Leaving

"My brood brother, Mellen, went south," Alpen replied to Alithea's question. Bebe nodded. "I have not seen or heard from him in ten years when he parted. Perhaps we can join their village. I want to find out what is happening in the south. Where are the Ibik herds?"

Bebe asked, "The mountains to the south. What about the wolfbear?"

Alpen looked to Fallon Neither of them knew the habits of the wolfbear, only that it was territorial. He turned back to Bebe. "We'll be fine, hon. The three of us. We have weapons." He gave her a reassuring hug, and Fallon nodded in confirmation.

Each family placed their belongings on a travois that was usually used to transport Ibik meat and injured warriors. Alithea directed Fallon to pack her grandmother's bridal quilt and the nesting crib that they would need in a few weeks for the new baby, but there was so much she had to leave behind. Fallon's priority was weapons and tools. Alithea paused at the door as they were ready to leave. Had she forgotten anything? Suddenly, she let out a wail that bounced off the walls and out into the crisp morning air. The sound upset Erthen, who reached up to her for reassurance. She gathered him in her arms and followed Fallon out to their travois.

They went to visit their loved ones in the graveyard at the southern end of the village. Bebe and Alpen had also buried a young one there. "My soul is here," Bebe cried as she knelt on the damp grass. Drindl stood in front of his mother's grave, then reached down to pluck a spring flower from the site.

Fallon touched the headstone over his folk's grave. He and Alpen had found the large rock on the cliffs of an ancient volcano to the north. One side had a smooth glassy surface of burgundy streaked with silver and aquamarine that captured the evening sun's fire. They had both hurt for days after. Alpen had joked that the rock was the bravest warrior he had ever fought. Fallon knelt at the stone and kissed the swirl of cool color. The full impact of leaving their home hit him.
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Alpen touched his shoulder. "You gave your folks the evening sun for the rest of eternity."

Fallon needed to hear that. He stood, then turned to the squeak of the Faerie as it stirred from its stupor. "No, you've had enough. You're not going to die," Fallon answered, then remembered that he had forgotten the faerie cage. Alpen had not brought one either. Drindl ran back to Fallon's house and retrieved the faerie cage. The two of them transferred the Faerie to the cage and left the skull on the ground.

As the sun climbed above the horizon, Alpen urged them to leave. They stood facing the village, pausing for one last look at their home, their refuge in the world. Alithea set Erthen on the travois, covered him and secured him to the sled. Next to him, Fallon tied the faerie cage to the sled. "Maybe Erthen will learn Faerie talk just like his father," Alithea joked.

Fallon protested, "I'm not making this up!"  He slid into the harness of the travois and took the lead. He followed the bare outline of a path beaten down by the hooves of last year's Ibik migration. The warmth of the sun was welcome in the early spring morning.

As Fallon strode forward, he thought. Turning back to Drindl, he motioned for the young warrior to come alongside him. "Did you have any energy last night?" Drindl shook his head no. "You gave some to Erthen and I gave some to the Faerie. Did Alpen take any?" Again, Drindl shook his head. "Show me the energy," he asked and Drindl fished out the energy. "There is still a good deal left. All the warriors took that much energy?" Drindl nodded. Sarten had given them a strong enough dose to overcome any reluctance as he led them to slaughter. They would share Sarten's murderous spirit and act without question. Where did he get that much energy, Fallon wondered. "I'm glad you did not join them," he said as he reached out to Drindl. "We are brothers now. Brothers of the heart and brothers of the sword."

The Village

When Fallon rejoined the others he showed them the Faerie. "I can understand it's language somehow," he said. "That Listener in the Glade camp did something in my ear."

Alithea looked up from the skull with a skeptical expression. She reached up and flicked his cheek with her tongue, then looked down at the egg at her waist. "Your daddy hears faeries," she said. Alpen scoffed, then urged them on.

They followed Alpen's fast pace. When Bebe called after Alpen, he turned back to her, pointed at the sky and made the signal to keep silent. Fallon glanced through the trees at the sky but could not see any other faeries. Finally, they came to the outskirts of their village.

