Chapter Thirty

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Ewar's announcement is met with gaping mouths and hushed astonishment. No one knows what to do or say. This is the biggest change to occur within the tribe in two decades.

The torch has been passed from uncle to nephew. Ewar is the leader now.

The beginnings of a frown tugs down Ewar's face. The prolonged silence has led him to believe that they are upset about him taking over. This couldn't be further from the truth. We've been threatened with annihilation by a tribe of lunatics, then had Arl step down from power - all within just a handful of hours. The Bat People are simply overwhelmed by so much happening at once.

I send a small smile his way. It's not much, but it does the trick. He relaxes infinitesimally, the lines on his forehead smoothing out. Once again he is in control of himself.

"We need to get started," he says.

"What do you want us to do?" It appears Jas has already accepted Ewar as leader. This man deserves a hug.

"I want everyone to be ready to leave the village before the sun is at its highest. Each household should go through their possessions. Bring extra clothing, a tent, blankets, several days' worth of food, your weapons... and anything else you may need. But remember: we have a long walk ahead of us. Only pack what you can't live without and won't weigh you down."

Akob speaks out. "Why does that matter? We can use our travoises to transport our supplies."

"The terrain between here and the grassland is steep and rugged. Sometimes we will have to climb. A travois wouldn't work." Ewar points at me. "Bella will show your families how to add straps to baskets so they can be hauled on your back. That will allow your arms to be free to carry more and makes traveling easier."

Ewar picks out several men to do extra assignments. For example, Jas is tasked with collecting every coil of rope and cord he can find. Arl is put in charge of starting a large fire in the center of the village. He pats Ewar's shoulder affectionately as he passes by. Even though Arl had to step down from his leadership role, no hard feelings are between them.

Almost everyone has left the huddled meeting. Only one man other than Ewar remains. Mett shuffles in place, disappointment clouding his face. "What about me? Don't I have anything important to do?"

Ewar looks him up and down, taking note of Mett's bulging arm muscles and broad shoulders. "You are the strongest among us."

Mett puffs out his chest and smiles. "I am."

"Do you think you can handle doing some heavy lifting?"

Mett barks out a laugh. "I could lift you over my head, Ewar, and not break a sweat."

"Could you do it repeatedly, possibly until the sun sets?"

"Hmm. Yes, I think so."

"Good, because I have a special task for you."

As the two of them discuss the job in greater detail, I start backing away. There's not much time but oh so much to do...

Ewar catches me by the elbow before I can take two steps. "Where are you going?"

"To the house to pack our things."

"Remember to bring the basket hidden behind the wood pile," he says.

The only basket he could be referring to is the one that contains all of my possessions from the future. I haven't even looked through it since we came back from the Lake District almost three years ago. Out of sight, out of mind is my philosophy.

"Why do you want me to bring that?"

He huffs impatiently at my question. "Just do it."

I give him a scowl that he won't soon forget. "I'm not carrying any more than I have to. None of the things in that basket are needed for our survival, so it's staying here."

He opens his mouth to argue but stops himself. His gaze has been drawn to Mett. Our friend is hanging on to our every word, much amused by our little marital spat.

Ewar switches to his accented English in order to talk privately with me. "Your magic stone-"

"It's called a phone, Ewar."

"Yes, phone. Your phone cannot be left behind. After we leave the village, I have no doubt that the Soul Eaters will search every house. I do not want anything of yours falling into Ora's hands."

"I don't want that to happen either - but wouldn't it be easier to just get rid of it? It's not like I'll ever need anything in that basket. We can smash and tear everything into tiny pieces and burn what's left."

He shakes his head. "Your phone and clothes are important. Everyone believes they are gifts from Damara. To destroy them would be..." His brow furrows as he searches unsuccessfully for the right word.

I fold my arms across my chest. "Sacrilege. Unholy. Disrespectful to the Goddess," I supply sourly.

"Yes, you must keep and protect any gift from a Great Spirit." His voice suddenly drips with deadpan sarcasm. "The former 'assistant' to Damara should already know this."

His little joke doesn't land. I roll my eyes so hard, I almost see the back of my skull. "Fine. I'll take the damn things," I grumble before marching away.

Packing is a pain in the ass. I have to cram everything we might need inside three baskets. We'll be hauling one each on our backs; the other I will tote by hand. Since the weather is relatively warm, I go light on the clothing. Bringing enough food is my main priority. My things from the twenty-first century get stuffed at the very bottom of one of the baskets. Everything else goes on top.

I drag all three of those heavy baskets to the center of the village. A small crowd waits for me there. I conduct a quick lesson on how to convert baskets into backpacks. For the women who will be carrying young children, I give them an alternative design. Straps are woven at the rim of their baskets, so instead of carrying their burdens on their back, they will hang from a shoulder or arm like a purse. One of my own baskets gets the same treatment.

