Sky Child (10 page)

16

When we get back I notice how muddy we are. I suggest to Ebb that we wash off what we can in the puddle at the mouth of the Crag. It takes us a few minutes to get the mud off of our feet and legs. I figure that it should work well enough until we can make it to the loud waters. Once we are only half-covered in mud, we walk back to my room.

Flot and Jet are inside, talking to each other. They have surprised and guilty looks on their faces, like we walked in on them planning someone's death.

"Ebb, I would like to introduce you to my brothers," I say.

Before I can say who they are, they both stand up from the ground. Flot reaches out a hand to Ebb.

"I'm Flot," he says, shaking hands.

"Jet," says Jet, also shaking her hand. "So you watched over us last night?"

"Yes, I did," says Ebb.

"So why are you here?" asks Flot.

"We're grabbing some soap," I say.

"Good, because you look horrible. Have you been rolling around in the mud again?" asks Flot.

"Ebb was teaching me how to hand fight," I say.

Both Flot and Jet smile.

"What kind of evil hav
e you be
en up to?" I ask.

"Nothing," says Flot. "Nothing we want you to know about."

I just stare at them.

"Anyway, we're off to the loud waters," I say.

We grab the soap then leave.

"Your brothers seem nice," says Ebb.

"Yes, they do
see
m
nice," I say.

"It is also nice to see them when they aren't asleep."

"I'm not sure I agree with that."

We arrive at the loud waters. Ebb and I wade in, close to where the water is leaving the cave. We both lie down, completely covering ourselves in water. I hold my breath and let the water do its job. I can feel the clumps of mud pull away from my face and clothes. It also feels good to have the cool water on my bruises.

After I feel like I'm rinsed, I stand up. Ebb does the same. We both take off our clothes and start washing them with soap. I look over at Ebb then quickly look away. She looks over at me.

"Sam, are you blushing?" asks Ebb.

"Um, what do you mean?" I say.

"Your face is turning red."

"Must be from the mud."

I don't know why I would blush. It's not like I haven't washed my clothes and bathed in front of other people my entire life. I don't blush when I wash around Flot or Jet, or anyone else.

I finish up washing my clothes. I rest near the edge of the loud waters, waiting for Ebb to wash her long hair. It takes her a while to wash hers; much longer than I spend on mine.

We take our clothes to the Great Fire and hang them up. Ebb and I use the warmth of the fire to dry off. Moss is there, and he looks at us both then smiles at me.

Eventually we are both dry.

"I hope you do well in the trials," says Ebb.

"I will do my best to survive, and to remember what you have taught me."

"Just keep inside your mind that the trials aren't a game. There is more to lose than your life. Do what you must to survive. That is all that matters."

"I will," I say.

Ebb places a small kiss on my cheek then hurries back to her room.

17

I
head back to our room and put on some clean clothes. Flot and Jet are still there. Flot is reading a book this time, and Jet is cleaning his armor. Flot finally looks up.

"Wow, she really must have punched you a lot. Your face is bruised. So are your arms and chest. Are you hurt?" asks Flot.

"I'm fine," I say.

I hurry to put clothes on, so that most of the bruises are covered. It doesn't take me long to change.

"Did you hit her back?" asks Jet.

"A few times, but I was trying not to hurt her."

"Oh, so you got beat up just so you wouldn't hurt her?" asks Flot.

"No, she was better than me," I admit.

"Wait, you're saying that someone was better than you at something?" says Flot.

"... Yes."

"Just what I thought. You aren't the Sky Child," says Flot.

"How did you hear about that?" I ask.

"What, you being the Sky Child? Seems like that's the only thing people are talking about. Though, when everyone hears about how Ebb beat you up, I'm sure they won't think you are the Sky Child anymore," says Flot.

"How will everyone hear that Ebb beat me?" I ask.

"Because I'm going to tell everyone about it!" says Flot.

Jet laughs.

"Do you want me to use what she taught me on your head?" I ask.

Flot covers his face with his book, and Jet goes quiet.

"I'm heading to the feast now. Are you coming?" I ask.

"Yeah," says Jet.

"I will come when I'm done with this chapter," says Flot.

"What are you reading?" I ask.

