Song Dance
Rue breathed gently, letting air escape her lips, forming a strange cloud in the bitter atmosphere of winter. She stared with startling green eyes at the waves chuckling as they collided with the rocks lining the shore. She fidgeted with her cloak and sighed. A solitary tear emerged and dripped down her pale cheek.
Yerwan jogged up the shore, looking curiously at the mound of blue Echorium cloak hunched over the reef. His cheeks flushed and rosy in his squashed face, he skidded in the wet sand and stopped, inspecting her briefly.
"Something wrong?" Rue gave a small squeak of shock and clutched her cloak, turning to frown at her friend. She shook her head stubbornly, glad the tear had gone.
"Good," he said. Climbing up onto the reef with difficulty, Yerwan squatted next to her, still looking at her. She wished he would stop. "You know that Singer Renn will probably have your head for running away again." She nodded slowly. "He's not going to be very happy. I'd be prepared for Aushan at the least, if I were you. Why do you like this place so much, Rue?" She glared at him and sniffed.
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked. Rue shrugged her bony shoulders and began to tap her feet on the rocks in perfect rhythm to Challa.
Shhh, calm. Challa makes you dream. "I know what you mean." Yerwan rubbed his arms and dropped to the shoreline below, landing in a wobbly crouch. Rue followed him with her gaze. "Come down," he yelled, shielding his eyes to the blaring whiteness of the sky and beckoning to her. She glanced at him, doubtful. "You know you can." Reluctantly, she prised herself off the reef, controlled her breathing and jumped, landing squarely on both feet with knees bent. With perfect balance, she walked off after her friend.
*
In her pallet, Rue rolled herself into her sheets. She felt like sobbing and would have done so if she could speak. Instead, she just felt warm tears soak into her pillow, making her uncomfortable. She heard someone coming down the passage and tensed, feigning sleep. The gentle scuff of worn sandals echoed outside the room down the corridor. She willed them to go past but the door opened and with those sandals came voices.
"I just don't believe it." A harsh voice like the call of seagulls rebounded off the walls and stopped abruptly. Rue lay motionless, pushing the voice away with her thoughts. It didn't work.
"Hey, Mute!" shrieked another voice, similarly hoarse. "What are you doing?" If I can just stay still, thought Rue, they'll go away. A finger with a long sharp nail prodded her in the back between her shoulder blades, almost cutting the skin. She yelped and hopped out of her sheets, rubbing the area. Horrible laughter mocked her, made ten times worse by the echoes. Nothing like real Kashe.
"Hello, Mutey!" squawked the first voice. "I should give you Yehn. That'd make you sleep - forever!" It sniggered. "You deserve to die anyway. Save us a lot of trouble."
Rue turned to face her opponents. Two identical blue-eyed girls stood before her and gasped simultaneously. They had seen her tears. She wiped them away with the hem of her sheets ashamedly.
"Pathetic!"
"Stupid!"
"Cry-baby!"
"Mute!" The last one hurt. Really bad. It was true she was a mute. She had yet to speak her first word. But Therna and Frelda were the only ones that teased her about it. It was at these times she wished she could speak and shout at them, retaliate to their taunting and bullying. Instead, she had to signal with her hands for them to get out and leave her alone. It wasn't their pallet anyway, thank the echoes.
"Oooooooh! What'ya gonna do, Mute?" said Frelda. "Cry for the Second Singer?"
"Or maybe she'd better just go down to the cells with the Crazies, her family, that is!"
They sniggered again. The fiery temper Rue was born with was reaching its peak. She was frightened. It had never reacted like this before. Usually, she could control it with her mind and keep it concealed behind her pale and innocent features but the 'Crazies' comment had triggered it to brew like a hot dinner in a cauldron. She didn't know why. It was heating her up like an uncontrollable fire. She fought to tame it but it didn't work.
Therna bounced onto the nearest bunk, Jaya's bunk. She giggled with glee. "Come on then, Mute. Show us what ya' got. Be brave, go on!"
Frelda clambered onto the bunk on top of that. "Yeah, sing us a Song, Mute! Sing us Aushan, sing us Yehn."
Rue exploded. She was still fighting her instincts to strangle the pair of irrepressible brats but she had to do something to release that feeling. Instead, she lifted her left foot, disregarding the sandals thrown under her bed, and used all the fiery anger and frustration to bring that foot down on the stone floor. It hurt, by the echoes, it hurt. There was an audible crack as her foot connected with the floor. She opened her mouth in a silent scream of agony and collapsed, nursing her foot. At the same time, the floor shuddered like an earthquake was approaching. The twins screamed and landed heavily on the trembling floor, hugging each other pathetically. Through the pain, it gave Rue some satisfaction to see they were both terrified and near crying. They crawled hurriedly for the door just as the tremors were beginning to relax and steady. But blocking the door was the Second Singer of the Echorium.
"What is going on here?" he thundered. Extraordinary grey eyes glared at the three girls sprawled on the floor, each shocked at his sudden appearance. "I demand to know what that was!" He focused his glare at the twins who automatically began to babble an explanation.
"Well, Singer, it went like this."
"We were just coming to tell Mute.Rue something."
"And she got all angry."
"She was really angry!"
"She stamped her foot, Singer."
"And an earthquake started."
"The floor was all shaking and trembling."
"I swear on the echoes, Singer, she nearly cracked the floor." He gestured for silence. The twins stopped, gazing at Singer Renn imploringly. Rue seemed forgotten.
"If I am expected to believe that, then." Therna scuttled over to Rue and grabbed her limp foot, squeezing it a little too enthusiastically. Rue chewed her lip frantically. She couldn't show she was injured otherwise the Singer would know it was true. Frelda joined her sister and chirped, "See, Singer! Her foot snapped!"
Singer Renn stared at the disfigured foot then at Rue. His face was expressionless but bleak. "You two. Go and report to the First Singer and tell her what happened." They hesitated. "NOW!" They scurried out of the pallet, wishing to stay and witness Rue's punishment. But they obeyed. When they were gone, the Second Singer knelt and studied the foot carefully, running his slender experienced fingers over the sole of her foot and each toe. Rue blushed vividly, gently trying to extricate her foot from his grip. He took it a little more firmly and continued to examine it, while questioning her.
"Has this happened before, Rue?"
Rue shook her head and tugged her leg pleadingly. The Second Singer still clutched it persistently, making her wince. She decided to leave it alone. She was already in enough trouble as it was.
"Do you know why it happened?"
She shook her head again. It was the truth. One good thing about being a mute was that powerful Singers couldn't truth listen to her voice. She just had to keep her body language as basic as possible.
"Do you want me to tell you why this happened?"
She wasn't sure how to answer that. She shrugged.
"Well, I know one thing. You let your anger get control over you. But thankfully not enough control. Otherwise, you could have done something much, much worse." Despite her anxiety, Rue wanted to know what this 'worse' was. She listened intently, disguising her pain with a blank face although everything was tense.
"There is another reason.but you shall learn that in good time, " he continued. He began to tweak her toes one by one, noting her reaction, testing which ones were broken. He wished she could relate her side of the event but that was impossible. She was a mute. A mute in the Echorium; he could have laughed.
"I shall tell you about this, Rue, for your own understanding, not my comfort, because I doubt it will not happen again. The Isle of Echoes is based on bluestone, you know that. It is unique to us. We used it wisely, for treaties with foreign places and the foundations of the Echorium we know now. Bluestone is not indestructible, but it is very powerful. It enhances the vibrations of Song; that is why it is so useful. Any sounds are amplified in here. With you stamping, the force of the blow triggered many vibrations, not of sound necessarily, but pure force. These were increased by the bluestone.would the novices standing behind me please return to their pallets or be dealt with? That is a rhetorical question, by the way." The cluster of novices peering around the door using pallet whispers to communicate separated and hurriedly returned to their pallets. Rue stared with her mouth open at her superior. The Second Singer suppressed a smile and continued.
"As I was saying, these were probably increased, the forceful vibrations, and therefore, as you have just seen, the whole Echorium probably felt those echoes and the merlee beyond. Though not all of that was simply amplified, oh no. Most of it came from you, Rue." Clear grey eyes looked at the young girl with interest, keeping the gaze until she returned it. "Now promise me you will try not to let that happen again, yes? I will confess, you have a remarkable.talent, but not necessarily a good one. "Your foot is broken, I'm afraid. That was quite some force you used on our floor. I shouldn't wonder if you'll be aching all over for the next day or so. Anyway, I think, just to hurry the process, a little Challa won't hurt. I don't think we've had a broken foot before in the Echorium.you'll be the first. It should be interesting. I'll book you in three sunsteps from now, yes? Be at the Pentangle before then. We are expecting another before that."
Rue nodded slowly and looked at her foot. While she had been concentrating on his lecture, the Second Singer had used strips of his long luxurious cloak to bandage her foot. She was staring at it in shock. The cloak was incredibly soft and intricate embroidery decorated the hem, depicting a story. She was astounded. Looking the Second Singer in the pearly grey eye, she motioned with her head to the bandage and shook her head in desperation. She didn't need more teasing. The hem on his cloak was ruined and dragged across the floor as he stood up. Rue almost cried at the loss.
"You can mend it for me later," he said, "It's only custom, mind you. I'm telling you to stay here until your therapy and ask Yerwan to help you up. I'll get him for you." And he left. There was no severe punishment that she had expected for running off in the middle of her history lesson that morning; infact, the Second Singer had almost been nice to her.
*
"Thank the Echoes, you were lucky!" exclaimed an astonished Yerwan. "You're still here! You're telling me you did that tremor?" Rue was similarly astonished. She nodded vigorously and gestured with her hands. Yerwan understood her signs now. It had taken quite a bit of work but now they had their own language of hand gestures. Much better than pallet- whispers.
Yerwan followed her hands and nodded. "He was nice to you.and then he bandaged your foot. with. with his cloak?" Rue nodded. "You can't be serious! Not the really long one he uses for going abroad? I don't believe you." She produced the scraps of embroidery from her bandage and lay them delicately on their table in the Dining Area. The pair examined them for long moments. "I don't believe it," breathed Yerwan. "This tells the story of the Second Singer himself! I can't believe he gave you this." Rue glanced at him and motioned with her hands to tell him she didn't understand. She had never paid much attention to her history lessons. "Well, according to this bit -" He selected a strip from the collection and placed it to the right of the table, the beginning according to Singer- script. "- the Second Singer, he was just Renn then, a novice, and he was taken by the Second Singer in that time, Kherron, abroad in search of.centaurs." Rue looked at him questioningly and gestured that centaurs didn't exist. "That's what I thought to but apparently they do. A Crazy was delivered to the Isle for Therapy - her name was.I think this is how you pronounce it.Shaiala - and claimed she had seen centaurs and they went to investigate.look, Rue. This is a long story. If you had just listened to Old Singer Ollaron in our lessons, you would know." Rue stuck her tongue our impudently at her friend, gave him a quick tap on the ankle with her right foot and gestured that Old Singer Ollaron was partially deaf and he couldn't hear his own cracked voice.
"Ouch, you.alright. I'll go on. Anyway, Shaiala only spoke Herd, centaur-speech, and Renn was the only one who could understand her. So he went along too. And then.that's.!" Frantically, Rue persuaded her friend on. "Well, she escaped, Shaiala, that is, and got caught by a woman called.I can't read it. It's all scratched, the fabric.ouch! Alright, you don't need to kick me! And she was kidnapping children off the street. She also got a prince, Erihan, the prince of a Plains tribe.that's all. There's nothing else left of the story."
Dismayed, Rue tried to read the lines, written in elegant Singer script with only a few illustrations, unsuccessfully. Yerwan was also hooked on the story.
"I want to go on too, Rue. But how do we get more of the cloak? It's the Second Singer's favourite." Rue tried to think. It was difficult, because the rest of the novices were giving her strange looks, but she remembered something about her mending Singer Renn's cloak. She hopped across the room and looked out of the window at the flagpole. Barely a sunstep left before her therapy. She hopped back, quickly motioned to Yerwan and hopped off down the nearest corridor. Before her therapy, she needed to find Dremon.
*
Dremon was one of the old ways. She could be found in her private pallet for most of the day, except at meals when she collected her food from the kitchen, always the same arrangement, and shuffled off back to her pallet, muttering to herself. She never had visitors, and her purpose was only to teach the girls who would not become Singers embroidery.
Rue was one that had her frequently as a tutor, for many orderlies believed that she was not capable of anything because of her 'problem'. Although Dremon was known to be a bit mad, she was especially kind to Rue. She was one who believed that she was useful for more than just embroidery, although she showed talent in it. When Dremon was small, it was thought she would never become anything either. She knew how it felt to be abandoned by friends because of 'problems'.
That was why she was so enthusiastic when she saw the tall, slender, green-eyed girl with straight blue hair shielding her eyes and the rest tucked into an untidy bun. Rue was also glad to see her for she was one of the orderlies who made life bearable for her in the Echorium.
"Welcome, Miss Rue. Are we well?" Rue nodded. "Good! Now, do you have a problem? You know you can always come to me. I don't mind!" Rue signed her dilemma: about the way she was bullied (Dremon knew about that already), how she lost her temper and stamped the floor, causing a miniature earthquake, how Singer Renn explained how it happened and bandaged her foot with strips of his cloak and how Yerwan had translated the Singer-script on it. She was glad that Dremon did understand her signing. It was Dremon who suggested that she invent her own signing language.
Dremon sat in her large puffy chair, purchased from the docks below the Echorium, and contemplated it. "Well, you were probably right to come to me, young one. I do all the mending around here. It's a bit sneaky, reading the Second Singer's cloak when he isn't looking but I taught him when he was but a lad. I'm old enough to be his grandma, by the Echoes!" Rue giggled. "We'll see, my young Rue. We shall see. I'm not one for Singer- script myself but you're welcome to bring your little friend along too. Is he the small one?" Rue nodded. "Aaaah. Yes, indeed." The old lady winked at her apprentice and wandered over to her miniature version of the flagpole, cunningly crafted so it would portray the time even when the Sun was in.
"Goodness! From what you tell me, you should be at the Pentagon by now! The Second Singer won't be happy if you're late!" Rue gasped and sprinted out into the corridor as fast as she could go on one leg, signing her thanks to Dremon as she left. The old lady chuckled and lay back in her puffy chair, smiling thoughtfully.
*
Rue was indeed late for her therapy. The Second Singer glanced at her and hummed a single pure note of Aushan but then it was forgotten. She was glad the appointment before had overlapped hers and she listened to the Song with interest from outside the door..
It was something similar to Aushan but related to Yehn. She didn't know if it was normal to combine Songs for different effects but it was not one she had heard before. When the Song eventually ceased, dropping to a soft melody and then a hum before stopping altogether, there was some shuffling and the patient was taken away on a stretcher after passing her.
Rue was surprised it was so small, a child of ten or eleven at the most. His eyes were open, revealing them as completely black, like a midnight sky. It was very spooky to see the child just laying there like a dead body. The only clue telling her he was still alive was the steady breathing she could hear, rasping and short. He had short black hair to match his eyes and skin the colour of dusty copper. He was from the Plains.
For some reason, it hurt her to see him like that, stretched out, vulnerable, but she did not doubt the Singers' judgement. This boy deserved that peculiar Song.
When the boy was gone, she was invited inside. The Pentangle was a five-pointed star with a chair at its centre. Five respectable Singers would stand on the points and Sing, the shape amplifying the sounds, like her earthquake. Everything was constructed of bluestone. Although it was intimidating, she thought it was beautiful too. And very powerful.
"Ah, Rue. My silent child. Come in and seat yourself." First Singer Laphie smiled warmly at her and she was instantly happy and calm. She obeyed, nodding her thanks to the five Singers in the room. The First Singer, the Second Singer, Singer Teggi, Singer Imara and another foreign Singer she hadn't seen were all present. Each smiled at her except the foreign one. She was known around the Echorium and liked too.
"So, it is your foot, yes?" Rue bobbed her head. The foreign Singer was inspecting her strangely. He disturbed her. He looked similar to the young boy who had just gone, except his eyes were dull brown, his hair was bright blue, which clashed horribly with his skin, and he was not wearing Echorium clothing as the boy had.that was odd. The boy was wearing Echorium colours.
"Rue, are you listening?" asked the First Singer. Rue nodded in reply. "Good. Then, we shall begin the treatment." In pallet-whispers, the four Singers conferred, excluding the strange man, and allocated themselves positions on the Pentangle. Rue snapped to attention. She knew what to do in therapy. Apparently, it was painful and she would sleep fitfully for days afterwards if it were successful. Focusing her mind on her broken foot, she breathed steadily and persuaded the nervous excitement inside her to calm. All five Singers began to Sing Challa simultaneously, starting at a hum and getting louder.
Rue listened to each of their voices. The Second Singer's was possibly the best of them all: controlled, experienced and firm. The First Singer had a soft, melodic voice that made you settle and drift. It was like the voice of your mother singing you a tune when you are little, although Rue wouldn't know. She just imagined the nannies in the Birthing House singing to her. Singer Imara had a loud voice: confident, like your own when you have conquered a fear. She herself was very young, not much older than Yerwan, and everyone knew she was sister to First Singer Laphie. Singer Teggi had a strange but very vibrant voice, loud and brilliant. If the situation were different, it would have made Rue laugh. Then, finally, the stranger. He had a soft voice but it was hard and cruel to listen to like listening to a child being beaten. Rue didn't like that voice. Even though she knew little about Singing, she felt almost evil rising in this voice. She wondered if the others sensed it too.
Her senses became too dull to think or to listen. She began to drift as the Song reached its peak. Challa was her favourite Song. In her pallet, Jaya was by far the best Singer, destined for a place on the Pentangle. At night, she would sing it gently in her dreams and if Rue couldn't get to sleep herself, Challa helped. It was like an old friend.
After that, nothing was clear. According to Singer Imara, she had fallen off the chair and had to be carried by the Second Singer to her pallet. Her friends were under firm instructions not to wake her at any cost. It did indeed seem like days of sleep had passed before she woke, her head aching unmercifully and all her senses clogged with sleep. The Second Singer was summoned as soon as she was up and he inspected her foot again, to confirm the Challa had been a success. She had just enough strength to answer his questions and then ask some of her own.
Yerwan was there too, as her best friend he had insisted he go to see her with the Second Singer. He kept flicking his eyes towards the cloak but Rue ignored him. She wanted to ask,
"Singer, who was that man at the Pentagon? The foreign man? Was he a Singer?"
Yerwan translated the signs for the Singer and he frowned as he bandaged Rue's foot again with clean linen strips soaked in ointment. "I can't answer that, Rue." And that was all he would say. Rue then went on to another question.
"Why didn't it hurt? The therapy, I mean?" Yerwan translated and Singer Renn smiled.
"It didn't hurt? Well, I'm not surprised. The First Singer does not often Sing for any of her pupils because she is so busy. She makes it her job to stop the pain. You were lucky." The third question was:
"Why aren't you the First Singer, instead of the Second Singer? Meaning no disrespect." At first, Yerwan was reluctant to translate this but Rue persuaded him, telling him that he couldn't be punished and the Second Singer would answer. Slowly, Yerwan translated the third question. The Second Singer looked as if he would not answer, for he had finished bandaging the foot from further harm and was now packing equipment into a small bag. Rue was desperate to keep him there until he had answered.
"I like travelling," he replied, "I have people to meet, places to go and." He hesitated. "Friends outside the Echorium." And with that he left.
