Chapter Twenty-Eight
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Enja and Afrin are huddled behind me. My arrow is aimed at the figures stumbling out of the forest. One, two, then three men appear.
Like ocean waves receding during low tide, the instinct to defend myself and the children fades.
Because, while these men may be taller and stronger than I am, they pose no threat. They are dirty and haggard. Their skin is covered with scrapes and bug bites. One of them is even limping.
And, most importantly, I recognize them. They are from the Wolf People tribe. A pitiful sort of desperation haunts each of their eyes.
Two more figures emerge from the woodline. A man is helping a woman walk, ensuring she does not trip over any roots or limbs. Her belly is large and round. The baby she carries could be due at any time.
Stunned, my arrow drops unneeded to my side. "Len? Akob? What happened to you?"
The question triggers Len. She breaks into soul-crushing sobs. Akob pulls her closer, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. Once she settles down, he answers my question.
"W-we... we have been walking for days," he stammers hoarsely. "No food. No weapons. We haven't had anything to drink since yesterday."
I turn on my heel to lock eyes with the children behind me. "Enja, do you have any water left in your flask?"
The boy nods and unties the flask from where it hangs on his belt. Akob insists that Len drink first. She takes several swallows before passing it to Ollin. A piece of bloodied cloth is tied around his injured calf. He drinks a little and hands it over to Ulei, who then gives it to Ateara. Akob is the last to drink. I doubt there was much water left for him.
He licks the wetness from his lips. "Thank you."
I give the flask back to Enja, but my gaze never leaves the small group in front of me. "Where's the rest of your tribe?"
Akob flinches as though he has been slapped. "I would rather not say when there are young ears present. Do you know the way out of here? I need to speak to Arl as soon as possible."
"I'm sorry. Arl and most of the men have gone hunting. It will be another day or two before they return." Akob and the others are visibly crushed by the news. Hastily, I add more encouraging information. "But, yes, I know my way through the forest. You all are welcome to stay in the village until Arl gets back. Len, your father went on the hunting trip, but I know your mother will be happy to see you."
Len acknowledges me with a quick nod of the head, her eyes still brimming with tears.
The children and I lead the group. We walk slowly so it won't strain anyone too much. Other than the children's occasional observations of our surroundings, our footsteps are the only sounds to be heard.
At last, we reach the gorge. We come around a corner, and then there is the village. Ehmay catches sight of me first since I am in the front.
"Bella, why are you back so soon? There is plenty of daylight left to hunt..." Her words taper off once she notices that the children and I are not alone.
I rush over to her. "We came across them while we were hunting. They're in trouble, Ehmay. All five need food and water, and at least one of them is hurt."
Ehmay picks up on the urgency in my tone. She doesn't waste time questioning me. Eyes flashing with determination, she recruits volunteers to help care for the Wolf People. Len and Akob go to stay at her parents' home. Bannar's wife, Shelba, offers to house the other men and see to it that they are properly fed.
Once Len is resting comfortably, Akob shuffles back to the village center. The dark circles under his eyes hint at his exhaustion, but he insists that he is well enough to talk. Ehmay escorts him to her hut. I follow. Mett, Bannar, and four village elders are waiting inside. Three out of the four of the elders are women.
Akob takes a seat on the floor mat. His eyes stare straight into the burning fire pit as he speaks.
"My people and I were staying at a place south of here," he begins. "It had a good water source and a small grove of trees nearby. Four days ago, we harvested the last of the hazelnuts. We planned on moving to our winter campsite the very next day, so everyone went to bed early that night." He gulps. "A sound woke me. It was a cry that cut off too quickly. I looked out of my tent. The fire in the center of our camp had been extinguished somehow. There was only a sliver of the moon to see by. What I saw was... too horrible to believe. The Hatuki had overrun our camp. They were entering tents and attacking my people!"
Shocked whispers fill Ehmay's hut. Mett, who is in charge until Arl returns, holds up a hand to hush everyone. The chatter ends. His brow furrows, absorbing what has been said so far.
"How many did you see, Akob?"
"It is impossible to say for certain. It was very dark, but I believe that there were many."
"I understand. Please continue."
