Untitled - Chapter 5 - Alliance - Seg.1

{segment 1 of chapter 5 - Avalia}1

It’s dark and the fire is small. I take my empty flask out of my bag and go to see Nrag. He’s standing motionless, staring out at the little torches bobbing toward us in the dark.2

“Hey.” I hold up my flask. “I’m going to fill this up in the waterhole. Want me to fill yours up too?”3

He doesn’t look away from his focus, but I can see his eyes are still red from today when he got water in them. “Nah,” he says. “Thanks, but I already filled it up today.”4

“Oh. Really?”5

“Yeah, before we went swimming. Remember?”6

No. “Oh, ok then.” I leave and kneel by the water, filling up my bottle. Nragath is nice and all, but I can’t help but feel he’s hiding something. I’m sure it’s none of my business though.7

I’ve been happier since he came. He listens intently to everything I say as if he’s completely fascinated, and my thoughts suddenly feel important, or at least worth discussing. I feel like I’m smart and my opinion means something; I don’t have to prove what I’m saying because he just trusts my judgement and often agrees with me of his own accord anyway.8

I suppose I sound smitten with him. But I’m just so happy. I think I’ve actually found myself a real friend. Like, one I can trust. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I can rely on anyone else before. If Nrag leaves our gang one day, I think I may actually abandon the people who raised me to go with him.9

I put my flask back in my bag and look out through the dark, past Nrag’s unmoving figure to the group of stars slowly bobbing closer over the plains. The cannibals are getting closer. I would go to sleep, but I don’t think I could in a situation like this. Instead I get out my ancient book and practice reading by torch light, sitting in the shelter of my low tent.10

Time must have passed faster than I realised, because the next thing I know, I hear Nrag’s warning. Frantic that I have been reading too long and am now unprepared, I slap the book shut. I stumble out of my tent and grab my knife. The others are just as alert. But Nrag’s call is simply a warning to say the gang is nearly here. I relax a little. A little, but not a lot. I move with the others to Nrag’s side, holding my knife tightly. The torches are now so close that we can dimly see the faces beneath them, reflecting the light. They’re only 200 or so metres away.11

This reminds me of when Nragath first appeared on the plains. He’s very different to 28 cannibals, but we still had the uncomfortable time when all we did was stare at each other while he slowly approached. Personally, I had no idea where to look for fear of catching the stranger’s eye. And I didn’t want to look away completely because it would be a sign of weakness. I suppose now at least it’s dark and all there really is to look at is the torches. The light breeze directs toward us for a second and I notice what I didn’t notice before: these people smell foul.12

When they finally reach us I can see their dirty, sick-looking faces. People weren’t meant to eat people.13

“What do you want?” Nrag asks. I wonder if Sasher will mind if Nrag speaks in his place as leader, but I can’t see him with the main group. He must be covering the rear of the camp just in case. ‘A captain doesn’t go down with his craft,’ he once told me, ‘He makes sure the craft doesn’t go down at all.’ One of the finer things he’s said.14

“What do you want?” Nrag repeats when he receives no immediate reply from the invaders. They’re just standing there, staring at us. “If you don’t answer I’ll assume this is an attack.”15

IF you don’t answer? I think. What else would this be, other than an attack? One of the skeletal figures finally steps reluctantly forwards. He looks even more deathlike than ever beneath the angled shadows of his torch. His accent is thick and pronounced.16

“We aren’t here to attack,” he says. “We… we wish for an alliance.”17

An alliance? People mutter behind me.18

“What do you mean?” Nragath demands. “You don’t honestly think we would mix with you man-eaters?”19

“You don’t have to mix with us,” the man holds up a tentative thin hand as if to stop the coming argument.20

“Then what do you mean by alliance?”21

“W-we just want to travel with you. In actual fact, our troops will still be quite separate. You won’t even have to talk to us.”22

Nrag frowns. “Then what’s the point?”23

The stranger takes a nervous breath. The people behind him are expressionless; hollow-eyed. “The… The point is that…” He looks at the ground and pauses. 24

The people of my gang shuffle behind me and I wonder why. Are they impatient? Suspicious? Or just bored, I think dryly. The man looks up again quickly. “You remember the battle, right?”25

“We were there,” Nrag replies.26

“Right. Well, it seems to me that you were a small troop in the first place; in fact it was why we decided to attack you. And now you’re… well now you’re just pitiful.”27

“You’re not going to win us over with flattery.”28

“—No, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re not pitiful, but from far off you certainly look it. You appear to be an easy target to any gang. But if you had larger numbers, you could avoid a lot more fights. And… that’s what we want to do. We have a small and weak gang now, but if we could join with you just as fellow travellers… You would have fewer fights to deal with, and when we would be faced with trouble, we’d have a chance.” The man seemed to falter for a moment, but not for long. “Don’t you see? It’s perfect for both of us.”29

Some of the others seem to think this is a good idea already, but Nrag scratches his neck doubtfully. “What about your food? What happens when you get hungry? Are we just going to wait for you to take us one by one?”30