*
Although boys were not strictly permitted to go into a girl's pallet, Yerwan stayed there for some time, discussing things with Rue. Rue was pleased that Yerwan, such a rule-abiding person, would break one of them for her. She was glad. Her foot, although the therapy was successful, was not properly healed yet and very stiff and she was to stay in her pallet for the next few days. Sometimes, she wandered if this was done by the Second Singer to deter her from stamping the floor again. It certainly worked.
The awful twins that had started the whole business were still innocent under their superiors but did not dare taunt Rue again. Instead, they satisfied their feelings by giving her dark looks in the corridor, surrounded by other tall female novices. It was very satisfying for Rue.
The Second Singer did indeed give his cloak to Dremon and Rue visited her frequently so they could work on it together. While they sewed the base, Yerwan translated the Singer-script that Singer Renn had given them on parchment so they could sew it on the cloak. It was a long story and it took time to translate it all. Yerwan was not always available at this time and Dremon and Rue had to continue without him. But Rue had so much spare time to fill that she was spending more of her time in Dremon's private pallet than in her own.
One morning, the Second Singer entered the pallet to talk to Dremon. They conversed in pallet-whispers so Rue would not overhear but as soon as he left, the old lady related everything to her.
"The Second Singer is going south. I don't know when exactly but he is going to the Quetzal Forest to meet a friend. He needs his cloak by then, ready and completed. Do you think we will have enough time to finish it by then?"
Rue shrugged. This was definitely important. It was the same friend he was meeting that restricted him from being First Singer. Somehow, she must get on that boat south and meet this friend. She didn't know why but it was like a voice was tugging her from the Echorium into the sea and beyond. Novices never travelled abroad unless under special circumstances. Then again, she wasn't an official novice.
*
Three months later, Rue was stuffing goat-skin tunics into a large leather case, trying to be practical and ignore the soft Echorium clothing, loaned to her by Dremon. She only had a sunstep to go before she would leave and the Echorium was searched. No one apart from Dremon was aware of her plan and she regretted not telling Yerwan. He was one of the few who understood her, and not just through signing either. They had developed a friendship that would never decay over time for they had known each other since infancy. And they also had no other friends between them except Dremon and some kind elders.
Rue peered at the rising tide. It would soon be midday, the arranged time for the departure of Wavesong, the official craft of the Echorium. Orderlies were already beginning to drag cases up the short ramp and into the adjoining cabin for storage. She had already decided that the simplest way to smuggle herself onto the ship was to hide in the last cabin, for she knew there was the Second Singer and seven orderlies travelling on the Wavesong with many crates of supplies. But she had packed her own rations anyway.
Taking the case, she noted it was quite heavy and she needed it to be as light as possible. Pausing to unpack an extra pair of sandals, she trundled the case out into the corridor and stopped. It was in the middle of Singing practice and the eerie melody of Shi drifted past her like heavy perfume. She felt unwelcome tears threaten her eyes and she hurried on, trying to stop the increasing misery rising inside her. By the time she got to the back exit, Rue was nearly bawling her relentless misery to the sky and exposing herself. The orderlies had finished the loading and two were hauling the ramp back in.
Squeaking in despair, Rue watched the Wavesong leave the Isle of Echoes on the dying tide. She realised too late that the Shi had delayed her precious moments. She had taken the long way around.
Determined to get on the ship, Rue backed away from the shore and prepared to run. The ship refused to wait for her and backed away with each moment she hesitated. Eventually, she sprinted along the coast, panting at the speed of her movement. She didn't even know she could run this fast. She put it down to desperation.
Then, she jumped. The momentum continued to propel her through the air at astonishing speed even after she had given up trying. For one awful, sickening second, she thought she was going to smash into the hull of the boat but she landed evenly on both feet in the middle of the deck.
Still recovering from the jump, it took her a moment to review her position. Then she fled from the surprised exclamations coming from below. Irritated stamps and groans could be heard approaching up the stairs nearby. In panic, she skipped lightly into the nearest cabin and shut the door on the light. It was blacker than any night she had ever known in that cabin. Looking around she saw, despite the absence of light, that it was very small. Thinking happily that it was the last cabin, the one she intended to hide in, she was totally vulnerable to the deadly knife that was suddenly poised to slit her throat. Tense and petrified, Rue listened to the shaking voice behind her: "What are.are you d-doing here, in-in- intruder?" It was more of a plea than a question and the knife was trembling. It was a male voice though Rue would have been surprised if he were older than she was. Thinking over the situation, she dropped her case to the floor gently. It made no more than a light thud but the knife flinched, as did the person holding it. She seized the knife by the blade and yanked it out of her opponent's grasp, which was not difficult, before pointing it at the chest.
Through the slivers of light that slipped through the door, Rue could see that her attacker was familiar and very small. She was surprised he could even reach her neck. Putting a finger to her lips, she gestured for her captive to come and sit on the bunk in the corner. He obeyed. A harsh voice called from the deck.
"Hey, boy! You hear anything? Are you alright? Thought there was a thump on deck. Could have been rain or birds."
Rue glared at the boy and he replied quietly.
"I'm fine. I didn't hear a thump." The voice grumbled and shuffled off, calling to his friends, "OK! Just a false alarm! Let's get the Wavesong movin'!"
Rue sighed her relief and swiftly torched the wick of a candle sitting on the small table next to her. In the dim light emitted from it, she looked over the boy's face.
It was Yerwan.
"Rue?! What are you.why are you.?" She clapped a palm over her friend's mouth and motioned to him to be quiet. She was relieved that her attacker was her best friend and not a ruthless pirate that had taken over the Wavesong. Yerwan seemed to think the same.
"I don't understand. How did you get on? Why are you here?" Rue explained clearly and asked him the same questions.
He blushed vividly in the candlelight. "I'm the Second Singer's private escort." Rue stared at him. "He told me I'm really good at Singer- script: translating, reading and writing. He said that I am probably better than he is! There's something he's trying to find and it's written in a mystical language. He thinks that I might be able to help. I don't understand why you wanted to come though."
'I'm curious,' signed Rue, "I want to know about his friend. Looks like we're here together though anyway.'
"But we're going to get in trouble if you stay! If the Second Singer finds you, then.I don't know what will happen. He might chuck you off the ship at the next port!"
'No he won't. If he doesn't find me.'
"But I can't hide you forever."
'As soon as the ship gets too far from the Isle, he won't bother to take me back. Anyway, I've brought my own rations and clothes so I won't be any trouble. I'll do my part in all the chores and stuff. He couldn't refuse!'
"Alright. But I had nothing to do with you, yes?"
'Yes.'
*
Two days later, Rue decided to reveal herself to the Second Singer. She was sick of the candlelit atmosphere in Yerwan's tiny cabin and she hadn't yet ventured outside. Using all the spare courage that she kept for emergencies, Rue plodded outside, temporarily blinded by welcoming sun.
When the Second Singer saw her outside his door, he frowned. "Rue, I know you wanted to come on this trip but you could have asked me. I wouldn't have refused. You could be just as useful as Yerwan if you wanted to be and no, I am not going to abandon you at the next port."
She was so shocked that when the Second Singer stood by the door and asked her to come in, she didn't hear him. But he dragged her inside eventually and she spotted Yerwan squatted on a cushion on the floor. He had told the Second Singer everything.
Because the Second Singer didn't understand her signs, Rue cursed her friend violently using her hands but with a sheepish smile on her face, as if to say 'Hello'. She sat on another cushion and smiled at the Singer while Yerwan wilted miserably. The Second Singer began.
"Far to the East, there is an Isle, similar to ours, except overrun with Quetzal. Quetzal are half-creatures, related to the merlee, centaurs and other legendary creatures. Humans signed a Treaty centuries ago that would prevent half-creatures being exploited - used as slaves. Unfortunately, some half-creatures are not good and loyal as most are. These Quetzals living on the Isle are vicious predators and have decided to build a Central Palace for their cause, using humans as slaves to build it. Some say it is ruled by a human. Our ancestors, who signed the Treaty, assumed that it would work the other way too. But now the cause of these half-creatures is to destroy us humans. Many have attempted to rescue family from the Isle, which has now been named the Isle of Slaves, but they have either been enslaved themselves or murdered. We are not going to fight these horrible creatures but there are caves, underwater, and merlee dwell there. One of the orderlies, Karmera (we call her Karm), can speak to the merlee. It is unusual that one should be able to keep the gift past their teens but." He paused, smiled and continued. ".Karm is our special link to the half-creatures.
"In these underwater caves, there are treasures and mysterious scripts that have never been read. Apparently, they have access to the Khiz- spells of Vengeance. It is not a nice way to retaliate to what they are doing but there is no other way. Recently, the First Singer had been contacting all the Kings within our range who would care that the Treaty was broken just this once so we may be safe. They have agreed to let us be. We are to search the Isle of Slaves for the spells and then deliver them back to the Echorium so we can arrange for the spells to be used. That is all. Any questions?"
Yerwan wiggled his hand in the air irritably, if a little too enthusiastic.
"Yes, Yerwan?"
"Aren't the Khiz evil, Singer? Can we use their spells without turning evil?"
"We can use their spells. Spells are not evil themselves. It just takes an evil person to find them and then they are manipulated. If we are not mistaken, the spells on the Isle of Slaves are pure. This means that they will not react the wrong way when we manipulate them ourselves. Basically, it is like clay. Pure clay can be many types and can be found in many different areas of the world but it can still be manipulated into shapes and figures. If it has already dried and someone else tries to model it, it will crack. Yes?"
Rue gaped at the Second Singer blankly but Yerwan seemed to understand. "Yes, but where did the spells come from?"
"That, no one knows. Some think it is from the core of the earth. Others think that spells are people's feelings combined with solid materials. It is an ancient secret."
Looking disappointed, Yerwan tried another question. "How do you know that the mystical language is Singer-script? Why did you choose me?"
"We don't. It would be helpful if it was but it is probably half- creature language, merlee scratches that even Karm can not translate. But you have proved you are talented in translation, Yerwan. Even if it isn't in Singer-script."
Yerwan beamed. That was the answer he had been hoping to hear. Suddenly, Rue thought of a question and signed it to Yerwan, who related it to the Second Singer.
"Rue says 'Why don't the Quetzals use the spells?', Singer."
"Well, Rue. One reason is that they probably don't know how to use human spells, no half-creatures do, and secondly they don't know the spells exist."
Rue signed urgently to her friend.
"Rue says 'But what if they are ruled by a human, a sorcerer perhaps, who knew how to use spells and what if they know the spells are there; they just aren't using them? What if they are using them as a trap to lure the Wavesong to the Isle?'"
The Second Singer stared at Rue intently. "An interesting observation, Rue. It is possible, I suppose, but we shall have to hope it doesn't happen. Quetzals are not very intelligent but if the rumours are true about a human and they know where the spells are, then we are in great danger."
Yerwan scowled at Rue. She had asked a question that even the Second Singer didn't know the answer to and for that she had earned respect. But he put it behind him and listened to the Second Singer closely, wondering how to get respect from him.
"I am now going to contact the Isle and I want both of you to watch. Please don't interrupt me.
"I am sure you know how I contact the Isle from here. We have covered a few leagues since noon today and the pace has been steady, the weather fine. It shouldn't be difficult to negotiate a link between the First Singer and myself. Watch."
He inhaled deeply through his nose and out through his mouth several times, very slowly, to calm his heartbeat so he could listen. He carefully lifted the bluestone strung about his broad chest over his mass of blue curls and cupped it in his hands. He hummed gently, Challa probably, and settled himself, relaxing all his muscles and closing his eyes. Rue could almost imagine him searching for the waves indicating the Echorium. He seemed to find it and opened his mouth to speak; but then he yelped and collapsed abruptly, leaving the two novices alone in the main cabin with an unconscious Second Singer.
*
Yerwan was fretting. He was fretting like a girl, fidgeting with his fingers, chewing his lip until ulcers appeared and pacing up and down frantically: up and down, up and down, up and down.
Eventually, Rue had had enough and she slapped him over the head with a flat palm. He frowned and continued to worry, still pacing. Rue looked up at the sky, grimaced and snorted. He ignored her.
Karm was the healer aboard the ship. Neither of the two novices knew there was a woman or a healer on board the Wavesong but there was. She was very delicate and slender, like a strange flower. She was probably what most girls wanted to be when they became Singers; very, very attractive but gentle and mysterious. She had a waterfall of ebony hair dripping down her back in large tight plaits, tied with green ribbons. These plaits were managed into another three plaits and that became one. It all looked so complicated, but each morning she drifted from her cabin looking fresh and her hair was modelling another incredible style. It never looked messy either.
Rue envied her this. It wasn't that she was not stunningly attractive or gentle or mysterious or she could not do her hair in all kinds of incredible ways that made the other male orderlies whistle, she just wanted to tame her hair like Karm did every morning. Hers was just a bushy mess of peculiar yellow, like dried straw, that never behaved. She really tried to put it into some sort of nice bun or plaits like Karm but Yerwan only laughed at her.
Karm was also supposed to be intelligent. She had locked herself in with the Second Singer and a huge bag of various herbs. She had asked for some glasses, a cauldron and a ladle to brew something that was supposed to wake him and the orderly who cooked grumbled about it all evening when they were having bread, cheese and cold fish for supper. She claimed he could wake the Second Singer too, with a pail of cold water and a slap. The other orderlies agreed and then they got drunk on a weird fluid called fohl. Yerwan didn't even touch it but Rue tasted it timidly and smiled. She knew that alcohol had consequences so she took mild sips of it to please the giddy orderlies. Even the cook had cheered considerably after the fohl.
Everyone had a severe headache in the morning except Rue. The orderlies had hangovers, the Second Singer had been knocked out the day before, Karm had stayed up through the night mixing a remedy for him (her plaits were still perfect though) and Yerwan had gone to bed early, listened to the drunken orderlies and had bad nightmares about the exaggerated tales of the Isle of Slaves. Rue, under the mild fohl, had slept calmly through the rest of the night. That dawn, she was the only one awake to cook breakfast, toast with melted cheese and pepper with lots of water, and trying to clear the mounting headaches. Karm, before going back to sleep, had instructed her with suitable cures for the headaches but she added cheekily as Rue left that the orderlies didn't deserve anything. Rue grinned.
The ship was mostly stationary that day. Rue did most of the work around the Wavesong, just to keep it clean while everyone was recovering. She discovered that she enjoyed sailing, especially alone, and she thought she had a knack for it. It certainly seemed natural to be steering the vessel, not far, but definitely moving it.
The next day, only Yerwan was still in his bunk, trembling under his sheets like a small child. The rest of the orderlies got on with the work and thanked Rue for organising them the day before. Then there was the usual atmosphere on the ship; the orderlies joking and sniggering, others flirting with Karm, the Second Singer, still vaguely disorientated, yelling commands. Rue herself was silently miming her pleas to help the orderlies, desperate to sail again. Unfortunately, no one understood her. They just stared, smiled awkwardly, patted her on the head and continued their work. She felt like crying. At the darkest moments, she felt like Yerwan was not there on purpose.
Yerwan was feeling extreme resentment towards Rue too. He was frustrated that she had smuggled herself on the Wavesong and then taken over. The Second Singer didn't visit him once. Dismayed at this and angry with his best friend, Yerwan decided to stay in his cabin until Rue apologised for taking his role aboard the ship. He far excelled her in any intellectual task.
But Yerwan's skills were useless when they had set sail. The orderlies were experienced enough in that department and the young novice didn't think it was a problem that he would not be needed on the journey. Unfortunately, he was now desperate to prove himself to the Second Singer.
Rue came to visit often, bringing fresh water and fruit, but Yerwan ignored her and hid under his sheets, moaning and groaning, feigning seasickness. Miserable and misunderstood, Rue was left to wander aimlessly about the ship, knowing Yerwan did not want her company. At night, it was just as lonely. The Second Singer, thinking she was now useful and not just a fugitive, had agreed to give her a private cabin. This cabin was next to Karm's.
Out of habit, Rue woke early to seagulls screeching and wheeling above the Wavesong every morning. In the time spare she had before anyone else was aroused from their slumbers, she tried fiddling with her hair. She studied Karm's often enough to memorise the techniques but she just couldn't do anything with her own tangle of mane. On the fifth morning, she encouraged herself to go and visit Karm in the neighbouring cabin and ask her to help. She knew that Karm was a gentle, kind woman. She would probably agree.
With several clips clutched in her fist, Rue rapped on the wooden door quietly. Hearing footsteps, she had the urge to prance about and then she wondered how she was going to explain her problem. Before she could escape, Karm peered outside. She looked like some sort of Goddess, her head haloed by light. She smiled warmly.
"Good morning, Rue. I didn't expect you so early. Come inside. It's all dewy out there on deck." Rue obeyed and entered the cabin. It was perfect but normal inside. And very, very warm.
She tried signing but it didn't work. Then she tried pointing to various implements on Karm's small table and her tousled head. The healer eventually got the point.
"Oh! You want help with your hair! Of course! I've been dying to ever since I saw you. You're really not making the best of your hair. Now, you have thick, blonde locks. That's quite common but let's punctuate it with something to make it unusual."
For the next few days, Karm coached Rue on how to organise her hair in several styles, simple but effective. Rue nodded eagerly all the time and Karm smiled often. They had many laughs. They became to know each other more and more and in return for her hair-lessons, Rue gave Karm lessons in her own signing. Soon, Karm was almost as educated as Yerwan for she was a quick learner. Eventually, she had learnt more in a fortnight than Yerwan had done in a lifetime.
Secretly, Karm pitied the young girl. Not having the ability to speak was probably very disheartening. Rue managed it well enough but Karm often thought of the advantages of being a mute. There were none.
At breakfast, Karm discussed her young pupil with the other orderlies and showed them basic signs as well. The orderlies listened, for they had also noticed how miserable she was when they couldn't understand her. Yerwan was completely unaware that nearly the whole crew could communicate in Rue's own language because he was submerged in a sulky, reproachful mood against her.
Rue still visited him but by now knew that he was not seasick. The orderlies told her that seasickness passed in a matter of days, even in severe cases. Yerwan had been in his cabin for over a fortnight.
Rue entered his cabin, signed an enthusiastic 'Good Morning' and deposited a tray carefully by his bed nearly every dawn when he woke. When she was busy doing something, an orderly would do it. Yerwan sniffed and turned over, hugging the sheets to him, nearly every time Rue came in. Rue was so sad that she cried at night, sobbing into her pillows and saturating them with tears. To comfort herself, she would practise doing her hair but Karm usually heard her and sat down on her bunk, hugging her and calming her. Rue was so thankful to the crew now that she tried to please them in every possible way. They were her true friends.
One morning, an orderly called Gelfan wriggled up the mast to peer out at the horizon. After inspecting it for some time, he yelled, "LAND OVER EAST, MATES! THAT'S SOUTHPORT ALRIGHT!" The whole crew cheered briefly before starting to prepare the Wavesong for full-sail. The deck was in turmoil with orderlies running about everywhere. Rue decided to hide until the rush was over for she knew she would only get in the way. She slithered into her cabin and closed the door against the excited shouts from Gelfan and his friends. She lit a candle, illuminating all the looming shadows, and listened to her friends outside happily. They were finally at Southport, their destination.
Then it occurred to her that she had no basic skills that she could use on the trip. She was completely useless off the ship. What would the Second Singer do with her then? She tried not to think about it.