"I went to shake Len awake. It was then that one of the Hatuki rushed inside our tent. But I took it by surprise. My spear was in its belly before it could see me." He takes in a shuddering breath. "I heard more of them coming. I knew that I could not defend myself and Len from so many at once. My only choice was to pull up the stakes in the back of the tent, help Len through the small hole I had created, and try to get away without being seen. It worked, but I lost my spear during our escape."
"Len and I hid in the bushes near the water hole. In time, we came across Ateara, then Ulei. Ollin barely got away. One of the Hatuki had slashed his leg down to the bone. He crawled on his hands and knees until we spotted him and brought him to our hiding place.
"The Hatuki made noise all night. They were growling, yelling... I swear some were laughing. It was clear that they would not be leaving anytime soon. We were afraid we would be discovered once it became daylight. We had no choice except to leave and come here, to plead for help from our friends."
Mett eyes him warily. "What help are you requesting?"
"All I ask for are a few of your men to accompany me back there. I want to know-" Choking on his words, he swallows and pushes through it. "I need to know what has happened to my father and the rest of my people."
A moment of silence passes by.
Ehmay clears her throat for attention. "The Wolf and Bat People have been allies for generations, and Ilium and Arl have been friends all their lives. I am confident that once my husband returns, he will want to help in any way he can. But if he does hesitate, I will remind him of our tribes' close bond."
Akob bows his head humbly. "Thank you."
My spine has been tingling in alarm throughout Akob's narrative. I interrupt to ask a question. "Excuse me. But who exactly are these 'Hatuki' you spoke of?"
Akob looks at me askance. "I was told that you are from the land of the Great Spirits. How could you not know of the Hatuki?"
Bannar comes to my defense. "I am not surprised that Bella has not heard of them before. The land where the Great Spirits dwell is a sacred place. The Hatuki are not allowed there." His aging eyes meet mine. "Just as there are good spirits, like Damara and Senuna, bad spirits exist as well. They bring death and disease, drought and floods. Most cast their evil spells from a great distance away. Other spirits prefer to come here themselves to inflict suffering. We call them the Hatuki."
"Oh," I murmur. "Where I come from, we call them 'monsters' or 'demons'." We also consider them to be the stuff of make-believe, but I keep that thought to myself.
Bannar makes a humming sound in the back of his throat, a subtle acknowledgment of what I said. "The Hatuki sneak into a tribe's territory and... Well, this is where the stories differ. Some claim the Hatuki will kill as many people as they can just for the pleasure of it. Other stories say people are captured to be taken back to the Hatuki's homeland. There they are forced to work with no rest and are given very little food in return."
Oh, goody. Slavery. Just when I thought things couldn't look any bleaker.
I direct my next question to Akob. "What did they look like?"
Akob's expression hardens. "They were in the shape of a man, but I was not fooled. Their eyes were wild, like that of a lion when it is starving for meat. And, they wore face paint. It glistened in the moonlight."
"What designs did they use?" Mett asks.
"None. Their entire faces were covered in red."
I inhale, eyes widening. "Red. L-like blood?"
"Yes."
While I inwardly panic, Mett is ready with another question. "But how do you know it was red? You said it was dark."
"The Hatuki that I stabbed fell on top of me before I could shove it away. Some of the face paint wiped off on my tunic. It wasn't until the next day that I realized it was red."
I begin nibbling on my lower lip. A nagging feeling won't stop pestering me. "Are you sure it was the Hatuki that attacked your tribe?"
"Who else could it be?"
"The Soul Eaters."
Excited murmurs break out inside of the hut. Akob, however, openly scoffs at my suggestion. "I would hope that I could tell the difference between a tribe of ordinary men and the legendary Hatuki."
I lift an eyebrow in challenge. "The Soul Eaters wear blood-red face paint, do they not?"
"Yes, but the Soul Eaters only draw a few symbols on themselves - they don't cover their entire faces with paint."
"Things change. It might be something new they're doing."
"That doesn't make sense. The Soul Eaters have lived the same way for as far back as I can remember. Why would they suddenly change? It can only be the Hatuki that attacked us!"
Ehmay speaks up. "I am not fully convinced it was the Hatuki, either."
Akob opens his mouth to argue. Ehmay speaks again before he can respond.
