It was a warm night. The sky, a deep crimson colour, was ablaze with millions of tiny twinkling stars. They seemed to be smiling down on the world as it lay, as though asleep, under a soft canopy of reddish moonlight. It was a night ordained, reflected Katrin, later. A night which would change the course of her life forever.
Katrin sat with her back to the hills and her face to the fire. The flames leapt and danced with vivacity, now shooting into the sky as though to lay hold of the stars, now retreating into the ground, but only to shoot back up again with even more vigour and determination. Katrin’s older sister, Meredith, who sat next to her on the low, flattish log which they had adopted as a bench, appeared to be in a trance as she watched a delicate ribbon of smoke wind its way into the night sky and disappear entirely from view. Her large, brown eyes stared unblinkingly into a land that only she could see; a land far, far away and yet drawing nearer every day, a land where she was finally able to lead the comfortable, normal life which she had so longed for. With a contented sigh she pulled herself back into reality and cast a loving glance at the shiny gold-plated ring on her ring-finger. The tiny diamonds looked even more beautiful in such a light, and they seemed to reflect every warm shade the night was graciously bestowing over shrouded creation.
“Just think,” said Meredith, combing her long, glossy curls with her fingers, “in less than a month I’ll have a real chair, and a real bed, and a real house...”
“I know- a real life. I hear you say it so often now.” Katrin’s voice betrayed her emotion.
“Aw, c’mon Katrin,” said Meredith, putting an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “You know this type of life just isn’t for me. All those nights lying on the ground in sub-zero temperatures; it doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”
“I think you’re lying,” said Katrin, resolutely. “I think you really do enjoy life in the wilderness. Remember last week, when you said how wonderful you felt after climbing that mountain which was higher than any we’d ever tackled before? You said there was nothing like the feeling of pushing past your own limits. I heard you say it, I even wrote it in my diary. I think you’re lying to yourself. I think you want Simon to think that you’re like every other girl, that you want to cook and sew and be a housewife all your life and run about picking up his dirty socks and starching his ties- whatever starching is. I can see through you, you know. After all, I am your sister.”
Meredith’s face showed signs of amusement, although she was trying desperately hard to suppress the smile which sought to break out over her face and gain full lordship over her expression.
“You just don’t want me to go, because then you’ll be lumped with mum and dad again,” she ejected.
“It’s not that,” said Katrin, staring glumly at the toe of her boot. “It’s just... well, maybe it’s partly to do with that, but... “
“It won’t be all that bad,” Meredith tried. “It’ll be nice to be back in the caravan for a bit- you’ll be able to have nice hot showers again.”
“That’s the only bit I’m looking forward to,” said Katrin, dismally.
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” said Meredith, faking a grin that even the Cheshire Cat would have been proud of. “Don’t look so disconsolate. Remember, only two more months and you’ll be back at Gran’s, and then you’ll get to see all your friends again.”
“If they’ve not all moved away by then,” said Katrin with a sigh. “Why can’t you and Simon just get married over here, and then he could explore with us, you know, join our team?”
“Because,” said Meredith with a laugh, “Simon would rather thrown away his football collection than become an explorer. I’m going back to Scotland in a fortnight, Katrin, and that’s final.”
Katrin continued to stare glumly at the toe of her boot. The night was growing peculiarly still and quiet; even the birds had hushed their singing. The flames were beginning to diminish a little in height, but certainly not in vigour. The fire seemed more alive than ever as it crackled and hissed and leapt and danced as though it had a mind of its own.
Then, all of a sudden, the stillness was shattered by a shriek. A shrill, ear-piercing shriek that sent shivers up and down Katrin’s spine.
“What was that?” she whispered, clutching Meredith’s arm.
“I... I don’t know,” said Meredith, her face seized with alarm. “Maybe it was a... a cougar...”
“Oh, Meredith, it sounded so near...” cried Katrin, in a bare whisper. “But it... can’t... it won’t... come near the fire?”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Meredith, slowly. “Katrin, take my hand. There. Now all we can do is wait...”