While the basket conversion is taking place, Akob and Ulei begin their assignment - cleaning out the smokehouse. Some of the preserved meat will be taken with us. The vast majority is tossed into the blazing fire Arl set in the village center. Ewar said that nothing of value should be left to benefit the Soul Eaters. That order is being taken seriously. Everything we can't bring with us - nuts, fish, tubers, heaps of wild grain - is dumped into the flames. Although I support his decision, I can't lie. It hurts watching all that food being wasted. It took us months to collect all that! Now it's all gone in an eye blink.

The sun moves higher in the sky. Ewar says we must leave now. I adjust my primitive backpack, throw my bow over a shoulder, and take one last lingering look at the village. Alie clutches my arm, barely holding back tears.

How long will it be before we can return? Will there even be anything left for us to return to after the Soul Eaters get to it?

I shake those thoughts loose from my head. It doesn't matter if those assholes destroy every house in the village. This is our home no matter what. We will rebuild if we have to.

Ewar reminds us to keep quiet. Walking softly, we pass through the village entrance/exit and take a right. Scraping sounds and distant, muffled voices come from the opposite direction. The Soul Eaters began working on the rock slide early this morning and haven't stopped for even a moment's rest. Ewar wasn't exaggerating when he said they will probably clear a path through the debris sooner rather than later. My only regret is I won't be able to see the look on Ora's face when he realizes the Bat People have slipped through his grimy fingers. Honestly, if he were smart, he should have already known we might try to escape. It's not like we would just sit around patiently waiting for him to come eat us.

The deeper into the gorge we travel, the sounds of the Soul Eaters' excavation project fades. We reach a fork diverging into two vastly different paths. One goes to the tribal burial grounds. The other heads to a small, useless dead end.

The latter is the direction Ewar leads us.

"Here we are," he says. "The path to our escape."

I take a look at our surroundings. There's nothing around except rocks, dirt, and a general sense of depression. "I don't see any path," I reply.

He smirks at me. "Perhaps you are not looking hard enough."

Arl smothers a laugh and shakes his head. "Ewar, quit teasing your wife. Show her and our people the secret we have kept from them."

Ewar toes off his shoes and struts up to the gorge's wall. Although its surface is mostly smooth, rocky bumps are present here and there. Turning around, he yells for Jas to toss him some rope. Ewar catches it, slings the coil over a shoulder, and places a foot on a small hunk of rock jutting out near the bottom of the wall. Next, he reaches overhead and grabs onto another handhold higher up, lifting himself completely off the ground using just his fingers and toes. He does this again and again, rock climbing monkey-style in an age when things like safety harnesses and helmets haven't been invented yet.

I begin questioning if he has more secrets he's been hiding from me. Like, was he bitten by a radioactive spider when I wasn't looking? He's too good at climbing seemingly unscalable walls.

Even though his skill is impressive, the higher he goes, the more erratic my breathing becomes. What if he slips? What if he gets tired and can't hold on any longer? My worries are put on temporary hiatus, however, when I notice something. The wall starting at the halfway point is no longer perfectly vertical. It develops a slight slant the further up it goes - and Ewar takes advantage of this feature. He stops using the handholds altogether and climbs freestyle, scampering up the incline like a fucking goat on the Matterhorn.

If I wasn't so terrified of him falling to his death, I would be screaming curses at him for playing daredevil.

Ewar (finally) reaches the top without breaking his neck. He secures the rope around a boulder that's been sitting undisturbed since time immemorial and drops the other end off the side of the cliff. Down below, Mett rubs his hands together, grabs the dangling rope, and starts shimmying up it like a jock during gym class. He, too, makes it to the top.

Well, it's been five whole minutes and no one has died. This is turning out better than I anticipated.

Bannar stares skeptically at the rope. "I hope no one expects me to climb that wall like those two young men."

Arl shakes his head. "Ewar has a plan. Do not worry."

Bannar hums to himself and has nothing more to say. Akob, however, does.

"How come you and Ewar never told anyone about this?"

"It has been a closely guarded secret for generations, an inheritance passed from leader to future leader," Arl replies. "Think of it this way: If everyone in the tribe was aware of an alternate route out of the gorge, our enemies could have heard rumors of it as well. There would be no escape for us today if we had not kept it quiet."

Akob nods in understanding.

Ewar shouts from above. "Let's start with the women! Who wants to come up next?"

Not a single person volunteers. I don't blame them. Not everyone was born without a fear of heights.

Ewar locates me in the crowd. He does that pleading thing with his eyes that makes it difficult for me to tell him "no." I guess you can add master manipulator to his growing list of superpowers.

I sigh and step forward. My luggage is to be sent up first. Jas ties the rope around one of my baskets and Mett shows off his brute strength by hauling it to the top. The same goes for the next two baskets. Once all of Ewar and my belongings are up there, it's my turn to join them. Jas creates a loop at the end of the rope, slips it over my head, and then down my torso. Sitting on it like a swing, I hold on tight and wait for the inevitable. Maybe there's an Ice Age god or goddess of freak accidents I should send a quick prayer to, just in case...

