A Quick Sun Rises (19 page)

Thane rushed away without the slightest rustle as he navigated the forest floor in complete silence. She watched him, her face still flushed as he suddenly ducked behind a tree and disappeared. Whether he was just beyond on the other side or rushing headlong into the night, she could not tell. Remaining still so as not to give away her position, she strained to see or hear any sign of an intruder. Long minutes passed without so much as a whisper against the night when suddenly, the passing of a shadowed figure caught her eye as it moved cat-like toward her position not too far distant from where Thane had left the area. She instantly felt exposed, knowing all too well that should it be one of Thane’s people, she would be easily spotted in mere moments. Still, she remained frozen, knowing that to move now would certainly give away her position. No, the closer her opponent got, the worse it would be for him and the better chance she would have at dispatching him before the alarm could be called.

The form drew nearer and then abruptly halted. Jne knew she’d been marked but still had the discipline to keep still on the off chance that something else had grabbed the intruder’s attention. She strained to see who or what it was but the shape was still too far off for her to make out. Where was Thane? Then, with the fluidity of water, it moved, reaching for something at its back that it then pointed toward her. All she heard was the slight twang of a bowstring as its arrow was released towards her.

* * *

Dor moved slowly with the rhythm of the dance and the other young men positioned on either side of him. The circle surrounding the fire was not large as the number of eligible male participants was never more than just a few. Since Chufa women did not reproduce very quickly, the whole Chufa nation had struggled to increase its numbers since almost being completely wiped out over a thousand years before. Luckily, their life cycle was extended as compared to other groups but the regular raids on their village from the trolls in the mountains had offset any progression in population increases.

Still uncertain of Tam’s intentions, he’d joined the dance just in case she decided to make their budding relationship more permanent and official. At the same time, he feared she might misinterpret his actions as trying to force her into something for which she wasn’t ready or even worse, a desire to find someone else. The sweat was dripping off his chin now more from the anxiety of the moment than the heat of the flames. He kept a keen eye locked on the crowd as he slowly made his turns around the fire as he tried to catch even a quick glimpse of Tam. He’d been at it with the others for close to an hour now and still had not seen her even once. What if she had changed her mind? There was no shame in being left not chosen during the FasiUm, especially at his relatively young age, but though he wasn’t certain himself that he wanted to make such a commitment at this point in his life, he still felt a little unsure about what Tam wanted or if she really even had the same intensity of feelings for him that he’d developed for her.

A cheer went up from the crowd as one of the older boys in the group had been chosen by a girl who had just come of age. Though he seemed a bit surprised at who had taken his hand, he seemed pleased with the match and did not let go. As the dance made one more turn around the fire ring, the couple broke away to the congratulatory words and back slaps of friends and relatives. It would now be left to the parents to determine the price to be paid by the boy’s parents as an endowment to the couple and to the girl’s family.

Dor’s heart leaped briefly when he thought he’d caught sight of Tam but then thudded like a fallen rock when it turned out to be someone else. Another cheer broke from the noisy crowd as yet another match was made and agreed upon. Dor was suddenly feeling somewhat foolish and thought of leaving the dance all together. He was still young after all, as his parents had reminded him. More importantly, he didn’t know what was going to happen in their lives or if they would even be back the following spring to complete the ceremony. Maybe he had rushed into this a little too quickly. His face fell.
Tam must think me a fool
, he thought as another of his companions was chosen to the exultation of the crowd. Just he and one other remained. He loved Tam, he knew that and the fact that she had not chosen him this year did not change his feelings for her in the least. It was just too soon, he could see that now.

Completing one more circuit around the fire he finally decided to drop out. Nodding to the other dancer, he turned on his heel and had taken one step toward the crowd when an immediate hush fell over the gathering. His eyes widened slightly at the sight before him, his mind racing, when a hand suddenly slipped into his and a soft voice spoke into his ear. “And where do you think you are getting off to?”

* * *

Jne dropped to the ground feeling the arrow pass over her shoulder knowing it would have embedded itself straight through her heart had she remained erect. Rolling to the side, she pulled a dagger and made ready her attack when suddenly another shadow sprang out the tree next to the intruder and wrestled it to the ground. Not waiting to see who the winner might be, she rushed to the spot where the bodies continued to grapple and find Thane with his dagger suddenly pressed hard against the attacker’s neck.

