2
“I can try to save them…” I whispered, my eyes stinging with tears as my chest twisted in pain at the thought of anything happening to my primitive family.
But what can you do? You’re nothing, Stephanie. Just a blind, helpless victim. Remember before? You couldn’t even save yourself. How can you save them?
I sniffled, furiously wiping my eyes as I deliberated.
Can’t even save yourself…
A little cry escaped my lips then, like a hiccup, and I felt my skin go cold despite the warm air.
Just like with Marcus… my mind flashed to the way his whole face changed as he held me down and moved over me, like he was someone entirely different… just like with Pete … my mouth had been covered by his hand as I lay on the table, with him between my legs… with Harris… cornered again, helpless. You hadn’t been able to save yourself. You can’t save them.
It was then, when a woman’s scream echoed through the trees, my mother’s, that any fear I had suddenly vanished and was quickly replaced with something else. Something I never knew I had. Mowha was in trouble, and fuck if I was going to let anything happen to her!
Without another thought, I acted as though on autopilot. I reached for a thick branch that was dangling from a tree, and ripped it the rest of the way free, and ran back the way I’d come, heading home.
I had no thought in my head as I burst free from the treeline to find my mother on the ground with that stocky, smelly bastard standing over her, a large rock in hand raised high over his head, like he was ready to bring it down on her skull. I saw nothing else as I sprinted towards them, bringing the thick branch way back behind me, and swung it forward, using the momentum of my body to increase its force as I smashed it into his stomach, the highest point of him that I could reach.
Instantly, he dropped the stone, which fell with a heavy thud harmlessly to the ground, and he doubled over like I winded him. I didn’t stop there, though. I took this chance to really put an end to his fight by bringing my knee up and nailing him right in the balls. The fucker fell over on his side, moaning and squealing like the pig he was.
There was so much happening around me as I fell to my knees at Mowha’s side, relieved to find she was still breathing, but unconscious.
Vulfu and Dahkha were chasing off three of the men into the trees, but it was the sight from the large boulder that was our home that made my heart stop.
Two of the pale men had armloads of our belongings, food and furs, baskets, even my sleeping bag, in their grasp and were making a dash for the trees. At the top of the boulder, Veshy was fighting for her life from one of the bulkier men while Krahu was being dragged off into the trees by another. The one I’d knocked over seemed to have had enough, because he rose to his feet, albeit hunched over, and stumbled back the way his group had come. Knowing Mowha was more or less safe for the time being, I got up and started towards Krahu, who was closest. I was about twenty feet away when Kray appeared out of nowhere, flying into the man’s back to knock him over. I stopped, staring as he fought the man tooth and nail, looking less like the happy-go-lucky boy that loved to tease the family and more like a warrior with every passing second.
From above, there was a shout, and I looked up to see Dow clawing at the back of the man who held Veshy, trying to get him to release his hold around her throat.
Cupping my hands around my mouth, I turned in the direction Vulfu and Dahkha had run to and screamed, “Bip! Bip!” before I turned and ran for Krahu who lay on the ground in a shivering heap. I wrapped my arms around her as Kray took the fight away into the trees and checked her for injuries. Her scalp was bloody, like she’d been beaten over the head before she had been dragged. But to my relief, she was alive. Her breathing was raspy, her eyes squeezed shut as she huddled in a ball. The moment I wrapped my arms around her, she jolted, like she was afraid I was someone else. But upon seeing my face, she just wrapped her arms around my neck and held me, looking like she was relieved to see that I was alright.
Suddenly, from above, there was a wild scream, and we both broke our hug to look up just as Veshy’s body went flying through the air, falling to the ground. Though my entire body had gone cold at the sight, I still lurched to my feet, about to run over to… to…
I don’t know what I thought I would have done to stop it. Even if I had been able to make it in time, would I have been able to catch her? To break her fall?
In the end, it didn’t matter at all, as she hit the ground so hard, I could hear her bones crack from where I stood in shock, like I’d been encased in ice.
“Mmuh… mmuh! ” Krahu moaned, her voice cracking as she began to wail, crawling in Veshy’s direction. “Mmuh! Veshy, mmuh!”
“Krahu! Stevvy! Guh!”