"I do not doubt your story, Akob. I have known you since your mother gave birth to you. You are not the type of man to lie. But, you said it was dark that night. Your fear would have influenced what you believed you saw. I think it would be best to investigate the matter further before you decide who is to blame for the attack."
Akob keeps his eyes on her for a time. Gradually, the stiffness in his shoulders eases. "I see the wisdom in what you say. I will wait."
Word of what happened to the Wolf People spreads quickly through the village. Everyone is on guard. Mett enlists more people to watch the entrance. Oza and two other armed women are on first watch. When evening falls, they are replaced with three men: Mett, Bannar, and Akob.
Oh yeah. And I'm there too. Because after hearing Akob's disturbing story, I doubt I'll be falling asleep anytime soon. Might as well put my insomnia to good use.
A fire is lit at the narrow village entrance. There is no way to sneak around it. Mett says that not even an evil spirit like the Hatuki would willingly walk into a blaze that hot. It gives us all a bit more peace of mind once the pitch black of night takes over.
The four of us sit around without saying a word. Our somber expressions reflect our innermost thoughts. I keep thinking of Akob's father, the leader of the Wolf People. Ilium is a kind man. He welcomed Ewar and me when we were lost in the wilderness. He fed us and kept us alive when we were at our most vulnerable. It's heartbreaking that he may be suffering right now. Our only hope is that Ilium and the rest of the Wolf People are being held captive and can be rescued soon without loss of life.
Bannar ends the oppressive silence. He starts off humming a tune using his mouth and bobbing throat. A slow beat is slapped on his knees. Mett joins in on the humming, providing harmony when Bannar opens his mouth to sing. His voice cracks with age, but it goes well with the song he chose. It compares a man's life with the movements of the sun. At dawn, you are born. Life is new and exciting. Anything is possible. At midday, you are at your strongest and brightest. Nothing stands in your way. Then, the sun begins its descent. Time is running out. At sunset, death welcomes you. But in exchange for your life, you leave behind something to be remembered by - a beautiful painting in the sky.
Akob wipes away a stray tear. The rest of us pretend not to have seen it.
Bannar sings until his voice gives out. We are relieved from guard duties late in the night. Ulei and Ateara volunteer to take over. Ollin, since he is suffering from a serious leg wound, is on strict bed rest. Akob tries to stay, but Ulei reminds him that he needs to sleep if he wants to be of help tomorrow. Akob begrudgingly agrees.
Squinting through the darkness, I find my way to Alie's house, where I have been staying while our men are away. She and Paytah are deep asleep. They don't so much as stir when I enter the hut. I slip into the unused second bed across the room from them. Exhaustion pulls me under quickly. Thankfully, I am too tired for any nightmares to visit me.
The men of the village return home the next afternoon. Their hunt was a great success. Meat, hides, and bones weigh down their travoises. We will not starve this winter.
Ewar is toward the back of the line. I drink in the sight of his smiling face. Their hunting ground is dangerous. Ferocious animals live in the grassland. Now, it is even more risky. A pack of mysterious two-legged predators are out there. Anything could have happened to Ewar while he was away, and I wouldn't have been able to help at all.
I take off running. Ewar drops the travois so he can catch me. It feels so good to touch and squeeze him again. As my head rests on his shoulder, I begin sniffling uncontrollably. I had to stay strong while he was away, to watch out for myself and the people I love. It was a heavy burden. Now that he is home, I can't help but break down a little.
He wipes away the wetness from my cheek, a question on his lips. "What's wrong?"
My fingers sink deeper into his tunic. "Something terrible has happened. You and Arl need to talk to Akob right away."
The villagers are summoned for a meeting. Akob rehashes the story once again. Ewar's grip on my hand tightens the instant he hears the details.
Arl is rightly horrified by the news and is eager to help out. He orders three of his men to stay and protect the village. The rest will accompany Akob and Arl to where the Wolf People were last seen.
Ewar is grouped in with the latter bunch.
His eyes are glowing like a dragon's, a raging fire burning inside. Nevertheless, he keeps patiently mute until Arl is alone. Still holding my hand, he pulls me along to where his uncle stands.
"I am not leaving," Ewar announces, accentuating each syllable.
Arl looks at him in surprise. "Why not?"
"Did you not listen to Akob? It had to have been the Soul Eaters."
"Akob thinks it was the Hatuki."