Then, deep beneath the Wavesong, Rue detected voices, shrill and eerie voices, a chorus of them.
Daughter of stone-winger help! Shoal father in danger! Humans capture, cut, tear.
Instead of hearing the words, Rue almost felt them, felt them happening. She yelped but the urge from the voices pulled her to the sea. She ran from the cabin to the deck and leant over the sturdy barrier keeping her from the sea. Staring into the waves urgently, she listened as hard as she could to the voices and tried to contact them again.
Help, daughter of stone-winger! Stone-swimmers need help! Shoal father.
The voices stopped momentarily. Rue tried to find them again but they greeted her instead with wails and panicked shrieking that reverberated around her temples. It was horrible. Without thinking, she clambered onto the side and leapt into the writhing seas.
Instinctively, she drew breath before the freezing water flooded her senses with terrible cold. The bitter chill was surprising but she didn't care now. The wailing was amplified and it completely shocked her. Realising what she was doing, Rue struggled to reach the surface. But then she saw a face.
It had huge despairing eyes and willowy clumps of hair streaked across it, floating in the currents. The creature was bright green. Although the sight was strangely beautiful and emotional, Rue panicked and propelled herself through the water using her long, gangly limbs. But firm hands clasped her ankle and yanked her back down persuasively. The voices surrounded her in even more frightening detail.
Rue motioned to her chest and throat desperately. It the creatures kept her down, she would die from her own stupidity. She could see hundreds of them now; the larger intimidating males with their smaller, lean females and their tiny young flitting about like swallows in spring. They're beautiful, she thought. One female had a firm hold on her ankle and was looking expectantly up at her.
Her lungs began to ache. The creatures would drown her if they kept her under any longer. It seemed that she had been underwater for years. Panic settled in her gut and she screamed desperately in her head, LET ME GO! I'LL DROWN! I'LL DIE! PLEASE, I CAN'T HELP YOU. The creatures stared at her shockingly and the female released her so abruptly that she hovered underwater, unsure of what to do. We understand, they wailed, and, with several flaps of their beautiful, twinkling tails, they dived, light reflecting off their multicoloured scales. Rue watched as they departed and felt an overwhelming pang of sadness despite her agitation to be set free. Her organs shrieked and the panic seeped through her again. Kicking furiously, she reached the surface just as her lungs surrendered. She was so exhausted that for several blissful moments, she just lay on her back on the water and savoured the welcoming oxygen like her favourite food.
When she had recovered enough to contact her senses, Rue heard anxious yells and sobs above her. Her eyes flicked open and the yells increased in volume. She saw vague misty figures leaning over her and clouds and pale sky. Hands reached down to grab her and for one awful second, they reminded her of the creatures below. Suddenly, she was desperate to get out of the water. She grabbed the hands, which lifted her clear of the sea and onto the deck. Heaving and choking up bitter salty water, she sprawled mercifully on the wooden planks, gladness replacing the panic. Before she could stop it, darkness claimed her and she tumbled into an endless hole of blackness.
*
When she returned to consciousness, black silhouettes loomed over her. She could still hear sobbing. It was very irritating. She opened her eyes and frowned. Feeling suspiciously refreshed, she located familiar faces. Karm, Gelfan, the Second-Singer and the rest of the crew were there. Delighted, they hugged her one after the other but she was too weak to return the hugs. Voices and shouts of relief filled the enclosed space she was laying in. Karm's gentle voice joined them.
"Everyone! Give her some space! We don't know how long she was underwater. She needs to clear her lungs. So can everyone leave except the Second-Singer, Yerwan and myself. Please!"
The voices obeyed. The silence frightened her although she was grateful to Karm for getting rid of the noise. She focused her sight at Karm's face and listened.
"Rue. Rue, what happened?" Rue signed her response: 'I was about to ask you the same question.'
Yerwan exploded with exhausted worry and agitation. "I'll tell you what happened! Rue, you almost died! You jumped off the rail and into the sea and you just went under. I saw you, rushed over and I couldn't see you! You were under for ages, bubbles rising and.and figures moving around and.I was so scared, Rue!" He leapt on her, hugging her fiercely with a strength she didn't even know he had. Startled but relieved, she hugged him back and realised they were both crying unashamedly.
"Oh, Rue! I'm sorry, I really am! I'm sorry I was so horrible to you! You didn't deserve it, you were always nice to me! And I.I.I wanted all the attention and you were always with the Second Singer. I thought I was the really intelligent one! But I've behaved so badly.you were always the clever one really. Just because I could read Singer-script. I got all jealous and hid away.I'm really sorry!"
Rue signed desperately that she forgave him and she understood for her friend was swiftly suffocating her with fierce hugs. Karm gently prised him away.
Although Rue was very breathless, she was touched by the extraordinary outburst of emotions from her friend and utterly relieved. After Yerwan had calmed down, Karm explained everything to her.
"Well, from what we saw on deck, you just rushed from the cabin and flung yourself overboard - with quite an impressive jump, I might add." She smiled comfortingly." Yerwan came out because we were deliberately depriving him of breakfast so he came and got his own." Yerwan glanced down ashamedly, painfully remembering the memory. "And he screamed you were overboard. Some went and got ropes but Yerwan leapt after you, straight into the water, and went under to try and find you. He kept coming up but he couldn't find you. Eventually, you came up on your own. You just floated and everyone thought you were dead, just floating there. Then your eyes opened and then we knew you were dead. But Yerwan pulled you up a rope onto the deck. Then you fainted." She leaned in and stared at Rue's face. "What happened down there?"
Rue explained; about the voices, the green people, the female clinging to her ankle, the huge, emotional eyes, how she could communicate through her mind, how they let her go.everything. It was difficult with hand signals but she managed. Yerwan, with wet, tousled hair and a thick towel wrapped around him, watched from a corner. When Rue had finished, he whispered one word:
"Merlee."
"It does seem so, doesn't it?" Seeing that Rue didn't understand, Karm expalined about the merlee.
"The merlee are half-creatures, some call them mer-people. They are a combination of a human torso and head with the tail of a fish. There are several gifted Singers and some orderlies who can communicate with them, like myself and you. Unfamiliar to it, you were taunted underwater by their voices. They have that strange quality. These are the creatures that will help us find the underwater caves and the Khiz-spells of Vengeance. I'm sure the Second-Singer has told you of this.
"I shall also confess a secret that only few know: the Second-Singer is my brother. He never had the gift, even a mild one when he is young, but he had the intelligence to help me with my gift. So now I have mastered it. If you were wondering, I can also communicate with centaurs, but not quetzals. Their species is solitary and secretive. They wouldn't talk to anyone even if they could." She glowered at the air over Rue's head. "I didn't know you had the gift."
'Neither did I,' mimed Rue. "But I thought Singers didn't know their relations, or weren't supposed to."
She ignored the question. "I shall teach you to use your gift because it can be dangerous, as you have just experienced. If you are feeling alright, then I shall start now. The sooner you reach understanding of the merlee the better."
Yerwan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking sheepish. Karm glanced at him. "You can stay, Yerwan. A little background education wouldn't hurt."
Karm began to relate everything she knew about half-creatures to her two attentive pupils, her eyes shining. Rue and Yerwan had not heard of this information before because it was the bits they hadn't learnt in the Echorium, the bits they weren't allowed to learn. So they absorbed it like dry sponges and in those few sunsteps, Rue learnt more than she had in an entire year at the Echorium. She was grateful for it.
In this time, Karm slapped a hot, gooey balm on Rue's brow and waited for it to seep in. Then, she asked the cook for some refreshments and they sat there. Rue detected a particularly bitter seasoning in her portion but decided not to complain. It was probably something medicinal.
Karm left them alone to talk after the refreshments, knowing that they probably wanted to talk. At first, they were both shy. Eventually, Yerwan squeaked, "Was it scary, down there? With the merlee?"
Rue tried to explain the wonderful but awful emotions she felt when she was with the merlee but it didn't work with her hands. There was another silence. And then Yerwan began to apologise again.
"I'm really sorry, Rue. I was so horrible to you. You are the kindest person I've ever met and all I cared about was getting the Second Singer's respect."
'But you did care for me when I stupidly jumped off the ship!' signed Rue.
"That wasn't the same. You might've died. You were under for so long I thought you had died. I was a coward. I didn't want to go any deeper than the surface. I hadn't swum before."
'It takes great courage to leap into a mass of really deep sea when you haven't swum before, Yerwan, even after your best friend. We are still friends, aren't we?'
"Yes! Please. If you aren't too mad at me."
'How long was I under, by the way?"
"About an eighth of a sunstep?"
'WHAT? I couldn't have been under that long.'
"You were, Rue! We thought you were dead!"
'But it couldn't have been that long. Honestly! I was under for a few minutes, at the most.'
"No, you weren't! I swear by the echoes, Rue, I'm not lying! Ask anyone on the ship! Anyone!"
They were interrupted by a huge roar from the deck which could only be Gelfan. "DRAWIN' INTO PORT, CREW! EVERYONE TO DECK!"
They scurried outside, Rue clutching some peculiar pastilles to chew to keep sickness away. Karm had given them to her. As soon as she stepped outside, a crowd of orderlies almost squashed her to death, asking frantically whether she would be alright. She signed several times that she was fine and there were relieved cheers and warm hugs from everyone. She didn't realise what she meant to the crew.
After the young mute had been thoroughly hugged, the two friends marched ceremoniously down into the port from the ship with the rest of the crew. Looking around, all they saw were local people and some merchants, all dressed in orderly fashion. Rue glanced at Yerwan and saw the dramatic contrast between the people and her friend. The people were tall and loud, with a rough and crude appearance and a good copper tan. Yerwan was small, pathetic and pale in his blue Echorium robes and sandals. By one glance you could tell he was an educated foreigner.
Some of the orderlies skipped off into the vast crowds to visit friends in the buildings lining the port and soon it was just Rue, Yerwan, Karm and the Second Singer left. Now Rue knew they were related she could see a vague similarity between them. It was very odd.
The Second Singer instructed them to stay close to him while Karm asked for directions. Yerwan obeyed hurriedly but Rue was desperate to explore that store over in the corner with exotic fruits with names branded on signs that she had never even heard of and that one over there with funny dolls crafted from timber with straw for hair and the one on the left with a broad man wearing barely anything yelling about some sort of sport.
"Where are we going, Singer?"
"We have contacts, Yerwan. We just need to know where they live. They are going to support us during the quest for they are some who feel the strongest resentment towards the Isle of Slaves. Some have lost family to those barbaric quetzals and they want to help."
"But what could they do though, Singer? They're only mainlanders," persisted Yerwan, with noticeable pride. The Second Singer frowned.
"In this part of the world, Yerwan, mainlanders are much more powerful than us."
Not understanding this statement, he began to ask more questions while Rue looked eagerly around, not paying any attention. She craved to investigate the port and all the colourful stalls. It was so interesting, so vivid, so exciting. She could feel the current of mainlanders bashing against her like a tide and she saw a merchant produce an amethyst necklace from behind his stall and exchange it for some sparkling coins. There were two large circles, one inside the other, chalked on the gritty cobbled street a small distance away from her. There were dozens of mainlanders crowded round, shouting and cheering. Forgetting the Second Singer's warning, she loped over to the rings and crawled between the many tanned thighs until she had a good view of what was happening. Squatting in the dust, she watched.
There were two large, brawny farmers brawling in the circles. One had a bright red ribbon tied around each wrist the other blue ribbons. Wearing barely anything but a cloth around their broad waists, they flailed their feet and curled their hands into fearsome fists and punched and kicked at their opponent. The red man was losing the competition although both were gasping and bleeding. Exhausted, the red man eventually succumbed to the blue and collapsed. The blue supporters in the crowd whooped and whistled piercingly and their man was carried away on their shoulders. The red man was left sprawled on the ground and any red supporters slipped away sulking.
Only one woman stayed to pick up the remains of her husband and scorn him for losing. The man looked miserable, bloodied and very tired. Despite her shock at the cruel, pointless display of violence, Rue pitied the man. He was significantly smaller than the blue man was, she could see it now. The woman was struggling to tip the contents of a gourd between her man's lips. Rue crawled forward and gently angled the man's head forward so the water was directed down his throat. The liquid dribbled down his chin with trails of perspiration.
"Silly man. You knew he had the advantage! Why can't you let him be? Him and his kin are no good, I tell you. If you had listened to the thousand times I've said you were no match for that man, then."
"I can beat him!" spluttered the poor man but his wife wouldn't listen.
"Kristar might be our neighbour, but he is no friend! You are so selfish! Showing our family up like that. Each time you lose, the more undeserved respect goes towards that ass and his cursed wife.thankyou, my child. I wouldn't help such a stranger, if I were you though! An idiot has not been seen yet in this world like my man!" She peered at her face. "Is something wrong? Why do you stay silent?"
Reluctant to release any information about herself, Rue hurriedly shook her head and ran over to the Second Singer. He had watched her throughout the fighting.
"What do you think you were doing?" he growled. "Mainlanders can be treacherous, difficult, and especially sly. That common woman could have snatched you away to some place where we would never find you! And you are valuable, Rue. Valuable to us. I would have brought you back if it weren't for my identity. They would see you were someone special then." After a long harsh lecture, Rue joined Yerwan and trailed after their elders to each merchant, asking for directions to a foreign place. It took most of the morning to completely scour the port for information and return to the ship unsuccessful and weary. The Second Singer was hissing darkly and snapped at anything that was said. Karm just looked tired.
As they were about to clamber aboard the Wavesong, the wife of the red man approached them.
"Excuse me, Singer. But I have heard you were looking for the Counticus Jeremia. I know where he has his place. I could show you for we are travelling there tonight to avoid the bandits." She winked at Rue. "I could take you there, just yourself and the little maid, if you would heal my husband with your magical Songs of Power. He has been fighting again and he is in a bad way."
The Second Singer seemed reluctant to agree with the terms. "Well, madam. There are several reasons that your offer might not be appropriate. The first is that it requires five trained Singers for therapy and the use of a Pentangle. The second is that I intend to bring my crew to the Counticus so simply showing me is a waste of my valuable time. The third is that I do not trust strangers, especially with my safety. And fourthly, I do not go anywhere without a guard, in fear of my skills being exploited, and no girl can be a strong, reliable guard." He marched up the plank, blue curls swaying in the light sea breeze. Yerwan followed him, trying to match his walk and poise. Karm scowled at the receding figure of her brother.
"Forgive him, madam. He is in a bad way himself and has been for a long time." Rue smiled. "I don't think I can be much help if it is Song you are seeking but I know some common healing techniques that might work. Not magical but natural. If you are willing to take me to the Counticus instead of that stubborn excuse for a Singer, then I shall indeed be glad to help. I am a trained healer." Rue was astonished at Karm's defiance of the Second Singer but glad that she did not have to spend one more day on the Wavesong than necessary. When Karm asked her if she wanted to come, all she could do was nod to show how grateful she was.
*
Rue learnt gradually that the woman was named Luania and her husband Farsu. They were farmers of the northern plains at Drowned Man's head, a desolate desert of bitter shrubs and hot winters. Apparently, it was good for growing pears. Although Rue didn't know what pears were, she listened to the conversation and assisted Karm with the healing process. It was true that Farsu was in a very bad way. It seemed that his nose was permanently damaged due to a combination of many broken bones and many battles. His leg was bad too and Karm had to 'operate' on it. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Karm sliced his flesh open and inserted some fresh herbal compounds and, although Farsu was drugged heavily with sleeping stuff, Rue could see him twitch every time Karm tweaked a nerve.
Luania had to be dragged outside so she could stop screaming. She screamed that Karm was a murderer and she regretted ever letting her in her home. Rue could only restrain her and make shushing noises to calm her down. But every half-sunstep, she would launch into a new explosion of screams. It took most of Rue's strength to keep her seated for the rest of the evening.
When Farsu's leg was splinted and his nose covered in a complex bandage, they sat in the back of a cart while Luania coaxed their stubborn mule up a hill. In the back of the cart, there were some of the fruit she called pears. Rue munched on one happily as the mule trudged reluctantly up the hill, admiring the sweet sugary substance beneath the skin compared to the soggy vegetables they received at the Echorium. Karm seemed relaxed and willing to tell Farsu everything about the Echorium and their journey. When she reached the episode with the merlee, she decided it was time for another lecture on half-creatures and she invited Farsu and Luania to listen. They were both intrigued.
Then it was time for fohl, a substance she recognised. Still cautious of it, she sipped it in small doses, noticing that Karm continued to fill Farsu's gourd repeatedly until he was snoring. Rue asked why.
"Although fohl can usually do nothing good to a body, it is surprisingly healing when the body suffers injuries like this one has." She glanced at Farsu and the silhouette of Luania arguing with the mule against a pearly moon and perfect sky. Content, Rue began to feel the effects of the fohl herself and, before she even knew it, she was walking the corridors of dreams.
*
It was dawn before she awoke. The mule was still plodding placidly up the steep hill, which had grown considerably since the night before. Rue could now see it was a mountain they were climbing with broad pathways eroded into the side. Luania must have done something severe to tame the obstinate mule up the mountain.
Farsu was still slumbering peacefully on the sacks of pears, covered by an empty one. Karm was seated up front with Luania. They were talking cheerfully. The girl prodded Karm between the shoulder blades and jumped beside her. Startled, the healer turned round instinctively and saw Rue grinning.
"Oh. So you're up now. It's nearly noon, you know! And we need you for the next bit."
Luania felt around behind her while still controlling the mule. She thrust an aged parchment at Karm who showed Rue.
"This is a map of the Quetzal Forest. I know what you're thinking. We are going to the Isle of Slaves and I can tell you that Counticus Jeremia lives on the banks of the Black River, near River Meet, down south. We're going to the Quetzal Forest because Luania says she has something that could help us: an ancient species of half-creature, the naga, has now moved to the Quetzal Forest and has observed the behaviour of the quetzals there. She has also visited the Isle of Slaves. She could tell us a lot." She guided Rue's gaze with her finger, northeast to the source of the Red-River and off down a minute stream to the centre of a huge forest. "We shall be taking a boat into this lake, here." She paused to indicate the lake. ".This lake is called the Nasiacorttquos. In old Horselord times, the name meant 'Home of Serpent-People' and we assume the 'Serpent-People' are the naga. There used to be a great many half-creatures around the Purple Plains and the Western Sea but our ancestors could only save the remaining few with the Treaty - you remember the Half-creature Treaty, yes? - The mainlanders captured them, killed them and traded some of their valuable body parts for good money. It took some persuading to stop them.
"Anyway, the naga were affected most by the slaughter. They were believed to have legendary powers and any that possessed even a scale from the creature would have eternal luck. This was nonsense, of course. But the most gullible of men sought them and nearly destroyed there species. Naga live for a long time, several centuries, in fact. They have the knowledge that could help us stop the quetzal on the Isle of Slaves."
After she had caught up with the explanation, Rue questioned Karm as to how she could help, for Karm herself could communicate with half- creatures. Karm shook her head.
"You forget that I am part of a pentad, Rue. I am trained to protect the Second Singer so I have been here before. Maybe not in these areas but I have tried to talk with the naga before. They can't understand me. They will probably understand you."
'How do you know?' she asked.