We both looked up to see Dow still grappling with the man who had thrown her, only now he was caught in his grasp, being held up like he was about to be tossed off the side, too.
“Dow, no!” I screamed.
“ Dow! ”
I spun to see Kray being dragged away into the trees by his hair, kicking and fighting just as his friend was. The man carrying him off shouted something to the one holding Dow. Whatever he’d said, his companion seemed to agree, because he climbed down the rock with Dow in his arms and followed.
“No… no! ” I shouted and ran after them. “No, put them down! Don’t you dare! Mmuh!”
“Stevvy!” Krahu cried behind me. “Stevvy mmuh!”
Tears stung my eyes again as I tried to race after the men. I watched as the one punched Dow so hard in the face, his head rolled backwards, lolling sideways like he’d been knocked out. Kray was shouting hysterically, kicking and still trying to rip his curls free from the grasp of the bastard who dragged him. Upon seeing me running after, the rage and fight in Kray’s face changed so fast it caught me off guard, to one of horror.
“Mmuh, Stevvy!” he snarled. “Mmuh! Stevvy jugra Vulfu! Jugra!”
No, Stephanie. No. You stay/belong with Vulfu. Stay!
I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks, falling to the grass like a waterfall. I slowed to a jog, watching helplessly as the two boys were carried off.
“Jugra, Stevvy!” Kray demanded again, pointing back the way I’d run from. “Guh!”
The two boys… the two I looked at like little brothers, were sacrificing themselves for the women. Krahu would be safe. I would be safe, and they would be taken in our stead. My feet gave out beneath me, and I fell to my hands and knees to the ground, now wailing like Krahu as I watched the boys disappear into the foliage.
“No, Kray! No! Dow, please!”
“ Guh, Stevvy…” the voice was faint, and soon it would be lost.
“We’ll come for you!” I screamed, hoping they’d hear, that they’d understand. “Kray! Dow! We will come for you!”
But I was met with silence. Nothing but my own blubbering, Krahu’s tears, and the breeze ruffling the yellow tinged leaves in the trees. I felt sick, to the point where I did heave up everything I’d eaten that morning, unable to bear the thought of the boys putting themselves in a position like this. I rolled to the side and bawled, screaming and crying my heart out, harder than either time I’d been attacked. Harder than after a teacher found me tied to the flagpole and I’d been brought in to the nurse’s station at school, or even after I made it home and hid in my room, where I stayed for a week in isolation because I was so damned broken after everything all I could do was sit there in the dark and cut…
And cut…
And cut.
I held onto one of my forearms then, my fingers squeezing around it as the pain I felt at this moment was fast becoming unbearable. I felt so out of control, so helpless I started to panic. Breathing hard, I got to my hands and knees and started crawling after the boys, uncaring when a stone or stick stabbed at my palms or legs.
“...evvy…”
Find them. Save them. Don’t let them go through what you did.
“Ste–evy!”
Save them, like they tried to save us…
“Stevvy!”
Vulfu’s voice loomed over me and his hands grasped my shoulders, stopping me before he spun me around to face him. He was covered in blood, some of it his own, some not, his chest heaving like he’d sprinted a marathon, and for once, that beautiful tan on his face was gone, his skin sheet white like those ghostly pale men. But he was alright. He was in one piece, safe, and I reached for him, needing to feel him in my arms. The moment my trembling hands sought the comfort of his body, he obliged, reaching down to scoop me up into his arms and squeezed me tight.
“Stevvy?” he murmured in question against my skin, his voice strained like he’d lost it from all the shouting he’d done.
“Kray… Dow…” I pointed off into the trees where they’d disappeared.
His grey-green eyes snapped up, staring in that direction, and whistled sharply. A moment later, Dahkha was beside us, and with a hurried rumble exchanged between the men, Vulfu’s second-in-command raced off down the trail in pursuit.
“Vulfu…” I croaked, still sniffling, my own voice broken from all the screaming and crying. “Veshy…”
“Husha, Stevvy,” he said, turning to head back to the clearing. “Husha.”
“But Veshy–”
“Tch!” he snapped, silencing me. Beneath the blood spatter on his face, I could make out the wrinkles by his eyes, strained as his brow was pulled low over his gaze, and I couldn’t imagine all he was thinking and feeling in this moment.