The two girls sat close together, their wide eyes peering desperately into the darkness for any sign of their predator. A minute passed, two minutes. The tall pine trees in the distance swayed deceptively in a gentle breeze, and Katrin thought she could make out the outline of something crouching among them. The girls’ hands became icy with fright, and the pounding of their hearts seemed to resound in the night air like a thousand steel drums in concerto. Five minutes passed, and yet the silhouette between the trees remained motionless.
At last, Katrin spoke up.
“Meredith, what do you think it is? I don’t think it’s big enough to be a cougar. Do you see it, that shape between the trees?”
“I see it, and I don’t think it’s big enough to be a cougar, either. But whatever it is, it lies so still, almost as if it were...”
“Dead?” Katrin let go of her sister’s hand. “Do you think so? But what about that scream?”
“Perhaps it was shot?” suggested Meredith.
“Shot? But there wasn’t a gunshot- we would have heard it. What if it isn’t dead, Meredith? Shouldn’t we page Dad? I know they’re on the other side of the mountain, but...
“Katrin, listen!” said Meredith, putting a finger to her lips. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“That, that noise. It’s like... it’s like... like a baby crying.”
Katrin’s eyes widened with astonishment as she, too, became recipient to the very quiet and yet unmistakable sound of the feeble cries of a tiny infant. Where it came from she was uncertain, but it was certainly no figment of her sister’s imagination.
“Oh, Meredith, I hear it! It’s... it’s awful! But surely you don’t think... it wasn’t the scream of a child that we heard! I don’t like this, Meredith. Not one bit. We really ought to page Dad.”
“Sssshhh,” whispered Meredith, laying a hand on Katrin’s shoulder. “I’m going to go and investigate. You can stay here if you like, but I must find out where this child is. I so hope it’s not hurt.”
“You’re crazy!” cried Katrin, catching Meredith’s arm as the older girl bravely stood to her feet. “What if it’s a trap? What if that thing between the trees really is a cougar, and it’s just waiting for one of us to make a move before... before it... Please, Meredith, don’t be so stupid!”
“I’m going over there,” said Meredith defiantly, and pulled her arm free. “Stay here, watch out for me.”
“Meredith...”
But it was too late. Meredith’s tall frame disappeared into the darkness, armed only with a broken-off piece of log which she had lit for a torch in the now-faltering fire. Any respect for her sister’s courage was swallowed up in the raging whirlpool of fear and despair which had seized Katrin’s entire body with the most violent force, thrusting her into a place where she felt all alone, defenceless and at the mercy of a vicious wild beast who was plotting his attack with more skilfulness than that of a surgeon. But she followed her sister with her eyes, never allowing them- even for a moment- to roam from the stately, silhouetted figure, and that small, helpless, flickering light. She could watch. She could do nothing else, but she could watch.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Chapter Two
After what seemed like an eternity, Meredith’s voice came ringing through the night air with a peculiar tone; whether it was fear or relief, Katrin couldn’t quite tell.
“Katrin, Katrin, come quick! And bring my jumper.”
Katrin picked up Meredith’s jumper and tentatively stood up. She could barely make out the flickering light coming from between the trees; nevertheless, one foot in front of the other braved she, until she was standing by her sister’s side.
She let out a sharp cry when she saw what her sister was beholding. Meredith had an expression on her face that Katrin had never seen before. Lying sprawled out by her feet was not a wild cat, as Katrin had suspected, but the body of a young woman. Her long, dark hair lay spread out like a mantle around her small, white face, and while one arm was stretched above her head, the other rested close to her chest where the tail feathers of an arrow protruded, betraying her cause of death.
“Oh, Meredith,” whispered Katrin, clapping a hand to her mouth. “How awful!”
“But look,” said Meredith, and drew Katrin’s attention to something she was holding. At first it was simply a bundle of cloth, peculiar and yellowish, but on closer inspection Katrin became aware of two tiny, pink hands sticking out from amongst the cloth, and a tiny pink head, adorned with a spattering of fine, dark, down-like hair.
“A baby!” gasped Katrin.
“Yes... it was a baby after all. It was lying on the ground next to the woman, crying something awful. I suppose she must... have been... its mother.”
Katrin looked from the bundle of cloth to the woman and back again, and slowly shook her head.
“My jumper,” said Meredith, with an air of responsibility that immediately put Katrin at ease, or at least, as much at ease as she could be, given the circumstances. She handed her the jumper and Meredith gently wrapped it around the baby as a second layer.