"I just do." For the rest of the day, Karm continued to lecture Rue on the naga and the merlee whilst tending to Farsu and his injuries. The mule, Obstik, was calm and obedient from then on. Eating pears, the party travelled until dark settled on the mountain and an opaque mist seeped around them mysteriously. Obstik lost his nerve and began to complain and stop occasionally. Everyone was tense, even Farsu in his condition. If Obstik strayed too near the edge they would all scream and Luania would jerk on the reins and guide him back to the path. Staying close to the mountain, Farsu squinted at a map through the fog and tried to direct Luania to a safe place where they could rest.
They were all exhausted and damp from the mist to watch anything closely. Even Obstik was wandering and no one stopped him. To Rue's horror, she was the only one awake nearly a sunstep after dark. Luania nodded and swayed, letting the reins gradually slither away from her hands. Rue squeaked and lurched forward, trying to catch the reins. Obstik grunted as she caught them and tugged them abruptly back. In surprise, he trotted to the right and collided with the mountain. Something shattered beneath the cart, the wheels collapsed and the whole timber structure tilted precariously. Pears bounced around the path and dropped over the edge in their dozens.
Rue tumbled off the cart and attempted to gather the pears into their sacks again but they just kept toppling off the edge, cavorting in the air briefly and disappearing into the layers of mist before she could catch any. She could now here distant thuds as the pears splattered in the forest below. Squeaking despairingly, Rue shook Karm vigorously to try and wake her with one hand and steered Obstik away from the edge with the other.
Obstik snorted and thumped the ground with his large, powerful hooves, unfamiliar to his new inexperienced handler. With a roar, he trotted swiftly to the left and accidentally plunged over the edge with another flood of pears.
Rue knelt among the pears and sobbed. All of Farsu's lovely pears springing off the mountain in torrents and now his mule! Every time she blinked, the scene replayed in her mind. Before she could pull herself together enough to see that the cart was being dragged slowly after Obstik, she too was tumbling off the mountain with all the pears. A plump, very hard fruit thumped her on the skull as she fell and she remembered nothing after that. Everything was dim and vague but she was sure it wasn't just the mist.
*
It was painful to open her eyes when she flooded back to consciousness. She was limp and fragile, but she felt comfortably slumped on something soft and bouncy that seemed weightless. She was back in her cabin on the ship and none of the awful episode on the mountain had ever happened. She had just followed the Second Singer back to the Wavesong and slept through the night.
Happy and relaxed, Rue shifted position in her sheets and prepared to fall asleep again. But a relentless cramp in her neck stopped her. Then her left leg began to twitch and ache. Her entire torso began to throb next and soon it was impossible to lie still for a matter of seconds without something hurting. Irritated, she pushed herself out of bed and began to walk towards the door. But no floor met the soles of her feet. Instead, she began to tumble down again. Assuming it was another nightmare, she flicked open her eyes and tried to shake herself out of it. She saw random streaks of green and brown, like bad soup. It wouldn't go away.
Now she was scared. Silently screaming to her lungs capacity and cart wheeling in the air, she fell. Then something did meet her, so abruptly that she couldn't feel anything after the impact. Nothing was as hard as that something. No floor was that hard.
After a few minutes of reconnecting everything in her body with her senses, she stirred. She hadn't felt such agony since she had deliberately stamped her anger on the floor at the Echorium and her foot had 'snapped'. It was so painful that she refused herself and lay there for another few minutes. She thought she could lay there forever.
Eventually, everything began to twinge painfully again. Rue slowly clambered to her feet, feeling unstable and giddy. She sat down again and checked that nothing was broken or sprained. To her relief, it seemed nothing serious had occurred during her fall. She looked up and gasped.
Above her, a solid roof of foliage layered the dark skies until only small beams of moonlight sprinkled the forest floor. The canopy was so high above her that she was temporarily shocked that anything could stand that tall. She couldn't believe that such flimsy trunks could hold the huge mass of leaves and endless branches sweeping across the sky. The shock was helped by the fact she had never actually stood in a forest before, because she was used to the beach, wind and sea.
The past began to return to her, not unlike how she had recovered from the merlee incident. Miserable, she inspected the debris of cart littering the floor and all the squashed pears. Taking a mildly squashed one, she absentmindedly chewed it and pondered on what to do. What worried her most was that she couldn't see any of her friends, Luania, Farsu or Karm. It scared her badly.
She anxiously thought back to when she had fallen, barely awake and still thinking she was on the Wavesong. She remembered something soft and comforting, like cushions, and a weird smell. After thinking for some time, she realised she must have been resting on the canopy, unbalanced herself and plunged to earth yet again. She gazed upwards and winced. It was a huge drop from the lumps of leaf overhead but the trees had saved her and her friends so she should be grateful. She silently thanked them.
She thought of how to get them down, surprisingly calm. It was probably that she was in enough trouble that it couldn't get any worse. The only logical thing to do was climb up the nearest tree and carry them down separately.
Her first attempt was unsuccessful. She simply tumbled down the tree and got even more bruised than before. Her second was easier and she just managed to save herself from another direct fall by grabbing onto twigs as she dropped like a rock past the flimsy trunks. Her third was even worse. But she managed to reach the canopy on her fourth effort and locate each of her friends laid peacefully in the branches. Then she had to get them down. From the dizzy heights of the canopy, Rue surveyed the landscape before her. The peaks of the forest, like a green floor below her, continued to dominate the land for several miles in each direction. There was just a sliver of aquamarine on the horizon to suggest that the coast could be nearby. The treacherous mountain loomed threateningly as usual. But it seemed safer at its huge base.
Still considering how to get everyone down, Rue contemplated on the situation. There was no possible way in their current position to reach Counticus Jeremia in the next few days. There were usually remote coastal villages fishing for trade around every few miles by the sea. If they were lucky, there might be one around. Then they could get help. She also yearned to see the ocean again. She didn't know why.
She carefully scrambled over to Karm. Apart from a few grazes, she seemed unharmed. Relieved but cautious, she began to carry her down. Rue held her limp body with knees slung over one arm and arms over the other. This way, she could still use her hands to clamber down.
She was exceedingly surprised at how easy it was. Although she was petrified of slipping, it seemed that she manage Karm's weight effortlessly. And it wasn't just that Karm was slim.
She descended the tree in pure stiff terror which didn't help her climbing abilities. When she finally reached the bottom, Karm was murmuring and recovering rapidly. She deposited her in the splintered remains of the cart and nudged her gently, blowing on her face. Karm muttered again before tenderly opening her eyes and massaging her temples. Joyous, Rue tried to explain but she just waved her away.
"Not now, Rue. I can't think. Can you bring me a pear, please?" Hurt, Rue plodded around and discovered a collection of good pears under one of the trees. After faithfully dropping some pears into her lap, she watched Karm suck the moisture from a few and gnaw on the skin, juice escaping from her mouth and down her chin. Relaxed and settled, she began to talk.
"What happened, Rue? Where are we, where's the cart and where's Luania and Farsu?"
Ashamedly, Rue related the story and answered Karm's questions. She was preparing for a good scolding. And she knew she deserved it.
"Oh well. It was an accident. But I don't know what we can expect from Farsu. We've practically destroyed everything: his cart, his trade, and we don't even know where Obstik is. It's a bit of a disaster, isn't it, Rue?"
Rue protested vividly that it was her fault entirely and she should be punished. Karm smiled sleepily.
"That's very honourable, Rue, but I'm sure they'll understand. They're good people and these aren't the days when masters thrashed their slaves." She leant forward and clasped Rue's tearful face in her soft, warm hands. "Anyway, I'm not your master and you're not my slave." She paused and relaxed. "If you really are feeling honourable, scout around for some water, a small stream would do."
Rue asked about Luania and Farsu. Karm soothed her and assured her they would be fine until she had enough strength to help. Rue jogged into the forest on a quest for water.
She listened to the sound of the forest. It was sunrise. Little cheerful swallows were cavorting like the children of the merlee in the bright skies. Slowly, the animals stirred and the nocturnal creatures retreated to their homes, away from the sun. Rue thought happily that she could grow to like the forest. It was a very musical place, with the birds chorusing and the leaves nudging each other and conversing in soft whispers. It was like the First year's laughter as they rolled around on the beach on sunny days.
She did find a stream. It wriggled out from under a huge rock like a serpent and continued to wriggle until it stopped at a huge lake. Rue was very surprised to sea the huge lake. She wondered if it was possible that it could be Nasiacorttquos, the home of the naga. She shook her head. It couldn't be.
She tasted the water in the lake and discovered that it was clean and thoroughly refreshing. It was like the sweetest dessert to her lips. As she knelt greedily by the lake and slurped the water from her cupped palms, she received a distinct feeling that something was nearby. Flicking her head up and searching the forest around the lake, Rue noticed a figure between the trunks. Waving frantically, she approached it, smearing the water around her mouth with her sleeve. The creature darted away with surprising agility.
Rue pursued it in a wide circuit around the lake, exercising her stiff muscles. It seemed to wait for her behind trees until she noticed it and then dart on. She thought this suspicious. She wished she could shout something threatening to make it stop because she knew it couldn't be an animal, even a deer. She could see the silhouette of a human head on it's shoulders when light forced it's way through the compact spaces between the trees.
Eventually, she stopped exhausted. The thing was too darn fast for her. Disappointed but very tired from the chase, Rue didn't realise the thing had stopped in front of her until the last moment before it escpaed again. It was very close. As it tried to sprint away, she snatched it's wrist and yanked it back. It whinnied and moaned and protested. 'Oh no you don't!' she yelled triumphantly, or rather tried to in her head. 'I've got you now!'
'Twohoof please let go! Won't play any no more!' It panicked frantically, thrashing her shins with accurate kicks from dozens of legs. She squeaked. 'No! Stop!' she screamed. She collapsed on the loamy forest floor, breathing heavily. She hurt so much around her legs that she wasn't even sure they were there. The feeling there was distorted .It gave a few more blows as she lay there in defeat. Then it stopped.
'Twohoof well?' it enquired. There was possibly a note of worry in their voice. She thought it was a stupid question to ask after it had just kicked her senseless but she lay there, muttering in her head. 'That hurt, oh, HURTING! Leave me alone, you great leggy rabbit! How many legs have you got, anyway? Ten!'
'Four. And Sord not rabbit! Sord centaur!' There was pride this time. It took a little thinking for Rue to catch up and realise that the creature could understand her. She was struck with immense excitement. Something could understand her? Even if it was dumb, it still could.
'Can you understand me?' Rue asked slowly in her head, hoping she hadn't lost the ability to communicate already. She had her eyes closed and her face pressed into the leaf litter but she could hear it still, clearly.
'Yes. Course Sord understand. Twohoof one of centaurs. Didn't know?'
'What? Centaurs don't exist. And I'm not a centaur.' Now she was really puzzled.
'But you talk Herd. Why twohoof talk Herd if not centaur?'
'I don't know! I haven't got four legs, have I?' There was a pause, as if the 'centaur' was inspecting her legs. 'You are really twohoof.but you no kick! You.Sord don't understand.'
'Yeah, well, if you're being nice then could you just help me up? You kicked most of the life out of me.'
To her surprise, a small clammy hand tugged her to her feet. She looked at the sprightly creature and automatically felt like keeling over again. It was a centaur. It had four thin legs, like a horse, and a human torso sprouting weirdly from where it's neck should have been. It was coloured lilac with a round, gaunt face like a young boy. It was smaller than she had expected. But it was still very scary to see something so strange, which such huge eyes.
'Sorry Sord kick twohoof. Centaur instinct.' It was obvious that the centaur was just and infant. He stumbled over the word 'instinct' although Rue thought it could have been his queer accent.
'I didn't think centaurs existed.but.you must be a centaur. What else could you be?' The two species looked at each other warily, not sure about each other.
'Don't speak twohoof speak! Sord no understand strange twohoof when twohoof speak long funny twohoof! Speak Herd. You centaur! Sord know!'
'I'm not a centaur! Just because I can speak with you doesn't mean I'm your species! And I'm not strange, you are!'
'Sord normal centaur! Twohoof.well.twohoof! Twohoof strange.'
'I'm not strange! Shuttup!' The two scowled menacingly, each understanding little about the other. Rue decided to stop arguing and try and calm things down. She didn't want to repeat the strange kicking section of their conversation.
'Sorry. I suppose we are just different. That's why we don't understand each other. I'm Rue, a human. And you're Sord, yes?'
Sord's huge scary eyes glared at her. 'Suppose. Yes.'
'You can kick well. Very hard too.' Rue decided to lower her vocabulary when talking to Sord. It seemed he was very young.
Sord looked proud and he stamped and twirled his sleek black tail.
'Sord champion kick! See flying snake!' He flailed his two fore hooves while balancing skilfully on his hind legs. Rue was impressed.
'Wow! What else can you do? Kicks, I mean.'
'Errr.snake.' He demonstrated. 'Flying snake. Hare. Double hare. And Dragonfly.' He performed each one and waited to see Rue's expression. Rue grinned and nodded each time. Sord's pride seemed to swell.
'Canyon! Canyon use for Herdstones! Crack mountainside and Herdstone fall out! Can't proper Canyon yet. Not big enough.' At this he seemed miserable. But he soon perked up again and showed her an impressive Canyon attempt. She could feel the rock beneath her tremor disturbingly. This got her thinking. Sord knelt like a horse would do and watched her.
'What do twohoof do? Any kick?'
'No. We don't kick. We.use our hands mostly.' She held her palms out and explained. 'We use our hands for lots of things. We write and work things and.um.' She was desperately trying to match Sord's display but it didn't work. 'Twohooves do nothing really. But we use technology!'
'Tequwanollooogee.'
'Yes! Something like that. Um.like this!' She produced some knitting needles and thread from her Echorium clothes and began to prepare the knitting. 'See! You pull this through here.like that.and then this loop.like that.and.there! Stitches.'
Sord looked incredulously at the beginning of her knitting. 'What it do? Kill animal like twohoof sharps?' Rue bowed her head. 'I've never used anything sharp like that. Never want to. It's horrible and gruesome. I'd never understand if a.twohoof killed another creature.'
'But twohoof not creature. Centaurs creature. Animals creature. But twohoof not creature. Twohoof barbacy.'
'Humans are not barbaric! And we are creatures! We just.misunderstand other creatures. Here, look!' She seized Sord's slender lilac hand and compared it to her own. He visibly flinched. 'See! We are not that different. Except you have four legs and we have two! I will agree, some twohoofs are barbaric but some aren't. I would never kill and animal. Or you. '
She realised that she was still holding his hand after the speech and she released it embarrassed. Sord was looking thoughtfully at her. 'Show Sord what them do,' he asked quietly, pointing to the knitting needles. For hours, the two young creatures compared their lives, like Rue had compared their hands, while she knitted. Her knitting got quite long by the time they ran out of conversation. By then she thought of Karm, still lying in the forest amid the cart. She thought of something suddenly. 'Do you have anything like a gourd? Something you carry water in? Anything?' Sord shook his head. 'Oh. Well, here.' She finished her knitting with a few knots and passed it to Sord. 'We call it a scarf. It keeps the cold out. You wear it round your neck, see?' She looped it round his neck and he smiled. 'Great twohoof gift! Sord keep forever! Thankyou.'
'Thankyou to you too.' And they departed from the forest in separate directions, each thinking solemnly about the other and wondering whether they would ever meet again.
*
After her strange conversation with Sord, Rue forgot to sign her speech when she returned to the cart and Karm.
'Karm! I've found a lake and.' she shouted in her head. She trailed off. Karm was sleeping, breathing rhythmically. Rue sighed and quietly began to collect some spare planks from the massacred remains of the cart. Thinking logically, she arranged them into a crude shelter for herself and Karm. She dragged Karm into the shelter where she wriggled into the loam and settled again. She constructed a similar one for Farsu and Luania. Pleased with her laborious afternoon, she stepped aside, her palms punctured with many splinters, and admired her work. The golden orb of sun threw dimming rays from the horizon before disappearing altogether.
Rue discovered three blankets under the many shards of wood and scrambled up the trees where the two traders slept. She layered them both in warmth for the night, propping Farsu's injured leg on a protruding branch. It was starting to worry her now that the adults had not woken. After the past experience, sleep would be an odd way to forget it and repair the damage. She pushed these worries to another area in her head to be thought of later. Then she crawled exhaustedly into the hut with Karm and slept.
*
"Two-hoof! Two-hoof wake! Quetzals come!" Reluctantly, Rue opened her eyes to a blur. Scrubbing her eyes to disperse it, she asked what Sord was doing.
"Quetzals come! Bad for two-hoof and friends! Quetzals come from Nasiacorttquos and seek blood: hungry quetzals kill! Hurry, run!"
Rue was surprised that the young centaur could pronounce the name of the ancient lake so well, better than herself certainly, but the urgency behind his warnings was enough to stir her from her bed.
"How far away are they?"
"Not far, next valley! Hurry, hurry two-hoof! Wake friend." Rue rocked Karm forcefully to wake her, expecting her to take over and not ask questions about the mysterious appearance of a myth standing beside her. But she didn't wake. Sord whinnied and kicked, his pale skin glowing in starlight.
"Try that cliff thing, Sord! Hurry!"
"Canyon no good! Sord too small, won't work! Go, run!" Like a frightened steed, he reared and tugged Rue's coarse tunic with his teeth, urging her on. Rue refused to part with Karm and eventually resorted to dragging her from the dwelling with Sord's help.
"Put on Sord's back!" he whinnied anxiously, the whites rolling around his pupils.
"But you're not strong enough! Karm's too big, I."
"Hurry!" He stamped persuasively and Rue believed him. She propped Karm's limp frame over his haunches and sprinted with him into the forest. He was surprisingly fast for his size and didn't seem to notice the weight on his back.
"Where do we go, Sord?"
"Away from quetzals."
"Anywhere in particular?" He looked at her and stopped. It was obvious he hadn't thought about it, probably expecting her to direct him as Rue hoped Karm would direct her. The situation needed some authority to move along, usually issued by an adult. But the two young creatures were lost without authority of an elder which they had suffered for the previous years of their lives. Harsh squawking reverberated around the clearing and flapping of wings.
Sord broke down, his courage failing rapidly.
"Help!" he screamed, "Help, Herd help Sord! Quetzals coming!" Thoroughly panicked, he cantered off into the trees, forgetting his package who slid off during his wild frenzy.
"Sord!" Rue yelled. She knelt to inspect Karm but to her horror, the quetzals entered the clearing. Before her logical thinking deserted her, she threw Karm unceremoniously into a bush.
The quetzals were quite small, but bigger than hawks. They were nothing life the merlee, so human with legs, arms, hands and huge eyes, so disturbing eyes, like all the half-creatures she had encountered. They blinked often and quivered to dislodge some irritating feathers. The colours were startling and vibrant, blues, yellows, reds, a kaleidoscope of colour. As the feathers spiralled down into the loam, Rue noticed they had wings, beaks and clawed feet. Flocks of them landed and squabbled for space in the small clearing. Wary and scared, Rue watched as more came. But the scariest aspect of the creatures was their spears, made of glittering black crystal and ivory handles it seemed. They weren't very big but it was still intimidating.
Their leader waddled forward and confronted her, just coming to her waist. She wasn't sure if it planned to communicate with her but remembered that they were a solitary species and wouldn't communicate even if they could, quoted from Karm's lectures. She bowed her head respectfully, preparing to think as hard as she could of how to get out of the situation. She hoped Sord was nearby for her only company was a doped healer sleeping in the undergrowth at that moment.