Near the creek, the body of the Wahu leader lay motionless, torn to ribbons from Vulfu’s attack. Good. I wanted to spit on it and if I had matches, I’d burn him, too. He had been the one who made the call to come here, to attack us. His men cheated by not respecting the one-on-one fight between the leaders. At least, that’s what it felt like. I was certain that had been the deal, but then it had all gone haywire in a matter of seconds. Like the moment his men realized Vulfu was unmatched, they took matters into their own hands.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him tight, remembering the way he’d looked at me and whispered that one word… luvv. Vulfu was strong, yes. A warrior, no doubt. But he also knew he wasn’t invincible. There was a chance he could have died back there, due to a slip, a misstep or lapse in judgement in his opponent. But he had taken the challenge, believing the others would be honourable to their word. They lied.
And because of it, we lost Kray, Dow… and Veshy.
Mowha was sitting up by this point, with Krahu at her side. Both women looked terrible, like they were in immense pain while comforting each other at the same time. Nearby, the still figure of the old woman who was like the grandmother of the group, lay amongst the grass and flowers, almost like she was sleeping. But as we neared, I could make out the signs of blood pooling at the back of her head, the twisted way her arms and legs were arranged. She was gone.
The sight of her had Vulfu waver his step, and he quickly put me safely to my feet. Silently, he crept towards the old woman, moving on all fours as he shifted closer. Behind us, the soft cries of Mowha and Krahu filled the silence in the space, and all three of us watched as Vulfu placed his curled fingers into Veshy’s open palm.
Unable to bear seeing her that way for another second, I turned and went to Mowha’s side. The look of relief on her face at the sight of me tugged at my heart. What if I hadn’t come back? What if I’d continued running? Remembering the sight of that asshole with that stone in his hand, ready to swing it down upon my mother’s skull was very clear in my mind, and I knew I wouldn’t have her here now if I’d stayed away.
I hugged Mowha tight, holding her like I was the mother, and she clung to me as she sobbed and mourned the loss of Veshy, of the boys…
But Dahkha was on their trail, wasn’t he? He was going to get them back, right? I squinted off in the direction they’d disappeared to again, wishing I could see their faces reemerge from the bushes, all smiles, all happy and ready for fun. Surely he’d save them?
It wasn’t until later that night that Dahkha returned. Vulfu had gathered us into the home while he had tended to Veshy’s body, and then brought us her herbal mixtures to apply to our wounds. Because I was the least injured, save for a few cuts and scrapes, I made it my job to run to and fro with water, collecting any wrappings I could find, and whatever was left of Veshy’s medicinal supplies. The assholes had robbed us nearly blind again, and there was very little left. A few furs, some water skins, a few bowls, and hardly any food. But I gathered what was there and made a stockpile of each item, noting what we had and what we didn’t. I helped clean everyone’s gashes, cuts, and did my best at wrapping them. We were all seriously hurting, feeling defeated, and all in mourning.
So when Dahkha returned without the boys, it was just another blow we had to suffer through. I tended to Dahkha’s wounds and gave him a water pouch as he and Vulfu murmured softly to each other, the names Kray and Dow spoken often between them. I wanted so desperately to know what the plan was. Were we going to fight back? When? Did Dahkha see them? Were they still alive?
But I had to sit in the dark as they talked, unable to communicate all my questions. The boys had been the ones who had picked up the most English, and they were gone. I tried to sign to the men, repeating the boys names and pointed south, my brows raised in question. Vulfu just shook his head at me each time.
We were hurting from our losses, our injuries, and now at a serious disadvantage with our supplies having been raided again. We needed food, and fast. We needed to recover so we could fight once more. But even then, we were seriously outnumbered. However, I wasn’t ready to just give up on the boys now, and I knew Vulfu wasn’t either, but he had all of us to think about. Not just those two. And he always spoiled me most over the others, despite how I assured him over and over again I was more than alright. But he insisted on giving me the cosiest of the remaining furs to sit on, coming over to check me again and again like he worried some unknown injury would bare itself to him.
As night descended, he sat in a corner of the home, looking very much lost in thought as the rest of us gathered all of our furs together. We were going to sleep in the main room, sharing what little we could. As we lay down, I searched for Vulfu, but he remained where he was, looking anxious, eyes staring off at nothing.