“The child’s cold,” said Meredith, wistfully. “The cloth she’s wrapped in is so thin. Have you noticed the woman’s clothing, Katrin? It’s so peculiar.”
“It isn’t half,” said Katrin, taking a mental note of the thin, muslin dress and apron which looked as though it were made of sackcloth.
“Indians,” muttered Meredith, gently stroking the baby’s tiny hand.
“You’ve just confirmed my suspicion, too,” said Katrin. “Oh, Meredith. I really don’t like this.”
“I don’t either, Katrin, but I’ve got something else to worry about now!” Meredith gently rocked the thick bundle containing the baby as it began to whimper. “It looks like we’re landed with him- or her- and yet I don’t know the first thing about babies!”
“Why don’t we take it back over to the fire?” suggested Katrin, quietly.
“Good idea. It’ll be warmer over there. Here, take the torch for me.”
Katrin duly relieved Meredith of the torch, and the two slowly made their way back over to the fire, the bundle of baby safely cradled in Meredith’s arms. When at last they reached the girls’ small camp, Meredith sat down on the log while Katrin disappeared into the tent. She re-emerged a second later with panic written all over her face.
“Meredith, oh Meredith, it’s gone! The pager- someone’s stolen the pager!”
“Are you quite sure?” Meredith stood to her feet, baby and all. “Try your pockets, your bags. It’s got to be around somewhere.”
“But I left it on top of the map; I put it there just before you called me to dinner. And now it’s gone. Someone’s stolen it, Meredith.”
Both girls’ hearts were racing as stories of Indian lootings raced through their minds. It had happened to Dad once when he had been a young boy. And to a friend of their mum’s. In that instance, the Indians had cleared them of everything they’d owned, and then they came back the night after and kidnapped her sister. Never to be seen again.
“Just look in your pockets,” said Meredith, coolly. She was trying desperately hard to disguise her true feelings at that moment. The baby’s heart-wrenching cries were not helping to calm her inner turmoil, which sought to express itself in the undignified form of a scream. She knew that the sooner they got away from here, the better.
“If you find it, give me a shout.”
“Katrin, Katrin, come quick! And bring my jumper.”
Katrin picked up Meredith’s jumper and tentatively stood up. She could barely make out the flickering light coming from between the trees; nevertheless, one foot in front of the other braved she, until she was standing by her sister’s side.
She let out a sharp cry when she saw what her sister was beholding. Meredith had an expression on her face that Katrin had never seen before. Lying sprawled out by her feet was not a wild cat, as Katrin had suspected, but the body of a young woman. Her long, dark hair lay spread out like a mantle around her small, white face, and while one arm was stretched above her head, the other rested close to her chest where the tail feathers of an arrow protruded, betraying her cause of death.
“Oh, Meredith,” whispered Katrin, clapping a hand to her mouth. “How awful!”
“But look,” said Meredith, and drew Katrin’s attention to something she was holding. At first it was simply a bundle of cloth, peculiar and yellowish, but on closer inspection Katrin became aware of two tiny, pink hands sticking out from amongst the cloth, and a tiny pink head, adorned with a spattering of fine, dark, down-like hair.
“A baby!” gasped Katrin.
“Yes... it was a baby after all. It was lying on the ground next to the woman, crying something awful. I suppose she must... have been... its mother.”
Katrin looked from the bundle of cloth to the woman and back again, and slowly shook her head.
“My jumper,” said Meredith, with an air of responsibility that immediately put Katrin at ease, or at least, as much at ease as she could be, given the circumstances. She handed her the jumper and Meredith gently wrapped it around the baby as a second layer.
“The child’s cold,” said Meredith, wistfully. “The cloth she’s wrapped in is so thin. Have you noticed the woman’s clothing, Katrin? It’s so peculiar.”
“It isn’t half,” said Katrin, taking a mental note of the thin, muslin dress and apron which looked as though it were made of sackcloth.
“Indians,” muttered Meredith, gently stroking the baby’s tiny hand.
“You’ve just confirmed my suspicion, too,” said Katrin. “Oh, Meredith. I really don’t like this.”
