Someone has to stay alive to remember the names and to tell our story.
I smell fire. The trail we are on winds up a hillside. I realize this one is wider and well used. The rovers seem more relaxed, and they pick up the pace a bit. The sun is well behind us now. If there is one thing to be grateful for, it is that we were not out in the sun all day. We would not have survived it.
15
We crest the hill and before us in a wide and shallow valley is the rover settlement. It is bigger than I imagined, more primitive than I could have guessed, yet it reminds me of the city within the dome. There is a center area, marked with a tall wooden platform. A large fire burns close by, and the smell of roasting meat carries on the evening breeze, causing my mouth to water with hunger. From the center point of the settlement several huts spiral out in a circular pattern. The huts look like they are made from sticks and grass. Next to them are lean-tos, some with cows and some with goats. Chickens scratch in the dirt, dogs bark, and children cry. Surrounding the village are gardens with tiny buds of new growth. There are too many huts for me to count, and the number of people below scares me. There has to be at least five hundred people in this settlement. How will we ever escape them?
We start down the path that leads to the village. I realize, in my weariness, that there are guard towers stationed around the rise that circles the village. The valley is also strangely barren of trees. As we get closer I see that a stream runs through the middle of it. A ways off to one side is a trench, and the sight of a woman squatting over it makes my weak stomach squirm. Two hundred years of survival, and they live more primitively than their forefathers? Why?
Ellen is praying. I hear her say the Lord’s Prayer, over and over again in a weepy voice. I would join her if I had the energy. We move down to the valley floor and children run out to greet us.
Except their greetings are taunts. They are grubby and dirty and they throw rocks and clumps of grass at us. Ragnor ignores them, as does Janna. The rest of the rovers shove them out of the way when they get too close or hit them, knocking them to the ground. If this is their life, then it is no wonder there is no forward progress. This kind of abuse can only result in an endless cycle of nothingness, just as we had. At least we had some civility in our world. We treated our own with kindness.
We are led to a hut on the edge of the settlement. Levi lowers Jilly to the ground, and she blinks with bleary eyes as she looks around. Our ropes are removed and we are all shoved inside. The door is latched shut with a piece of wood stretching across the door. We can see the shadows of two guards through the openings in the sticks. Ellen, Colm, and Tobias all sit while Pace and Levi walk around the hut that is only ten by ten, if that much. I go to Jilly, who just stands on one foot and looks around numbly.
“You should sit down,” I say and help her down to the ground. I sit beside her and put my arm around her. She leans her head on my shoulder and sighs heavily. At least she isn’t crying, although I am not certain that is a good thing.
Levi and Pace crouch before me. “Even though it looks like a stiff wind will blow it over, it’s pretty solid,” Pace says.
“So there’s no way to escape?” I ask.
“Not at the moment,” Levi says. “There are guards all around. We need to just wait and see at this point.”
“What do you think will happen next?”
“It depends on what they want with us,” Levi says. “I can’t imagine any of it’s good.”
While I appreciate his candor, I’m not certain it is good for Ellen and Jilly to hear how dire our circumstances are. I look at Pace and he nods in agreement with Levi.
“I wish we could see the center of town,” Levi adds. “It might give us an idea of what to expect.”
“Right now I’m more concerned with relieving myself,” I say.
“I’m afraid all the privacy we can give you is turning our backs,” Pace says.
“I’ll take it,” I say. “Jilly, do you need to go?” She nods wearily, as does Ellen, and Pace and Levi help them both up. Levi digs a trench with the heel of his boot that leads under the wall of the hut. I prop Jilly up, and with my help she hobbles to the trench. Colm and Tobias climb to their feet, and all four men turn their backs and look through the gaps in the sticks. I help Jilly as much as I can, and when Ellen is done she takes her so I can squat and go. As soon as I’m done I shuck off my boots and take off the pants I wear over the leather ones Zan gave me. I also take off my socks and put my boots back on. Jilly needs them more than I do.
When we are done I help Jilly into my pants and put the socks on her feet. She is taller than me so her ankles show, but she is grateful. They will help keep her warm, along with my jacket.
“Try to rest,” I urge her. She leans against Ellen, and they both close their eyes. The men have taken advantage of our distraction to go also. While they finish up, I stand and look between the openings in the sticks.
Dusk has settled over us. Fond memories of our evenings with the Hatfields fill my mind. Will we ever see them again? And what about our other friends? I cannot imagine what has happened to them, I can only pray they are not in this village. I can only pray that they are still alive and well.
The smell of the roasting meat is stronger now, and my stomach roars at the abuse it has suffered this day. I see people moving about. They all seem to be going to the center of the village. Do they all eat together, or is tonight cause for special celebration? Whatever it is, I hope it does not center on us or any of our missing friends.
Colm and Tobias join Ellen and Jilly while Levi and Pace join me. “It’s funny how much this reminds me of the Indian villages back home,” Levi says. “Although if it was up to me, I would have settled on higher ground. That way you can see your enemy coming.”
“They do have the guard towers,” I point out.
“Yes, but they are surrounded by forest. It would be very easy to coordinate an attack against them if you had enough men.”
“Do you think they’ve been here that long?” Pace asks
“I’d say so,” Levi says. “Several years at least. I noticed gardens. They live rather primitively. It is surprising after all this time they have not advanced more. They certainly could have made use of some of the castle ruins that are about and made a settlement there.”
“It’s the leadership that has held them back,” I say.
“What do you mean?” Levi asks.
“Did you see how they treated the children?” I say. “They shoved them and hit them. The one who I knocked down got kicked by his brother.”
“His brother?” Pace asks. “The leader?” Of course he would not have noticed since he was so worried about his mother.
“Ragnor. They have to be brothers because they look alike,” I explain. “It seems to me like they live in fear and subjectivity. They are probably ruled by the strongest one, who oppresses all of them to keep his power. Anyone who challenges him, or suggests something better, is probably beaten or killed so he can stay in power.”
“And it’s a never-ending cycle.” Levi smiles as he reaches the same conclusion as I do. “They were abused growing up and therefore they continue the abuse, since that is all they know. The current leader weakens or is killed, and someone stronger takes over. There is no growth because it is stifled.”
“So how do we fight this?” Pace asks. “How do we show them that there is a better way?”
“I think if we convince Ragnor and his wife that they do not have to live like this, that we can show them a better way, we might find an ally,” I suggest.