To Live In Revelry

by M L Adams

  Eden busied herself by collecting any dry tinder she could find. Mokoto found this particularly enjoyable as he lent a hand chewing the longer branches into pup approved ratios. The cave they had chosen for shelter, carved from the sandstone cliffs by torrents of water each winter, was large enough to house a small family. The floor, ceiling, and walls were smooth to the touch as if someone had scooped it out by hand and shaped it with water. They arranged the wood, like Eden's father, had taught her, by the mouth of the cave, allowing any future smoke to be drawn outside. The first glimmering of stars had already begun to add their light to the dusky sky. There was not a cloud in sight. The fire would keep them both warm and offer them light for the impending darkness.

  Prior to leaving with Mokoto, Eden had made Micah promise to send word to her parents. She had never been away from home for this length of time before. She was feeling desperately homesick and needed to hear her mother's soothing words, telling her all would be well in the end. The feeling of her recent deceit still burned within her. So many times she had wanted to apologise to Micah and confess the truth to him, but she couldn't risk him coming between her and Luca's cure.

  She longed to talk to someone about Luca, the dream she shared with her guardian angel and how it had felt watching Old Mother die before her, but she had no one who would understand. At the very least she wanted her parents to know that she was alive and well, but there had been no word regarding their safety.

  In truth, Eden had hardly seen or heard a soul apart from dear Mokoto, even though she had kept her eyes open for the distinctive flash of blue and the piercing cries of a blue jay. Eden knew their swiftness, attention to detail and penchant for gossip made them ideal partners for relaying information. She tried to erase such thoughts from her mind. Her family were faithful servants of Adonai — He would keep them safe.

  Eden focused instead on matters she could control. The day had been easy, and the skies had been clear with a cool breeze at their backs. Young Mokoto was a sprightly and energetic little thing but was also easy to carry if Eden found him lagging behind.

  Their walk had given Eden time to plan her next move. As soon as she found Mokoto's mother and made sure their family was okay, she planned to seek out the tree. If Delilah had spoken the truth… If it was truly out there… Delilah had said that she would send someone to guide her, but she'd seen no sign of them yet.

  Eden watched the pup silently. He was standing by a second pile of wood, freshly chewed, looking far too pleased with himself. They had no need for the extra timber, but Eden couldn't deny him the joy of helping. His pink tongue lolled to one side, peppered with wood and dirt. He sneezed and licked at his nose happily, totally oblivious to her inner turmoil.

  Eden needed a hug. She dropped to her knees and called Mokoto over. The pup chittered excitedly before trotting over to be gathered into her arms. Eden squeezed his little body until he sighed contently. ‘We have cover more ground than I’d hoped. If we’re right, you should be joining your family tomorrow, and I’ll miss you so much.’ Mokoto wined his agreement. ‘I’ll come and see you, once everything is put to rights if you don’t mind?’

  His amber eyed flash up at her. ‘You won’t leave me?’ He whispered.

  Eden drew back in surprise. ‘No Moko. Never.’ A yawn split Mokoto’s jaws wide, revealing rows of puppy teeth. Someone was obviously beat, she decided. ‘How about we get this fire going, eat and then call it a night?’ she suggested.

  ‘If we must,’ he grumbled, reminding her painfully of her brother Joshua denying sleep even when it was swiftly claiming him.

  Eden awoke to find the sun had yet to break the horizon but was already beginning to colour the sky with beautiful pastel hues.

  The night had been long and eventful. Eden had lost count of the number of times she had bolted upright at the snapping of a twig or the ghostly hoots of a distant owl, only to grasp at a nearby rock as her only weapon. Her heart had thudded in her chest so wildly at times she feared she’d never return to sleep. Even when she had managed to sleep, her dreams were cruel to her. They mocked the little girl so far away from home. The worst dreams of all had been the ones where she had finally discovered the tree, only for it to dissolve into nothing before her very eyes. But then… Then there had been Luca. It had felt so real. Even now she still felt his soft kisses across her brow. The tentative touch of fingers along her back. She shivered.