“I don’t either, Katrin, but I’ve got something else to worry about now!” Meredith gently rocked the thick bundle containing the baby as it began to whimper. “It looks like we’re landed with him- or her- and yet I don’t know the first thing about babies!”
“Why don’t we take it back over to the fire?” suggested Katrin, quietly.
“Good idea. It’ll be warmer over there. Here, take the torch for me.”
Katrin duly relieved Meredith of the torch, and the two slowly made their way back over to the fire, the bundle of baby safely cradled in Meredith’s arms. When at last they reached the girls’ small camp, Meredith sat down on the log while Katrin disappeared into the tent. She re-emerged a second later with panic written all over her face.
“Meredith, oh Meredith, it’s gone! The pager- someone’s stolen the pager!”
“Are you quite sure?” Meredith stood to her feet, baby and all. “Try your pockets, your bags. It’s got to be around somewhere.”
“But I left it on top of the map; I put it there just before you called me to dinner. And now it’s gone. Someone’s stolen it, Meredith.”
Both girls’ hearts were racing as stories of Indian lootings raced through their minds. It had happened to Dad once when he had been a young boy. And to a friend of their mum’s. In that instance, the Indians had cleared them of everything they’d owned, and then they came back the night after and kidnapped her sister. Never to be seen again.
“Just look in your pockets,” said Meredith, coolly. She was trying desperately hard to disguise her true feelings at that moment. The baby’s heart-wrenching cries were not helping to calm her inner turmoil, which sought to express itself in the undignified form of a scream. She knew that the sooner they got away from here, the better.
“If you find it, give me a shout.”
Chapter Three
Katrin literally turned the tent inside-out in searching for the pager, but her efforts proved to be futile, for the pager was not to be found. Finally, choking back the tears, Katrin sat down next to her sister and eyed the wailing child in her arms with mock curiosity. It wouldn’t do to have an outburst now, she thought. Not when Meredith was obviously so distressed over the child’s predicament.
“Maybe we should try feeding it,” suggested Katrin, absent-mindedly.
“So we’ve lost the pager, then?” asked Meredith, staring hopelessly at her sister’s timorous expression.
“Um, yeah,” said Katrin, twiddling a strand of her long, blondish hair around her finger. The tears were beginning to smart her eyes; she wasn’t sure if she could hold them in for much longer.
At last, the baby stopped crying. Both girls sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. There was very little that one could say in such circumstances. The fire was beginning to die, the night was encroaching, and there was a peculiar coldness in the air which made Katrin shiver. A solitary tear slipped unbidden from her eye and rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“To bed with you, Katrin,” said Meredith, none-too-harshly.
“To bed?” Katrin cast a side-ways glance at her older sister.
“You heard me. I’m not trying to boss you about, but you’ll feel much better in the morning if you manage to get some sleep. Sitting up and worrying ourselves silly won’t do a blind bit of good.”
“You’re right,” agreed Katrin, standing to her feet. “Things always seem better in the morning, somehow. But what are you going to do with the baby?”
“I’ll take her... I think it’s a her... into the tent with me after a bit, and see if she’ll settle down beside me.”
Katrin reached over and gently patted the bundle. The baby looked up at her with unblinking eyes.
“Poor wee thing,” said Katrin, shaking her head.
Two pairs of eyes followed her as she quietly slipped into the tent. As she took of her shoes, pulled on a sweatshirt and wriggled into her sleeping-bag, she wondered if life would ever be the same again. The shadow of death had drawn nearer to her than it ever had before, and it had left something- something in the shape of a small, helpless baby- for her and her sister to contend with. She hardly slept a wink that night, and when she did perchance happen to drift off, the face of the young woman, cold with death, and her chilling scream, thrust her out of dream-land and caused her to wake up with a start. Sometimes she wondered if she could actually hear something in the distance, something like the beat of a tom-tom drum. But perhaps she was letting her imagination run too far away with her.
“Maybe we should try feeding it,” suggested Katrin, absent-mindedly.
“So we’ve lost the pager, then?” asked Meredith, staring hopelessly at her sister’s timorous expression.
“Um, yeah,” said Katrin, twiddling a strand of her long, blondish hair around her finger. The tears were beginning to smart her eyes; she wasn’t sure if she could hold them in for much longer.
