The Order of Events: The Red Wolf (24 page)

The weather outside was nice and fresh, Hoosun and the Mother stood outside the infirmary, breathing in the fresh air with Henk and Amen, who were very glad to be outside again. The joy of the outdoors wasn’t even missed on Amen, as he stood against the wall, his emotionless face bathing in the sunlight.
              The infirmary door opened and Mensh came out, closing the door as she left.
              Hoosun stifled a laugh, and stood awaiting the approach of the infirmary assistant as she made her way to his side. “Got it good and organized this time, eh, Mensh?”
              Mensh looked back at the infirmary, as she heard loud grumbling from within, the culprit of which was Maela. “This isn’t in the right place! No, this goes there, and that goes here…grrr.”
              The owl patted Mensh’s shoulder with a feathery limb, and laughed. “I’m sure you’ll get it right, at some point. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, young Mensh.”
              Mensh turned and smiled, and then watched as Amen and Henk stood at the wall, enjoying the outside. “Yeah, I’m sure I’ll get it at some point. I think she’s just crazy sometimes, and just tries to make it hard.”
              The owl nodded in agreement, as the Mother walked from his side. “I think that may be a good reason, you can never know. Maela may be a little cranky, but she knows her work.”
              Mensh agreed and stood beside the owl, looking up at the sun. “I agree with you, Hoosun, when it comes to her crankyness, anyway!”
              The owl laughed and shook his head severely, issuing words of warning to the young apprentice. “Don’t let her hear those words from you, young Mensh, or soon you’ll be the one in bed, and under care!”
              The two laughed together, as Amen and Henk took a walk through the fruit trees, where the Mother stood amongst them, feeling sun shafts beaming through the glorious foliage through her veil, and upon her skin.
              Henk went to her side, as Amen went to a tree, and started to refine his climbing skills, after having spent so much time in bed in the past days.
              Henk looked at the Mother, as she bathed in the sun, and saw an outline of the Mother’s face. It was more than she had ever been able to make out from the heavy veil, if even just an outline. Henk had never seen her face before, neither had anyone else at the Order.
              Henk was at the Mother’s side, and felt the sun beating down serenely on her own hand as she stretched it out, and questioned the Mother. “I’ve never seen your face before, Mother. Why is it you never remove your veil? I’ve heard it was because you are scarred. Is this true?”
              The Mother answered the question, turning her face from the sun. “Yes, my face bears many scars. In my years, I have seen many bad things, and experienced much pain, before I came here. The scars, many of the scars lie upon my face.”
              Henk heard the words, and noted them, taking the ground as a seat. “I won’t bother to ask. I’m sure they’re too horrible to mention, and painful memories at that.”
              The Mother kept her sight ahead, on the walls, and answered softly. “Yes, they are very horrible, indeed…memories.”
 

Far away from the Order, the Red Wolf had returned with his young friend, and had made a fire out of cut branches from the forest. He sat with the young one, asking the boy many questions, as he held fruit over the fire on a stick, the moon far above, as the night was at peace.
              “You haven’t told me your name yet, what is it?”
              The boy looked into the fire, and answered. “My name is Haerta, and what’s yours?”
              The charcoal boy looked into the flames, and answered in a beaten manner. “I don’t know, in my thoughts there’s always been a faint whisper of something. I’ve heard it in dreams, from this woman of my people. I don’t know who she is, but she says a name to me, but then I awake, and I can only remember she said a name, but I can’t remember what it was…”
              Haerta felt bad for the charcoal figure, and gestured to take the stick from him, and was handed the hot fruit, and started eating it, as he spoke. “I’m sorry...maybe we can make a name for you?”
              The charcoal figure laughed lightly, and asked more questions of the boy.               “Maybe…where do you come from? How did you get out here?”
              The boy munched the blazed fruit, and regaled the reason of his placement in the wilderness.
              “Well, I lived in the village of Huna, with my mother, father, and brother.”
              The charcoal boy was frozen as he heard the name of the town, and listened as the boy continued his tale. “There, we lived awhile, all my life actually, and then one day, something was going on. We never saw what started it, but the town was under attack and was on fire. My family was hurrying me to safety, as I was the youngest, and put me in the wagon. All of the sudden, the stall where we kept our wagon catches fire, and starts caving in. It falls apart, and my family gets killed. I was in the wagon when it happened, but I saw it, and I couldn’t do anything. The horse pulled the wagon from the wreckage, and ran out of town, and last I saw outside the wagon, it was burning into ash. The horse dragged me out here, but he was wounded and died. Anyone else would’ve eaten him, but he served my family well, and I buried him. Now I’m using the wagon remains as my home, until I see a time when it’ll be good to move, but I don’t think anyone will find me. You’re the first one, so far.”
              The Red Wolf was horrified. He had attacked Huna himself, and burned it down, killing the boy’s family. The charcoal figure felt great guilt, and it was heavy upon him, as the boy saw his character and questioned him in a concerned manner. “What’s wrong, was it my family? Don’t worry, there’s nothing you could’ve done about it, so, keep your chin up. You have no family and I have no family. We can have each other, kind of like brothers, I guess.”
              The charcoal boy streamed tears of molten manner, and turned from the boy, speaking in a broken monotone manner. “That’s generous you’d take in someone who you don’t even know. I could be a killer for all you know.”
              The boy patted the charcoal shoulder of the boy, and smiled. “I don’t think so, my mother always told me that I was good at sensing character, and you seem good to me.”
              The charcoal figure swept his tears away with his elbow and turned to the boy, with his flaming eyes. “I’ll be here with you then. I’ll take care of you, brother.”
              The beastly boy smiled, and placed his hand on Haerta, as the boy gestured at the fruit beside the charcoal one. “I’ll take care of you too, brother, could you hand me another fruit, please?”
              The charcoal one smiled and passed another fruit to the boy, which was burned over the fire in the same manner as the last, as the beastly boy watched and thought to himself. The girl was definitely right, he could take care of the boy, and make up for what he had done. Pay for his sins, and find peace with his new friend…with his new family.