Fortunately, all goes well and I don't end up with a concussion. Mett pulls the rope as though I weigh practically nothing, and Ewar grabs me the instant I am within reaching distance. Our reunion is comprised of a quick side hug and him telling me to get out of the way so I don't end up tumbling off the edge of the cliff.

His confidence in me is flattering.

Ehmay comes up next. More follow after her. I am half amused/half irritated when I see that Essa did not alter her basket in any way. I suppose me being the one to promote the backpack design made her reject the notion altogether. She totes her basket the old-fashioned way by hugging it to her chest, which puts her in greater danger since she can't hold the rope with both hands. But luckily for her, she doesn't end up regretting that decision.

It takes a couple of hours, but everyone makes it up the cliff without a scratch. Well, almost everyone is on the cliff. Jas is the only person who hasn't made the climb yet. He's down below covering up our footprints, smoothing the dirt using an old animal skin. It's being dragged behind him as he retraces our steps. The Soul Eaters will think the Bat People walked out of the village and simply vanished into thin air.

Our escape route will (hopefully) remain a secret.

Jas joins us at the top once the task is done. Most of our afternoon is devoted to scaling a single hill. It isn't especially high or impressive. But while other hills in the area boast green and grassy slopes, this one looks about as inviting as Mount Doom. It's dusty and rocky. The afternoon sun reflects off the stones, making us sweat that much more. Those of us who have trouble walking are assigned helpers. Bannar gets Ulei. Shelba gets Ateara , and so on. They alternate between walking with assistance and riding piggyback on the younger men.

We come upon a problem in the higher elevations. Our path becomes a narrow ledge across a gap. Ewar shuffles across it fine, but he refuses to allow anyone else to step foot on it until he strings up another length of rope. This one is to be used as a handrail. Most of the younger adults would be able to cross the ledge with no difficulty, but a rope handrail isn't safe enough for the children and those of us with balance issues. We're so high up, one misstep would be fatal.

Ewar, Arl, and Jas gather around to discuss what to do.

While they are distracted, I experiment.

I wrap a rope around my waist. The other end gets looped around the handrail, allowing the rope to move freely as I walk. Using this tethering system, one foot slides in front of the other. I keep a hand on the rope rail at all times and force myself not to look down.

Ten, eleven, twelve steps later... I am on the other side of the gap.

Jas taps Ewar on the shoulder and then points at me. Ewar experiences a moment of disbelief, which is soon followed by some repressed emotion. In this case, I'm gonna guess it's related to how I risked my own skin without giving a heads up first. Ewar doesn't usually look like he's going to pass out.

"Bella... come back here."

Uh oh. He's talking much too calmly considering the circumstances. He's pissed at me majorly, isn't he?

I make my way across the ledge quicker this time. The rope tethering system works without a hitch. Ewar and company watch my every step, as though they are too stunned to move. Once I am safely on the same side of the gap as him, I stand in wait.

Just how angry is he? Will he raise his voice? Or, will he insist that I stick by his side the rest of the day, treating me essentially like a small child?

I receive an answer very soon. He walks up to me. Without making a sound, he grips my face in his hands, pulls me close, and plants a singeing kiss. It's so heavenly that I forget where we are and that we're on the run.

One more peck to my lips and he leans his forehead against mine. "Thank you, Bella," he pants softly. "Thank you."

I give a little nod, too dazed to speak. He makes a quiet laugh, tucks a stray hair behind my ear, and backs away. Immediately, he's into preparation mode. The others are informed that they too will be using the tethering system I just demonstrated.

As I watch Ewar in action, I let out a sigh.

Yeah, he's definitely getting laid tonight. I'll set up the tent myself if I have to.

He figures out for himself that the tethering method can handle up to two people at a time. Mett is busy helping others, so he isn't able to tend exclusively to his family. Oza needs help to get her kids across the gap, so I volunteer to watch over one while she handles the other. She happily agrees.

"I'll go with Bella!" Afrin announces.

"All right," Oza says. "And I will cross the gap with Enja."

Enja groans. "Mother! I don't need help. I can walk all by myself. I'm not little anymore!"

"The stretch marks on my abdomen say that you are. You haven't even been alive long enough for them to have faded yet."

He pouts like the young boy he is, but he doesn't argue any further.

The tribe crosses the gap in ones and twos. Our hike is largely downhill from there, in both the literal and figurative sense. Near the end of the day, we reach flat land again. A young forest of conifers conceals our presence. Saplings with straight, thin trunks are chopped down and stripped of branches and needles. They become poles, to be used as tent frames during the night and travoises in the daytime. Our dinner is a few handfuls of jerky. We save the rest for later.

