Tribal Dawn: Mordufa: Volume Three Page 9

  “Oh, yes! Jabali! It’s a shame he isn’t coming. I heard a rumour about him and the Krenei the other day.”

  “Really?”

  “Mhmm,” Unika whispered, “apparently, they were caught in storerooms together. Like a man and woman.”

  Tau raised his eyebrows and huffed. “Nah, I wouldn’t believe that. Anyone who gets a rank here gets stories whispered of them. I found one written about my grandfather in the Sudasters’ house. If my mother dearest saw it, she’d collapse from its disturbing contents.”

  “You can tell me what it said, I won’t tell a soul.” Unika nodded, hiding his grin.

  “I didn’t want to read it; it was something the lovely Sirlia left on her desk. Its name caught my eye. ‘Night with the Warrior’ or something. I thought it was going to be about duels or a rescue.”

  “Sounds interesting. Is it the only copy?”

  Tau stood still and glanced up and down. “I’m not entirely sure. I hope so. Less chance of it reaching south. I didn’t think you were into that type of thing.”

  “Mating?”

  Tau peered around for something to steer the conversation away. “Well, not how we like mating anyway.”

  “There is only one way to do it unless I have been misinformed.”

  “Yes, but we’ve never seen you go to the Sudasters,” Tau said, thinking up the right words, “and I’ve only ever seen you turn your head to men, to be honest.”

  “I’ve ‘turned my head’ as you call it to my friends because friendship is a beautiful thing. It is natural to think about what it would be like to share your body with those you care about,” Unika said in a matter of fact tone.

  Tau stopped again and choked on air. “What?! No, it’s not. I’ve never thought about fucking Rura.”

  “You were taught differently than I, Tau. In the Moon tribe, the Modumas taught us everyone is the same.” He sensed Tau was uncomfortable. Unika linked his arm with Tau’s and dragged him up the stairs, not realising he was making it worse. “If you must know, I don’t go to the Sudasters because I have a mate in the mountains.”

  Tau tensed. “Why have you never mentioned her?”

  “No one ever asked. When I left, she had our daughter and is bringing her up with my six sisters.” He abruptly turned, knocking Tau into a wall, and clapped excitedly. “Rura! There you are!”

  Tau took the opportunity to release himself and approached his fatigued friend. He gratefully patted him on the shoulder, harder than he meant to. “No sign of Jabali yet.”

  The group of three waited in the hallways while trainees and veterans sped past for morning duties, mouths stuffed with morning pastries. When Ebhi returned, a cloth pressed on his forehead, they went into the dining room.

  Stone and wooden benches filled the hall lined in neat columns. Tables were crumb covered where the men had hastily shoved food down their throats. At the top stood the serving stations, tarnished serving pots and spoons, cooks with dirty and bloodstained fingernails serving. Sconces lit up the walls, a faint bit of light in the darkened barracks. The smell of hot food drifted through to urge the warriors out of bed if they weren’t already.

  They sat beside the wall and grabbed a couple of snacks. Eventually, Jabali appeared, looking worse than when Tau had seen him last. His armour was bloodstained as if he’d been in a fight.

  They remained silent as he limped towards them, pulling out one of the stools before plonking down with a grunt. “All the stuff is ready to go, I see. Now you four, you will be going to the east.” He grabbed one of the cups and scowled at the warmth of the water. “Let me tell you, these Aqua women are not to be overlooked because they aren’t men.” Jabali narrowed his eyes at Ebhi. “You boy. Tell them what your women do.”

  Ebhi nodded and licked his lips. Rocking back and forth, he clung to his head. “My sisters in the Aqua tribe will kidnap men and rape them. They breed with their victims and take the infants into battle so the enemy will not strike easily.”

  Tau pulled a face. Rura’s nostrils flared. Unika was on the edge of his seat like he was listening to a fable. Jabali waited for him to continue. When Ebhi opened his mouth, nothing else came out. The war leader smashed his fist against the table. “I’ve had corpses returned to me with the balls of another stuffed in their mouth. Brothers who you’ve seen around the barracks and trained beside cut down by these fucking lunatics. Their Kreiess won’t be there; she never leaves her Aqua falls for anything. The Inferno-and-Stone have over fifty Chieftains in the cities who argue amongst themselves. Kreiess Kititi pretends her intentions are for the women of Inferno, but that isn’t true, and only a fool would believe it.”