-Chapter 10-
Past

There was nothing but infinite white, the sound of constant ringing, like the resounding clang of steel against steel.
              The sound rang out hard, and then…the sound of soft wind.

The bright light faded into fuzzy shapes, and then soft colors.
              As feeling rejoined the body, so did familiar figures.

Sofius looked out from where he lay on the ground. Above him, looking down on his face were two figures. One was Haten, and the other was the love that Sofius wished to never feel the loss of, his wife, Moira.
              Haten patted Sofius on the shoulder as Moira smiled with tears skimming down her face, Haten speaking in a matter of gladness. “You’re alive, Sofius. I knew you were made of stern stuff!” Sofius licked his tongue out onto his bottom jaw and felt he was able to move his jaw. It was healed.
              Moira grabbed Sofius, pulling him to her as she hugged him, nestling his head beside hers. “Oh, Sofius, you’re alive! I don’t know what I would have done…I can’t raise our child alone.”
              Sofius hugged his wife tightly as Haten left by a nod from Moira, leaving the two lovers alone as Sofius held Moira in front of himself and felt her stomach. It was not bulging anymore. Sofius asked her, locking wild eyes with her, feeling excitement and worry overwhelm him.
              “Our child…is she, is he, are they?”
              Moira nodded and smiled, stifling a laugh as she pointed to the tent entrance and spoke. Haten entered bearing a child with him. “He’s right there, Sofius! Not anything like our nightmares had tricked it to be. He is good, healthy, and not near a killer!”

              Sofius was given the child, and nodded thankfully to Haten as he held the child between himself and Moira. The child looked like the rest of the clan, with yellow eyes and already sharp fingertips. But he was different. His skin was pale and smooth, not yet marked by the desert outside. The babe sat peaceful and calm in Sofius’ grip, as Haten spoke. “Did I mention you’ve been out a good three months, Sofius? Haha…we had a hard enough time dragging you back here, but I’m sure you find it worth it?” Haten smiled with his sharp teeth, and looked upon the happy couple. Sofius looked to his wife as she spoke. “The child needs a name, since he is not as we had feared. I dared not to name him without your consent. What do you think he should be named, Sofius?”
              Sofius looked from her to the child, and smiled. He looked into their uncorrupted eyes, and spoke the name which the child would bear, Sahfs, the name that christened his brother.
              Moira and Sofius rose as Haten cleared his throat, interruptingly, and spoke.
              “Now that you’re up and all, Sofius, I think you should go outside. Everyone wants to see you.” Slipping out the tent without another word, Haten left the husband and wife behind, a child amongst them.
              Sofius looked at Moira curiously, as she took the child from his care and nodded over to the opening. “Go out there, Sofius, they’re waiting for you.”

Sofius left the tent. It was a rare occasion.
              The wind was calm, the sharp sand at rest, and standing before the lead tent was the remainder of the Ernai. Sofius looked out among them as they cheered, shouting out his name as Haten stepped up to the side of Sofius, Moira leaving the tent and taking place at his side as well. Haten put his clenched hand to mouth, and made as to clear his throat and nudged Sofius.
              “Well, it looks like they’re glad to see you, leader!”
              Sofius looked at Haten curiously, and before he was able to question the words was assaulted by more from Haten’s mouth. “Don’t say a word, Sofius. After the whole campaign and everything up in the mountains, they’re pretty set on you being the permanent leader…as am I.” Sofius looked to his wife, who spoke next. “I think it a good idea, Sofius. It wouldn’t be right to disappoint them, would it?” Sofius shook his head and laughed, and then looked out to the crowd of Ernai. All stood waiting for him to speak, and demanded it vocally.
              Sofius spread his hands out and grinned, speaking. “I guess I’m the new leader here, now, but I have one thing I have to propose.” As the Ernai stood waiting, Sofius continued.
              “For years we’ve lived in these punishing lands, harsh winds, and sharp sands. We fed off the beast and took in their flesh. But when we went after Grede and his lot, I saw exactly what that can do, as did you when he made his proposition to end life. Well, now I make a proposition so that life may continue here…” The crowd listened intently as their leader spoke, Haten and Moira proudly at his side. “…I propose, to you, we give up flesh forever. Even if it leads to our death, we feed off vegetation. Even if it dies out and is sparce amongst the sands. I know that feeding off vegetation can lead to our death, but feeding off flesh can lead to the death of others. What do you say? Are you with me?”
              Sofius looked out among the many Ernai, and within but a moment, after his words had ended, the scene was filled with howls and cries of approval. All took a knee before their leader, women held babes, fathers stood next to sons. Moira and Haten had also taken to their knees.
              Sofius was proud to receive such a reaction, and took a knee himself. Before him, on the tip of the dune was a small weed, growing. Reaching out, Sofius plucked the vegetation and rose, holding it high and calling out above the roar. “Let this be our life, let this be our death!!!”
              The crowd rose and held hands high, bursting with enthusiasm before their leader.
Moira stood beside her husband, holding their child in her grasp. “Our future is bright upon your leadership, my love!”
              Sofius turned to his wife and wrapped one arm around her, and placed the vegetation in the grip of their child as the child reached out. “And our future is in the hands of our children!”

Sofius and his wife nestled their heads against one another, looking upon their son as the Ernai rang out their cries below.
The future to them looked as the babe’s skin, clear and unmarked.
But sadly this was not to be…