In the morning, we set off again. The elderly are allowed to ride on the travois we built. Sometimes, they give the young mothers a break by holding the children who can't walk. We cover territory faster this way. We reach the plain, its grass waving in the breeze. Ewar and Arl discuss our best possible routes. Ewar doesn't want us taking the usual way to the Cave of Life because the Soul Eaters might easily track us down.

He looks to the heavens to determine which way to go. The sun's position in the sky helps him decide.

The grassland is a vast expanse of nothingness. We have no cover; nowhere to hide if it came down to it. Our weapons are poised for action with our every step. Our weakest are placed in the middle of the pack as we walk. Those of us who are armed line the perimeter in case of an attack. Still, there are no signs of danger. Only the occasional sighting of a herd of grazing animals breaks the monotony of the trip.

I am positioned a few steps behind Ewar as he leads the tribe to safety. There comes a sharp tug on my tunic. I look down and smile. The little girl skips along beside me. Her brother isn't far behind.

"Hello, Afrin. Hello, Enja. Why are you walking? I thought you were riding in the travois with Shelba today."

"We did for a while, but it got boring."

Enja nods in agreement. "Shelba was telling us a story about how the sun and moon became husband and wife - but she fell asleep before she could finish it! Do you know the story, Bella?"

"Not good enough to remember how it goes. I'm sorry."

Afrin huffs at the disappointment on her brother's face. "We can hear the rest of the story later, Enja. I want to show Bella the surprise I made today!" She holds up a small, curved stick with a cord stretched between both ends. "Look," she cries. "It's just like yours!"

Afrin made a bow.

"Oh. Yes, it is. May I see it, please?"

She hands it over for my inspection. I give a silent sigh of relief when I confirm it is more of a toy than a weapon. A good bow is made from a piece of wood that is straight and dry. She made the mistake of using a stick that's green and already bent. Plus, the string is too loose. Any arrow shot from this "bow" wouldn't be powerful enough to pop a balloon.

I smile as I give it back to Afrin. "It's very nice, but do your parents know you made that?" Oza may be my friend, but she doesn't like my weapon of choice.

"Father was busy pulling the travois, so I couldn't show him yet. I did show it to Mother. She said I was looking more like you every day!"

I hold in a laugh. Neato. I have my very own Mini-Me now.

Enja stares at her in challenge. "What else did Mother say, Afrin?"

Afrin makes a face. "She said that I better not aim it at anyone, or else I'll be in big trouble."

"Your mother is right," I say. "You wouldn't want to hurt anyone by accident."

"But isn't that what the bow is for? I want to help defend the tribe too!"

"You can do that when you're older. For now, it's best to do as your parents tell you."

Enja chuckles. "You wouldn't use a bow to defend the tribe, anyway, Afrin. Everyone knows you're supposed to use a spear or club in a fight."

"Why is that?" I ask.

"... I don't know. It's just how it is." As he walks, he regains some of his confidence. "No one ever uses the bow and arrows except for you, Bella. It's too strange."

"I will!" Afrin shouts indignantly.

"No, you won't! Mother will never let you use a real one!"

"Stop fighting, you two," I say. "And you're wrong, Enja. I'm not the only one who uses the bow."

His brows knit together. "Really?"

"Yes. And you'll meet the person who taught me how to use them very soon."

00000000000000000000

Due to the alternate route, our journey takes longer than usual. But we arrive at our destination unharmed and with food to spare. The place is packed with refugees. The settlement has quadrupled in size. They watch us warily as we pass their tents, perhaps searching our faces for signs if we can be trusted.

While our tribe finds an empty location to set up camp, Ewar and I go to Alistair and Onya's house. No one is home. We assume they are busy. That assumption is proven correct when we find a long line at the cave entrance. Some in the line want to worship the Mother Goddess. Others seek advice from Mayant-hattatar.

Luckily for us, Onya spots Ewar and I standing in the crowd. She rushes over to hug us both.

"We have worried about you," she says. "Come! Alistair will want to speak with you right away."

As we skip the line, there are unhappy murmurs in the crowd. One voice rises above the rest.

"It isn't fair!" The man gestures to us. "They just got here and they are allowed to see Mayant-hattatar already? I say, make them wait as we have!"

A chorus of agreement follows his statement.

Onya looks at him coldly. "These are esteemed guests of Mayant-hattatar. He has been hoping to see them since winter. That is why they won't be waiting any longer." She then addresses the person guarding the cave entrance. "Don't allow anyone to follow us inside, Seti. Alistair will not want to be disturbed."

Seti grabs his staff and gives it a quick twirl for demonstration purposes. The crowd backs away a few steps. Good call. The kid's weapon isn't anything to laugh at.