“Stop fighting,” he said, “or I’ll slit your throat.” The shadowy form suddenly went limp all resistance ended. Thane turned quickly to Jne and whispered, “
J’enst
!”

She hesitated at his command for her to hide. Her natural reaction was one of anger but the inflection in his voice seemed almost as if he were pleading with her.

“
J’enst
,” he repeated, adding, “
J’omane’bak’silfaj
.”

Immediately, she slipped back behind the tree where he had been hiding and then moved as quietly as she could away and then behind another trunk.

“Who are you?” the person under Thane demanded. “What is that language you speak?”

“I ask the questions,” he hissed, pressing the blade a little harder against his opponent’s neck.

“I am DaxSagn,” the person said, his voice strong and without the slightest hint of fear.

Thane’s grip suddenly went slack. “Dax?”

Another roar could be heard from the village revelers as Dax got to his knees and then turned toward Thane. There was a moment of anger at seeing that he’d been attacked by one of his own people but that instantly turned to shock when he saw who it was. “By the Mother’s blood and all that lives, I don’t believe it. Thane?”

Thane smiled and nodded.

“But how?” Dax asked, his surprise still not abated. “We thought you dead.”

Thane’s eyes narrowed. “Yes,” he breathed, “I am certain that some would have hoped that true. But I have not the time to explain about that right now.”

“Wait,” Dax raised his hand for silence. Looking back to where Jne had been, he could see that the body he thought should have been there in a heap of death had disappeared. “Where is it?” Turning back to Thane, he asked, “Did you see it?”

“See what?” he asked, knowing by where Dax had looked, exactly who he was talking about. “I saw nothing.”

“But it was there,” Dax insisted, pointing his finger to Jne’s ill gotten hiding place. “I shot it.”

That’s why you have that crack on your head
, he thought. Whether by his attack on Dax or Jne’s quick reaction, or both, he didn’t know how the arrow had missed but he knew that Jne was lucky to still be alive. “I saw nothing,” he lied. “But, as I said, we have no time for this. I must have a favor of you or all might be lost.”

Dax touched his head where Thane had initially hit him, the grimace on his face confirming a solid connection from the hilt of Thane’s dagger. Still searching the place with his night vision, Dax was not so easily convinced that he’d not seen something. “What is this you speak of? There have not been any troll attacks since…” he paused, “well, actually, since you’ve been gone.” Now his attention was fully back on Thane. “Isn’t that strange,” he commented, though Thane could not tell if he was being accusatory or simply stating an anomaly.

“Listen,” Thane insisted, his knife unconsciously rising with his voice. “I told you. I don’t have time for this. I need a favor of you and how you answer may determine the lives of all Chufa and more.”

“What are you blabbering about, boy?” Dax hissed angrily, his eyes flashing at being threatening by his dagger once more.

“I need your arrow,” Thane blurted out. It was not how he and his friends had planned it, but since they were together and he’d been discovered, he saw no need for pleasant manipulations.

“My arrow?” Dax asked incredulously. He knew which arrow Thane meant without asking. There was no other arrow he had that Thane, or any other Chufa for that matter, couldn’t just as easily make on their own. Thane was after the arrow that could penetrate steel. “Well, if that’s all your after,” he said, “then the answer is, no.”

Thane sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I can’t explain right now. All I can tell you is that if I don’t get that arrow, we will all certainly perish.”

Dax regarded him for a long moment. Though hated by most, he always thought highly of Thane and his abilities. Never had he known him to be negligent in his duties or to speak anything but the truth. But this was too much. To simply show up after so long and ask for the Chufa’s most prized possession without the slightest explanation was just too far beyond sensible.

“Please,” Thane pled, his need fused in his voice and posturing.

Dax sighed, shaking his head. “I can’t. Not without more information as to why and what threatens us. But I will consider it after I hear the whole story and receive the consent of the council.”

“Not the Kinpa,” Thane insisted. “I will tell you all you want to know, even though there is no time, but please leave the Kinpa out.” He still wasn’t convinced, that although it was PocMar and his friends who had beaten him and left him for dead, that the Kinpa were not complicit as well.