Rue breathed gently, letting air escape her lips, forming a strange cloud in the bitter atmosphere of winter. She stared with startling green eyes at the waves chuckling as they collided with the rocks lining the shore. She fidgeted with her cloak and sighed. A solitary tear emerged and dripped down her pale cheek.
Yerwan jogged up the shore, looking curiously at the mound of blue Echorium cloak hunched over the reef. His cheeks flushed and rosy in his squashed face, he skidded in the wet sand and stopped, inspecting her briefly.
"Something wrong?" Rue gave a small squeak of shock and clutched her cloak, turning to frown at her friend. She shook her head stubbornly, glad the tear had gone.
"Good," he said. Climbing up onto the reef with difficulty, Yerwan squatted next to her, still looking at her. She wished he would stop. "You know that Singer Renn will probably have your head for running away again." She nodded slowly. "He's not going to be very happy. I'd be prepared for Aushan at the least, if I were you. Why do you like this place so much, Rue?" She glared at him and sniffed.
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked. Rue shrugged her bony shoulders and began to tap her feet on the rocks in perfect rhythm to Challa.
Shhh, calm. Challa makes you dream. "I know what you mean." Yerwan rubbed his arms and dropped to the shoreline below, landing in a wobbly crouch. Rue followed him with her gaze. "Come down," he yelled, shielding his eyes to the blaring whiteness of the sky and beckoning to her. She glanced at him, doubtful. "You know you can." Reluctantly, she prised herself off the reef, controlled her breathing and jumped, landing squarely on both feet with knees bent. With perfect balance, she walked off after her friend.
*
In her pallet, Rue rolled herself into her sheets. She felt like sobbing and would have done so if she could speak. Instead, she just felt warm tears soak into her pillow, making her uncomfortable. She heard someone coming down the passage and tensed, feigning sleep. The gentle scuff of worn sandals echoed outside the room down the corridor. She willed them to go past but the door opened and with those sandals came voices.
"I just don't believe it." A harsh voice like the call of seagulls rebounded off the walls and stopped abruptly. Rue lay motionless, pushing the voice away with her thoughts. It didn't work.
"Hey, Mute!" shrieked another voice, similarly hoarse. "What are you doing?" If I can just stay still, thought Rue, they'll go away. A finger with a long sharp nail prodded her in the back between her shoulder blades, almost cutting the skin. She yelped and hopped out of her sheets, rubbing the area. Horrible laughter mocked her, made ten times worse by the echoes. Nothing like real Kashe.
"Hello, Mutey!" squawked the first voice. "I should give you Yehn. That'd make you sleep - forever!" It sniggered. "You deserve to die anyway. Save us a lot of trouble."
Rue turned to face her opponents. Two identical blue-eyed girls stood before her and gasped simultaneously. They had seen her tears. She wiped them away with the hem of her sheets ashamedly.
"Pathetic!"
"Stupid!"
"Cry-baby!"
"Mute!" The last one hurt. Really bad. It was true she was a mute. She had yet to speak her first word. But Therna and Frelda were the only ones that teased her about it. It was at these times she wished she could speak and shout at them, retaliate to their taunting and bullying. Instead, she had to signal with her hands for them to get out and leave her alone. It wasn't their pallet anyway, thank the echoes.
"Oooooooh! What'ya gonna do, Mute?" said Frelda. "Cry for the Second Singer?"
"Or maybe she'd better just go down to the cells with the Crazies, her family, that is!"
They sniggered again. The fiery temper Rue was born with was reaching its peak. She was frightened. It had never reacted like this before. Usually, she could control it with her mind and keep it concealed behind her pale and innocent features but the 'Crazies' comment had triggered it to brew like a hot dinner in a cauldron. She didn't know why. It was heating her up like an uncontrollable fire. She fought to tame it but it didn't work.
Therna bounced onto the nearest bunk, Jaya's bunk. She giggled with glee. "Come on then, Mute. Show us what ya' got. Be brave, go on!"
Frelda clambered onto the bunk on top of that. "Yeah, sing us a Song, Mute! Sing us Aushan, sing us Yehn."
Rue exploded. She was still fighting her instincts to strangle the pair of irrepressible brats but she had to do something to release that feeling. Instead, she lifted her left foot, disregarding the sandals thrown under her bed, and used all the fiery anger and frustration to bring that foot down on the stone floor. It hurt, by the echoes, it hurt. There was an audible crack as her foot connected with the floor. She opened her mouth in a silent scream of agony and collapsed, nursing her foot. At the same time, the floor shuddered like an earthquake was approaching. The twins screamed and landed heavily on the trembling floor, hugging each other pathetically. Through the pain, it gave Rue some satisfaction to see they were both terrified and near crying. They crawled hurriedly for the door just as the tremors were beginning to relax and steady. But blocking the door was the Second Singer of the Echorium.
"What is going on here?" he thundered. Extraordinary grey eyes glared at the three girls sprawled on the floor, each shocked at his sudden appearance. "I demand to know what that was!" He focused his glare at the twins who automatically began to babble an explanation.
"Well, Singer, it went like this."
"We were just coming to tell Mute.Rue something."
"And she got all angry."
"She was really angry!"
"She stamped her foot, Singer."
"And an earthquake started."
"The floor was all shaking and trembling."
"I swear on the echoes, Singer, she nearly cracked the floor." He gestured for silence. The twins stopped, gazing at Singer Renn imploringly. Rue seemed forgotten.
"If I am expected to believe that, then." Therna scuttled over to Rue and grabbed her limp foot, squeezing it a little too enthusiastically. Rue chewed her lip frantically. She couldn't show she was injured otherwise the Singer would know it was true. Frelda joined her sister and chirped, "See, Singer! Her foot snapped!"
Singer Renn stared at the disfigured foot then at Rue. His face was expressionless but bleak. "You two. Go and report to the First Singer and tell her what happened." They hesitated. "NOW!" They scurried out of the pallet, wishing to stay and witness Rue's punishment. But they obeyed. When they were gone, the Second Singer knelt and studied the foot carefully, running his slender experienced fingers over the sole of her foot and each toe. Rue blushed vividly, gently trying to extricate her foot from his grip. He took it a little more firmly and continued to examine it, while questioning her.
"Has this happened before, Rue?"
Rue shook her head and tugged her leg pleadingly. The Second Singer still clutched it persistently, making her wince. She decided to leave it alone. She was already in enough trouble as it was.
"Do you know why it happened?"
She shook her head again. It was the truth. One good thing about being a mute was that powerful Singers couldn't truth listen to her voice. She just had to keep her body language as basic as possible.
"Do you want me to tell you why this happened?"
She wasn't sure how to answer that. She shrugged.
"Well, I know one thing. You let your anger get control over you. But thankfully not enough control. Otherwise, you could have done something much, much worse." Despite her anxiety, Rue wanted to know what this 'worse' was. She listened intently, disguising her pain with a blank face although everything was tense.
"There is another reason.but you shall learn that in good time, " he continued. He began to tweak her toes one by one, noting her reaction, testing which ones were broken. He wished she could relate her side of the event but that was impossible. She was a mute. A mute in the Echorium; he could have laughed.
"I shall tell you about this, Rue, for your own understanding, not my comfort, because I doubt it will not happen again. The Isle of Echoes is based on bluestone, you know that. It is unique to us. We used it wisely, for treaties with foreign places and the foundations of the Echorium we know now. Bluestone is not indestructible, but it is very powerful. It enhances the vibrations of Song; that is why it is so useful. Any sounds are amplified in here. With you stamping, the force of the blow triggered many vibrations, not of sound necessarily, but pure force. These were increased by the bluestone.would the novices standing behind me please return to their pallets or be dealt with? That is a rhetorical question, by the way." The cluster of novices peering around the door using pallet whispers to communicate separated and hurriedly returned to their pallets. Rue stared with her mouth open at her superior. The Second Singer suppressed a smile and continued.
"As I was saying, these were probably increased, the forceful vibrations, and therefore, as you have just seen, the whole Echorium probably felt those echoes and the merlee beyond. Though not all of that was simply amplified, oh no. Most of it came from you, Rue." Clear grey eyes looked at the young girl with interest, keeping the gaze until she returned it. "Now promise me you will try not to let that happen again, yes? I will confess, you have a remarkable.talent, but not necessarily a good one. "Your foot is broken, I'm afraid. That was quite some force you used on our floor. I shouldn't wonder if you'll be aching all over for the next day or so. Anyway, I think, just to hurry the process, a little Challa won't hurt. I don't think we've had a broken foot before in the Echorium.you'll be the first. It should be interesting. I'll book you in three sunsteps from now, yes? Be at the Pentangle before then. We are expecting another before that."
Rue nodded slowly and looked at her foot. While she had been concentrating on his lecture, the Second Singer had used strips of his long luxurious cloak to bandage her foot. She was staring at it in shock. The cloak was incredibly soft and intricate embroidery decorated the hem, depicting a story. She was astounded. Looking the Second Singer in the pearly grey eye, she motioned with her head to the bandage and shook her head in desperation. She didn't need more teasing. The hem on his cloak was ruined and dragged across the floor as he stood up. Rue almost cried at the loss.
"You can mend it for me later," he said, "It's only custom, mind you. I'm telling you to stay here until your therapy and ask Yerwan to help you up. I'll get him for you." And he left. There was no severe punishment that she had expected for running off in the middle of her history lesson that morning; infact, the Second Singer had almost been nice to her.
*
"Thank the Echoes, you were lucky!" exclaimed an astonished Yerwan. "You're still here! You're telling me you did that tremor?" Rue was similarly astonished. She nodded vigorously and gestured with her hands. Yerwan understood her signs now. It had taken quite a bit of work but now they had their own language of hand gestures. Much better than pallet- whispers.
Yerwan followed her hands and nodded. "He was nice to you.and then he bandaged your foot. with. with his cloak?" Rue nodded. "You can't be serious! Not the really long one he uses for going abroad? I don't believe you." She produced the scraps of embroidery from her bandage and lay them delicately on their table in the Dining Area. The pair examined them for long moments. "I don't believe it," breathed Yerwan. "This tells the story of the Second Singer himself! I can't believe he gave you this." Rue glanced at him and motioned with her hands to tell him she didn't understand. She had never paid much attention to her history lessons. "Well, according to this bit -" He selected a strip from the collection and placed it to the right of the table, the beginning according to Singer- script. "- the Second Singer, he was just Renn then, a novice, and he was taken by the Second Singer in that time, Kherron, abroad in search of.centaurs." Rue looked at him questioningly and gestured that centaurs didn't exist. "That's what I thought to but apparently they do. A Crazy was delivered to the Isle for Therapy - her name was.I think this is how you pronounce it.Shaiala - and claimed she had seen centaurs and they went to investigate.look, Rue. This is a long story. If you had just listened to Old Singer Ollaron in our lessons, you would know." Rue stuck her tongue our impudently at her friend, gave him a quick tap on the ankle with her right foot and gestured that Old Singer Ollaron was partially deaf and he couldn't hear his own cracked voice.
"Ouch, you.alright. I'll go on. Anyway, Shaiala only spoke Herd, centaur-speech, and Renn was the only one who could understand her. So he went along too. And then.that's.!" Frantically, Rue persuaded her friend on. "Well, she escaped, Shaiala, that is, and got caught by a woman called.I can't read it. It's all scratched, the fabric.ouch! Alright, you don't need to kick me! And she was kidnapping children off the street. She also got a prince, Erihan, the prince of a Plains tribe.that's all. There's nothing else left of the story."
Dismayed, Rue tried to read the lines, written in elegant Singer script with only a few illustrations, unsuccessfully. Yerwan was also hooked on the story.
"I want to go on too, Rue. But how do we get more of the cloak? It's the Second Singer's favourite." Rue tried to think. It was difficult, because the rest of the novices were giving her strange looks, but she remembered something about her mending Singer Renn's cloak. She hopped across the room and looked out of the window at the flagpole. Barely a sunstep left before her therapy. She hopped back, quickly motioned to Yerwan and hopped off down the nearest corridor. Before her therapy, she needed to find Dremon.
*
Dremon was one of the old ways. She could be found in her private pallet for most of the day, except at meals when she collected her food from the kitchen, always the same arrangement, and shuffled off back to her pallet, muttering to herself. She never had visitors, and her purpose was only to teach the girls who would not become Singers embroidery.
Rue was one that had her frequently as a tutor, for many orderlies believed that she was not capable of anything because of her 'problem'. Although Dremon was known to be a bit mad, she was especially kind to Rue. She was one who believed that she was useful for more than just embroidery, although she showed talent in it. When Dremon was small, it was thought she would never become anything either. She knew how it felt to be abandoned by friends because of 'problems'.
That was why she was so enthusiastic when she saw the tall, slender, green-eyed girl with straight blue hair shielding her eyes and the rest tucked into an untidy bun. Rue was also glad to see her for she was one of the orderlies who made life bearable for her in the Echorium.
"Welcome, Miss Rue. Are we well?" Rue nodded. "Good! Now, do you have a problem? You know you can always come to me. I don't mind!" Rue signed her dilemma: about the way she was bullied (Dremon knew about that already), how she lost her temper and stamped the floor, causing a miniature earthquake, how Singer Renn explained how it happened and bandaged her foot with strips of his cloak and how Yerwan had translated the Singer-script on it. She was glad that Dremon did understand her signing. It was Dremon who suggested that she invent her own signing language.
Dremon sat in her large puffy chair, purchased from the docks below the Echorium, and contemplated it. "Well, you were probably right to come to me, young one. I do all the mending around here. It's a bit sneaky, reading the Second Singer's cloak when he isn't looking but I taught him when he was but a lad. I'm old enough to be his grandma, by the Echoes!" Rue giggled. "We'll see, my young Rue. We shall see. I'm not one for Singer- script myself but you're welcome to bring your little friend along too. Is he the small one?" Rue nodded. "Aaaah. Yes, indeed." The old lady winked at her apprentice and wandered over to her miniature version of the flagpole, cunningly crafted so it would portray the time even when the Sun was in.
"Goodness! From what you tell me, you should be at the Pentagon by now! The Second Singer won't be happy if you're late!" Rue gasped and sprinted out into the corridor as fast as she could go on one leg, signing her thanks to Dremon as she left. The old lady chuckled and lay back in her puffy chair, smiling thoughtfully.
*
Rue was indeed late for her therapy. The Second Singer glanced at her and hummed a single pure note of Aushan but then it was forgotten. She was glad the appointment before had overlapped hers and she listened to the Song with interest from outside the door..
It was something similar to Aushan but related to Yehn. She didn't know if it was normal to combine Songs for different effects but it was not one she had heard before. When the Song eventually ceased, dropping to a soft melody and then a hum before stopping altogether, there was some shuffling and the patient was taken away on a stretcher after passing her.
Rue was surprised it was so small, a child of ten or eleven at the most. His eyes were open, revealing them as completely black, like a midnight sky. It was very spooky to see the child just laying there like a dead body. The only clue telling her he was still alive was the steady breathing she could hear, rasping and short. He had short black hair to match his eyes and skin the colour of dusty copper. He was from the Plains.
For some reason, it hurt her to see him like that, stretched out, vulnerable, but she did not doubt the Singers' judgement. This boy deserved that peculiar Song.
When the boy was gone, she was invited inside. The Pentangle was a five-pointed star with a chair at its centre. Five respectable Singers would stand on the points and Sing, the shape amplifying the sounds, like her earthquake. Everything was constructed of bluestone. Although it was intimidating, she thought it was beautiful too. And very powerful.
"Ah, Rue. My silent child. Come in and seat yourself." First Singer Laphie smiled warmly at her and she was instantly happy and calm. She obeyed, nodding her thanks to the five Singers in the room. The First Singer, the Second Singer, Singer Teggi, Singer Imara and another foreign Singer she hadn't seen were all present. Each smiled at her except the foreign one. She was known around the Echorium and liked too.
"So, it is your foot, yes?" Rue bobbed her head. The foreign Singer was inspecting her strangely. He disturbed her. He looked similar to the young boy who had just gone, except his eyes were dull brown, his hair was bright blue, which clashed horribly with his skin, and he was not wearing Echorium clothing as the boy had.that was odd. The boy was wearing Echorium colours.
"Rue, are you listening?" asked the First Singer. Rue nodded in reply. "Good. Then, we shall begin the treatment." In pallet-whispers, the four Singers conferred, excluding the strange man, and allocated themselves positions on the Pentangle. Rue snapped to attention. She knew what to do in therapy. Apparently, it was painful and she would sleep fitfully for days afterwards if it were successful. Focusing her mind on her broken foot, she breathed steadily and persuaded the nervous excitement inside her to calm. All five Singers began to Sing Challa simultaneously, starting at a hum and getting louder.
Rue listened to each of their voices. The Second Singer's was possibly the best of them all: controlled, experienced and firm. The First Singer had a soft, melodic voice that made you settle and drift. It was like the voice of your mother singing you a tune when you are little, although Rue wouldn't know. She just imagined the nannies in the Birthing House singing to her. Singer Imara had a loud voice: confident, like your own when you have conquered a fear. She herself was very young, not much older than Yerwan, and everyone knew she was sister to First Singer Laphie. Singer Teggi had a strange but very vibrant voice, loud and brilliant. If the situation were different, it would have made Rue laugh. Then, finally, the stranger. He had a soft voice but it was hard and cruel to listen to like listening to a child being beaten. Rue didn't like that voice. Even though she knew little about Singing, she felt almost evil rising in this voice. She wondered if the others sensed it too.
Her senses became too dull to think or to listen. She began to drift as the Song reached its peak. Challa was her favourite Song. In her pallet, Jaya was by far the best Singer, destined for a place on the Pentangle. At night, she would sing it gently in her dreams and if Rue couldn't get to sleep herself, Challa helped. It was like an old friend.
After that, nothing was clear. According to Singer Imara, she had fallen off the chair and had to be carried by the Second Singer to her pallet. Her friends were under firm instructions not to wake her at any cost. It did indeed seem like days of sleep had passed before she woke, her head aching unmercifully and all her senses clogged with sleep. The Second Singer was summoned as soon as she was up and he inspected her foot again, to confirm the Challa had been a success. She had just enough strength to answer his questions and then ask some of her own.
Yerwan was there too, as her best friend he had insisted he go to see her with the Second Singer. He kept flicking his eyes towards the cloak but Rue ignored him. She wanted to ask,
"Singer, who was that man at the Pentagon? The foreign man? Was he a Singer?"
Yerwan translated the signs for the Singer and he frowned as he bandaged Rue's foot again with clean linen strips soaked in ointment. "I can't answer that, Rue." And that was all he would say. Rue then went on to another question.
"Why didn't it hurt? The therapy, I mean?" Yerwan translated and Singer Renn smiled.
"It didn't hurt? Well, I'm not surprised. The First Singer does not often Sing for any of her pupils because she is so busy. She makes it her job to stop the pain. You were lucky." The third question was:
"Why aren't you the First Singer, instead of the Second Singer? Meaning no disrespect." At first, Yerwan was reluctant to translate this but Rue persuaded him, telling him that he couldn't be punished and the Second Singer would answer. Slowly, Yerwan translated the third question. The Second Singer looked as if he would not answer, for he had finished bandaging the foot from further harm and was now packing equipment into a small bag. Rue was desperate to keep him there until he had answered.
"I like travelling," he replied, "I have people to meet, places to go and." He hesitated. "Friends outside the Echorium." And with that he left.