  The sharp pops of the dying fire distracted Eden from her thoughts. She was somewhat amazed at first that the flames had lasted this long, but then she spotted the second pile of diminished wood. Mokoto had taken it upon himself to keep the fire burning throughout the night. This act of kindness warmed her heart and misted her eyes. The pup’s actions during the night meant more to her than his young heart could ever know. For now, she was in good company, but soon she would have to relinquish him back into his mother's care. Eden vowed to herself that he and his family would want for nothing ever again.

  Mokoto was lying between her and the entrance to the cave. Only minute twitches, brought on by dreams, stirred him. The significance of his sleeping position did not escape her; he had ensured that he was the first to know if anyone tried to enter the cave. She realised that the heart of a warrior dwelt within his tiny frame. One day, Mokoto would have his own family, and what a great protector he would be.

  Eden rose quietly, trying her best not to disturb the sleeping pup. Lord knows he may have stayed up guarding them until sleep had finally claimed him. Silently, Eden walked over to the bag Micah had packed for them, removed several wooden bowls and carried them over to the fire. Inside each was an assortment of hardy vegetables, all cut and ready for stewing. Eden shook her head in wonderment; Micah had thought to pack meals for Mokoto too — and more than they needed, it seemed. No wonder the pack had been so heavy! A small smile touched her lips.

  Eden picked up a stick to poke the fire, shifting the spent wood aside to allow the new tinder to catch alight. She knew she should really gather a little more firewood and cook breakfast. She also needed to wash and collect some water for cooking, but that wouldn't take her long. She debated waking her little friend but decided against it. There might be another day of walking ahead of them, and he would need his rest. Eden gathered the cups she needed and, with one last glance back at the sleeping pup, headed off towards the rivulet.

  Another clear sky overhead foretold of another fine day. It had already bloomed to oranges and yellows, seemingly setting the leaves of the forest they had left behind on fire. It reminded Eden of the day her father had taken her to one of his council meetings when she was a child. If any dispute ever broke out among the animals, which was thankfully not very often, Adam would be called to help talk it through. Eden's mother had not been happy with her husband when he later returned with a sunburnt daughter.

  Eden sighed heavily, feeling the need for her father’s guiding words even more. She dug her toes into the fine white sand outside the mouth of their cave and focused on the marvels of the world around her. Her father would often proclaim each day to be a gift from Adonai. When she was little she'd wondered what he'd meant, but now she was older, and a little wiser, she thought she knew.

  The rivulet was deserted when she reached it. Eden sighed and crouched to collect the cool running water in her hands. It didn't look like she'd be sending on a message to her parents today either. Without warning, a heavy force struck Eden's back, sending her flying. She had a brief moment to be thankful for not landing in the water before a weight landed squarely on her back, knocking her over again, and refused to move. Eden tried desperately to cough up the mouthful of water that had navigated its way into her lungs, too stunned to turn around and face her attacker. As soon as she managed to breathe, Eden rolled over, dislodging the weight to confront her assailant. A multi-coloured fur ball leapt at her for a third time.

  ‘You left me!’ it yelled accusingly.

  ‘Mokoto?’ Eden gasped and grabbed hold of his wr
iggling body. She brought him up to her face and held him fast. He seemed to have gotten heavier, she noticed with surprise. ‘What are you on about? I thought someone was trying to attack me! I only came to fetch water for breakfast to fill that bottomless pit you call a stomach. What if I had hurt you? I would never leave you.’

  Mokoto turned his face and mumbled something that sounded like, 'You will.'

  Eden set him back on his feet. She didn't want to take him up on his comment, because they were here for exactly that purpose; Mokoto had to be with his own family.

  ‘You know I'll come and see you often, don’t you?’ Eden said gently.

  Mokoto nodded his small head, but it did nothing to lighten his dour mood. Eden sighed and stood. She tried her best to wipe away the moist sand that clung to her palms and clothes. There was little more she could do right now to brighten his mood.

  Despite the mess she had made of her dress previously, Micah had cleaned and mended it for her. Eden had been impressed at Micah's skills in getting most of the blood and mud out of it, but the tears had been too numerous to mend, so Eden was forced to tailor it into a skirt. Micah had been kind enough to lend her one of his worn grey shirts, which she tied a knot in to fit her much slimmer frame. Luckily her appearance was the last of her worries.