Ewar tsks. "Since when have evil spirits been known to look like men? And wear blood on their faces? That is something only the Soul Eaters are known to do."
Arl thinks this over. He nods once. "You are right. It is unlikely the Hatuki attacked the Wolf People. However, I doubt it was the Soul Eaters either." Ewar grunts to express his discontent, but Arl continues. "The Soul Eaters are not known for attacks of this magnitude. They target lone individuals, people who have wandered off without the protection of their tribe. Why would a small group like the Soul Eaters suddenly attack a tribe bigger than themselves? It would be a risky move. It is for that reason I do not believe it was them. Though, we will not know for certain until we see for ourselves."
Ewar studies Arl. The next words out of his mouth are measured. "That is true. You and the others can leave and investigate what happened. I will be staying here."
"Ewar-"
"No! You remember how interested the Soul Eaters were in Bella. They believed she was a goddess and wanted her power. If there is even the slightest chance that they are nearby, I will not leave her unprotected."
"I understand your concern, but Bella will be safe in the village without you. There will be guards posted day and night. No one will step foot through the entrance unless they have our permission." Arl rests his hand on Ewar's shoulder. "You, Mett, and Jas are our best fighters. I will need each one of you so we can discover what became of our friends... and protect ourselves if it comes to it." His tone softens further. "Think of Ilium. He would do the same for us if we were in trouble."
Ewar's jaw clenches so hard, it's a miracle that he doesn't break a molar.
He lets out a defeated groan. "I will do as you ask... for Ilium." He spins around to face me. "Bella, pack some warm clothes - and bring your bow and arrows. You are coming too."
Arl flinches back a step. "But you said you were concerned for her safety!"
"I am. Leaving her here is not an option. Would those guarding the village risk their own lives for her sake? I can't say for certain that they would. At least when she is with me, I know she will be fully protected." His eyes narrow. "But let's not pretend, Arl. Both you and I know that whoever attacked the Wolf People has most likely moved on by now. Bella will be safer with us."
Arl can't argue with that. He nods and says we will be leaving as soon as possible.
Ewar waits until Arl has walked away before speaking again. Our gazes meet and hold. "Should I be angry with myself for forcing you to come with me?" he asks quietly.
I give my head a quick shake. "If I didn't want to go, I would have already told you."
He releases a sigh. "Good."
"Is it true what you said? Do you think that the people who did it are gone?"
"Yes. There would be no reason for them to stay any longer."
"What about the Wolf People? What do you think happened to them?"
Ewar looks thoughtful. "The Wolf People have no territory of their own. They wander wherever the herds go. They don't control any resources that would tempt anyone to steal from them. The only thing of value they have is themselves." He gazes meaningfully into my eyes. "I am afraid of what we will find at their camp."
While Ewar grabs something to eat, I go about packing a few things for our upcoming trip. Clothes, blankets, and foods that require no cooking are my top priority. I stuff my quiver full of arrows and sling the bow over my shoulder. Then, we are off. There's a few more hours before sunset. We walk as far as we can before stopping to set up camp. Arl says that there will be no fires lit after dark. The light it would put off might attract attention - and that's the exact opposite of what we want.
Rotating shifts are put into place. Two people are awake at all times. Ewar and I are given the first shift. The stars are out but the moon is not. It is much too dark. We can't talk, otherwise it would disturb everyone's rest. He and I limit our interaction to gentle hand-holding as we scan our surroundings. Eventually, it is our turn to sleep. We crawl into our tent and practically pass out. Our eyes don't open until the sun is up.
Akob takes the lead once we reach the grassland. We travel for an entire day and set up camp much like we did the night before. Early the very next morning, Akob points at a smudge of green on the near horizon.
His people had been camping near those trees.
Arl orders his men to drop everything except for their weapons. We crouch down in the half-dead grass so we won't be easily seen. While everyone else begins creeping forward, Ewar catches my wrist and pulls me close.
"If you see anyone you do not recognize, shoot them," he whispers into my ear.
My heart takes off racing. Hunting animals for food is one thing. Killing a human being is a whole different ball game. And to shoot at someone just because you've never seen them before? They could be completely innocent! It might be a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I don't know if I can do that," I confess.