At last, the baby stopped crying. Both girls sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. There was very little that one could say in such circumstances. The fire was beginning to die, the night was encroaching, and there was a peculiar coldness in the air which made Katrin shiver. A solitary tear slipped unbidden from her eye and rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“To bed with you, Katrin,” said Meredith, none-too-harshly.
“To bed?” Katrin cast a side-ways glance at her older sister.
“You heard me. I’m not trying to boss you about, but you’ll feel much better in the morning if you manage to get some sleep. Sitting up and worrying ourselves silly won’t do a blind bit of good.”
“You’re right,” agreed Katrin, standing to her feet. “Things always seem better in the morning, somehow. But what are you going to do with the baby?”
“I’ll take her... I think it’s a her... into the tent with me after a bit, and see if she’ll settle down beside me.”
Katrin reached over and gently patted the bundle. The baby looked up at her with unblinking eyes.
“Poor wee thing,” said Katrin, shaking her head.
Two pairs of eyes followed her as she quietly slipped into the tent. As she took of her shoes, pulled on a sweatshirt and wriggled into her sleeping-bag, she wondered if life would ever be the same again. The shadow of death had drawn nearer to her than it ever had before, and it had left something- something in the shape of a small, helpless baby- for her and her sister to contend with. She hardly slept a wink that night, and when she did perchance happen to drift off, the face of the young woman, cold with death, and her chilling scream, thrust her out of dream-land and caused her to wake up with a start. Sometimes she wondered if she could actually hear something in the distance, something like the beat of a tom-tom drum. But perhaps she was letting her imagination run too far away with her.
Chapter Four
Both girls were very glad that the morning was a cheery one. The snow-topped mountain peaks in the distance were dazzling-white against a cloudless, brilliant-blue sky as Katrin stepped out of the tent, stretched and yawned. She had almost forgotten the events of the previous night until she noticed Meredith sitting on the log with the baby on her lap, attempting to give it some milk from a flask. She was obviously having much difficulty, as the milk was running everywhere.
Although Meredith had removed the cloth wrap from the baby and she was now, rather ridiculously, clad in a flannel night-shirt of Meredith’s, Katrin’s gaze was quickly averted to something else. It was the expression on her sister’s face. It made her feel a little uneasy, seeing that look in her sister’s eyes. It was a look which she had never seen before, a look of peculiar tenderness and almost... but she could hardly bring herself to acknowledge it. It seemed to foreshadow something of Meredith’s life-to-come; a life which would separate them, forever. But there, she wouldn’t think about it. There were far more pressing matters to worry about at the moment.
“Did you sleep OK?” asked Meredith, glancing only long enough at her sister to acknowledge her presence, then quickly redirecting her attention to the pain-staking process of feeding the baby.
“Not really,” said Katrin, perhaps a little more coolly than she had intended.
“Thankfully the baby slept last night,” said Meredith, wiping its small mouth with a tissue.
“What about you?” asked Katrin, sitting down on the log beside her.
“Oh, I slept on and off,” came Meredith’s reply, with a yawn. “But I couldn’t really, worrying about the baby and everything.”
“But she’s not your responsibility,” snapped Katrin, the tone of her voice betraying her emotion.
Meredith looked up. She looked surprised, even injured by Meredith’s ejection.
“What do you mean, she’s not my responsibility? Who else’s responsibility is she then?”
“Well, I...”
“I think we’re both aware that this child no longer has a mother, and since we found her and there’s no-one else within a radius of at least ten miles from here, it makes her our responsibility. You’re in this as well, you know.”
“I didn’t mean...”
“Katrin, could you please get me a banana. I’m not getting very far with this milk.”
Katrin sighed, stood up and went to look for the container with the fruit. She hadn’t meant to be so... straightforward. And Meredith was looking so run-down. But it was no wonder; after all, they had both had a big fright.
Meredith wondered what was keeping Katrin so long as the minutes ticked by and yet she did not appear with the banana. The baby was beginning to fret again. Meredith put down the flask and tenderly cuddled her close. The child’s hands, which were no bigger than fifty pence coins, tightly clasped around her fingers. “I wonder what your name is,” whispered Meredith, dreamily.