  “What are her intentions, Heior?” Rura asked, knee shaking beneath the table.

  Jabali wiped his mouth. “What does every nutter who gains power want? More power. She intends to spread the Aqua tribe to Inferno and then one day bring an army here. She isn’t taken seriously and never will be, not as long as the Sun tribe lives and our Kreneis stand strong. She has made a bold move into the Stone territory, harnessing beastly women you would see in your nightmares. She plans to move to the Shadow region. You will leave and join whatever the Chieftains have left. Your job is to clear the whores out of the region, get their war leader, captain, slut rearer, whoever it is, to sign a peace treaty – or at least, scrub the sands with the trollops’ teeth.”

  Tau focused on Rura. His eyes were shimmering. Jabali pointed to Rura and Ebhi. “You may have to cut down your own. I don’t want to hear any reports that you’ve acted differently – from anyone. Your job is clear and not to fucking die. We’re running out of men to control the bandits here as it is.”

  When he walked away, the four remained silent, allowing the warnings and wisdom to sink into their skulls. Then, Unika grinned. “Well then, shall we depart?” he said and helped Ebhi to his feet.

  Muttering and struggling, they went outside. The awkward quietness remained while they gathered their bags and belongings. People saluted, something that made Tau swallow hard. It wasn’t something that prejudiced people did easily, not unless they expected to see them in carts when they returned.

  Rura lagged behind. Tau climbed in the back of an open wagon. Unika hopped in, then Ebhi carefully joined him while the boards cracked and creaked. The vehicle shook. Tau spoke to the man wearing a hat at the front. “Are you sure it can hold our weight?”

  “Erm…” The man turned and revealed a bearded face. “You two.” He pointed to Unika and Ebhi. “You go on the next one to be safe. I didn’t think we were taking a blacksmith's arsenal.”

  Ebhi and Unika stumbled down, then Rura shakily climbed up. Both he and Ebhi were sickly in appearance. When Rura settled, he took a swig of his flask and threw it to Tau. “It’s going to be a long journey. I managed to grab a couple of skins from Kizzie for the ride.”

  Tau kept the flask low until he was sure there were no guards nearby. “At least that part of you is thinking, eh?” he said and handed it back. The rest of their group climbed into the other wagons, one which held three of the thinner and inexperienced warriors bundled together. Tau looked at the Krenei castle and his surroundings, taking it all in. A yelp from the bearded driver snapped him away from contemplating too much too quickly. The cart bumped along the road, jolting the pair back and forth. They travelled slowly out of the village, autumn weather blowing twigs and leaves and the smell of wet wood from the forest. The stalls became fewer and soon, trees appeared in their place, mushrooms growing in their shadow and roots twisting onto the path.

  Rura, gear worn down, hair messier than usual and eyes red was staring into empty space. Paleness didn’t suit him well.

  “Rura,” Tau finally said, “we’re alone. What’s the problem with going to your home? I know the reasons aren’t good but come on. If I was going south to see my family, by Solianga, I’d be fucking thrilled.”

  “You know your family are safe.”

  “You’ve been writing to your mother, haven’
t you? I thought she was safe.”

  Rura laughed. “That’s what she tells me. Anything can happen in these weeks of travelling. Truth be told, Tau, last I heard from her, the Aqua tribes had destroyed the entire region she lived in.”

  Tau grabbed onto the side as another bump hit. “You didn’t tell me that. Is she safe? And your sister?”

  “She moved to the other side were the Chieftains are taking people in, but you’re not fucking stupid, Tau. What happens to women in war?” He waited for a response. “She found a place to work and live. It’s close to where we’re going.”

  “That means you’ll get to see with your own eyes.”

  “It means they could be dead by the time we get there. It’s in the middle of it all. My sister, she is fifteen and the job my mother has taken…” Rura shuddered and took another gulp, wincing. “In Inferno, women are treated differently. They don’t work, never. If they want to, there are few roles they can do.”