He shuts his eyes briefly to conceal his frustration. When he reopens them, he is as calm and focused as ever. "All right. Then just keep a lookout. If you see anyone trying to sneak up behind us, let me know."
It takes seemingly forever for the dozen or so of us to reach the small grove of trees. Arl puts his finger against his lips, reminding us all to keep quiet. It takes less than a minute to make our way through the grove. Arl's face falls at what he sees.
The Wolf People's campsite has been burnt beyond recognition.
Akob is stoic as he takes in the destruction. Arl speaks at a normal volume since the culprits are nowhere in sight.
"Well..." he drawls in hesitation. "I see no signs of death. It appears the Wolf People have been captured. Those of you who excel at tracking, look around. Tell me at once if you find anything."
Jas, Ulei, and a couple of others space themselves evenly around the perimeter and beyond, searching for footprints and bent grasses that might indicate the direction our friends were forced to travel. A few of us, like Ewar and I, are drawn closer to the devastation. Nothing was left unspoiled. Baskets of food were dumped on the ground and the contents stomped on. Stone tools were smashed to pieces. The waste of resources is infuriating.
The Wolf People live in transportable tents, similar to yurts. Entire families live inside of them. Now, they are merely piles of rubble. Using the end of my bow, I sift through the debris where one once stood. I'm hoping to find something to salvage from the ruins. To my disappointment, only chunks of blackened wood are found. It appears that everything was pulled out of the tent prior to it being set on fire.
Moving on, I come across the remnants of a fire larger than the others. The mound is enormous, as tall as my knees. This must be the place where they tossed anything of value to be burned. The top layer is mostly ash and logs that didn't completely burn.
Digging deeper, I come across personal items that survived the inferno, like beads and miniature animal tokens. One of the beads captures my attention. There are no holes indicating it had ever been on a necklace or bracelet. It is oddly shaped too. Slightly pointed on one side, with two legs growing out of the bottom. Almost like roots...
I go to scream but only a gust of air escapes my mouth. I drop it like it's poison and flee backwards, accidentally bumping into Ewar in the process. He keeps me from falling and spins me around. Before he gets the chance to ask what's wrong, I blurt out my discovery.
"I-I think I found a tooth." I release a shaky breath. "It didn't look like it was from an animal."
Ewar's eyes drift to where the rubble pile sits and narrows into slits. He grabs a piece of half-burnt wood. Using it like a shovel, he starts digging at the base of the mound of ash.
Charred fragments of bone come tumbling out, so many that it seems to never end.
Someone yelps behind me. More men rush over to help Ewar. They work together to search the mound. The bone fragments are brittle. If handled too rough they shatter to dust. Here and there, larger bones are uncovered that escaped the worst of the flames.
I have butchered my fair share of animals in the time I have lived here. Rabbit. Venison. Great big slabs of elk and bison. No matter what the size or the species, carving them up works much the same. So, as I look at these bones - these unmistakably human remains - I begin seeing the signs.
Slash marks are on every single one.
Some cuts are barely perceptible, indicating where a stone knife scraped too close. Others are deep enough to have exposed the marrow underneath.
It's no longer a mystery what happened to the Wolf People. After their slaughter, what was left of them was reduced to a pile of ash.
I knew every member of the tribe, from the youngest child to the elder woman with hair as white as the clouds.
I wonder whose bones now lay at my feet?
Bile climbs my throat. I stagger over to the grass and collapse on my knees. My last meal claws its way up. Even when there is nothing left in my stomach, I am left dry heaving, gagging on the realization that our friends suffered in their last moments.
I sense Ewar's presence before I can see it. He pats my back and whispers words that I cannot absorb in my current mental state. It isn't until he pours some water inside my mouth do I begin to recover.
While I sit on the sidelines, still reeling, a rare find is recovered. A necklace is presented to Akob. It belonged to Ilium. It was the token signifying his leadership.
Dried blood coats the once pristine wolf teeth that hang from the string.
Akob fists his father's necklace in one hand. His entire body shakes like a volcano on the brink of exploding. All hope is gone. He no longer places the blame for his tribe's fate on mythic monsters. He redirects his attention to a more likely enemy.
"I swear," he says through his mounting rage, "on my father's memory. The Soul Eaters will die."