But the magic of the moment was promptly broken by an anxious cry which came from the door of the tent. Katrin came running out presently, wringing her hands, with an expression which could only have been contrived by the considerable contortion of her facial muscles.
“Oh Katrin, our food’s gone! Almost all of it! First the pager, and now this!”
“What do you mean, it’s... gone? Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. I’ve been through all the containers. All that’s left is a packet of crackers, some blueberries and one of your silly low-fat yoghurts. At least whoever stole the rest of the stuff was considerate enough to leave that.”
“I can’t believe this, Katrin. As if we haven’t got enough problems. Well, there’s only one thing for it now.”
“What?”
“We have to find our way back to the caravan.”
“You’re crazy!” cried Katrin. “How on earth could we? It could take days, and there’s the mountain to get round somehow. And we’ve got the baby.”
“I know all this, Katrin, but what else do you suggest we do? Mum and Dad said that unless they hear from us they’ll assume everything’s OK, and come and get us on Tuesday- which is five days away yet. Since we’ve lost the pager there’s no way of contacting them, so we’ll just have to find our way back to the caravan. Otherwise we’ll starve to death- or at least get very sick- before Mum and Dad ever realise something’s gone wrong. Maybe if we hurry, we could reach the caravan before tomorrow night. Dad did say it was a day and a half’s journey, didn’t he?”
“He said at least,” sighed Katrin. “But I think I’d rather stay here and starve to death than get lost on the mountain somewhere and be eaten alive by wild animals.”
“But we’ve got the baby to think about, too,” said Meredith, with an exasperated roll of her eyes. “If there’s any hope at all of getting her to safety, we’ve just go to take any of the consequent risks in our stride. Besides, it appears that it’s going to be too risky now to remain here. If there are Indians nearby...”
“There are Indians nearby,” stated Katrin, matter-of-factly.
“Did you hear those drums last night?” asked Meredith, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes... I heard something. I thought I was imagining things. It was an awful sound; it made my hair stand on end.”
“To think that they’re back... just wait till Dad finds out. I’m sure he’ll be climbing the walls to get some footage of them.”
“I don’t want anything to do with Indians. Except, of course... well, we’ve been landed with the baby, so there’s not much we can do about her. But speaking of Dad, don’t you think we better get our things together if we want to leave soon?”
“So you agree with my plan now, then?” asked Meredith, ignoring her sister’s comment about the baby.
“As you say, there’s no other option,” lamented Katrin.
“Then let’s get a move on before you change your mind. You can be as fickle as the weather sometimes.”
Katrin glowered at her sister, even though Meredith’s almost light-hearted tone made her feel a little more at ease. They both hope that, even for just a few days, the weather would renounce its foresaid fickle-headedness and show them a little kindness as they endeavoured to climb the mountain. The weather certainly looked fairly promising; the sky remained perfectly clear, and there was a hardly a wind to ruffle the daintiest of leaves. They quickly set to work packing up all their belongings, or at least, what was left of them. Once Meredith had succeeded in feeding the baby a small handful of blueberries, they were ready to set off.
As they finally left the clearing, armed and rigged with more equipment than would generally have been thought of as healthy for two young girls to carry on their own, they were very glad to leave it behind, all nostalgic notions having been purged from them by the overshadowing gloom of death which still lurked in the atmosphere. Even the baby seemed glad to leave; she ceased her incessant sobbing and nestled, quite to Meredith’s delight, on her shoulder with a contented sigh.
Although Meredith had removed the cloth wrap from the baby and she was now, rather ridiculously, clad in a flannel night-shirt of Meredith’s, Katrin’s gaze was quickly averted to something else. It was the expression on her sister’s face. It made her feel a little uneasy, seeing that look in her sister’s eyes. It was a look which she had never seen before, a look of peculiar tenderness and almost... but she could hardly bring herself to acknowledge it. It seemed to foreshadow something of Meredith’s life-to-come; a life which would separate them, forever. But there, she wouldn’t think about it. There were far more pressing matters to worry about at the moment.
“Did you sleep OK?” asked Meredith, glancing only long enough at her sister to acknowledge her presence, then quickly redirecting her attention to the pain-staking process of feeding the baby.
“Not really,” said Katrin, perhaps a little more coolly than she had intended.