Onya lights a torch and leads Ewar and me inside the cave. The air is cool and damp. The torchlight illuminates the drawings decorating the walls. There are several passages to choose from, but Onya doesn't get confused by the maze-like layout. We come to the holy of holies, where the heart of the Mother Goddess supposedly resides.

This is also Alistair's lair for when he acts as the Wise Man.

As soon as the person he was seeing before us is dismissed, Onya ushers us inside the room. Alistair gasps and rises from where he was sitting.

"Thank the heavens! It has been so long since we last communicated that I had begun to fear the worst," he says.

Ewar frowns. "I am sorry we could not be here sooner. My uncle believed our people would never be threatened by another tribe and refused to come."

"I know. Seti informed me of what Arl said. Normally, I would agree with him. The Bat People are among the strongest tribes in the region. If I hadn't seen with my own eyes the sheer amount of chaos that has occurred these last several months, I never would have believed you would be in danger! Did you see all those people seeking refuge here? Many of them have lost everything. They had no choice but to come here for help." He sighs and waves a hand at the rugs around the fire. "Please, let's sit. You can tell me all about what made your leader change his mind about coming here."

I send a sly smirk at Ewar before responding. "Why don't you ask the leader yourself, Alistair? He's right in front of you."

Alistair gives a pained look. "You don't mean..."

Ewar rushes to correct the misconception. "Arl is alive and well. He stepped down and allowed me to take over."

"I am glad to hear he is in good health, Ewar, but why would Arl step down as leader?"

Ewar and I glance at one another. This is going to be a long story...

The rock slide. Ora and his tribe. Our escape. We leave nothing unsaid. Alistair's complexion has paled considerably by the end of it.

"Oh dear," he murmurs. "That was too close. You could have all been killed."

"Ewar's trap saved us," I say. "It bought us enough time to get away. Arl realized he wasn't equipped to handle the situation, so he turned over leadership to Ewar. It was the best decision he could have made. Ewar was born to be a leader."

Ewar twists his lips at my compliment. "It isn't a role I wanted."

"I know. But you have done so much good. Can't you see that?"

Alistair nods. "Yes, we need more people like you to step up, Ewar. We have much to think about in the coming days. Tell me... when do you think Ora and his men will realize they have been tricked? I'm sure they won't be happy that their 'goddess' is no longer within reach."

"I am sure they have cleared a path to the village by now," Ewar says. "The gorge will have been searched from one end to the other."

"Then I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they are on the prowl again." Alistair points a finger in my direction. "He'll still be looking for you, most likely. He won't stop until he tracks you down."

Ewar's expression hardens. "We covered our tracks. Ora and his men will find nothing. We did not lead the Soul Eaters to the Cave of Life."

"Yes, yes. I have no doubt that you took every precaution. But they will inevitably come snooping around here at some point. There are only so many places to hide, and the Cave of Life has been viewed as a sanctuary for generations. Mark my words, they will come." Onya serves us each a bowl of hot mint tea. Alistair takes a sip and savors the taste. "Mmm. Thank you, my love. This is exactly what we needed. A drink to focus the mind and relax the body."

The four of us drift into contemplative silence. I can't stand it for long. "What do we do now?"

Alistair clicks his tongue. "Prepare to fight, I suppose. But first, I shall call for a meeting. Invite the heads of each tribe to discuss matters now that we know exactly who our enemy is."

The meeting will be held after dark since most of the men sleep during the day and are on guard duty at night. Onya invites us to stay at their house. Ewar and thank her but turn down the offer. It wouldn't be right for us to bask in comfort when our family and friends are roughing it outside in tents. Our tent is placed with theirs. Due to a lack of space, we must share a fire pit with Arl and Ehmay, Alie and Jas, and Oza and Mett. I'm not complaining. It's nice to have people you trust close by.

Back when we were still traveling to the settlement, Ewar spotted deer tracks. He decides to go back to check it out. Mett accompanies him. If luck is on their side, we will have fresh venison later. With that possibility open, Ehmay plans a fine dinner to make up for the dried jerky meals of the last several days. The venison will become a nice stew, she says, but she needs water and lots of it. Alie and I volunteer to fetch some. We dump out the contents of our baskets and grab a few clothes that need washing while we're at it. Paytah is given to Ehmay to babysit before we go.

A field of tents and swarms of people stand between us and the brook. More than a few notice my bow and quiver of arrows. I know this to be true because nearly everyone is giving us a wide berth. I hear someone say I am like Onya, a guardian who's here to protect the Cave of Life. Someone else disputes this. They claim that I might be a shadow being, which is basically the prehistoric version of the boogie man. The only difference is that a shadow being can shape-shift into any creature it wants to lure in unsuspecting people. I get a good laugh at that theory. No shadow being in their right mind would want to look like me when naturally gorgeous people like Oza exist.

"You have come."