There were some forty houses, a great meeting hall and some other common buildings. The walls of the houses were large cobble and stones joined together with clay found near the mouth of the river. They paused and Bebe said, "I can't wait to lie down. A nap will be welcome."

"We will have to bring what we can and go south," Alpen said.

"Have you gone mad?! Alpen, we are not leaving our home!" Bebe insisted and stomped her hoof in the dirt.  
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Fallon stepped in front of Alpen's path and faced him in the pre-dawn light. They heard a sound and turned to watch fire licking at the night sky. They turned back to Alpen. "I've given you a warrior's respect, my friend," Fallon said. "Bebe's right. This is crazy. Explain."

"Drindl woke me. He was one of thirty or forty warriors that Sarten assembled in the middle of the night," Alpen explained. "The warriors took energy. There is only one reason. To attack in the darkness of night." Fallon nodded. "Only warriors with no eggs to care for. Sarten recognized Drindl and told him to leave." Alpen turned to Drindl. "Sarten said they would rid themselves of the Glades and their eggs." Drindl nodded in confirmation and Fallon's eyes went wide.

"No warrior – no honorable warrior," Fallon corrected himself, "kills innocent eggs."

"This is just the beginning," Alpen warned.

"But why should we leave our village?" Bebe asked in an insistent voice.

"No matter what the final outcome, there will be a bloodbath. In a few weeks, the Cawthingi will arrive from the coast to trade fish with the Glade tribe for Ibik meat. What will they find? If the Glades are destroyed, will the Cawthingi attack our people to gain access to the spring and summer herds? They certainly will. Why trade if you can take?" 
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Alithea grabbed Fallon's arm for comfort as the words spilled from Alpen. "What about the eggs in our camp?" It was a question that none of them wanted to ponder. Erthen stirred and Alithea reached for him. "I'm surprised that our boy has slept through this journey."

Drindl started to explain but Fallon made a slight shake of his head and Drindl shook off the papoose. Alithea calmed the waking boy and Drindl helped her strap the papoose to her back.

Fallon kissed the youngster, then said, "Well, that is not a reason to abandon our village, our people." The others nodded in agreement.

"Don't you see?" Alpen asked. "This land is changing and there will be continual fighting. Each year the herds grow thinner and thinner. My father's father spoke of the spring thunder, he called it, when the Ibik herds would cross into the valley and darken the plains. To the west the water now eats the land. The land of our fathers is disappearing!"

Drindl stretched to the sky and said, "The Morela fox. They arrive a few weeks before the Ibik herds. I have not seen one fox this year. Have any of you seen the fox?"

Alpen gestured to Drindl. "You see?" He looked to Fallon.

"Where should we go?" asked Alithea. She flexed under the weight of the boy who opened his eyes.  

Fallon brushed the long black hair growing from Erthen's head. The boy babbled baby talk and Fallon said, "In just a few minutes we'll be home."

Bebe looked at Fallon. "What part of that made any sense to you?"

Fallon shrugged. "He says he's hungry. He wants to know when we'll be home."

Alithea turned to face Fallon. "Faerie talk. Now babble talk? Come on, I'll feed the boy while you gather up our stuff."

Escape

Alpen made the hand signal to his throat, the one they had all learned as young children. Mortal and imminent danger. Be quiet. Even Fallon was frightened by the primitive warning gesture. They stayed close to the river where the vegetation afforded some cover. After turning a bend in the river, Alpen turned to his left, toward the treeline and in the direction of their home.

In the far distance, they heard the clamor of fighting, then the piercing scream of a Sprint split the night air and caused Fallon's skin to shiver. They looked to Alpen. "Hurry!" he urged. He looked skyward and Fallon followed his gaze. A lone Faerie flew above the treetop. Alpen turned to Fallon. "Drindl has some energy. Try to trap the Faerie so it cannot report us to Altiss."