Flot ignores the question. I look at it, and I remember reading it a few snows ago. The name of it has something to do with the end of a sidewalk, but I have no idea what a sidewalk is. Most of the stories in it are short and strange, and make no sense, but I like them.

Jet follows me out of the room. I turn to him.

"So what are you and Flot up to?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing," says Jet.

"I'm serious, I need to know," I say.

"We've been talking about girls is all."

"Oh, that's right! You really like that girl, Till," I say.

"Shut up!" says Jet.

"Did you finally talk to her?" I ask.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And it's none of your business," says Jet.

"Must have gone fairly well, or you would be complaining about it."

"She might like me. She says nice things to me, but I can't tell if she just wants to be friends or not."

"Friends isn't what you want to be?" I ask.

"I want to maybe be more than friends."

"That sounds serious," I say.

"I'm too young to be serious."

"Well, friends is a good place to start. I hope it works out, and I hope that she is nice."

"She is," says Jet.

After walking for a while, we finally reach the feast chamber. I get into line so that I can get some food. Jet stays next to me. I look around and I see Ebb. She smiles at me, and I nod back.

"I'm glad that you've finally made a friend," says Jet.

"Me too."

We get our food, and it's more wolf stew. I think since we didn't hunt today, Cleave and the other cooks just made what they could out of leftover meat. It's not as good as yesterday's wolf stew.

I sit down at the head table. I watch as Jet finds a seat far away from where I'm sitting. I also see a few girls sit down next to him. The girls seem interested in him, but he either doesn't really care, or he just doesn't realize it.

I look across the table, and I catch Chaff staring at me. His mouth is twisted into an evil grin that makes my stomach sick. Helm turns and whispers to me.

"Chaff wanted to wish you good luck on the trials."

"I'm sure he did," I say.

"My guess is he actually wants you to fail," says Helm.

"I'm sure he does."

Chaff is pathetic. It only makes me want to do better in the trials. Maybe I will get lucky, and one of the trials will be fighting my worst enemy. I would very much like to beat Chaff with my fists. He wouldn't be able to smile that evil grin anymore.

"Do you think you are ready for the trials?" asks Helm.

"If I said no, would you give me more time?" I ask.

"No."

"Then what does it matter? I have done what I can. Hopefully this isn't my last meal," I say.

I realize that it actually could be my last meal. I don't know if I will be able to make breakfast in the morning, before the trials start. So my last meal is old stew. That makes me sad.

I can feel Sickle and Scythe staring at me, and I know that they too hope I die tomorrow. I wish they were the ones going through the trials.

I look up and see that Flot has finally come to eat. I watch as he gets food then sits next to one of his friends.

I wish I could eat with Flot and Jet, but I have to do what is expected of me now. I liked things better when people didn't expect anything from me. All I had to do was hunt and stay alive. They let me keep to myself, and they definitely didn't make me go through any trials.

But if I wasn't going through this, if they didn't think I was the Sky Child, I never would have made friends with Ebb. I don't know her very well yet, but I am still glad that she is my friend. So I keep that thought in my head, that what I'm going through will all be worth it. Worth it if I survive.

I don't want to talk to Mast or Helm, because I'm angry at them. I know they aren't the ones that created the trials, but they are the people that are making me go through them.

I finish my meal and head toward our room. I decide to take a side-tunnel that is shorter than using the big circle of the Crag. As I pass by rooms I look inside, not really paying attention to them. All of them are lit except one. When I reach the dark room, I hear a noise coming from inside. It is very quiet, but I recognize the sound of breathing. I turn and look into the darkness.

That is when it looks back at me. I see a pair of eyes, but they are hard to make out. Without warning, the shadow attacks me. They kick me in the stomach and I fall to the ground. I wait for them to move closer, and I punch the shadow in its groin.

The shadow groans in pain, clutching itself. I get up off the ground and put my fists up, the way that Ebb taught me to. Even in the darkness I can see the sharp metal object that the shadow is holding. The shadow reaches out with its arm and tries to stab me. I step away from the arm and send my right fist flying as hard as I can, right where I can see the shadow's eyes.

I am very lucky, because my punch hits exactly where I'd hoped. The shadow falls to the ground, and I can tell that they will be asleep for a while. I hear the clank of the knife hitting the ground. I also hear footsteps running up to me. I hold up my hands again, ready to fight my new attacker. Only it isn't a new attacker, it is Ebb.