*
Although boys were not strictly permitted to go into a girl's pallet, Yerwan stayed there for some time, discussing things with Rue. Rue was pleased that Yerwan, such a rule-abiding person, would break one of them for her. She was glad. Her foot, although the therapy was successful, was not properly healed yet and very stiff and she was to stay in her pallet for the next few days. Sometimes, she wandered if this was done by the Second Singer to deter her from stamping the floor again. It certainly worked.
The awful twins that had started the whole business were still innocent under their superiors but did not dare taunt Rue again. Instead, they satisfied their feelings by giving her dark looks in the corridor, surrounded by other tall female novices. It was very satisfying for Rue.
The Second Singer did indeed give his cloak to Dremon and Rue visited her frequently so they could work on it together. While they sewed the base, Yerwan translated the Singer-script that Singer Renn had given them on parchment so they could sew it on the cloak. It was a long story and it took time to translate it all. Yerwan was not always available at this time and Dremon and Rue had to continue without him. But Rue had so much spare time to fill that she was spending more of her time in Dremon's private pallet than in her own.
One morning, the Second Singer entered the pallet to talk to Dremon. They conversed in pallet-whispers so Rue would not overhear but as soon as he left, the old lady related everything to her.
"The Second Singer is going south. I don't know when exactly but he is going to the Quetzal Forest to meet a friend. He needs his cloak by then, ready and completed. Do you think we will have enough time to finish it by then?"
Rue shrugged. This was definitely important. It was the same friend he was meeting that restricted him from being First Singer. Somehow, she must get on that boat south and meet this friend. She didn't know why but it was like a voice was tugging her from the Echorium into the sea and beyond. Novices never travelled abroad unless under special circumstances. Then again, she wasn't an official novice.
*
Three months later, Rue was stuffing goat-skin tunics into a large leather case, trying to be practical and ignore the soft Echorium clothing, loaned to her by Dremon. She only had a sunstep to go before she would leave and the Echorium was searched. No one apart from Dremon was aware of her plan and she regretted not telling Yerwan. He was one of the few who understood her, and not just through signing either. They had developed a friendship that would never decay over time for they had known each other since infancy. And they also had no other friends between them except Dremon and some kind elders.
Rue peered at the rising tide. It would soon be midday, the arranged time for the departure of Wavesong, the official craft of the Echorium. Orderlies were already beginning to drag cases up the short ramp and into the adjoining cabin for storage. She had already decided that the simplest way to smuggle herself onto the ship was to hide in the last cabin, for she knew there was the Second Singer and seven orderlies travelling on the Wavesong with many crates of supplies. But she had packed her own rations anyway.
Taking the case, she noted it was quite heavy and she needed it to be as light as possible. Pausing to unpack an extra pair of sandals, she trundled the case out into the corridor and stopped. It was in the middle of Singing practice and the eerie melody of Shi drifted past her like heavy perfume. She felt unwelcome tears threaten her eyes and she hurried on, trying to stop the increasing misery rising inside her. By the time she got to the back exit, Rue was nearly bawling her relentless misery to the sky and exposing herself. The orderlies had finished the loading and two were hauling the ramp back in.
Squeaking in despair, Rue watched the Wavesong leave the Isle of Echoes on the dying tide. She realised too late that the Shi had delayed her precious moments. She had taken the long way around.
Determined to get on the ship, Rue backed away from the shore and prepared to run. The ship refused to wait for her and backed away with each moment she hesitated. Eventually, she sprinted along the coast, panting at the speed of her movement. She didn't even know she could run this fast. She put it down to desperation.
Then, she jumped. The momentum continued to propel her through the air at astonishing speed even after she had given up trying. For one awful, sickening second, she thought she was going to smash into the hull of the boat but she landed evenly on both feet in the middle of the deck.
Still recovering from the jump, it took her a moment to review her position. Then she fled from the surprised exclamations coming from below. Irritated stamps and groans could be heard approaching up the stairs nearby. In panic, she skipped lightly into the nearest cabin and shut the door on the light. It was blacker than any night she had ever known in that cabin. Looking around she saw, despite the absence of light, that it was very small. Thinking happily that it was the last cabin, the one she intended to hide in, she was totally vulnerable to the deadly knife that was suddenly poised to slit her throat. Tense and petrified, Rue listened to the shaking voice behind her: "What are.are you d-doing here, in-in- intruder?" It was more of a plea than a question and the knife was trembling. It was a male voice though Rue would have been surprised if he were older than she was. Thinking over the situation, she dropped her case to the floor gently. It made no more than a light thud but the knife flinched, as did the person holding it. She seized the knife by the blade and yanked it out of her opponent's grasp, which was not difficult, before pointing it at the chest.
Through the slivers of light that slipped through the door, Rue could see that her attacker was familiar and very small. She was surprised he could even reach her neck. Putting a finger to her lips, she gestured for her captive to come and sit on the bunk in the corner. He obeyed. A harsh voice called from the deck.
"Hey, boy! You hear anything? Are you alright? Thought there was a thump on deck. Could have been rain or birds."
Rue glared at the boy and he replied quietly.
"I'm fine. I didn't hear a thump." The voice grumbled and shuffled off, calling to his friends, "OK! Just a false alarm! Let's get the Wavesong movin'!"
Rue sighed her relief and swiftly torched the wick of a candle sitting on the small table next to her. In the dim light emitted from it, she looked over the boy's face.
It was Yerwan.
"Rue?! What are you.why are you.?" She clapped a palm over her friend's mouth and motioned to him to be quiet. She was relieved that her attacker was her best friend and not a ruthless pirate that had taken over the Wavesong. Yerwan seemed to think the same.
"I don't understand. How did you get on? Why are you here?" Rue explained clearly and asked him the same questions.
He blushed vividly in the candlelight. "I'm the Second Singer's private escort." Rue stared at him. "He told me I'm really good at Singer- script: translating, reading and writing. He said that I am probably better than he is! There's something he's trying to find and it's written in a mystical language. He thinks that I might be able to help. I don't understand why you wanted to come though."
'I'm curious,' signed Rue, "I want to know about his friend. Looks like we're here together though anyway.'
"But we're going to get in trouble if you stay! If the Second Singer finds you, then.I don't know what will happen. He might chuck you off the ship at the next port!"
'No he won't. If he doesn't find me.'
"But I can't hide you forever."
'As soon as the ship gets too far from the Isle, he won't bother to take me back. Anyway, I've brought my own rations and clothes so I won't be any trouble. I'll do my part in all the chores and stuff. He couldn't refuse!'
"Alright. But I had nothing to do with you, yes?"
'Yes.'
*
Two days later, Rue decided to reveal herself to the Second Singer. She was sick of the candlelit atmosphere in Yerwan's tiny cabin and she hadn't yet ventured outside. Using all the spare courage that she kept for emergencies, Rue plodded outside, temporarily blinded by welcoming sun.
When the Second Singer saw her outside his door, he frowned. "Rue, I know you wanted to come on this trip but you could have asked me. I wouldn't have refused. You could be just as useful as Yerwan if you wanted to be and no, I am not going to abandon you at the next port."
She was so shocked that when the Second Singer stood by the door and asked her to come in, she didn't hear him. But he dragged her inside eventually and she spotted Yerwan squatted on a cushion on the floor. He had told the Second Singer everything.
Because the Second Singer didn't understand her signs, Rue cursed her friend violently using her hands but with a sheepish smile on her face, as if to say 'Hello'. She sat on another cushion and smiled at the Singer while Yerwan wilted miserably. The Second Singer began.
"Far to the East, there is an Isle, similar to ours, except overrun with Quetzal. Quetzal are half-creatures, related to the merlee, centaurs and other legendary creatures. Humans signed a Treaty centuries ago that would prevent half-creatures being exploited - used as slaves. Unfortunately, some half-creatures are not good and loyal as most are. These Quetzals living on the Isle are vicious predators and have decided to build a Central Palace for their cause, using humans as slaves to build it. Some say it is ruled by a human. Our ancestors, who signed the Treaty, assumed that it would work the other way too. But now the cause of these half-creatures is to destroy us humans. Many have attempted to rescue family from the Isle, which has now been named the Isle of Slaves, but they have either been enslaved themselves or murdered. We are not going to fight these horrible creatures but there are caves, underwater, and merlee dwell there. One of the orderlies, Karmera (we call her Karm), can speak to the merlee. It is unusual that one should be able to keep the gift past their teens but." He paused, smiled and continued. ".Karm is our special link to the half-creatures.
"In these underwater caves, there are treasures and mysterious scripts that have never been read. Apparently, they have access to the Khiz- spells of Vengeance. It is not a nice way to retaliate to what they are doing but there is no other way. Recently, the First Singer had been contacting all the Kings within our range who would care that the Treaty was broken just this once so we may be safe. They have agreed to let us be. We are to search the Isle of Slaves for the spells and then deliver them back to the Echorium so we can arrange for the spells to be used. That is all. Any questions?"
Yerwan wiggled his hand in the air irritably, if a little too enthusiastic.
"Yes, Yerwan?"
"Aren't the Khiz evil, Singer? Can we use their spells without turning evil?"
"We can use their spells. Spells are not evil themselves. It just takes an evil person to find them and then they are manipulated. If we are not mistaken, the spells on the Isle of Slaves are pure. This means that they will not react the wrong way when we manipulate them ourselves. Basically, it is like clay. Pure clay can be many types and can be found in many different areas of the world but it can still be manipulated into shapes and figures. If it has already dried and someone else tries to model it, it will crack. Yes?"
Rue gaped at the Second Singer blankly but Yerwan seemed to understand. "Yes, but where did the spells come from?"
"That, no one knows. Some think it is from the core of the earth. Others think that spells are people's feelings combined with solid materials. It is an ancient secret."
Looking disappointed, Yerwan tried another question. "How do you know that the mystical language is Singer-script? Why did you choose me?"
"We don't. It would be helpful if it was but it is probably half- creature language, merlee scratches that even Karm can not translate. But you have proved you are talented in translation, Yerwan. Even if it isn't in Singer-script."
Yerwan beamed. That was the answer he had been hoping to hear. Suddenly, Rue thought of a question and signed it to Yerwan, who related it to the Second Singer.
"Rue says 'Why don't the Quetzals use the spells?', Singer."
"Well, Rue. One reason is that they probably don't know how to use human spells, no half-creatures do, and secondly they don't know the spells exist."
Rue signed urgently to her friend.
"Rue says 'But what if they are ruled by a human, a sorcerer perhaps, who knew how to use spells and what if they know the spells are there; they just aren't using them? What if they are using them as a trap to lure the Wavesong to the Isle?'"
The Second Singer stared at Rue intently. "An interesting observation, Rue. It is possible, I suppose, but we shall have to hope it doesn't happen. Quetzals are not very intelligent but if the rumours are true about a human and they know where the spells are, then we are in great danger."
Yerwan scowled at Rue. She had asked a question that even the Second Singer didn't know the answer to and for that she had earned respect. But he put it behind him and listened to the Second Singer closely, wondering how to get respect from him.
"I am now going to contact the Isle and I want both of you to watch. Please don't interrupt me.
"I am sure you know how I contact the Isle from here. We have covered a few leagues since noon today and the pace has been steady, the weather fine. It shouldn't be difficult to negotiate a link between the First Singer and myself. Watch."
He inhaled deeply through his nose and out through his mouth several times, very slowly, to calm his heartbeat so he could listen. He carefully lifted the bluestone strung about his broad chest over his mass of blue curls and cupped it in his hands. He hummed gently, Challa probably, and settled himself, relaxing all his muscles and closing his eyes. Rue could almost imagine him searching for the waves indicating the Echorium. He seemed to find it and opened his mouth to speak; but then he yelped and collapsed abruptly, leaving the two novices alone in the main cabin with an unconscious Second Singer.
*
Yerwan was fretting. He was fretting like a girl, fidgeting with his fingers, chewing his lip until ulcers appeared and pacing up and down frantically: up and down, up and down, up and down.
Eventually, Rue had had enough and she slapped him over the head with a flat palm. He frowned and continued to worry, still pacing. Rue looked up at the sky, grimaced and snorted. He ignored her.
Karm was the healer aboard the ship. Neither of the two novices knew there was a woman or a healer on board the Wavesong but there was. She was very delicate and slender, like a strange flower. She was probably what most girls wanted to be when they became Singers; very, very attractive but gentle and mysterious. She had a waterfall of ebony hair dripping down her back in large tight plaits, tied with green ribbons. These plaits were managed into another three plaits and that became one. It all looked so complicated, but each morning she drifted from her cabin looking fresh and her hair was modelling another incredible style. It never looked messy either.
Rue envied her this. It wasn't that she was not stunningly attractive or gentle or mysterious or she could not do her hair in all kinds of incredible ways that made the other male orderlies whistle, she just wanted to tame her hair like Karm did every morning. Hers was just a bushy mess of peculiar yellow, like dried straw, that never behaved. She really tried to put it into some sort of nice bun or plaits like Karm but Yerwan only laughed at her.
Karm was also supposed to be intelligent. She had locked herself in with the Second Singer and a huge bag of various herbs. She had asked for some glasses, a cauldron and a ladle to brew something that was supposed to wake him and the orderly who cooked grumbled about it all evening when they were having bread, cheese and cold fish for supper. She claimed he could wake the Second Singer too, with a pail of cold water and a slap. The other orderlies agreed and then they got drunk on a weird fluid called fohl. Yerwan didn't even touch it but Rue tasted it timidly and smiled. She knew that alcohol had consequences so she took mild sips of it to please the giddy orderlies. Even the cook had cheered considerably after the fohl.
Everyone had a severe headache in the morning except Rue. The orderlies had hangovers, the Second Singer had been knocked out the day before, Karm had stayed up through the night mixing a remedy for him (her plaits were still perfect though) and Yerwan had gone to bed early, listened to the drunken orderlies and had bad nightmares about the exaggerated tales of the Isle of Slaves. Rue, under the mild fohl, had slept calmly through the rest of the night. That dawn, she was the only one awake to cook breakfast, toast with melted cheese and pepper with lots of water, and trying to clear the mounting headaches. Karm, before going back to sleep, had instructed her with suitable cures for the headaches but she added cheekily as Rue left that the orderlies didn't deserve anything. Rue grinned.
The ship was mostly stationary that day. Rue did most of the work around the Wavesong, just to keep it clean while everyone was recovering. She discovered that she enjoyed sailing, especially alone, and she thought she had a knack for it. It certainly seemed natural to be steering the vessel, not far, but definitely moving it.
The next day, only Yerwan was still in his bunk, trembling under his sheets like a small child. The rest of the orderlies got on with the work and thanked Rue for organising them the day before. Then there was the usual atmosphere on the ship; the orderlies joking and sniggering, others flirting with Karm, the Second Singer, still vaguely disorientated, yelling commands. Rue herself was silently miming her pleas to help the orderlies, desperate to sail again. Unfortunately, no one understood her. They just stared, smiled awkwardly, patted her on the head and continued their work. She felt like crying. At the darkest moments, she felt like Yerwan was not there on purpose.
Yerwan was feeling extreme resentment towards Rue too. He was frustrated that she had smuggled herself on the Wavesong and then taken over. The Second Singer didn't visit him once. Dismayed at this and angry with his best friend, Yerwan decided to stay in his cabin until Rue apologised for taking his role aboard the ship. He far excelled her in any intellectual task.
But Yerwan's skills were useless when they had set sail. The orderlies were experienced enough in that department and the young novice didn't think it was a problem that he would not be needed on the journey. Unfortunately, he was now desperate to prove himself to the Second Singer.
Rue came to visit often, bringing fresh water and fruit, but Yerwan ignored her and hid under his sheets, moaning and groaning, feigning seasickness. Miserable and misunderstood, Rue was left to wander aimlessly about the ship, knowing Yerwan did not want her company. At night, it was just as lonely. The Second Singer, thinking she was now useful and not just a fugitive, had agreed to give her a private cabin. This cabin was next to Karm's.
Out of habit, Rue woke early to seagulls screeching and wheeling above the Wavesong every morning. In the time spare she had before anyone else was aroused from their slumbers, she tried fiddling with her hair. She studied Karm's often enough to memorise the techniques but she just couldn't do anything with her own tangle of mane. On the fifth morning, she encouraged herself to go and visit Karm in the neighbouring cabin and ask her to help. She knew that Karm was a gentle, kind woman. She would probably agree.
With several clips clutched in her fist, Rue rapped on the wooden door quietly. Hearing footsteps, she had the urge to prance about and then she wondered how she was going to explain her problem. Before she could escape, Karm peered outside. She looked like some sort of Goddess, her head haloed by light. She smiled warmly.
"Good morning, Rue. I didn't expect you so early. Come inside. It's all dewy out there on deck." Rue obeyed and entered the cabin. It was perfect but normal inside. And very, very warm.
She tried signing but it didn't work. Then she tried pointing to various implements on Karm's small table and her tousled head. The healer eventually got the point.
"Oh! You want help with your hair! Of course! I've been dying to ever since I saw you. You're really not making the best of your hair. Now, you have thick, blonde locks. That's quite common but let's punctuate it with something to make it unusual."
For the next few days, Karm coached Rue on how to organise her hair in several styles, simple but effective. Rue nodded eagerly all the time and Karm smiled often. They had many laughs. They became to know each other more and more and in return for her hair-lessons, Rue gave Karm lessons in her own signing. Soon, Karm was almost as educated as Yerwan for she was a quick learner. Eventually, she had learnt more in a fortnight than Yerwan had done in a lifetime.
Secretly, Karm pitied the young girl. Not having the ability to speak was probably very disheartening. Rue managed it well enough but Karm often thought of the advantages of being a mute. There were none.
At breakfast, Karm discussed her young pupil with the other orderlies and showed them basic signs as well. The orderlies listened, for they had also noticed how miserable she was when they couldn't understand her. Yerwan was completely unaware that nearly the whole crew could communicate in Rue's own language because he was submerged in a sulky, reproachful mood against her.
Rue still visited him but by now knew that he was not seasick. The orderlies told her that seasickness passed in a matter of days, even in severe cases. Yerwan had been in his cabin for over a fortnight.
Rue entered his cabin, signed an enthusiastic 'Good Morning' and deposited a tray carefully by his bed nearly every dawn when he woke. When she was busy doing something, an orderly would do it. Yerwan sniffed and turned over, hugging the sheets to him, nearly every time Rue came in. Rue was so sad that she cried at night, sobbing into her pillows and saturating them with tears. To comfort herself, she would practise doing her hair but Karm usually heard her and sat down on her bunk, hugging her and calming her. Rue was so thankful to the crew now that she tried to please them in every possible way. They were her true friends.
One morning, an orderly called Gelfan wriggled up the mast to peer out at the horizon. After inspecting it for some time, he yelled, "LAND OVER EAST, MATES! THAT'S SOUTHPORT ALRIGHT!" The whole crew cheered briefly before starting to prepare the Wavesong for full-sail. The deck was in turmoil with orderlies running about everywhere. Rue decided to hide until the rush was over for she knew she would only get in the way. She slithered into her cabin and closed the door against the excited shouts from Gelfan and his friends. She lit a candle, illuminating all the looming shadows, and listened to her friends outside happily. They were finally at Southport, their destination.
Then it occurred to her that she had no basic skills that she could use on the trip. She was completely useless off the ship. What would the Second Singer do with her then? She tried not to think about it.