00000000000000000000
Akob is ready to make good on that promise, right then, right now. However, Arl steps in to talk some sense into him. Hunting down the Soul Eaters this late in the year would be unwise. Winter will come roaring in soon. We must get back to the village before the blizzards overtake us. There's just enough time for us to bury the remains of what was once a thriving tribe and rush home.
Life, no matter how unfair, goes on. Akob - whether he wants it or not - is now the leader of the Wolf People. Arl insists that surviving members of the tribe stay in our village until they are ready to venture out on their own again. Len and Akob are given Ichel and Essa's old house. The other three members opt to continue to stay with Bannar and Shelba. They reasoned the elderly couple could use the extra help around the house.
Winter takes a chokehold of the region. Even though it is unlikely the Soul Eaters would stage an attack on anyone during these harsh months, Arl orders that safety precautions will remain in place. Guards are posted at the village entrance at all hours. No one is allowed to hunt or forage unless they are in groups of three or more and are properly armed. And absolutely no one leaves the village after dark. No exceptions are allowed.
Chores keep my mind occupied during the day. Nights, however, are a different story. The Soul Eaters haunt my dreams. I see grotesque, laughing mouths dripping with blood. And even though Ora was exiled from that awful tribe years ago, I still see him there in my nightmares, grinning at me before he tears the flesh off his next victim.
Ewar is always there to save me from these night terrors. He gathers me into his arms and rocks me until my panic subsides. But afterward, as we lie there wide-awake in bed together, my anxiety never quite goes away completely. He and every other healthy and active man belonging to the Bat People have sworn that they will track down and defeat the Soul Eaters once spring returns. This is a nightmare in and of itself. Anything could happen. I don't want anyone on our side getting hurt, especially Ewar. I would rather have everyone stay safe here and let someone else deal with the problem.
When I voice my concerns to him, he takes my hand and gazes deeply into my sleep-deprived eyes.
"We cannot live like this forever, Bella. Do you want any future child of ours to grow up worrying that the Soul Eaters could attack at any moment?"
The fact Ewar can come up with such an effective counterargument in the middle of the fucking night is kind of annoying. But God help me, I love him for it too.
With tragedy comes sparks of joy. Roughly a month into winter, Len feels the first signs of contractions. Ehmay springs into action, sending Akob out the door of his own home. Childbirth is traditionally a women's only event in their culture. The father-to-be will have to hang out with the other men until after the baby arrives.
Several women gather inside the room, including Len's mother and Essa. Although Essa and I still loathe one another, we enter into an unspoken truce for her sister's sake. She will refrain from insulting my appearance or intelligence, and in return, I won't claw her face off. It's a decent deal, I'd say.
Ehmay is coaching Len through the birth. She is an excellent midwife. Alie is her protege. And I am the official water girl. I wipe down Len's sweaty face and encourage her to drink every so often.
Oza is here to offer moral support, but her expression turns melancholic early on. I have the feeling she is thinking of her lost child, the one who never had a chance to live outside of the womb. Oza catches me staring and smiles a little. She has two beautiful children plus an adoring husband waiting at home. Even with heartbreak, she still has much to be thankful for.
Len's labor stretches deep into the night and into the next day. She fights through the pain and exhaustion like a champ. In the end, a stout, healthy boy is born. After Len is cleaned up, Akob is allowed back in the house to meet his son. The tears he sheds are bittersweet. Ilium would have been pleased. Just like in Bannar's song, one life has set, but a new one has risen. A future tribal leader has been born.
Months pass like the falling snow. Things seem to have settled down. Spring is set to arrive soon. Then, a day comes that no one expects.
Visitors arrive.
Warning signals are whistled out. Two people are waiting for permission to enter the village. One is large enough to be a lineman with the Seattle Seahawks. The other is much younger, with long and glossy hair.
The younger one locks eyes with me. He breaks into a grin.
"It is good to see you again, Bella." His voice is at that stage where adolescence meets adulthood. It sounds perfectly normal one second, then cracks like a frog the next.
I feel that I should know him. It isn't until I notice the staff in his hand do I make a mental connection.
I hold back a gasp. "Seti? Is that you?"
He nods. "It is I."
Jas, who is on guard duty, looks over at me. "You know him?"
"Yes. Seti is the apprentice of Mayant-hattatar." I squint at the other man. "And he looks familiar too..."