The voice startles me out of my amusement. To my left, I find a trio of familiar faces looking in my direction. It is the tiny tribe of nomads who visited our village last summer. Back then, they were under the impression that I had the power to make the woman, Tora, pregnant. We told them that I was no longer associated with the fertility goddess and could only give basic advice that might possibly help, like eating well and living as stress-free as possible.

I don't see any sign to suggest my advice has worked in their favor.

Tora's belly is as flat as mine. No infant is in her arms. Strangely, she is staring glazed-eyed into the fire, barely blinking. Her husband, Jaihem, is staring at me. And Lohr, the leader of their small tribe, is waiting for a response to his comment.

"Oh. Hello," I say to Lohr. "Yes, we arrived today. Have you and your people been here long?"

He nods. "We arrived as soon as I heard about that tribe of man-eaters roaming around - just before winter. As you see, my people are few. We would be no match against such a powerful foe. I did not want to risk our lives by being out on our own."

"You made the right decision."

Lohr smiles a little. "I am glad you agree." He pauses a moment. "What brings you and your tribe here? Is it a spiritual pilgrimage, or do you seek protection also?"

I glance at Alie. She shrugs, giving me the go-ahead to answer any way I wish. The only problem is I'm not entirely sure how much I should share.

"... It's a long story. There will be a meeting tonight. I'm sure my husband will explain why we left our village then."

"I had not heard of any meeting."

"Mayant-hattatar only decided on it a little while ago."

"I see..."

As Lohr thinks things over, I take a half-step back. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, but my friend and I need to take care of some chores."

He gives a bow from where he sits. "Excuse me for interrupting."

"It was no problem."

Jaihem speaks up for the first time. "Are you going to the brook?"

I freeze. There's something about the way he asks the question - a perplexing eagerness - that makes me hesitant to answer truthfully.

Too bad Alie isn't aware of this.

"Yes," she replies. "We need water."

He stands up and dusts himself off. "I will show you the way, then."

I hold up a hand. "No, you don't need to do that. I've visited here before, Jaihem. I know where to find the brook."

He flashes a good-natured smile. "I do not doubt that you do, but things have changed. The brook dried up during the drought last summer. We now must use the river further away. It's difficult to find the place on one's own. It would be an honor if you were to allow me to show the both of you the way there."

I nibble my lower lip as I think over the offer. His eyes are light and friendly. He carries no weapons. It would be stupid to reject his help just because he stares at me sometimes. Hell, it's not like being stared at is anything new. Half of the people at this settlement have done it to me already. At least Jaihem hasn't accused me of being a shadow being yet.

"Thank you," I say.

As he moves to join Alie and me, his wife mumbles a few words of gibberish. Her gaze continues to be aimed exclusively at the fire pit in front of her. I would say she reminds me of a zombie, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate. Zombies are usually more energetic than Tora.

Alie glances over her shoulder as the three of us set off on our quest. "Is your wife well?"

"Yes, very well."

"Are you certain? She wouldn't look at us at all..."

Jaihem's smile grows wider. "You must excuse her rudeness. Tora was too busy worshipping Hudena, the Goddess of Fate, to notice that we had visitors."

Alie cocks her head in question. "How does she worship Hudena?"

"Tora does it by drinking a cup of ariya that sends her directly to the Dream World. They say mortals can sometimes find Hudena there if you search hard enough. Tora hopes to one day meet Hudena and ask for Her blessing. She thinks Hudena's intervention will help us triumph over our enemies. It hasn't happened yet, but that hasn't stopped Tora from trying."

Alie and I share a knowing look behind his back. Ariya is a drink made from red and white spotted toadstools. Some tribes use it occasionally for religious ceremonies due to its hallucinogenic properties. But to use it daily? So much you can barely function? That's enough to raise anyone's eyebrow.

Gotcha, Jaihem. Tora stays stoned all day thanks to magic mushrooms. Oh yeah. And she's a religious fanatic to boot.

Maybe it's a good thing she hasn't had any luck getting pregnant...

Once we have left the area surrounding the Cave of Life settlement, Jaihem slows down a bit. "I see that you and the cave guardian both use the same weapon," he observes.

"There's a reason for that. Onya was the person who gave me my first bow and quiver of arrows."

"She gave them to you? I thought you received them while living in the Land of the Great Spirits."

I snort as I try to imagine the younger version of myself doing anything remotely athletic. Twenty-first century Bella would never have had any reason to touch an arrow.

"I had no interest in weaponry before I came here," I answer. "Onya encouraged me to give archery a try. My husband did too... eventually. He likes that I can defend myself if need be."

Jaihem's easy smile fades. "Oh, yes. Your husband. How is he?"

"Good. Ewar recently became the leader of our tribe. Our former leader stepped down in his favor."

It is several beats before he responds. "I must congratulate Ewar when I see him. It is not often you hear of one leader stepping down for another."

"Arl felt Ewar would be better at leading our tribe at this difficult time," I answer vaguely.

