CHAPTER TWO
It's been four days since I overheard the council meeting.
Not a single word has been uttered to the people and no one is the wiser to the new dangers except for me. In truth, I feel angered and afraid by the lack of attention being brought to the issue. I hadn't stayed long enough to hear the verdict, as to whether or not we'd be leaving for the mountains or staying.
Either way, the people have a right to know.
Pulling my cloak tight around my neck, the wind isn't so horrible today but the cold is worsening. Looking over to my right, I saw Gida as she worked on the little patch of dirt beside me. I can see she's struggling to keep up with the rest of us, but that's to be expected when it's your first time. You only get the hang of the method after a couple of seasons.
Making my way over, I placed a hand on her back "You're doing well" I encouraged.
She shook her head in anger "No, I'm not. I'm falling behind. I hate this" she said while tossing the small shovel onto the ground "I want to go home. I want to be with Mother"
"You can't Gida. You're twelve now and this is the way it has to be. You need to do your part in the village. We all do. That's how we survive" bending down, I reached for the shovel and gave it back to her "You know what to do, just be patient and keep trying"
Gida looked at me with those tiny eyes before sighing and getting back to work. Moving over to my own space, I'd just stuck the shovel into the crisp dirt when I heard the scurry of boots from behind. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a group of three men rushing past the field and toward the town centre. They'd come from the forest.
Dropping my shovel to the side, I looked at Gida "Stay here"
Making my way out of the field and through the wooden gate, I stood on the side of the road. Peering as far as my eyes could see, I tried to figure out the commotion, but I couldn't see anything obvious.
Another man rushed by and I quickly bellowed out "What's going on?!"
Stopping with a pant, he wiped the brow of sweat from his brow "The ring just opened!" he said before rushing off to join the others. With those words, the other workers stopped what they were doing.
My heart skipped a beat in fear as I thought the worst; that the wraith are here. However, the longer I stood staring out toward the forest and blue sky above, the more I doubted the possibility. There's no site of them. Surely they would have made it to the village by now.
In the corner of my eye I saw Gida running up to me. She hugged my side and I felt her little body trembling against mine "What's going on?" she asked with a squeak.
"I'm not sure"
"Irina!" called a familiar voice.
A short distance away I saw the familiar face of Merit as he approached me. He held a stern look on his pale face. Those grey eyes locking with my own. Roughly the same age with only a few years between us, we'd grown up together and had formed a close relationship.
"Merit" I exclaimed in relief "What's happening? One of the men, he said the ring is open. We aren't expecting traders until next season"
"No we aren't, but they're here" he replied "All of them"
My brows knitted in confusion "What do you mean all of them?"
It was in that moment the warning bell rang, a piercing sound that echoed throughout the whole village. Everyone rushed from the field along with others, all of them trying to make their way to the village centre. Merit took my hand in his and the warmth eased the slight numbness in my fingers, but I couldn't help the flutter of my heart.
"We should go" he said.
Keeping Gida close, we made our way with the rest until we all stood huddled together. Whispers erupted amongst each other and in the distance we finally saw them. A staggering hoard of people emerging from the forest edge. As they came closer I could tell a few of them are injured, some more than others.
Our healers along with a few of the village men rushed over to help carry and tend to the wounded. Whatever happened to them must have been devastating. Shifting our attention, the four councilmen including the Chieftain and my Father had emerged from the tent to see our fellow traders.
In the distance of the hoard, I recognised one of the men as he hobbled, covered in blood and bruises. He was often apart of the group who came to trade with us during the summer. As they approached closer, the Chieftain called out with a firm voice "What happened?" his eyes are wrinkled with confusion and uneasiness.
"We were attacked!" the man said while trying to catch his breath. He's clearly wounded "It was the wraith!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd along with fear and terror with the mention of their name "Where is your leader, Tarron?"
"Tarron is dead, as are many others. We're all that's left. Please" he begged "Help us"
Our Chieftain nodded his head, not knowing how else to handle the situation. Pointing to the nearby guards and able bodied men, he ordered them "See the injured to the healers"
The Chieftain turned without another word to go back inside the council tent and I saw my Father as he was about to follow. I quickly called out for him "Father!"
Pulling my hand free of Merits, I rushed over to him with Gida by my side. Stopping at the call of my voice, he reached out to embrace us "Take Gida back to the hut and stay there"
"But –" my words were cut short when Father left to join the Chieftain.
"I want to go home" wined Gida from beside me, her voice filled with fear. Taking her hand in mine, we pushed our way through the gawking crowd to head back to the hut.
Once we were inside, Gida rushed into the embrace of Mothers open arms "I was worried. I heard them out there" she said.
"It's traders from another village" I explained "They were attacked by the wraith and they've come here for refuge"
"And your Father, where is he now?"
"With the council. He wouldn't talk to me. He just said to take Gida and come home"
She nodded her head in agreement "It's safer here"
"And what about them?" I retorted "Their entire village is destroyed. They have nothing to go back to and now they're here. There's not enough room, not enough supplies for them all"
"The Chieftain will find a way"
A voiced sound from outside and I opened the entrance to see Merit "I couldn't find you" he said "I wanted to make sure you were alright"
"She is, thank you. You can stay here with us if you like" spoke Mother as she held Gida.
"That's very kind" he replied.
Letting Merit inside, my arms crossed over my chest as I made my way to sit by the fire. Merit came to join me and we both sat in silence. Staring at the flames dancing amongst the logs of burnt wood, I watched as they flickered and crackled. Hours seemed to have passed. Gida had fallen asleep and Mother took her to sleep, but for me this is no time to rest.
Stepping through the hut entrance our heads turned to see my Father and we both stood from our seats "Merit" he spoke "Your Father will be wanting to see you"
"Of course" he said with a nod of his head. Giving me a brief glance as if to say goodbye, Merit left without another word.
Stepping from the bedroom, Mother came to stand by me. She was the first to speak "What will happen to them?"
"The Chieftain is allowing them to stay. We'll try our best to get things back in order, but new huts will need to be built and jobs assigned to the new comers. It'll cause a delay in other work, but we can't turn them away"
"And what does this mean for us?" Mother asked "Irina said the wraith attacked their village. What if they come here?"
"There's no way they could follow them"
"You don't know that"
"What choice to we have?!" snapped my Father with a sigh "There's nowhere to go. All we can do is wait and hope they don't come"
It's clear to see he's agitated. Not even now will he admit that the council knew about the wraith days ago, if not longer. If they had of acted sooner, perhaps lives wouldn't have been lost and those people would have a home. We might've even been able to come up with a solution.
"We could leave" I suggested firmly "Pack what we can and move to another planet"
Father shook his head "The odds of finding one that could suit us are one in millions. We wouldn't know what's on the other side and the council won't risk the lives of our people to find out. We're stuck here"
"Then we'll die here" I replied indefinitely "Is that what our Chieftain wants, for his people to fall against the wraith? He could have done something. He could have prevented all of this"
"Irina that's enough" spoke Mother "He couldn't have known"
"But he did!" I bellowed, my eyes turning to rest on my Father "Isn't that right? The council knew the wraith were coming and they did nothing"
Father remained silent and Mother eyes widened at the reveal of information "Is that true?" she asked.
"I'll hear no more of this!" he barked "You will not question my authority nor that of the councils. The people will be helped and the harvest will continue. Speak nothing of what you've heard, it was never meant for your ears" Father's back straightened and his eyes narrowed at me in disappointment "I expected more from you Irina"
And so did I.