no!’ she exclaimed, noticing a fine splattering of blood on the ground leading away from the point of impact. She tried to reassure herself that it could have come from anyone.
Hardly daring to breathe, Eden followed the red splattering until it ended before a thick pile of dead leaves, caught amongst the bases of neighbouring gum trees.
A soft whimpering came from within. Hesitantly, Eden crouched down to investigate. A slight movement drew her eyes to a small calico bundle peeking out amongst the spent leaves. As her eyes focused, she could see it was a little painted dog pup, its coat of black, copper, and white camouflaging him perfectly to its environment. It let out another whimper and pawed at something lying beneath it. With a gasp, Eden recognised the lock of auburn hair buried beneath the puppy's paws.