Then, deep beneath the Wavesong, Rue detected voices, shrill and eerie voices, a chorus of them.
Daughter of stone-winger help! Shoal father in danger! Humans capture, cut, tear.
Instead of hearing the words, Rue almost felt them, felt them happening. She yelped but the urge from the voices pulled her to the sea. She ran from the cabin to the deck and leant over the sturdy barrier keeping her from the sea. Staring into the waves urgently, she listened as hard as she could to the voices and tried to contact them again.
Help, daughter of stone-winger! Stone-swimmers need help! Shoal father.
The voices stopped momentarily. Rue tried to find them again but they greeted her instead with wails and panicked shrieking that reverberated around her temples. It was horrible. Without thinking, she clambered onto the side and leapt into the writhing seas.
Instinctively, she drew breath before the freezing water flooded her senses with terrible cold. The bitter chill was surprising but she didn't care now. The wailing was amplified and it completely shocked her. Realising what she was doing, Rue struggled to reach the surface. But then she saw a face.
It had huge despairing eyes and willowy clumps of hair streaked across it, floating in the currents. The creature was bright green. Although the sight was strangely beautiful and emotional, Rue panicked and propelled herself through the water using her long, gangly limbs. But firm hands clasped her ankle and yanked her back down persuasively. The voices surrounded her in even more frightening detail.
Rue motioned to her chest and throat desperately. It the creatures kept her down, she would die from her own stupidity. She could see hundreds of them now; the larger intimidating males with their smaller, lean females and their tiny young flitting about like swallows in spring. They're beautiful, she thought. One female had a firm hold on her ankle and was looking expectantly up at her.
Her lungs began to ache. The creatures would drown her if they kept her under any longer. It seemed that she had been underwater for years. Panic settled in her gut and she screamed desperately in her head, LET ME GO! I'LL DROWN! I'LL DIE! PLEASE, I CAN'T HELP YOU. The creatures stared at her shockingly and the female released her so abruptly that she hovered underwater, unsure of what to do. We understand, they wailed, and, with several flaps of their beautiful, twinkling tails, they dived, light reflecting off their multicoloured scales. Rue watched as they departed and felt an overwhelming pang of sadness despite her agitation to be set free. Her organs shrieked and the panic seeped through her again. Kicking furiously, she reached the surface just as her lungs surrendered. She was so exhausted that for several blissful moments, she just lay on her back on the water and savoured the welcoming oxygen like her favourite food.
When she had recovered enough to contact her senses, Rue heard anxious yells and sobs above her. Her eyes flicked open and the yells increased in volume. She saw vague misty figures leaning over her and clouds and pale sky. Hands reached down to grab her and for one awful second, they reminded her of the creatures below. Suddenly, she was desperate to get out of the water. She grabbed the hands, which lifted her clear of the sea and onto the deck. Heaving and choking up bitter salty water, she sprawled mercifully on the wooden planks, gladness replacing the panic. Before she could stop it, darkness claimed her and she tumbled into an endless hole of blackness.
*
When she returned to consciousness, black silhouettes loomed over her. She could still hear sobbing. It was very irritating. She opened her eyes and frowned. Feeling suspiciously refreshed, she located familiar faces. Karm, Gelfan, the Second-Singer and the rest of the crew were there. Delighted, they hugged her one after the other but she was too weak to return the hugs. Voices and shouts of relief filled the enclosed space she was laying in. Karm's gentle voice joined them.
"Everyone! Give her some space! We don't know how long she was underwater. She needs to clear her lungs. So can everyone leave except the Second-Singer, Yerwan and myself. Please!"
The voices obeyed. The silence frightened her although she was grateful to Karm for getting rid of the noise. She focused her sight at Karm's face and listened.
"Rue. Rue, what happened?" Rue signed her response: 'I was about to ask you the same question.'
Yerwan exploded with exhausted worry and agitation. "I'll tell you what happened! Rue, you almost died! You jumped off the rail and into the sea and you just went under. I saw you, rushed over and I couldn't see you! You were under for ages, bubbles rising and.and figures moving around and.I was so scared, Rue!" He leapt on her, hugging her fiercely with a strength she didn't even know he had. Startled but relieved, she hugged him back and realised they were both crying unashamedly.
"Oh, Rue! I'm sorry, I really am! I'm sorry I was so horrible to you! You didn't deserve it, you were always nice to me! And I.I.I wanted all the attention and you were always with the Second Singer. I thought I was the really intelligent one! But I've behaved so badly.you were always the clever one really. Just because I could read Singer-script. I got all jealous and hid away.I'm really sorry!"
Rue signed desperately that she forgave him and she understood for her friend was swiftly suffocating her with fierce hugs. Karm gently prised him away.
Although Rue was very breathless, she was touched by the extraordinary outburst of emotions from her friend and utterly relieved. After Yerwan had calmed down, Karm explained everything to her.
"Well, from what we saw on deck, you just rushed from the cabin and flung yourself overboard - with quite an impressive jump, I might add." She smiled comfortingly." Yerwan came out because we were deliberately depriving him of breakfast so he came and got his own." Yerwan glanced down ashamedly, painfully remembering the memory. "And he screamed you were overboard. Some went and got ropes but Yerwan leapt after you, straight into the water, and went under to try and find you. He kept coming up but he couldn't find you. Eventually, you came up on your own. You just floated and everyone thought you were dead, just floating there. Then your eyes opened and then we knew you were dead. But Yerwan pulled you up a rope onto the deck. Then you fainted." She leaned in and stared at Rue's face. "What happened down there?"
Rue explained; about the voices, the green people, the female clinging to her ankle, the huge, emotional eyes, how she could communicate through her mind, how they let her go.everything. It was difficult with hand signals but she managed. Yerwan, with wet, tousled hair and a thick towel wrapped around him, watched from a corner. When Rue had finished, he whispered one word:
"Merlee."
"It does seem so, doesn't it?" Seeing that Rue didn't understand, Karm expalined about the merlee.
"The merlee are half-creatures, some call them mer-people. They are a combination of a human torso and head with the tail of a fish. There are several gifted Singers and some orderlies who can communicate with them, like myself and you. Unfamiliar to it, you were taunted underwater by their voices. They have that strange quality. These are the creatures that will help us find the underwater caves and the Khiz-spells of Vengeance. I'm sure the Second-Singer has told you of this.
"I shall also confess a secret that only few know: the Second-Singer is my brother. He never had the gift, even a mild one when he is young, but he had the intelligence to help me with my gift. So now I have mastered it. If you were wondering, I can also communicate with centaurs, but not quetzals. Their species is solitary and secretive. They wouldn't talk to anyone even if they could." She glowered at the air over Rue's head. "I didn't know you had the gift."
'Neither did I,' mimed Rue. "But I thought Singers didn't know their relations, or weren't supposed to."
She ignored the question. "I shall teach you to use your gift because it can be dangerous, as you have just experienced. If you are feeling alright, then I shall start now. The sooner you reach understanding of the merlee the better."
Yerwan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking sheepish. Karm glanced at him. "You can stay, Yerwan. A little background education wouldn't hurt."
Karm began to relate everything she knew about half-creatures to her two attentive pupils, her eyes shining. Rue and Yerwan had not heard of this information before because it was the bits they hadn't learnt in the Echorium, the bits they weren't allowed to learn. So they absorbed it like dry sponges and in those few sunsteps, Rue learnt more than she had in an entire year at the Echorium. She was grateful for it.
In this time, Karm slapped a hot, gooey balm on Rue's brow and waited for it to seep in. Then, she asked the cook for some refreshments and they sat there. Rue detected a particularly bitter seasoning in her portion but decided not to complain. It was probably something medicinal.
Karm left them alone to talk after the refreshments, knowing that they probably wanted to talk. At first, they were both shy. Eventually, Yerwan squeaked, "Was it scary, down there? With the merlee?"
Rue tried to explain the wonderful but awful emotions she felt when she was with the merlee but it didn't work with her hands. There was another silence. And then Yerwan began to apologise again.
"I'm really sorry, Rue. I was so horrible to you. You are the kindest person I've ever met and all I cared about was getting the Second Singer's respect."
'But you did care for me when I stupidly jumped off the ship!' signed Rue.
"That wasn't the same. You might've died. You were under for so long I thought you had died. I was a coward. I didn't want to go any deeper than the surface. I hadn't swum before."
'It takes great courage to leap into a mass of really deep sea when you haven't swum before, Yerwan, even after your best friend. We are still friends, aren't we?'
"Yes! Please. If you aren't too mad at me."
'How long was I under, by the way?"
"About an eighth of a sunstep?"
'WHAT? I couldn't have been under that long.'
"You were, Rue! We thought you were dead!"
'But it couldn't have been that long. Honestly! I was under for a few minutes, at the most.'
"No, you weren't! I swear by the echoes, Rue, I'm not lying! Ask anyone on the ship! Anyone!"
They were interrupted by a huge roar from the deck which could only be Gelfan. "DRAWIN' INTO PORT, CREW! EVERYONE TO DECK!"
They scurried outside, Rue clutching some peculiar pastilles to chew to keep sickness away. Karm had given them to her. As soon as she stepped outside, a crowd of orderlies almost squashed her to death, asking frantically whether she would be alright. She signed several times that she was fine and there were relieved cheers and warm hugs from everyone. She didn't realise what she meant to the crew.
After the young mute had been thoroughly hugged, the two friends marched ceremoniously down into the port from the ship with the rest of the crew. Looking around, all they saw were local people and some merchants, all dressed in orderly fashion. Rue glanced at Yerwan and saw the dramatic contrast between the people and her friend. The people were tall and loud, with a rough and crude appearance and a good copper tan. Yerwan was small, pathetic and pale in his blue Echorium robes and sandals. By one glance you could tell he was an educated foreigner.
Some of the orderlies skipped off into the vast crowds to visit friends in the buildings lining the port and soon it was just Rue, Yerwan, Karm and the Second Singer left. Now Rue knew they were related she could see a vague similarity between them. It was very odd.
The Second Singer instructed them to stay close to him while Karm asked for directions. Yerwan obeyed hurriedly but Rue was desperate to explore that store over in the corner with exotic fruits with names branded on signs that she had never even heard of and that one over there with funny dolls crafted from timber with straw for hair and the one on the left with a broad man wearing barely anything yelling about some sort of sport.
"Where are we going, Singer?"
"We have contacts, Yerwan. We just need to know where they live. They are going to support us during the quest for they are some who feel the strongest resentment towards the Isle of Slaves. Some have lost family to those barbaric quetzals and they want to help."
"But what could they do though, Singer? They're only mainlanders," persisted Yerwan, with noticeable pride. The Second Singer frowned.
"In this part of the world, Yerwan, mainlanders are much more powerful than us."
Not understanding this statement, he began to ask more questions while Rue looked eagerly around, not paying any attention. She craved to investigate the port and all the colourful stalls. It was so interesting, so vivid, so exciting. She could feel the current of mainlanders bashing against her like a tide and she saw a merchant produce an amethyst necklace from behind his stall and exchange it for some sparkling coins. There were two large circles, one inside the other, chalked on the gritty cobbled street a small distance away from her. There were dozens of mainlanders crowded round, shouting and cheering. Forgetting the Second Singer's warning, she loped over to the rings and crawled between the many tanned thighs until she had a good view of what was happening. Squatting in the dust, she watched.
There were two large, brawny farmers brawling in the circles. One had a bright red ribbon tied around each wrist the other blue ribbons. Wearing barely anything but a cloth around their broad waists, they flailed their feet and curled their hands into fearsome fists and punched and kicked at their opponent. The red man was losing the competition although both were gasping and bleeding. Exhausted, the red man eventually succumbed to the blue and collapsed. The blue supporters in the crowd whooped and whistled piercingly and their man was carried away on their shoulders. The red man was left sprawled on the ground and any red supporters slipped away sulking.
Only one woman stayed to pick up the remains of her husband and scorn him for losing. The man looked miserable, bloodied and very tired. Despite her shock at the cruel, pointless display of violence, Rue pitied the man. He was significantly smaller than the blue man was, she could see it now. The woman was struggling to tip the contents of a gourd between her man's lips. Rue crawled forward and gently angled the man's head forward so the water was directed down his throat. The liquid dribbled down his chin with trails of perspiration.
"Silly man. You knew he had the advantage! Why can't you let him be? Him and his kin are no good, I tell you. If you had listened to the thousand times I've said you were no match for that man, then."
"I can beat him!" spluttered the poor man but his wife wouldn't listen.
"Kristar might be our neighbour, but he is no friend! You are so selfish! Showing our family up like that. Each time you lose, the more undeserved respect goes towards that ass and his cursed wife.thankyou, my child. I wouldn't help such a stranger, if I were you though! An idiot has not been seen yet in this world like my man!" She peered at her face. "Is something wrong? Why do you stay silent?"
Reluctant to release any information about herself, Rue hurriedly shook her head and ran over to the Second Singer. He had watched her throughout the fighting.
"What do you think you were doing?" he growled. "Mainlanders can be treacherous, difficult, and especially sly. That common woman could have snatched you away to some place where we would never find you! And you are valuable, Rue. Valuable to us. I would have brought you back if it weren't for my identity. They would see you were someone special then." After a long harsh lecture, Rue joined Yerwan and trailed after their elders to each merchant, asking for directions to a foreign place. It took most of the morning to completely scour the port for information and return to the ship unsuccessful and weary. The Second Singer was hissing darkly and snapped at anything that was said. Karm just looked tired.
As they were about to clamber aboard the Wavesong, the wife of the red man approached them.
"Excuse me, Singer. But I have heard you were looking for the Counticus Jeremia. I know where he has his place. I could show you for we are travelling there tonight to avoid the bandits." She winked at Rue. "I could take you there, just yourself and the little maid, if you would heal my husband with your magical Songs of Power. He has been fighting again and he is in a bad way."
The Second Singer seemed reluctant to agree with the terms. "Well, madam. There are several reasons that your offer might not be appropriate. The first is that it requires five trained Singers for therapy and the use of a Pentangle. The second is that I intend to bring my crew to the Counticus so simply showing me is a waste of my valuable time. The third is that I do not trust strangers, especially with my safety. And fourthly, I do not go anywhere without a guard, in fear of my skills being exploited, and no girl can be a strong, reliable guard." He marched up the plank, blue curls swaying in the light sea breeze. Yerwan followed him, trying to match his walk and poise. Karm scowled at the receding figure of her brother.
"Forgive him, madam. He is in a bad way himself and has been for a long time." Rue smiled. "I don't think I can be much help if it is Song you are seeking but I know some common healing techniques that might work. Not magical but natural. If you are willing to take me to the Counticus instead of that stubborn excuse for a Singer, then I shall indeed be glad to help. I am a trained healer." Rue was astonished at Karm's defiance of the Second Singer but glad that she did not have to spend one more day on the Wavesong than necessary. When Karm asked her if she wanted to come, all she could do was nod to show how grateful she was.
*
Rue learnt gradually that the woman was named Luania and her husband Farsu. They were farmers of the northern plains at Drowned Man's head, a desolate desert of bitter shrubs and hot winters. Apparently, it was good for growing pears. Although Rue didn't know what pears were, she listened to the conversation and assisted Karm with the healing process. It was true that Farsu was in a very bad way. It seemed that his nose was permanently damaged due to a combination of many broken bones and many battles. His leg was bad too and Karm had to 'operate' on it. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Karm sliced his flesh open and inserted some fresh herbal compounds and, although Farsu was drugged heavily with sleeping stuff, Rue could see him twitch every time Karm tweaked a nerve.
Luania had to be dragged outside so she could stop screaming. She screamed that Karm was a murderer and she regretted ever letting her in her home. Rue could only restrain her and make shushing noises to calm her down. But every half-sunstep, she would launch into a new explosion of screams. It took most of Rue's strength to keep her seated for the rest of the evening.
When Farsu's leg was splinted and his nose covered in a complex bandage, they sat in the back of a cart while Luania coaxed their stubborn mule up a hill. In the back of the cart, there were some of the fruit she called pears. Rue munched on one happily as the mule trudged reluctantly up the hill, admiring the sweet sugary substance beneath the skin compared to the soggy vegetables they received at the Echorium. Karm seemed relaxed and willing to tell Farsu everything about the Echorium and their journey. When she reached the episode with the merlee, she decided it was time for another lecture on half-creatures and she invited Farsu and Luania to listen. They were both intrigued.
Then it was time for fohl, a substance she recognised. Still cautious of it, she sipped it in small doses, noticing that Karm continued to fill Farsu's gourd repeatedly until he was snoring. Rue asked why.
"Although fohl can usually do nothing good to a body, it is surprisingly healing when the body suffers injuries like this one has." She glanced at Farsu and the silhouette of Luania arguing with the mule against a pearly moon and perfect sky. Content, Rue began to feel the effects of the fohl herself and, before she even knew it, she was walking the corridors of dreams.
*
It was dawn before she awoke. The mule was still plodding placidly up the steep hill, which had grown considerably since the night before. Rue could now see it was a mountain they were climbing with broad pathways eroded into the side. Luania must have done something severe to tame the obstinate mule up the mountain.
Farsu was still slumbering peacefully on the sacks of pears, covered by an empty one. Karm was seated up front with Luania. They were talking cheerfully. The girl prodded Karm between the shoulder blades and jumped beside her. Startled, the healer turned round instinctively and saw Rue grinning.
"Oh. So you're up now. It's nearly noon, you know! And we need you for the next bit."
Luania felt around behind her while still controlling the mule. She thrust an aged parchment at Karm who showed Rue.
"This is a map of the Quetzal Forest. I know what you're thinking. We are going to the Isle of Slaves and I can tell you that Counticus Jeremia lives on the banks of the Black River, near River Meet, down south. We're going to the Quetzal Forest because Luania says she has something that could help us: an ancient species of half-creature, the naga, has now moved to the Quetzal Forest and has observed the behaviour of the quetzals there. She has also visited the Isle of Slaves. She could tell us a lot." She guided Rue's gaze with her finger, northeast to the source of the Red-River and off down a minute stream to the centre of a huge forest. "We shall be taking a boat into this lake, here." She paused to indicate the lake. ".This lake is called the Nasiacorttquos. In old Horselord times, the name meant 'Home of Serpent-People' and we assume the 'Serpent-People' are the naga. There used to be a great many half-creatures around the Purple Plains and the Western Sea but our ancestors could only save the remaining few with the Treaty - you remember the Half-creature Treaty, yes? - The mainlanders captured them, killed them and traded some of their valuable body parts for good money. It took some persuading to stop them.
"Anyway, the naga were affected most by the slaughter. They were believed to have legendary powers and any that possessed even a scale from the creature would have eternal luck. This was nonsense, of course. But the most gullible of men sought them and nearly destroyed there species. Naga live for a long time, several centuries, in fact. They have the knowledge that could help us stop the quetzal on the Isle of Slaves."
After she had caught up with the explanation, Rue questioned Karm as to how she could help, for Karm herself could communicate with half- creatures. Karm shook her head.
"You forget that I am part of a pentad, Rue. I am trained to protect the Second Singer so I have been here before. Maybe not in these areas but I have tried to talk with the naga before. They can't understand me. They will probably understand you."
'How do you know?' she asked.