  She looked down at the quiet pup. He would feel better once he was with his family — she knew it.

  ‘Okay, let's head back and see what we have to eat. Micah has really spoilt us,’ Eden said, trying to lighten the mood, but the usual glint in Mokoto's eyes was dimmed this morning. It worried her.

  They walked the few paces it took to get back to the cave in silence, only to find they were no longer alone. It seemed they no longer had to look for Mokoto's family after all because they had found them.

  Picta, her husband Tamerin, and several pups were sniffing around their cave. Eden picked up her pace as she waved and called to them excitedly. Picta rushed to the mouth of the cave, followed shortly by the tan-and-black Tamerin. The parents lowered their heads in greeting, their white tails wagging enthusiastically, and chittered, too relieved to believe their eyes. Mokoto rushed towards his family, his sad mood swiftly forgotten.

  Soon the whole length of the cave was lined with excited bodies. Eden held back a moment, allowing them privacy as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. This one small deed was worth the guilt she felt riding within her heart. For a brief moment, she couldn't feel it gloating at her. Tamerin's tall frame broke apart from the wall of calico fur and approached. He came to a stop inches from her before inclining his head, pressing it upon her waist. Eden felt the tears well in her eyes at the show of his gratitude. With a shaking hand, she stroked the back of his neck. Seeing this, Picta padded over and gently nudged her husband out of the way so she too could nuzzle Eden in thanks. Tamerin allowed his wife to move him aside but stayed close. The puppies, now wrestling and squealing amongst themselves, were totally oblivious to the exchange.

  After a while, Picta pulled back. Her exhausted eyes held both sorrow and joy as she studied Eden. ‘We are so grateful to you. We could have wished for no other to have looked after our son.’ She swallowed a lump in her throat. ‘When all the commotion happened yesterday, driving us deep into the forest, we did not notice that Shai was missing —’

  Tamerin pressed his long body against Picta's in support. ‘Thank you!’ he muttered, his voice gruff with unshed tears of his own. He stood still for a while, comforting his wife as she wept tears of relief into the ruff of his neck.

  Eden wiped her own eyes and cleared her throat, but she couldn't help wondering if losing their son was all that was going on here.

  Eden fidgeted uncomfortably. The gratitude was getting a little too much for her to handle. ‘Well, that's quite alright. I would have done the same for anyone's young.’ She forced a bright smile onto her face. ‘You should be very proud of Moko — uh, Shai. He has been very brave and a blessing to be around. Now, how about we share a bit of breakfast to cheer us all up?’

  The midday sun had risen above them, leaving short, stubby shadows nestled amongst the surrounding shrubs, but the cave had kept them nice and cool. They had shared most of the food. Seeing her supplies dwindle didn't worry Eden too much; she was sure there would be plenty of opportunities for her to forage on her journey into the unknown.

  The dog family was full to bursting. All of the puppies had formed a happy fur pile at the back of the cave while Picta, Tamerin, and Eden talked. Occasionally there were exclamations of, ‘Oh man, not again!’, and, ‘Mum! He just farted again!’ Their parents would roll their eyes and largely try to ignore these comments. Eden managed to suss out that the little boy pup, Donga, seemed to be the main culprit.

  The parents brought Eden up to speed regarding the previous day’s events, but the more she learnt, the more questions she seemed to have.

  ‘As soon as we stared searching for Shai the full scale of yesterday’s events became clear to us,’ Picta explained. ‘The injuries. The dead–‘ her voice caught. ‘But most of all,’ she continued, ‘was the talk of a lady in red seen laughing amongst the forest, however, some are saying they saw a red mist descended upon the elephants seconds before they went mad.’ Picta’s eyes were distant as she relayed the story. A shiver swept up Eden’s spine. ‘Whatever it was had left a scent that set the bears into a sneezing fit.’ Eden knew that bears had one of the most powerful senses of smell in the animal kingdom.

  ‘Does anyone know what it was? It could be a clue?’ Eden didn't doubt the information for one second, but she was certain she knew all the people around here — mainly because they consisted of her family, and the two Serafin brothers. She had to remind herself that there was once a time she hadn't known of Luca and Micah's existence either. If this strange woman really wasn't a trick of the eye, who was she? Where had she come from? And most importantly: what did she want?