  “Which are?”

  “Like the Sudasters but with no rules. Men can do what they want and the women… It doesn’t matter if they’re fertile or not as long as they have an entrance for the dirty bastards to stick their cock.” He finished the last dregs and took out another skin. “They dance, they fuck, they get beaten. It was the only place my mother could go now her third Chief is dead.”

  Tau watched Rura and went silent. There was nothing he could say to make him feel better, not when he had no experience of the place. He’d heard plenty of stories from elders when he was young. When they arrived, his mother would either be beaten or already dead. Tau couldn’t decide which would be the better outcome. Not yet.

  - CHAPTER TEN -

  When the evening sun set over the tribe and the children had been put to bed, Zura rushed home to find her aunt. She explained that she wished to thank the stranger. Nerves gnawed at her. She changed out of the dirty, muddied and soaked robes into a basic aurora-blue dress and beaded bracelets. She tied the dagger beneath her clothes, hidden from the guards’ sight, and gathered together money pouches. Being the daughter of a Chief, money she had earned went back into repairs for the orphanage, aside from a small portion of it she saved for emergencies. She picked up her ribbon-decorated basket and placed in some wrapped servings of salted meat to disguise the money as a gift. When she was ready, Zura left the hut beneath the night sky. The children of Luaani twinkled tales up high amongst the void.

  She held her nose against the stench of the damp outside the hut and knocked on the door. After a thud on the other side, followed by swearing, the rickety door opened, nearly falling off its snapped hinges.

  Vakaar greeted her, his hands covered in splinters. He wore the same ragged clothes he had when she first saw him, stained with moss and dirt. “Hello, Kreiess. Please come into my abode. As you can see, it’s well furnished.” He motioned to the dark, empty space.

  She nervously smiled and lifted her dress, taking careful steps. She gave him the basket and stood with her hands joined together, anxiously inspecting every crevice of the hut rather than braving to look at him.

  “Thanks,” he said and pointed to two cut logs in the centre, cloaked in the shadows. “I cut them today. They get no damage from the hole.” He pointed at the roof. “I never expected to cut logs. Serve drinks, yes. Hunt a little? Definitely. Cut logs and roots? No, and not for hours.”

  Zura held her dress and sat down. She remained silent. He crossed his legs on the floor and put the basket beside him. He struck his flint, each flash revealing glimpses of his scars before the spark caught his kindling. A blooming amber lit up his features.

  “Well, this is wonderful.” He grinned, inspecting the basket. “Meat and money. Money I have no idea what for because little Kreiess seems to be shy.”

  “I’m sorry,” Zura muttered and curled a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m really nervous about this. This isn’t the way of my people. This isn’t how we solve things.”

  “Yet here I am, so it must be something that needs fixing. Sometimes pride needs to be set aside if it means winning.” Vakaar grabbed two stone cups. He filled them with water and handed her one.

  She took the drink and stared at the sparkling flames, the smell of burning wood slowly overtaking the damp creeping up the walls. “I’m a Moduma.”

  “Yes, I saw that. Strange for a daughter of a Chief, particularly with the ‘you must breed’ attitude, but who am I to question it? Tell me, what’s the problem?”

  “It’s been happening for a couple of months.” She unfolded her arms, recalling the incidents on her fingers. “In the orphanage, some children have relatives who didn’t have room to take them in when their parents died. Those relatives and friends visit them on occasion.”

  “Alright, it’s the orphans. I’m not thrilled about killing children but I wo—”

  “No, no!” She brought her hand to her lips and repeatedly shook her head. “Not the children! This was a mistake, I can’t do this.”

  Vakaar grabbed her arm. “Ignore my remark. I’ve never murdered children,” he lied. “I’m here now. Tell me what you need.”

  Zura glared at his hand. He released his clasp. She reluctantly sat back down and placed her head in her hands. “They’ve been returning, bruised, marked and terrified. I don’t know who is causing it or what they’re doing exactly. My father is powerless to punish anyone unless the children speak up, but they’re too afraid. I need you to find whoever is hurting them and… do your thing. It needs to look natural.”