Fallon was surprised but Alpen gave him the signal. No explanations. Fallon came alongside Drindl who still carried the sleeping Erthen in a papoose on his back. Fallon put his hand on the boy's head. Now he knew how Erthen had remained asleep during all this commotion. A small amount of energy made a young one sleepy. "Don't tell anyone you gave Erthen some energy," he said as they walked along. At Drindl's look of surprise, Fallon said, "I understand. You did what you thought was best in battle mode. Alithea mustn't find out." Drindl nodded. "Can I get the energy? We need to lure the Faerie down." Drindl reached to his side, undid the pouch and handed it to Fallon.
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Fallon drifted away from the group, circling wide into the clearing. From this short distance, he could see the weariness in the gait of the others. Even Drindl's supple form was bent forward under Erthen's weight. Alithea's anxiety showed as she carried their egg pouch and tried to keep up with Alpen and not stumble.

Fallon paused, casually reached into the pouch and withdrew the white piece of energy that Drindl had wrapped in a leaf. He held it to his mouth as though he were nibbling. He casually tilted his head and glanced skyward while he kept his cloak at the ready, draped over his other arm. The light was dim and he could not see the Faerie. He heard the rapid beat of the Faerie's wings above him as it swooped to steal the energy from his grasp. As the wings brushed against his forehead, he fell back and swept his cloak over the surprised Faerie and let it fall to the ground. Trapped between the cloak and the grass, the Faerie tried to escape but Fallon kept it pinned. It made a bunch of squeaking sounds below the coat as Fallon gathered it into the center. He stood up with his coat gathered into a sack. The Faerie stopped thrashing in the pocket of darkness.

"Energy, give me," is what Fallon thought he heard the Faerie say. Impossible, he thought, then he heard the words repeated. He could not speak Faerie. Even Altiss struggled with that. They did not have a faerie cage. What was he going to do with the little creature? It was bad luck to intentionally kill a Faerie, even a snooping Faerie.
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He would need to run to catch up with the others. Suddenly he saw the bleached white form of an Ibik skull on the ground. He turned it over to make sure there were no bitey stingies living in the skull. It was quite small, a yearling Ibik who had not completed the migration route with its herd. Struck with a solution to his problems, Fallon set his cloak down on the ground, keeping it closed and the Faerie trapped. He took a bit of energy and placed it in the top of the skull, then carefully moved the skull inside the sac he had created with the jacket. He felt the Faerie move into the skull to get the energy. He withdrew the cloak, being careful to use his coat to block the opening at the base of the skull. In one hand he held the skull with the Faerie and held the coat with the other. The Faerie was too large to get out the openings in front of the small skull but the coat was an awkward solution.

Fallon watched the Faerie as it feasted on the small morsel of energy. He put the energy back in the pouch, then used it to block the opening in the skull. Already the Faerie was getting relaxed as the energy took effect on the little creature. Fallon tied the pouch strings around the skull and set off to find the others.

"I won't tell sis-ah if you give me more energy," the Faerie said. Sis-ah was the name the faeries called Altiss. What a lying faerie glutton, Fallon thought. He made the sound of an Alsace bird and it echoed in the skull. The predator sound silenced the Faerie.

Between the Shadows

When Fallon got back to the tent, he realized that he still held the energy in his hand. He stored it safely in his pouch. He ducked inside the tent and roused Alpen from a deep slumber. After a moment, Alpen signaled that he was awake. After checking on Fallon's boy, they stood outside the tent in tree shadow.

Drindl told him about the gathered warriors and the energy. Alpen silenced him with a gesture of his hand, then looked up at the tree canopy and listened. He heard the quiet rustle of the warrior's hooves as they prepared for battle. "When did they take the energy?" Alpen asked with an insistent voice. When Drindl told him, Alpen paused to calculate, then said, "We don't have much time."
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Fallon was so tired when Alpen shook him awake. "It's time already?" he mumbled. Something in Alpen's tone of voice jerked him awake and he sat up in his bedroll.

"Sarten's planning something," Alpen whispered. Fallon wanted to ask what and how he knew but Alpen gave him the battle sign. No explanations.

Fallon turned toward Drindl's bedroll. "My son," he said with concern. Alpen whispered that he was OK, then gave the battle sign again for silence. The three gathered their bedrolls and pouches. Drindl carried Erthen who slept peacefully.