“I’m sorry, Thane, but something of this magnitude requires the voice of the council as well.”

He thought for a moment of just taking the arrow from him. He still had his knife out and if he called to Jne they could easily overpower him and simply take the arrow for their own. Yet, for some reason, he felt he could not do it and still use it the way he intended. Whether the arrow was in some way attached to Dax to call forth its power or whether just his honest heart telling him to do so would be wrong, he couldn’t steal it. Finally, he dropped his head in defeat. “I will go with you to the Kinpa.”

Dax just nodded. Both regained their feet and then started silently down the path toward the center of the village passing where Jne had originally hidden. Thane caught Dax searching the area as they walked by, the signs that someone had recently been there obvious to the trained eye.

* * *

Dor tore his eyes from Thane who had suddenly appeared out of the darkness. The village had grown eerily quiet as all focused their sights on his friend, their faces filled with amazement, while some were mixed with the clear look of terror. Looking down at his hand he barely registered the fact that it was encased by another more slender than his, yet just as strong. Following the arm past the shoulder he finally met the eyes of the person who was picking him as her own. His mind reeled for a moment, suddenly feeling light and disoriented.

“Well?” a familiar voice intoned. “Have you nothing to say?”

“Tam,” he finally breathed but was instantly cut off.

Chapter Fourteen
 

From the silence, a loud ripple of noise suddenly rumbled through the crowd like the clap of thunder that follows a quiet lightning flash. Somewhere a woman screamed and all eyes were now focused on Dax and Thane who had appeared like apparitions from the darkened woods. While Dax lifted his hands for quiet and calm, Thane seemed unaffected by the people’s reaction. Scanning the faces of those he once knew and trusted, he suddenly found himself with the feeling of being in a foreign land with people he didn’t know. What shocked him even more though, was the complete lack of desire he felt in his heart to become reacquainted with them. None of them had ever really accepted him or treated him with more than annoyed tolerance other than Dor, Tam and his mother. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd seeking her out, wanting more than anything else at that moment for her to know that he still lived and loved her, but his search ended in vain. She was nowhere to be seen.

“Calm yourselves, people,” Dax called out as the Kinpa moved through the crowd toward the disruptive pair.

Thane’s eyes narrowed as they approached, his once awed reverence of the Chufa elders now reduced to bitter contempt. No longer did he see the wisdom and strength that, in his mind, had represented the Kinpa office. All he saw were five old men who were hungry for power more than they were for the greater good of a collapsing civilization. He was surprised to find himself thinking that the extinction of his race might not be as horrible as he once thought. All ideas of a noble Chufa people had quickly disappeared. They had destroyed themselves far more than the HuMans ever could have. This was their last chance to find any redemption and possibly reverse the spiral they’d been falling down for so many years.

The Kinpa surrounded him in a half circle, the crowd now at his back. They were puffed-up in their pride trying to intimidate him with their presence and self aggrandizing importance. But Thane was not impressed and didn’t move in the least. Surprised at his lack of reaction and understanding that he no longer feared them in the slightest, two of the Kinpa took an involuntary step back while the others shuffled their feet nervously. FelTehPa forced an uneasy smile. “So, Thane, we see you have returned.”

Ignoring him, Thane suddenly stepped forward, brushing past the Kinpa so that he was free of the crowd and could be seen and heard by all. Seeing the Kinpa closest to him jump as he did so was not lost on him. He would not speak directly to the Kinpa but would, instead, address the whole Chufa nation. He was surprised by the sudden rage and disgust he was feeling.

“I have come,” he started, his voice rising to be certain none would have trouble hearing, “to ask for something that will ultimately save all of your lives.”

Dor and Tam were dumbfounded by their friend’s sudden boldness and majesty in addressing their people. Thane had always been one to keep mostly to himself while growing up, for obvious reasons. But now, he was truly a man and a leader with the confidence and mere physical presence to call forth respect, if not reverence.

Thane briefly waited for the crowd to settle down again following the rumbled reaction to his words. It was then that he caught sight of his father whose face had quickly become a beacon of rage. Thane’s eyes did not falter though as he stared at the man who should have been his greatest support, but who, for reasons of selfish arrogance, had been indirectly responsible for all of the pain and suffering for which he had been forced to endure as a child. The feelings of hope and love that had once pulsed through his heart were no longer a boulder to weigh him down. All he saw now was an aging man who was worthy of no more nobler sentiments beyond mere pity.