  ‘No,’ Tamerin answered, ‘the sent was both familiar, but also not. It alluded us.’

  Eden let her mind absorb the information while gathering the empty dinner bowls in a pile. She caught the stares both parents cast their children. It was almost like the sight of their children caused them profound pain.

  Eden cleared her throat. ‘I still feel terrible for not staying to help,’ Eden confessed. ‘How many were injured?’

  Picta glanced at her husband. ‘So far… there have been three deaths, not including Old Mother. It hit our community very badly. The forest’s still in mourning, but we are finding comfort in each other.’

  That explained why it had been so eerily quiet, Eden thought sadly. As far as she knew, this had never occurred before.

  ‘Shale was amongst the dead’ Tamerin whispered, almost to himself. Eden’s heart constructed.

  ‘Oh no,’ Eden breathed. A sharp pain had her clutching at her chest. Shale had been Ember's husband, the leader of the forest wolf pack. It was Ember who Eden had encountered, limping in the forest looking for her mate. ‘I’m so sorry, Tamerin. I know how close you and Shale… were.’ A chocked sob caught at the cursed word.

  ‘I told Ember that everything was going to be okay. How could I have been so stupid!’ The thought that Shale may have already been dead while she had tended to Ember's wounds made Eden feel ill.

  Tamerin continued despite Eden’s obvious distress. ‘We have not seen hide, nor hare, of the elephants. They have taken Old Mother’s remains and sealed themselves off in their valley, vowing never to forget the suffering they had caused.’

  A silence had enveloped the cave, punctuated only by the soft patter of puppy snores. Each individual was lost to their own thoughts. What Eden would have given to be one of those little sleeping pups right now… but she knew this bubble they had claimed for themselves would soon burst. She scanned the pearly sands of the Courts, noting the shadows had lengthened alarmingly. She wiped her eyes.

  ‘I had better head off,’ Eden said abruptly. ‘It's made me so happy seeing all of you back toget
her again.’

  She made to stand, but Picta stopped her with a small motion of her head. Eden sat back down, curious to know what Picta and her husband had left to say until now.

  ‘We have a request we would like you to consider. One we hope you will forgive us for asking…’

  Picta faltered before Tamerin continued.

  ‘Would you take on the responsibility of taking care of our son, Eden? Only until everything settles down and we can resume our normal lives again, of course.’ His amber eyes were unflinching as he stared her down, almost daring her to refuse.

  Eden was stunned. ‘But, you've just been reunited… Why?’

  Tamerin sighed and looked down at the floor.

  Eden could see this was hard for them both. ‘Why, at a time like this, would you ask me to do such a thing?’

  ‘A time like this,’ Tamerin snapped.

  Eden shot to her feet, unable to comprehend Tamerin’s rage.

  ‘Are you really that naive to think we believe you'd be better suited at raising our son than us? His own family?’ Tamerin's eyes pulsed with gold. ‘It's precisely because of a “time like this” that we are forced to ask you —’

  ‘Enough!’ Picta snarled, positioning herself between Tamerin and Eden.

  Adrenaline coursed through Eden’s veins. The two painted dogs glared at each other before Tamerin growled and stalked outside, without a backwards glance. When Picta was certain he was far enough away, she turned to Eden.

  ‘Oh Eden, I’m so sorry! What am I to do?’ There were fresh tears in her eyes as her gaze flicked between her puppies and her husband. Some of the young had woken with startled eyes, confused by the sudden commotion. Eden spotted Mokoto's fiery gaze watching her with an unfamiliar intensity.

  ‘What just happened, Picta. I didn’t mean to be rude, I just, I– ’ Eden’s voice faltered with shocked confusion.

  With visible effort, Picta shook the look of dismay off of her and smiled over at her pups. She was trying to put them at ease, Eden noted. ‘Ever since yesterday, Tami’s, been a different person — quick to anger and snappy with the pups,’ Picta confessed. ‘And it’s not just him. Other couples have said to be experiencing the same thing with their partners.’