"I just do." For the rest of the day, Karm continued to lecture Rue on the naga and the merlee whilst tending to Farsu and his injuries. The mule, Obstik, was calm and obedient from then on. Eating pears, the party travelled until dark settled on the mountain and an opaque mist seeped around them mysteriously. Obstik lost his nerve and began to complain and stop occasionally. Everyone was tense, even Farsu in his condition. If Obstik strayed too near the edge they would all scream and Luania would jerk on the reins and guide him back to the path. Staying close to the mountain, Farsu squinted at a map through the fog and tried to direct Luania to a safe place where they could rest.
They were all exhausted and damp from the mist to watch anything closely. Even Obstik was wandering and no one stopped him. To Rue's horror, she was the only one awake nearly a sunstep after dark. Luania nodded and swayed, letting the reins gradually slither away from her hands. Rue squeaked and lurched forward, trying to catch the reins. Obstik grunted as she caught them and tugged them abruptly back. In surprise, he trotted to the right and collided with the mountain. Something shattered beneath the cart, the wheels collapsed and the whole timber structure tilted precariously. Pears bounced around the path and dropped over the edge in their dozens.
Rue tumbled off the cart and attempted to gather the pears into their sacks again but they just kept toppling off the edge, cavorting in the air briefly and disappearing into the layers of mist before she could catch any. She could now here distant thuds as the pears splattered in the forest below. Squeaking despairingly, Rue shook Karm vigorously to try and wake her with one hand and steered Obstik away from the edge with the other.
Obstik snorted and thumped the ground with his large, powerful hooves, unfamiliar to his new inexperienced handler. With a roar, he trotted swiftly to the left and accidentally plunged over the edge with another flood of pears.
Rue knelt among the pears and sobbed. All of Farsu's lovely pears springing off the mountain in torrents and now his mule! Every time she blinked, the scene replayed in her mind. Before she could pull herself together enough to see that the cart was being dragged slowly after Obstik, she too was tumbling off the mountain with all the pears. A plump, very hard fruit thumped her on the skull as she fell and she remembered nothing after that. Everything was dim and vague but she was sure it wasn't just the mist.
*
It was painful to open her eyes when she flooded back to consciousness. She was limp and fragile, but she felt comfortably slumped on something soft and bouncy that seemed weightless. She was back in her cabin on the ship and none of the awful episode on the mountain had ever happened. She had just followed the Second Singer back to the Wavesong and slept through the night.
Happy and relaxed, Rue shifted position in her sheets and prepared to fall asleep again. But a relentless cramp in her neck stopped her. Then her left leg began to twitch and ache. Her entire torso began to throb next and soon it was impossible to lie still for a matter of seconds without something hurting. Irritated, she pushed herself out of bed and began to walk towards the door. But no floor met the soles of her feet. Instead, she began to tumble down again. Assuming it was another nightmare, she flicked open her eyes and tried to shake herself out of it. She saw random streaks of green and brown, like bad soup. It wouldn't go away.
Now she was scared. Silently screaming to her lungs capacity and cart wheeling in the air, she fell. Then something did meet her, so abruptly that she couldn't feel anything after the impact. Nothing was as hard as that something. No floor was that hard.
After a few minutes of reconnecting everything in her body with her senses, she stirred. She hadn't felt such agony since she had deliberately stamped her anger on the floor at the Echorium and her foot had 'snapped'. It was so painful that she refused herself and lay there for another few minutes. She thought she could lay there forever.
Eventually, everything began to twinge painfully again. Rue slowly clambered to her feet, feeling unstable and giddy. She sat down again and checked that nothing was broken or sprained. To her relief, it seemed nothing serious had occurred during her fall. She looked up and gasped.
Above her, a solid roof of foliage layered the dark skies until only small beams of moonlight sprinkled the forest floor. The canopy was so high above her that she was temporarily shocked that anything could stand that tall. She couldn't believe that such flimsy trunks could hold the huge mass of leaves and endless branches sweeping across the sky. The shock was helped by the fact she had never actually stood in a forest before, because she was used to the beach, wind and sea.
The past began to return to her, not unlike how she had recovered from the merlee incident. Miserable, she inspected the debris of cart littering the floor and all the squashed pears. Taking a mildly squashed one, she absentmindedly chewed it and pondered on what to do. What worried her most was that she couldn't see any of her friends, Luania, Farsu or Karm. It scared her badly.
She anxiously thought back to when she had fallen, barely awake and still thinking she was on the Wavesong. She remembered something soft and comforting, like cushions, and a weird smell. After thinking for some time, she realised she must have been resting on the canopy, unbalanced herself and plunged to earth yet again. She gazed upwards and winced. It was a huge drop from the lumps of leaf overhead but the trees had saved her and her friends so she should be grateful. She silently thanked them.
She thought of how to get them down, surprisingly calm. It was probably that she was in enough trouble that it couldn't get any worse. The only logical thing to do was climb up the nearest tree and carry them down separately.
Her first attempt was unsuccessful. She simply tumbled down the tree and got even more bruised than before. Her second was easier and she just managed to save herself from another direct fall by grabbing onto twigs as she dropped like a rock past the flimsy trunks. Her third was even worse. But she managed to reach the canopy on her fourth effort and locate each of her friends laid peacefully in the branches. Then she had to get them down. From the dizzy heights of the canopy, Rue surveyed the landscape before her. The peaks of the forest, like a green floor below her, continued to dominate the land for several miles in each direction. There was just a sliver of aquamarine on the horizon to suggest that the coast could be nearby. The treacherous mountain loomed threateningly as usual. But it seemed safer at its huge base.
Still considering how to get everyone down, Rue contemplated on the situation. There was no possible way in their current position to reach Counticus Jeremia in the next few days. There were usually remote coastal villages fishing for trade around every few miles by the sea. If they were lucky, there might be one around. Then they could get help. She also yearned to see the ocean again. She didn't know why.
She carefully scrambled over to Karm. Apart from a few grazes, she seemed unharmed. Relieved but cautious, she began to carry her down. Rue held her limp body with knees slung over one arm and arms over the other. This way, she could still use her hands to clamber down.
She was exceedingly surprised at how easy it was. Although she was petrified of slipping, it seemed that she manage Karm's weight effortlessly. And it wasn't just that Karm was slim.
She descended the tree in pure stiff terror which didn't help her climbing abilities. When she finally reached the bottom, Karm was murmuring and recovering rapidly. She deposited her in the splintered remains of the cart and nudged her gently, blowing on her face. Karm muttered again before tenderly opening her eyes and massaging her temples. Joyous, Rue tried to explain but she just waved her away.
"Not now, Rue. I can't think. Can you bring me a pear, please?" Hurt, Rue plodded around and discovered a collection of good pears under one of the trees. After faithfully dropping some pears into her lap, she watched Karm suck the moisture from a few and gnaw on the skin, juice escaping from her mouth and down her chin. Relaxed and settled, she began to talk.
"What happened, Rue? Where are we, where's the cart and where's Luania and Farsu?"
Ashamedly, Rue related the story and answered Karm's questions. She was preparing for a good scolding. And she knew she deserved it.
"Oh well. It was an accident. But I don't know what we can expect from Farsu. We've practically destroyed everything: his cart, his trade, and we don't even know where Obstik is. It's a bit of a disaster, isn't it, Rue?"
Rue protested vividly that it was her fault entirely and she should be punished. Karm smiled sleepily.
"That's very honourable, Rue, but I'm sure they'll understand. They're good people and these aren't the days when masters thrashed their slaves." She leant forward and clasped Rue's tearful face in her soft, warm hands. "Anyway, I'm not your master and you're not my slave." She paused and relaxed. "If you really are feeling honourable, scout around for some water, a small stream would do."
Rue asked about Luania and Farsu. Karm soothed her and assured her they would be fine until she had enough strength to help. Rue jogged into the forest on a quest for water.
She listened to the sound of the forest. It was sunrise. Little cheerful swallows were cavorting like the children of the merlee in the bright skies. Slowly, the animals stirred and the nocturnal creatures retreated to their homes, away from the sun. Rue thought happily that she could grow to like the forest. It was a very musical place, with the birds chorusing and the leaves nudging each other and conversing in soft whispers. It was like the First year's laughter as they rolled around on the beach on sunny days.
She did find a stream. It wriggled out from under a huge rock like a serpent and continued to wriggle until it stopped at a huge lake. Rue was very surprised to sea the huge lake. She wondered if it was possible that it could be Nasiacorttquos, the home of the naga. She shook her head. It couldn't be.
She tasted the water in the lake and discovered that it was clean and thoroughly refreshing. It was like the sweetest dessert to her lips. As she knelt greedily by the lake and slurped the water from her cupped palms, she received a distinct feeling that something was nearby. Flicking her head up and searching the forest around the lake, Rue noticed a figure between the trunks. Waving frantically, she approached it, smearing the water around her mouth with her sleeve. The creature darted away with surprising agility.
Rue pursued it in a wide circuit around the lake, exercising her stiff muscles. It seemed to wait for her behind trees until she noticed it and then dart on. She thought this suspicious. She wished she could shout something threatening to make it stop because she knew it couldn't be an animal, even a deer. She could see the silhouette of a human head on it's shoulders when light forced it's way through the compact spaces between the trees.
Eventually, she stopped exhausted. The thing was too darn fast for her. Disappointed but very tired from the chase, Rue didn't realise the thing had stopped in front of her until the last moment before it escpaed again. It was very close. As it tried to sprint away, she snatched it's wrist and yanked it back. It whinnied and moaned and protested. 'Oh no you don't!' she yelled triumphantly, or rather tried to in her head. 'I've got you now!'
'Twohoof please let go! Won't play any no more!' It panicked frantically, thrashing her shins with accurate kicks from dozens of legs. She squeaked. 'No! Stop!' she screamed. She collapsed on the loamy forest floor, breathing heavily. She hurt so much around her legs that she wasn't even sure they were there. The feeling there was distorted .It gave a few more blows as she lay there in defeat. Then it stopped.
'Twohoof well?' it enquired. There was possibly a note of worry in their voice. She thought it was a stupid question to ask after it had just kicked her senseless but she lay there, muttering in her head. 'That hurt, oh, HURTING! Leave me alone, you great leggy rabbit! How many legs have you got, anyway? Ten!'
'Four. And Sord not rabbit! Sord centaur!' There was pride this time. It took a little thinking for Rue to catch up and realise that the creature could understand her. She was struck with immense excitement. Something could understand her? Even if it was dumb, it still could.
'Can you understand me?' Rue asked slowly in her head, hoping she hadn't lost the ability to communicate already. She had her eyes closed and her face pressed into the leaf litter but she could hear it still, clearly.
'Yes. Course Sord understand. Twohoof one of centaurs. Didn't know?'
'What? Centaurs don't exist. And I'm not a centaur.' Now she was really puzzled.
'But you talk Herd. Why twohoof talk Herd if not centaur?'
'I don't know! I haven't got four legs, have I?' There was a pause, as if the 'centaur' was inspecting her legs. 'You are really twohoof.but you no kick! You.Sord don't understand.'
'Yeah, well, if you're being nice then could you just help me up? You kicked most of the life out of me.'
To her surprise, a small clammy hand tugged her to her feet. She looked at the sprightly creature and automatically felt like keeling over again. It was a centaur. It had four thin legs, like a horse, and a human torso sprouting weirdly from where it's neck should have been. It was coloured lilac with a round, gaunt face like a young boy. It was smaller than she had expected. But it was still very scary to see something so strange, which such huge eyes.
'Sorry Sord kick twohoof. Centaur instinct.' It was obvious that the centaur was just and infant. He stumbled over the word 'instinct' although Rue thought it could have been his queer accent.
'I didn't think centaurs existed.but.you must be a centaur. What else could you be?' The two species looked at each other warily, not sure about each other.
'Don't speak twohoof speak! Sord no understand strange twohoof when twohoof speak long funny twohoof! Speak Herd. You centaur! Sord know!'
'I'm not a centaur! Just because I can speak with you doesn't mean I'm your species! And I'm not strange, you are!'
'Sord normal centaur! Twohoof.well.twohoof! Twohoof strange.'
'I'm not strange! Shuttup!' The two scowled menacingly, each understanding little about the other. Rue decided to stop arguing and try and calm things down. She didn't want to repeat the strange kicking section of their conversation.
'Sorry. I suppose we are just different. That's why we don't understand each other. I'm Rue, a human. And you're Sord, yes?'
Sord's huge scary eyes glared at her. 'Suppose. Yes.'
'You can kick well. Very hard too.' Rue decided to lower her vocabulary when talking to Sord. It seemed he was very young.
Sord looked proud and he stamped and twirled his sleek black tail.
'Sord champion kick! See flying snake!' He flailed his two fore hooves while balancing skilfully on his hind legs. Rue was impressed.
'Wow! What else can you do? Kicks, I mean.'
'Errr.snake.' He demonstrated. 'Flying snake. Hare. Double hare. And Dragonfly.' He performed each one and waited to see Rue's expression. Rue grinned and nodded each time. Sord's pride seemed to swell.
'Canyon! Canyon use for Herdstones! Crack mountainside and Herdstone fall out! Can't proper Canyon yet. Not big enough.' At this he seemed miserable. But he soon perked up again and showed her an impressive Canyon attempt. She could feel the rock beneath her tremor disturbingly. This got her thinking. Sord knelt like a horse would do and watched her.
'What do twohoof do? Any kick?'
'No. We don't kick. We.use our hands mostly.' She held her palms out and explained. 'We use our hands for lots of things. We write and work things and.um.' She was desperately trying to match Sord's display but it didn't work. 'Twohooves do nothing really. But we use technology!'
'Tequwanollooogee.'
'Yes! Something like that. Um.like this!' She produced some knitting needles and thread from her Echorium clothes and began to prepare the knitting. 'See! You pull this through here.like that.and then this loop.like that.and.there! Stitches.'
Sord looked incredulously at the beginning of her knitting. 'What it do? Kill animal like twohoof sharps?' Rue bowed her head. 'I've never used anything sharp like that. Never want to. It's horrible and gruesome. I'd never understand if a.twohoof killed another creature.'
'But twohoof not creature. Centaurs creature. Animals creature. But twohoof not creature. Twohoof barbacy.'
'Humans are not barbaric! And we are creatures! We just.misunderstand other creatures. Here, look!' She seized Sord's slender lilac hand and compared it to her own. He visibly flinched. 'See! We are not that different. Except you have four legs and we have two! I will agree, some twohoofs are barbaric but some aren't. I would never kill and animal. Or you. '
She realised that she was still holding his hand after the speech and she released it embarrassed. Sord was looking thoughtfully at her. 'Show Sord what them do,' he asked quietly, pointing to the knitting needles. For hours, the two young creatures compared their lives, like Rue had compared their hands, while she knitted. Her knitting got quite long by the time they ran out of conversation. By then she thought of Karm, still lying in the forest amid the cart. She thought of something suddenly. 'Do you have anything like a gourd? Something you carry water in? Anything?' Sord shook his head. 'Oh. Well, here.' She finished her knitting with a few knots and passed it to Sord. 'We call it a scarf. It keeps the cold out. You wear it round your neck, see?' She looped it round his neck and he smiled. 'Great twohoof gift! Sord keep forever! Thankyou.'
'Thankyou to you too.' And they departed from the forest in separate directions, each thinking solemnly about the other and wondering whether they would ever meet again.
*
After her strange conversation with Sord, Rue forgot to sign her speech when she returned to the cart and Karm.
'Karm! I've found a lake and.' she shouted in her head. She trailed off. Karm was sleeping, breathing rhythmically. Rue sighed and quietly began to collect some spare planks from the massacred remains of the cart. Thinking logically, she arranged them into a crude shelter for herself and Karm. She dragged Karm into the shelter where she wriggled into the loam and settled again. She constructed a similar one for Farsu and Luania. Pleased with her laborious afternoon, she stepped aside, her palms punctured with many splinters, and admired her work. The golden orb of sun threw dimming rays from the horizon before disappearing altogether.
Rue discovered three blankets under the many shards of wood and scrambled up the trees where the two traders slept. She layered them both in warmth for the night, propping Farsu's injured leg on a protruding branch. It was starting to worry her now that the adults had not woken. After the past experience, sleep would be an odd way to forget it and repair the damage. She pushed these worries to another area in her head to be thought of later. Then she crawled exhaustedly into the hut with Karm and slept.
*
"Two-hoof! Two-hoof wake! Quetzals come!" Reluctantly, Rue opened her eyes to a blur. Scrubbing her eyes to disperse it, she asked what Sord was doing.
"Quetzals come! Bad for two-hoof and friends! Quetzals come from Nasiacorttquos and seek blood: hungry quetzals kill! Hurry, run!"
Rue was surprised that the young centaur could pronounce the name of the ancient lake so well, better than herself certainly, but the urgency behind his warnings was enough to stir her from her bed.
"How far away are they?"
"Not far, next valley! Hurry, hurry two-hoof! Wake friend." Rue rocked Karm forcefully to wake her, expecting her to take over and not ask questions about the mysterious appearance of a myth standing beside her. But she didn't wake. Sord whinnied and kicked, his pale skin glowing in starlight.
"Try that cliff thing, Sord! Hurry!"
"Canyon no good! Sord too small, won't work! Go, run!" Like a frightened steed, he reared and tugged Rue's coarse tunic with his teeth, urging her on. Rue refused to part with Karm and eventually resorted to dragging her from the dwelling with Sord's help.
"Put on Sord's back!" he whinnied anxiously, the whites rolling around his pupils.
"But you're not strong enough! Karm's too big, I."
"Hurry!" He stamped persuasively and Rue believed him. She propped Karm's limp frame over his haunches and sprinted with him into the forest. He was surprisingly fast for his size and didn't seem to notice the weight on his back.
"Where do we go, Sord?"
"Away from quetzals."
"Anywhere in particular?" He looked at her and stopped. It was obvious he hadn't thought about it, probably expecting her to direct him as Rue hoped Karm would direct her. The situation needed some authority to move along, usually issued by an adult. But the two young creatures were lost without authority of an elder which they had suffered for the previous years of their lives. Harsh squawking reverberated around the clearing and flapping of wings.
Sord broke down, his courage failing rapidly.
"Help!" he screamed, "Help, Herd help Sord! Quetzals coming!" Thoroughly panicked, he cantered off into the trees, forgetting his package who slid off during his wild frenzy.
"Sord!" Rue yelled. She knelt to inspect Karm but to her horror, the quetzals entered the clearing. Before her logical thinking deserted her, she threw Karm unceremoniously into a bush.
The quetzals were quite small, but bigger than hawks. They were nothing life the merlee, so human with legs, arms, hands and huge eyes, so disturbing eyes, like all the half-creatures she had encountered. They blinked often and quivered to dislodge some irritating feathers. The colours were startling and vibrant, blues, yellows, reds, a kaleidoscope of colour. As the feathers spiralled down into the loam, Rue noticed they had wings, beaks and clawed feet. Flocks of them landed and squabbled for space in the small clearing. Wary and scared, Rue watched as more came. But the scariest aspect of the creatures was their spears, made of glittering black crystal and ivory handles it seemed. They weren't very big but it was still intimidating.
Their leader waddled forward and confronted her, just coming to her waist. She wasn't sure if it planned to communicate with her but remembered that they were a solitary species and wouldn't communicate even if they could, quoted from Karm's lectures. She bowed her head respectfully, preparing to think as hard as she could of how to get out of the situation. She hoped Sord was nearby for her only company was a doped healer sleeping in the undergrowth at that moment.