Alie nods and giggles. "My father prefers healing wounds more than inflicting them."

Jaihem laughs along with her. "Ah. Now I understand. And how does Ewar feel about it? Does he prefer healing wounds as well?"

"Normally, yes," I reply. "But he isn't afraid to fight, either."

He smirks at that. "It is good that your tribe has joined us. Mayant-hattatar may be the wisest among us in many things, but he isn't as knowledgeable when it comes to combat. I hope someone with sense will advise him on what to do. Perhaps Ewar will be that man." His eyes flick to my bow again. "I believe you will contribute greatly, as well. I can already imagine it... You standing at your husband's side as he leads us into battle; your weapon drawn and at the ready."

I jab a finger into my chest. "Me?"

"Yes, you. I wish you could have seen how everyone reacted when you and your tribe arrived today. Each night we have wondered if it will be our last. Would the Soul Eaters kill us all before we even wake from our beds? Now, we have one of the strongest tribes as an ally! And who is among them?" He opens his mouth but snaps it shut before anything is uttered. A nervous chuckle fills the pause. "You may not realize it, but you have given us hope again. Bella - the woman sent by Damara herself - has graced us with her presence. You are proof that the Great Spirits are on our side! When you accompany us into battle, I have no doubt we will win."

And that is how a seed is planted in my head.

The three of us cross the dried-up creek bed and follow its weaving path to where it meets the river. The shore is lined with people. Alie and I thank Jaihem for his assistance before shifting our focus to the chores at hand. He takes the hint and wanders to a spot downstream, letting his feet dangle in the cold, rushing river. Alie and I scrub our dirty clothes and fill up our baskets with water. With all the work, I forget about Jaihem. It isn't until we are gathering our belongings and he reappears at our side do I recall that he's still here. He tries carrying our water baskets, but we refuse. He does, however, escort us back to the settlement before parting ways.

Evening approaches and Ewar returns. A young buck is slung over Mett's shoulders. The meat is divided among our tribe. Ehmay's stew satisfies us in a way we haven't felt in days. It's warm and filling, a wonderful morale boost.

The time comes when Alistair summons representatives of each tribe to come to the meeting. It is held inside the largest chamber in the cave. People are spread evenly around a circle. Ewar, Arl, and I are in attendance. Akob and Lohr are as well. Most of the other faces are unfamiliar to me. They range in age from the very old to barely-able-to-grow-facial-hair. While many are men, quite a few women are present too, so I don't feel out of place. A majority of the representatives are members of once thriving tribes but are currently just scattered remnants. The Bat People are seen as a novelty. We are among the very few who have suffered no losses.

Alistair calls for attention. After a quick introduction, he turns over the meeting to Ewar. Ewar looks as dumbfounded as I probably do. No one mentioned this would happen. To Ewar's credit, he quickly adjusts and wastes no time. He announces that the Soul Eaters are under new leadership and that it is they who are the culprits to all of the recent chaos. He explains how he received this information, and how our tribe escaped when the Soul Eaters tried sneaking into our village. He reveals other information he was able to gather, such as their size and strengths. However, he chooses not to mention that I am the reason Ora was besieging our village.

Even though he is withholding a secret, more and more in the crowd look at Ewar with growing respect. How could they not? He speaks with such unwavering confidence. I would believe him if he said the sky was green.

"What plans have been made for when the Soul Eaters attack us here?" he asks.

Alistair answers. "Nothing definite. Is there anything you would suggest?"

A young man jolts up to stand. "What's there for us to do? They fight like nothing else I have seen! We have no chance of defeating them."

Ewar looks at the stranger with a steady frown. "You are too quick to give up. Every tribe has a weakness." He uses a finger to draw a squiggly line in the dirt. "My wife refers to Ora as Snake-Eyes. Does anyone recall how to kill a snake?" He slashes one end of the drawing, dividing it in half. His gaze becomes as fiery as the torches surrounding us. "By cutting off its head. When we kill Ora, the Soul Eaters will fall apart. They are nothing without him."

Alistair agrees wholeheartedly and tentative plans are begun. Ewar wants to strike at them first if at all possible, with Ora as our primary target. Alistair mentions a spot where a number of us could lie in wait and ambush the Soul Eaters if they were attempting to sneak up on us. The battle would take place far away from the Cave of Life, so those of us who are unable to fight will remain safe.

I look questioningly at Alistair. "This place you spoke of... does it have an area that's higher than the rest?"

He scrunches his brow. "I do believe there is a hill, but it isn't anything to get excited about. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering where I should be during the battle. The higher I am, the more likely I can get a decent shot with my bow. But if I'm too high (or far away) my accuracy won't be any good-"

"No, Bella," Ewar cuts in.

My head snaps around. "No, what?"

"No, you will not be present at any battle."