They walked with the gait of warrior ghosts, making little sound. They circled at the edge of the clearing and the trees and made their way to the river. Now that they were out of their bedrolls, they had to turn their eggs frequently to ward off the cool night air.

"Bebe and Alithea? Do you know where they are in the tent?"Alpen asked. Fallon nodded and held up his hand to signal a few moments. Alpen and Drindl crouched in the tall reeds as Fallon retraced his steps to the tent and listened for the sound of any guard patrol. He jerked the rawhide string several times before he got a response from Alithea. He tapped out the most urgent code before his message, "Now. Leave. You. Bebe. Now. Leave. You. Bebe." With a stick, he propped up the tent wall to make a small opening above the ground. Bebe rolled out first, then Alithea. Fallon signaled silence and they followed him to the river. They saw Alpen and Drindl crouched in a circle. 

An Evening's Pause

He was distracted by a touch on his arm – Alithea. She showed him the corner of the tent where she would be sleeping. She held out a string made from Ibik hide. "I will tie this around my hoof after we eat. I will leave a piece of string under the tent wall. Before the sun goes down, tap out that Erthen is all right. I will sleep better."

Fallon was not a first time dad and was patient. He was used to her rythms and familiar with her anxiety just before the birth of their baby. The women prepared a light meal and Altiss ushered him out of the tent. He didn't see the faerie.

He rejoined Drindl and Alpen. Both of them assured Fallon that the egg was fine. Fallon felt more confident taking the egg pouch for the overnight vigil. Freed of the pouch, Drindl took Erthen to a nearby hill to watch the sunset.

As the rim of the sun sank below the hills, Fallon left the tent. Staying low as he moved through the reeds near the river, Fallon approached the big tent in the dim light. He found the Ibik string and pulled. He felt Alithea's hoof move, then the string grew taut. He tapped out that Erthen was happy and their egg was warm and goodnight. She acknowledged with a tapping of affection. Fallon circled away from the tent, careful to stay out of sight of the guards.
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Drindl was stirred from his slumber. He disentangled his arm from Erthen's sleeping frame and stood, then followed the whisper outside the tent. "Sarten wants all the warriors without eggs," the voice said. The moonlight filtered through the half-naked trees as they walked toward the rear of the camp. Drindl saw a few warriors outside a large tent in a clearing between the trees. He was led to a tent where there were thirty to forty warriors packed tightly together. Someone handed him some energy. He was confused and surprised that there was any left. He turned abruptly as Sarten entered the large tent and walked to the table.

Sarten held a piece of energy into his mouth and surveyed the warriors. "Eat and let us be done with these bothersome Glades and their foul eggs." Sarten put the energy his mouth and the warriors followed suit. Drindl was so alarmed that his mouth was dry and he couldn't swallow. He looked around and saw a small urn being passed. He held up his arm to signal the warrior that he needed a drink when Sarten saw him and called out to him. Drindl ejected the energy in his hand and answered, "Sir! Drindl, your faithful warrior here." He had never been spoken to directly by the leader.

"You shake like a child at the sight of Sprints," Sarten taunted and looked to the others. Drindl blushed with shame. "Tonight is not a night for children," Sarten said. "Go back to sleep in your tent and dream of little Faeries." The other warriors laughed. As Drindl shuffled past his companions on his way to the exit, he was poked and pushed. He was relieved to make it out of the big tent.  

The Big Tent

Fallon turned back to Sarten. Alpen grabbed his arm and handed him some gulath. "The women have been in there for an hour. They will have eaten their last meal." The leaf pocket held Ibik meat and plants. Fallon took the meal and nodded his thanks, then stooped to kiss his boy. Being separated from his mother and father in such a short time was too much and he let out a howl. Alpen turned quickly and said, "A rabbit!" He held out his hand and the boy waved to Fallon and excitedly followed Alpen after the invisible rabbit.

Alithea's eyes grew wide when Fallon entered the tent. "Is everything all right? What are you doing here? Where is Erthen and our egg?" she asked. Fallon assured her that their boy and the egg were safe with Alpen. She was astonished that he was to be the translator. Altiss shushed them and led Fallon to a seat between the two tribes of women.