“We are all in the gravest of danger and the choices we make from this moment on will decide whether we are severed asunder on the blade of fate over which we hover, or escape to something greater than ourselves.”

Many eyes looked about in confusion and fear at such bold language coming from one so young and ill accepted. “Your absence has muddled your senses,” someone shouted. “Since you left we have passed the worse time of year without a single raid, let alone sighting, from the trolls.”

Shouts of agreement rang out as the mob suddenly gained control over their initial fear, replaced now with the ill gotten courage found in numbers.

“That’s right,” Thane countered, “you haven’t. And that is why I am here. The reason you have been left alone is because the trolls have left these mountains and gathered together with other beasts that your darkest nightmares would not dare to conjure. And once they have conquered the lands that stretch out beyond the Shadow Mountains they will turn their faces back here and when they do it will only take mere moments to completely destroy you all.”

A hush fell upon the crowd save for a few young children who were suddenly reduced to tears in their mother’s arms. “There is but one thing that might turn back such a horrible swarm of evil and it is for that that I have returned.”

“He wants my arrow,” Dax exclaimed. The crowd erupted in angry shouts and threats at the foolish boy who would impishly call for the Chufa’s greatest weapon to carry off into unknown lands where it would be squandered and most likely lost leaving them helpless against the raids that would certainly come again. Thane stood motionless, watching and waiting as the mob-like crowd continued their tirade. He was not interested in stroking their childish beliefs or ignorant superstitions. Neither did he have the proper time needed to win them over. He already knew that none but those that were with him were willing to listen to reason when it came from his lips. He watched his father who joined in with the shouting while darting his eyes about to make certain none were connecting him to his son. It was then suddenly clear to Thane that his father’s real quandary was the shameful secret that he was a coward. He could not stand alone, instead placing all his self worth on the backs and minds of those with whom he lived. He had no core of self-esteem or understanding.

BinChePa, gaining courage by the people’s outrage, stepped forward and raised his hands for quiet. With a deprecating look, he confronted Thane, but still kept some distance from him. “If what you say is truth, then what is one arrow against so many? Surely it would not be more than the death of one combatant.”

Thane eyed the Kinpa his anger and disgust still fresh and bitter in his mouth but at the same time, he knew he was lost. He could, and would, explain the dragons that were the true threat, but he already knew that none would believe him. “What you say, I do not deny.” At those words a collective gasp and rumble passed through the crowd at their incredulity that he would make such an admission. “But,” he yelled above the din, “it is not for the trolls that I make such a request.” Once again, quiet fell upon his listeners as they waited to hear what he would say. “It is for another creature, far larger and more terrible, that I call for Dax’s arrow. A creature that freezes its victims with fear as it drops from the sky and devours them in a single bite.”

No one made a sound but instead all eyes turned to the Kinpa to see what he would say to such a horrific assertion. Thane’s claims were incredible at the least but none had ever ventured over the mountains before and returned alive to speak of what they saw. BinChePa quickly ascertained the mood of the people and knew that they waited for his word to make up their minds for them. A bead of nervous sweat formed on his forehead calling attention to, any close enough to see, his fear that Thane was telling the truth. He understood that to lose the crowd in the least now would likely turn them enough to Thane’s favor that they might call for him to take the arrow just in case what he spoke were true. He had to say something quick as his silence would only bode in favor for Thane. A smile suddenly creased his lips and he bent himself over holding his stomach while letting out a loud guffaw. There was a slight pause as those around watched him and then a sudden roar of laughter erupted from all.

Dor was furious by such a disgusting display of abusive power and ignorance. No longer did he feel he could stand by and watch. He stepped forward, pulling Tam with him as he clung to her hand. “He speaks the truth!” he screamed as loud as he could and then did so again as the people started to calm down. With Dor’s movement forward, Thane suddenly became aware of the obvious sign that declared his friends espoused to one another. Tam eyed him expectantly afraid of what it might do to him but was relieved by a slight nod and smile that acknowledged the match though his eyes seemed to remain neutral.

