Hungry Belly

 

Bebe woke up in the darkness, aware that Alpen was not lying next to her. She whispered his name into the shadows and felt the touch of his hand on her thigh. She sat up, then followed the length of his arm as she stood up. “I thought you could sleep through anything,” she whispered in his ear.

“Battle plans,” he whispered back. They both turned to the sound of Drindl very much asleep and the sound of the others, some asleep and some making fitful movements within the blackness of the sleeping quarters.

“I’m hungry,” Bebe whispered. She had received her evening portion but had missed the midday food bar because of the events at the queen’s castle. Marten’s ancient castle, she reminded herself. The pier, the immense hole in the ground. What were these strange creatures building? Why were there so few of the northern tribes taken prisoner?

Her stomach growled and Fallon placed his hand on her belly, a comforting gesture that reminded her of more intimate moments in the darkness. Where did the food come from? There were no smells of cooking here at the prisoner compound. Why were there no male prisoners in musth? She tried to remember Drindl’s last musth, his hormone crazed battle with the Sprint on their journey south. So long ago.

Returning the gesture, she touched Alpen’s belly, feeling the ridge of a battle scar.  Alithea had assisted in the surgery with Altiss’ mother while she was in training. “How long until first light?” she asked.

She felt the sound through his belly muscles as he whispered, “Not too long. Let’s rest.” He sat alongside her, then the two of them lay back, arms touching, hands loosely clasped.

She was surprised and grateful that she had fallen asleep when Alpen woke her. When the guards opened the doors to the sleeping quarters, she felt relief at the anticipation of eating the breakfast portion. Instead, they ushered the prisoners down a hallway and into a room with little light. Prodding them forward with pointed staffs, the prisoners descended into a pool of cold water that came up to their knees. She followed Drindl’s lead, lifting her tunic above her shoulder A commotion in several languages combined with the physical crowding in the cold water made every muscle inside Bebe tense with an aching for some comfort.

“Washing away the salt of the ocean water yesterday,” Alpen said. Both he and Drindl were rejuvenated by the fresh cold water, but she wanted breakfast.

When they were done, the water felt thick with the salt and the dust from the prisoner’s bodies. They were led outside and given their breakfast portion. Drindl came up alongside her and pressed a half portion into her hand.

“No, you need it,” she protested.

“Someone owes me a favor,” Drindl said. “Alpen said you missed a meal yesterday. They only feed us enough to sustain us and to keep us hungry, so we won’t run away.”

She looked to Alpen, who nodded. “You need to keep up your energy levels if we are going to escape this place.”

“We can’t leave Alithea and Fallon and Erthen. Where are they?” she asked.

“After the bellowing last night, I listened for the wolfbear patrol,” Alpen said, then shook his head. “Every morning before first light. Today, nothing.”

She looked around, seeing only the Cawthingi guards and the elephant moving slowly towards them. “Where are we working today?”

“I hope it’s the pier again,” Alpen said, looking at Drindl. When Drindl nodded quietly, she knew they had planned something and looked north up the road to the school.

The guards lined them up behind the elephant pulling a sled of digging tools and provisions and they set off on the road south. Bebe was sick at heart, fearful that she would never see her friend again.