Seti refreshes my memory. "This is Robaw. He lives at the Cave of Life too. He's the best at navigating through the snow."
Jas lowers his spear now that he knows that these people don't pose a threat. Ewar comes running up at the same time, having heard the warning signal from afar.
"What's happening?" he asks.
"Look who's here! You remember Seti, don't you? He was just a boy when we last saw him. Now, he's practically a man!"
Seti laughs. "I didn't think you would notice."
"How could I not? You've grown almost as tall as me already. What has Onya been feeding you?!"
Seti laughs again. Ewar does not. In a casual move, he slips an arm around my shoulders. It is a subtle but effective reminder to Seti that I am spoken for. I have to refrain from rolling my eyes at Ewar's show of possessiveness. He has not yet forgotten that Seti had a little crush on me two years previously. But let's be real here - two years is like ancient history to a kid Seti's age. That crush expired a long time ago.
"So," I say to transition to a safer topic. "What brings you here, Seti? Isn't it dangerous to be traveling during the winter?"
Seti's cheerful mood dims. "It is. I am here to deliver a gift for you from Mayant-hattatar."
Ewar formulates a response quicker than I can. "It must be important."
Seti nods. "It could not wait to spring. Alistair told me to give it to you as soon as I saw you."
He finds the folded animal hide in his bag and hands it over. "Thank you," I say. Then, I point at Ehmay's house. "If you and Robaw are hungry, my mother-in-law can give you something to eat while Ewar and I look at the gift."
Ewar and I retreat to our house and add another log to the fire to brighten the space. After spreading open the skin on the ground, Ewar runs his finger under each word Alistair has written and reads them out loud.
"Dear Bella and Ewar,
"I wish I could be writing to you under happier conditions. We here at the Cave of Life have experienced an unexpected surge in population. More refugees appear every day. They all tell the same tale: that their tribe had been attacked during the night, forcing them to flee for their lives. And when they are able to safely return to their home, they find that their friends and family are now nothing but bones. Evidence shows that a most horrific action was done to their remains.
"We all suspected the Soul Eaters, of course. Everything pointed to them.
"However, I received word that the Soul Eaters had set up a winter camp near the tribe of a good friend of mine. He was unhappy with this development, as you may imagine. He made sure to keep a close eye on them. He sent scouts often to monitor those unwelcome neighbors.
"One day, the scout found the Soul Eaters' camp in shambles. No one was in sight. Everything had been burnt to the ground. Human remains were in the smoking remnants of a fire. Oddly enough, the body of the leader of the Soul Eaters was found intact. Maru's throat had been slashed, but otherwise, he had not been touched. I cannot imagine why he was not eaten while the others were.
"I assumed the Soul Eaters had been given a taste of their own medicine and the terror was over. How wrong I was. The killings continue to this very day. A tribe of unknown origins is roaming the region. The fact that it is winter means little to them. It is said that they are ten times the size of what the Soul Eaters tribe had once been. They are ruthless and strong. They spare no one and destroy everything they touch.
"Please, my friends, tell your people what is happening. Convince them to come to the Cave of Life at once. We must band together and prepare to fight if necessary. I fear this is war.
"Yours affectionately, Alistair"
Ewar stops reading and stares unblinking at the message. A cold dread takes a firm grip on me. Someone copied the Soul Eaters' traditional way of life and expanded on it, making it even more brutal and terrifying. They also held enough of a grudge against the Soul Eaters to wipe out the entire tribe.
An image flashes through my thoughts. It is of a man, but his eyes are that of a snake's.
Could it be... Would he really... How is it even possible...
Ewar looks over at me, a puzzled frown on his face. "Bella, what is 'war'?"
I reach for his arm, shaking like a leaf. "It means we're in trouble. Deep, deep trouble."
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A/N-
Evidence suggests that war has been around for a long, long time. A cemetery was discovered in Sudan dating from approximately 13,400 years ago. It contains the skeletons of numerous people who died by violence (arrowheads, specifically). Based on what has been found so far, it is believed this conflict occurred over several altercations - not just a single battle.
Our prehistoric couple's fluffy honeymoon bubble has burst. I hope you don't mind action sequences because you'll be reading quite a few of them!
Thanks for reading. :-)