"Are you okay Sam?"

"Yes, I am fine," I say.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" asks Ebb.

"I wasn't thinking. I am sorry. I'm just so worried about dying in the trials that I forgot people may still be trying to kill me," I say.

"You will never beat the trials if you don't pay attention to your surroundings," says Ebb.

"At least I heard them and then saw them before they attacked," I say.

"But you could have been killed!" says Ebb.

"I know. I'm sorry," is all I can manage.

I reach down and pick up the knife then drag the attacker into the light. It looks like they have taken a dark shirt and wrapped it around their face to cover it. I remove the shirt, and stare at my attacker.

I do not know who this person is.

"Ebb, do you know him?" I ask.

"No."

It is a man who looks closer to being a gray one than a new one. There is nothing really different or interesting about his face. He just looks like a person. Someone that maybe wouldn't be noticed. His hair does not cover much of his head, and his stomach sticks out.

"What are you going to do with him, Sam?" asks Ebb.

"He tried to kill me, but I don't know why. I don't think he is a hunter, because I have never seen him, and he doesn't look like he's been outside much. To be safe, I should probably kill him, but I don't think that I can. Not when he can't defend himself. Killing him right now would be something a coward would do," I say.

"I agree. But if you don't kill him, then he might try to kill you again."

"That is true as well."

I try to think of a different, better way.

"What if we have him thrown out of the Crag?" I ask.

"We might be able to do that."

"Can you help me drag his body?"

"Yes," says Ebb.

I hold the knife between my teeth, with the sharp edge aimed away from my mouth. We each grab an arm and drag his body to the Great Fire.

There are many people there, praying to the Sky Gods for a safe night. For good dreams and a better tomorrow. Most seem very surprised to see Ebb and I dragging a man's body to the Great Fire.

I take off the man's other shirt and tie his feet together, while Ebb uses the shirt he had on his face to tie his hands together. I pull him into a sitting position and rest him against a large rock.

"Ebb, can you go and get Mast and Helm, and anyone else you think should be here for this decision?" I ask.

"Yes, I will do that," she says.

I watch Ebb run down one of the connecting tunnels. I notice that a pair of the people that were praying have left. I do not worry, for I have a knife in my hand now. I will be safe. I look back at the attacker, and it seems like he is waking up.

"If you try to get up, or attack me again, I will kill you," I say.

The man just stares at me through his evil, dark eyes.

Eventually Ebb shows up with Mast, Helm, Vault and Crook.

"Why is that man tied up?" asks Vault.

"He was hiding in the shadows and tried to kill me," I say.

"Why didn't you kill him back?" asks Crook.

"Because I didn't want to kill him. What I want to do is throw him out of the Crag," I say.

"No!" comes a voice from a side-tunnel.

It is Chaff. One of the people praying must have found him and brought him here.

"He is of my blood," says Chaff, as he nears the Great Fire. "He is my cousin. A harvester."

"Did you send him to kill me?" I ask.

"I would never do such a thing!" says Chaff, faking disbelief.

I stare into Chaff's eyes, and it takes all of my strength not to attack him with the knife.

"This man must leave the Crag forever," I say.

"No, I will talk to him, and make sure that this never happens again," says Chaff. "He really is a good person. This is probably just a misunderstanding."

"How is attacking someone in the dark, with a knife, a misunderstanding?" I ask.

"He isn't very smart. He was probably just confused. Maybe he was at the feast, thought he needed his knife to eat with, and came back for it. Then he accidentally scared you."

"He kicked me in the stomach and tried to cut me with the knife," I say.

"Maybe he was afraid you were going to attack him. It was self-defense. You have killed a dragon, haven't you, so you must be very dangerous," says Chaff. "In fact, did you have any weapons?"

"No."

"Yet you were able to hit him so hard that he was no longer awake. And you don't have a scratch on you."

My grip on the knife tightens. I look over at Vault. He shakes his head 'no', telling me that I shouldn't kill Chaff. Crook stares at Chaff, and looks like she wants to kill him herself. But she doesn't. She knows, just like me, that we can't kill Chaff. It would doom us all.

"If anyone else attacks me, I will kill them," I say. "I will not control my blade the way I am controlling it now. So for your sake Chaff, make sure that your family does not 'accidentally' attack me again."