  “Stalking to find out what’s going on, then kill them.” Vakaar clapped his hands together and grinned, a manic sparkle in his eye. “Sounds easy enough, though it may take a while. I heard a whisper that some in your tribe are suspicious. I will have to space them out.”

  “As long as it’s done.” Zura took the basket and rifled to the bottom of it. “That is all the money I have for now. I will pay you for every moon you have to stay here and for your return home.” The ceiling cracked and dust fell. “I’ll get someone to repair this place for you too.”

  Vakaar held up his hand. “No. No special treatment. It raises eyebrows.” He waited for her to say her polite farewells. Instead, she sat on edge, holding her tongue. “What else?”

  Zura’s eyes glazed and she bit her wobbly lip. She lifted her skirt away from his sight, pulled out the blackened blade and placed it on the ground. “I will pay you extra if you can help me with something else.”

  “Is it trying to find who that belongs to?”

  “No. I know who its owner was. He died ten years ago after he gave up your life. I want to know…” A shining tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away and faintly smiled. “I want to know about your kind and the life he would’ve had.”

  Vakaar narrowed his eyes and dragged the dagger over. He brought it up to the light and inspected the markings carefully. “I don’t know if I should be the one to speak of that. I believe you require an elder.”

  “I don’t need any more elders. I’m finding it difficult to let go, and I want to know what he was doing. I need to get over this clutch that has been keeping my life on hold.” She turned away. A flicker of a binding stone shone around her neck. She caught Vakaar staring and hid it away.

  “Not an ordinary request, but you’re paying, so I’ll help with what I can.” Vakaar tapped the handle. “I can’t guarantee it’ll be what you want to hear, and there are some things I can’t tell you, Kreiess.”

  “Please don’t call me Kreiess. I’m the daughter of a Chief, and my name is Zura.”

  “Be that as it may, your mother and our current Krenei are cousins. You kind of look like one, even in the lustreless dress of a Moduma. My name is Vakaar, but in the tribe, I’ll be known as Kaari.”

  Zura dried her eyes and stood over the fire. “Thank you, Vakaar, for your time. I think I should leave, my parents will wonde—”

  Screams and shouting outside interrupted her. Warriors yelled, and the clangs and scrapes of weapons being dra
wn made her heart sink into her chest. Her eyes widened like oval saucers at the door.

  Vakaar watched her curiously. He didn’t pick up his weapon, no, that was to remain in hiding until he had clothes that concealed it. Zura followed him to the door. He opened it. The calls across the tribe were met by torches sparking into life up the path one by one. Panicked warriors surrounded someone stumbling through the entrance.

  Zura snapped out of it and looked over Vakaar’s shoulder. In the centre of the group, a man had his arms over the shoulders of two warriors. She saw frayed dreadlocks, blood dripping in a line behind him. Then she saw his square jaw grinding down and the feline skull helm that covered the rest of his face, adorned with red and white paint. She pushed Vakaar out the way and ran to his side.

  “Father!” she yelled.

  Atsu tried to step forward, wincing and falling to the ground. An arrow embedded into his right arm gushed blood. He roared in pain. Zura attempted to keep him calm, her heart racing.

  “Atsu!” a husky, distressed voice called. The Chief's hut doors swung open and Jocelin sprinted out, her sister at her side. With luscious caramel locks, intense, wide leaf-green eyes and full lips, many in the world called her the ‘green-eyed witch of the south’. Willow-framed and elegant, she had grace in everything she did, even running to the side of her mate, worry written over her face.

  “Father, it’s alright! Nyah and Mother are here!” Zura said and backed away. Her aunt sped past carrying healing supplies. Vakaar was watching with interest, mumbling under his breath like a madman casting spells.

  “Fucking… bastards!” Atsu yelled and gripped his arm.

  “Stop touching it!” Jocelin shouted back and tilted his head up to the sky.

  Nyah quickly got out her gear. Three of the guards pinned Atsu down, struggling to restrain him. She shakily stabbed and scratched the wrong place through his yelling and anger.