There was no food left but there was water. He listened and translated. The sound of the Glade language bounced around in his head like rocks. His tongue struggled to make some of the sounds when translating. Sometimes, the Glade women rolled their eyes. Another time, they laughed at his pronunciation.

During the negotiations, there were many deferences to status, to dignity, to each other's children. Taking turns and rules for this and that, the preparation of food with respect for each tribes tastes and ceremonies. Warriors would not waste such time on idle niceties. After several hours, the light dimmed in the great tent and they had not reached an agreement. He was relieved when Altiss asked him to leave the tent until negotiations resumed in the morning. A fairy flew in, settled on Altiss' shoulder and leaned toward her ear. She waved Fallon away. Neither fairy nor Fae were allowed in the tent during negotiations.

Bargaining Begins

By the late morning of the next day the warriors had strapped Ibik skins to the frame. The energy had worn off and the work was not as coordinated but they got the skins stretched and tied. In small groups the women from both tribes streamed into the valley. Alpen’s mate, Bebe, unwrapped her egg sling and handed the pouch and both eggs to him. Drindl was too young to take a mate. Fallon’s partner, Alithea, carried her egg pouch wrapped around her waist and their young boy sat atop her shoulders. He shifted onto Fallon’s shoulders as Alithea transferred her egg pouch to him.

After the women filed into the two separate huts, those without eggs joined the two huts with skins. They left an opening for the Listener to join the women. She would meld the discussions with her language skills. 

From the Glade camp Tall One descended and met Sarten. Each man held his sword in one hand, the other arm bound to his belly with the tribe’s banner. Where was the Listener?

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Sarten and Tall One performed the customary ritual of warriors before negotiations. Fallon scanned the hill for the Listener. His boy squirmed around on his shoulder when he saw  the Sprints on the hill. He banged his heels against Fallon's chest trying to urge his dad up the hill to see the giant spiders. Concerned for Drindl's safety, Fallon glanced around. The young warrior stood with Alpen. He didn't seem bothered by the sight of the Sprints. Must have been the energy he had eaten yesterday. 

One of Sarten's aides came over to him. Sarten needed him to translate. Burdened with an egg pouch and a boy, Fallon asked if Sarten could find someone else. Where was the Listener, he asked? That's why Sarten needs you, the aide said.

Tall One's lower jaw jutted out in defiance as Fallon drew closer. His boy thought they were going to see the Sprints on the hill and made grunting sounds of displeasure when Fallon stopped. Sarten told him to ask Tall One where the Listener was. Fallon tried to concentrate, shifting between the ugly syllables of the Glade language and the mellifluous cadences of his native Jade language. Tall One said the Listener was sick from eating purpury berries. Fallon thought he was lying. There were no berries that had ripened this early in spring. He told Sarten who wanted another Listener to translate negotiations between the women of the two tribes. No, Tall One said. There is no one else. He pointed to Fallon and said, "You translate." When Fallon relayed this to Sarten, he agreed. Fallon protested that he had an egg and a boy to take care of. 
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"Your companion can take care of your boy and your egg," Sarten said. He waved Fallon away.  Altiss pulled back a flap of skin on the treaty hut and called out to Sarten. He told her to wait a few moments. He turned back to Fallon and was insistent, "Hurry." Fallon hurried to Alpen, in the opposite direction from the Sprints, and his boy jerked up and down on his shoulders in protest. Fallon and Alpen inspected his egg pouch. No way could he keep three eggs warm.

"I could carry the pouch," Drindl offered.

"Have you ever done this before?" Fallon asked. "You have to rotate the egg every ten minutes while you are awake. When you sleep in your bedroll, you can't turn. 'Egg sleep' we call it." Drindl assured him he could do it and Alpen said he would tie Drindl down so that he could not turn over in his sleep. Alpen offered to take care of the boy.

Fallon transferred the egg pouch to Drindl's waist and made sure it was secure. He put his hands on Drindl's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "You are my brother now." Drindl nodded.