“I have seen the things of which he speaks,” Dor cried. “He speaks truthfully. We would not be here otherwise,” he finished more quietly, knowing that his words would wound his family and Tam’s but also knowing in his heart it was true. The only reason they had come was to get the arrow. In a horrifically ironic sense, it was thanks to the dragons that he was now holding onto his promised bride matching his feelings of hopelessness against their foes with equal rays of joy for the recognition of his love for Tam. “Only the arrow can bring down the foes of which Thane speaks. And only then do we stand a chance against the gathered army.”

“Even if what you say is true,” BinChePa retorted, his tone one of disbelief and contempt that a mere child would dare challenge him, “then how are we to defend against such a host as you claim is gathered?”

“It is not you who will fight this battle,” Thane shot back, “but…” he paused. He knew that to mention the HuMans would only worsen his case further. “Others will fight for you and for themselves.”

BinChePa turned to the crowd. “Enough of these childish games,” he called out. “We have heard enough from this troubled boy who has obviously suffered mentally from his long stay in the mountains. I say we deny his request immediately and return to the celebration.”

At the very outskirts of the village circle a lone figure nocked an arrow and pulled back the string of his bow resting it along his cheek as he took aim at Thane’s heart. His breathing slowed as he settled into his target knowing that he had but one shot to be rid of the freakish Chufa boy that put himself above others because of his mutation at having all five Tane. It was such an easy shot, one that would never be fingered back at him and one, he knew, that really would never be questioned because all would welcome it gladly. Holding his last breath he steadied his arm one last time as he prepared to release his hold on the string.

Suddenly, his aim was made unsteady as the cold, sharp edge of a large steal blade slid threateningly under his chin and rested against the soft skin at his throat. He froze as a hand reached out pushing his bow and arrow down toward the ground where he let them drop without the slightest resistance.

“All if favor,” BinChePa shouted to immediate roars of agreement as the crowd, once again, took up its cheers against Thane. Thane looked at Dor, who was livid at what was taking place. His anger had slipped into a rage greater than any he’d ever experienced in his life and it was only Tam’s hold on his hand that kept him from rushing forward and throttling BinChePa.

It was then that the sudden cheers began turning into cries and shouts of alarm. Thane followed the pointing fingers and terror stricken looks to his left where he saw Jne coming toward him, a Chufa male, her prisoner, out in front. It was PocMar. A great pandemonium was beginning to erupt that could swiftly turn into a hysteria that would threaten innocent lives. Thane quickly moved forward, waving his hands and yelling to get the people’s attention and calm them down. Already some of the men had rushed away to their huts to retrieve their weapons and he knew if he didn’t rapidly get control that this night might well turn into a massacre.

Jne seemed unconcerned as she directed PocMar to the council fire area by Thane. The fact that she was not Chufa and was obviously from the other side of the mountains had many calling out that the HuMans had returned and that they were all doomed to destruction. Many angry words were directed at Thane labeling him as a traitor for bringing such a monster into their village. Jne watched curiously at the way his people were acting and immediately determined that Thane was truly not one of them. She had expected so much more from a race that had produced someone of his quality.

“Please,” he called out. “There is no reason to fear! There is no reason to fear!” The crowd seemed either unable to hear him or unwilling to listen. Cries of “traitor” and “kill them all” erupted from all ends as women and children were pushed toward the back, some rushing into the forests while men were already taking positions with their bows ready should the need present itself. Thane looked at the Kinpa, who were the first to call for protection from the nearest persons wielding a weapon, offering a look of pleading for them to gain control of the crowds. This one act of humility on his part seemed all they needed to return their feelings of import and superiority. Now they had him back in their control where they wanted him. His previous power over the crowd was ended and though they still feared the power they suspected he held, they knew that all would give their lives to save that of a Kinpa.

FelTehPa was the first to act, moving about the crowd and calling for calm. The people were slow to even yield to the Kinpa’s commands but finally, as the men returned with their weapons, they began to settle into an uneasy silence.

“And how do you explain yourself?” DanGuaPa demanded, “bringing an outsider, a HuMan killer into our village!” Cries from some of the women were heard at the mention of a HuMan while others seemed almost curious since most considered the story of such a fierce and bloodthirsty people apocryphal.