“No!” he shakes his head furiously. “That’s part of the deal. We won’t eat any of you. We’ll just happen to be travelling beside you, but we’ll essentially be separate. And anyway… we carry large amounts of food with us. And we um, got a pretty good stash from that battle.”31

I don’t want to know. The cannibals have been dragging large sacks with them all the way here; I can see the dark lumps in the torchlight. Now I can guess what’s inside.32

“You’ll probably get in plenty of fights, being travellers,” the man adds. “So as long as we can have what’s left behind, we’ll be fed.” 33

I nearly gag at this.34

“Avi,” Nrag turns to me suddenly. I feel the hungry eyes upon me. “Would you get Sasher for me?” he asks. “It’s his decision.” Wordlessly I move away as fast as I can. I shake the horrible images from my mind. People mutter under their breath as I go; I suppose they’re sick of my getting all the ‘important’ jobs like this. Especially because I’m a woman. Personally I’d be happy to go without this supposed privilege… I feel like a servant. But I guess I should be grateful for this trust. I head off to the other side of the camp where, sure enough, Sasher is standing. He jumps when he sees me.35

I smirk. “Shouldn’t you be more prepared if you’re out here guarding the rear?”36

“Avi! What’s happening?”37

“We need your opinion. The cannibals want to join with us in the interests of survival. They’ve promised not to eat any of our gang and they basically just want to travel with us.”38

He takes a moment register what I’ve said. And then he thinks about it. “Nrag and I are strong, but I’m not sure we could defend against any large force. This might be an idea.” He sighs. I’m not so impressed that he thinks only he and Nrag are worthy of mention. “What do you think?”39

Now I’m the one that’s surprised. He’s actually asking my opinion? Like my inferior female brain could actually serve him somehow? Careful… I shouldn’t get my hopes up that he might be at all decent or anything. He’s probably just asking my opinion as a token gesture; I doubt he’ll take into account what I have to say. Might as well try though… “To be honest,” I say carefully, “I disagree with you completely. No matter how small our troop is, I’d rather be small than surrounded by people who want to eat me. We don’t know if they’ll turn against us. Then what will we do? Anyway, while we’re small we’re also faster and might escape notice. Having these people around will give us numbers, but no extra help. They’re pathetic; you should see them, Sasher. We’re better off without them.”40

“Hmm,” he nods with a deep frown. “That’s true… but we’ll look more formidable with larger numbers. A dozen is just so small. Yes, with larger numbers we could avoid plenty of fights altogether. And… you know I’d hate it if you got hurt, Avi.” He pauses to look into my eyes. I struggle not to look away; I won’t reveal my thoughts. “Maybe I’ll go talk to them.”41

Inside I’m seething but I give him my best blank face and nod. I knew he wouldn’t listen to me. He heard nothing I just said. But if that wasn’t enough, he decided to give me that masculine crap implying that I’m so helpless. Where would I be without him? I follow him silently back to the group. I hate that he thinks I’m stupid and pathetic, and that I only exist for his benefit. Fucking Sasher. I’m so furious! Nrag doesn’t even see it.42

Soon I find myself walking in Sasher’s wake as the group parts to let him through. A clawing hand grabs my elbow so hard I have to step back. It’s my father. To be honest I almost forgot he existed. My thoughts have been so preoccupied lately and he hasn’t spoken to me much. For a second I feel guilty for not being a good daughter and not spending time with him, but then I remember why.43

“What is it?” I whisper.44

He shakes my elbow. “Do you think Nrag will decide to leave us if this alliance is approved?”45

“What?” I frown. “Don’t you like him, father?”46

He doesn’t answer; he just keeps shaking my elbow. “Do you think he’ll try to get into the City? He’d want to take you.”47

I pull my arm away. “What are you talking about? Why would he?”48

“He’s fond of you. I know he is. I see things.”49

My face heats up and I try to inconspicuously let my hair fall in front of my face. What am I, five? I barely know this man. “Be quiet, father,” I scold. “Now is not the time.”50

I turn my attention back to Sasher, and find that I’ve missed an entire conversation. He is stepping forward to shake the gaunt man’s hand. A coarse, grunting woman pushes her way through her troop and knocks the thin man over like a feather before he can shake Sasher’s hand. She is thin but wiry-looking, and her hair is thin and white like a knot of spider webs.51

“I am the leader of this troop,” she growls. “We just used that idiot because he’s so weak, and it would be no loss if you killed him.” The man on the ground picks up his torch and scrambles back into the safety of the group. I sort of pity him if his people think so little of him.52

The woman holds out a callused hand to Sasher. “Our deal is done.”53

Hesitating only briefly, Sasher shakes her hand. Then he turns without saying anything more, and leads us all back to our tents. He at least is being cautious. That was the deal; we wouldn’t even have to talk to them. So I guess we aren’t.54

Before I head into my tent tonight I glance at our new allies. Their torches have settled where we spoke to them and they have put up their own tents. 55

What a demented little troop we are now.56