"Why not? If anyone deserves to be there, it's me." I leave it unsaid the reason why I feel this way. However, my pointed glare tells him exactly what I mean. Ora is after me. To some extent, I am the reason why he is going on a bloody rampage. So, why should I be exempt from fighting while everyone else is putting their lives at risk?

"You are not equipped to fight," he replies.

"I have a weapon."

Ewar groans and prepares to counter what I said. But first, he glances around. Everyone is listening, except they're trying very hard to pretend they are not.

He lowers his voice a notch. "Can we discuss this later?"

"Um, no thank you. I'd rather know now why you think I can't defend myself."

"I never said you weren't capable," he replies gruffly. "But I'm the leader of the tribe that you joined, Bella. What I say, you must follow. And I say that you will not fight."

Anger. There's so much of it boiling inside me that it feels like I will explode.

I ignore Ewar's frown as I rise from where I was sitting. No one stops me when I abruptly leave the meeting.

I slip past tent after tent in the darkness. Snores drift from nearly every single one. Our tribes' campsite is In the same state. Alie, Ehmay, Oza, and the children have already turned in for the night. Jas and Mett are on guard duty somewhere.

I am alone. For once, I am grateful. I don't want to talk right now. My insides are all twisted up. Never in my life have I been so angry at Ewar. The way he dismissed my opinion in front of so many people! He wouldn't even listen to what I had to say. He treated me like a child - not his wife.

I settle in front of our shared fire pit and feed the dying flames with another log. Desperate to relax, I heat some water and rinse off the accumulated sweat and dirt collected from days of grueling travel. Afterward, I focus on detangling my damp hair.

Out of nowhere, the comb is stolen from my fingers. Someone runs it through my hair. Their hand is pressed against the sensitive skin between my shoulder blades.

My body has gone rigid. Who would dare touch me so intimately without my permission?

"Are you all right?"

Even though I am still mad, Ewar's voice soothes the alarm bells ringing inside my head.

Without turning around to look at him, I give him a guarded response. "Yes and no."

He exhales, his breath tickling the nape of my neck. He doesn't stop combing my hair, though. The teeth massage my scalp so nicely that I have to fight myself to keep from moaning.

"I didn't want to upset you," he whispers some time later.

"Well, you did. You wouldn't listen to anything I had to say!"

He pauses combing my hair and coaxes me around. His expression is contrite. "Do you understand why I don't want you to fight?"

"Because you have some stupid notion that I can't take care of myself, just because I was born a woman."

"Wrong. What do you think would happen if Ora and his men saw you while we were battling? It would energize them, Bella. They would see the woman whom they believe is the Goddess and it would give them more of a reason to fight to the death. It's for that reason I don't want you anywhere near them."

"I don't like the idea of us separating. If I was there with you, I could help!"

"You will help me more by staying here."

I fold my arms across my chest. "So what am I supposed to do while you and everyone else are fighting, hmm? Sit around and do nothing?"

"No. You can help Onya protect the cave and the people surrounding it. Many of them will be worried about what may happen to their loved ones. But if they see you and Onya being calm and brave, they won't worry as much."

I look up at him, not bothering to wipe the tear running down my cheek. "How can you expect me to be 'calm and brave' when I might lose you?"

He pulls me into a tight embrace.

"You won't," he says in my ear.

"How do you know?"

He doesn't respond fast enough to my liking.

"I fight better when I feel assured of success." His hands cup my face. "That is why I need to know for certain that you will be out of Ora's reach. If I thought for even a moment that you were in danger, I wouldn't be able to concentrate. You are my life. I can't lose you. Do you understand?"

I give a little huff, because that's exactly how I feel about him. "Yes."

His smile is everything, warm and full of promises. It makes our kiss that much sweeter.

He and I move to our tent where we refamiliarize ourselves with our naked bodies. It's a temporary distraction, but we both desperately need the others touch. Afterward, when we fall into an exhausted sleep, my dreams are not what I would have hoped them to be.

I see a battle taking place, and I can't do shit about it.

It's the type of nightmare where you are merely a spectator. A sea of red-faced warriors have surrounded Ewar and the people fighting alongside him. The Soul Eaters battle like rabid beasts. Right and left, our friends and family fall in defeat. Alistair and Arl are gone before they know what hit them. Jas, Akob, and Mett last longer, but they too are overwhelmed.

It's down to Ewar now.

He singlehandedly takes on the Soul Eaters. His spear stabs anyone within range. Yet, not even he can keep it up forever. They swarm around him like flies and attack him all at once. By force, he is made to kneel. Even in his weakened position, his gaze is sharp as Ora steps out of the shadows. The flint blade moves like lightning. It slashes across Ewar's jugular, a sick reimagining of the time when he beheaded his snake drawing.

I jump awake in an ice-cold sweat.

No, I don't sleep much after that.

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A/N-

Don't worry. Hope is on the way in the next chapter!

Thanks for reading. :-)