“Theo, what makes me so special?”
His bruised and filthy face blushes. “Are you kidding? You’re the garden tender, the chosen one in the community. Your family fed and sheltered our families during the dark times after the ancient people left. You’ve a special gift. And your father. He’s got a gift as well… he forges amazing things from ancient trash for gods’ sake. You’ve got both inside of you. The future’s inside of you. I know it.” The look on his face is one of adoration, which unsettles me.
“Ok, Theo. I sort of get it from you. But what about the — others?” I whisper, “What about Bets? She hates me.”
“They owe me Amy. That’s all you need to know. They’ll follow me to the ends of the earth.” He seems pretty confident. “Can I get you some food or drink?”
“I’ll take what you can give me.”
The morning light peeks tepidly through the pines. The fire smolders. English saunters up with a few branches and a couple of logs. The fire jumps and its heat penetrates my bones. English mutters, “Hmm. Anyone in the mood for coffee? We ain’t got much left but we all deserve it after yesterday.”
Bets groans. “I’ll take a double.”
Theo scratches his butt and sneezes. “Where’s Samuel?”
“Catching us some breakfast,” Samuel replies, appearing from the brush with two rabbits dangling in his thick hands, already skinned and gutted.
We eat silently. The rabbits are delicious and the coffee is dreadful. English has spiked the brew with a dollop of shine. We’re waiting for guidance about our next steps. If Theo has a plan, the details don’t seem to be in any hurry to jump out.
Bets blows the steam from her cup. She’s read our collective thoughts. “Theo. What are our plans now? We’ve all lost people we care about. Instead of protecting the survivors, we’re here in the eastern mountains with shitty provisions and no plan. I realize that Marksman here’s supposedly the chosen one. But what’s that supposed to mean?”
Theo rises. “Bets, you need to respect what we’re doing here. I was told by the elders that Amy and her child were to be protected at any cost. You’ll heed my words on this. Once we’re finished eating, we saddle the horses and continue moving up the pass. There’s a road left by the ancient ones that’s still manageable. We’ll take that to a safe haven.”
Samuel clears his throat and lights his pipe. “What exactly do you mean by safe, Theo my boy? These people seem pretty set on finding my young cousin-niece here. We’ve not done a good job covering our tracks. They’ll be following us.”
“Trust me. The place we’re headed toward is very old and fortified. The elders told me that the answer lies within.”
“Excuse me.” I’m not going to be ordered around by Theo and I’m sure the others have their doubts as well. “Theo, what did the elders tell you? I appreciate what you’ve all done for me. But I need to be finding my family. And I’m sure these folks want to get back to their families. Why should we trust what the town leaders told you?”
Theo throws down his cup and his face becomes rigid. His stubbled jaw is chiseled with concern. “Amy Marksman and all of you, realize that this is far larger than all of us. A war’s coming. The elders brought me into their meeting several months ago. They foretold many of the events that just happened. At the time, I thought they were completely wanked. Turns out, they weren’t. When I returned after the first attack, I was able to get this.” He pulls out a small, leather-bound book and opens the pages. It is worn and old, with a combination of ancient writing and our language scrawled in it. There are several maps with strange shapes and numbers. “This book contains prophecies and a history. Many of Teacher’s stories come from this book. The elders showed me a particular passage that convinced me that the truth lies in these pages.” He hands the book to me, showing the page that changed his perception.
I read aloud. “From the gardens comes the light, and her name will be Elisa. Forests will be razed and mountains leveled, for war will fall upon us. The gods will return to earth and welcome the ancient ones once again. After that, there’s ancient writing that I can’t read.”
Samuel chuckles. “We’re running away because the book almost predicted the name of Amy’s girl? That’s pretty weak, mate.”
Theo throws a stick at Samuel. “Dammit Sam. This is more than that. The elders predicted that the moonlights would go out and that all hell would spill out. Look at us.”
Samuel’s face pales. English finally speaks. “Look all. Theo’s our leader. We’ve pledged our loyalty to him. If you want to break that trust, then get the hell out of here. Otherwise, quit doubting him. That goes for you too Amy garden-tender.” His voice remains calm, matter-of-fact. “Amy, of all people, I’m surprised that you’d treat Theo with disrespect. He’s saved your life twice now, while you were slumped over his horse. I realize that you’ve lost your whole family. We’ve all lost family now. We’ve got to stick together. Or we’ll surely die.”
“Thank you English. My word’s final. Prepare to get going now.” Theo flashes a gentle smile and begins rolling his pack. I hate him for forgiving me so easily. And then the anger washes out.
I walk up to Theo, putting my hand on his shoulder. He winces at the pain of an unseen injury. I begin my apology. “Sorry. I was wrong to doubt you and your leadership. I’ll try to help out best I can.”
He smiles a little wider. “Accepted.”
I clear my throat. “Do you have a horse for me or am I riding with you again?”
“I brought Phineus with me. He’s fast and ornery — perfect for you.”
Within a few minutes, we’re riding with Theo and his sleek steed, Silius, in the lead. Steam rises from the flanks of the horses as we reach a wide, paved path, the likes of which I’ve never seen. The road is as wide as a river and extends beyond my sight in both directions. Few obstructions are visible — a few boulders, some stray trees, and a few oases of grass. Otherwise, it’s an impossibly smooth passage into the upper mountains.
Theo’s horse pauses with a snort. “We need to be careful on this road. Amy, you’re the only one here unfamiliar with this terrain. Lots of surprises can pop out when you least expect them. The open space makes for fast traveling, but it also makes us easy targets. All eyes open — that includes all you old timers.” He smiles at Bets.
She replies, “Watch who you’re callin’ old, Theo. I was still a little bawling baby when you were stealing kisses from all the girls.”
I roll my eyes. We begin riding up the path. The air cools perceptibly, making me wish I had more layers to wear. I’m not the only one exposed. Samuel and English look like they barely had time to change out of their bedclothes. I push Phineus to canter up next to Silius and Theo. “Theo, are there any settlements along the way? We’re going to need provisions to survive the elements.”
“If I’ve read the map correctly, our destination’s about a two-day ride into the mountain. We go east and then north at a fork labeled with a large, green sign with some strange markings. He points at the book strapped to his pack. There used to be a small village near the split in the road — a trading post linking the high desert towns past the mountains to our homeland. A few trappers live there with some loggers. They should have coats to trade with us. Luckily, I brought some stuff to barter.” He pats the bags on his saddle. “And you thought it was foolish to collect rings, jewels, and shiny things.”
It’s not even the middle of the morning and my rump is throbbing. I haven’t ridden a horse in years. I keep catching Bets glaring at me. English is whistling as if he hasn’t a care in the world. Images of Eliza make my heart race. I’ll die if she’s really gone. In addition to the pain in my ass, my breasts are beginning to ache. I was slowly weaning the girl, but hadn’t completed the process. Strangely, the pain’s comforting, reminding me that I’m a mother and that somehow I’m doing the right thing.