“Thankfully the baby slept last night,” said Meredith, wiping its small mouth with a tissue.
“What about you?” asked Katrin, sitting down on the log beside her.
“Oh, I slept on and off,” came Meredith’s reply, with a yawn. “But I couldn’t really, worrying about the baby and everything.”
“But she’s not your responsibility,” snapped Katrin, the tone of her voice betraying her emotion.
Meredith looked up. She looked surprised, even injured by Meredith’s ejection.
“What do you mean, she’s not my responsibility? Who else’s responsibility is she then?”
“Well, I...”
“I think we’re both aware that this child no longer has a mother, and since we found her and there’s no-one else within a radius of at least ten miles from here, it makes her our responsibility. You’re in this as well, you know.”
“I didn’t mean...”
“Katrin, could you please get me a banana. I’m not getting very far with this milk.”
Katrin sighed, stood up and went to look for the container with the fruit. She hadn’t meant to be so... straightforward. And Meredith was looking so run-down. But it was no wonder; after all, they had both had a big fright.
Meredith wondered what was keeping Katrin so long as the minutes ticked by and yet she did not appear with the banana. The baby was beginning to fret again. Meredith put down the flask and tenderly cuddled her close. The child’s hands, which were no bigger than fifty pence coins, tightly clasped around her fingers. “I wonder what your name is,” whispered Meredith, dreamily.
But the magic of the moment was promptly broken by an anxious cry which came from the door of the tent. Katrin came running out presently, wringing her hands, with an expression which could only have been contrived by the considerable contortion of her facial muscles.
“Oh Katrin, our food’s gone! Almost all of it! First the pager, and now this!”
“What do you mean, it’s... gone? Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. I’ve been through all the containers. All that’s left is a packet of crackers, some blueberries and one of your silly low-fat yoghurts. At least whoever stole the rest of the stuff was considerate enough to leave that.”
“I can’t believe this, Katrin. As if we haven’t got enough problems. Well, there’s only one thing for it now.”
“What?”
“We have to find our way back to the caravan.”
“You’re crazy!” cried Katrin. “How on earth could we? It could take days, and there’s the mountain to get round somehow. And we’ve got the baby.”
“I know all this, Katrin, but what else do you suggest we do? Mum and Dad said that unless they hear from us they’ll assume everything’s OK, and come and get us on Tuesday- which is five days away yet. Since we’ve lost the pager there’s no way of contacting them, so we’ll just have to find our way back to the caravan. Otherwise we’ll starve to death- or at least get very sick- before Mum and Dad ever realise something’s gone wrong. Maybe if we hurry, we could reach the caravan before tomorrow night. Dad did say it was a day and a half’s journey, didn’t he?”
“He said at least,” sighed Katrin. “But I think I’d rather stay here and starve to death than get lost on the mountain somewhere and be eaten alive by wild animals.”
“But we’ve got the baby to think about, too,” said Meredith, with an exasperated roll of her eyes. “If there’s any hope at all of getting her to safety, we’ve just go to take any of the consequent risks in our stride. Besides, it appears that it’s going to be too risky now to remain here. If there are Indians nearby...”
“There are Indians nearby,” stated Katrin, matter-of-factly.
“Did you hear those drums last night?” asked Meredith, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes... I heard something. I thought I was imagining things. It was an awful sound; it made my hair stand on end.”
“To think that they’re back... just wait till Dad finds out. I’m sure he’ll be climbing the walls to get some footage of them.”
“I don’t want anything to do with Indians. Except, of course... well, we’ve been landed with the baby, so there’s not much we can do about her. But speaking of Dad, don’t you think we better get our things together if we want to leave soon?”
“So you agree with my plan now, then?” asked Meredith, ignoring her sister’s comment about the baby.
“As you say, there’s no other option,” lamented Katrin.
“Then let’s get a move on before you change your mind. You can be as fickle as the weather sometimes.”
Katrin glowered at her sister, even though Meredith’s almost light-hearted tone made her feel a little more at ease. They both hope that, even for just a few days, the weather would renounce its foresaid fickle-headedness and show them a little kindness as they endeavoured to climb the mountain. The weather certainly looked fairly promising; the sky remained perfectly clear, and there was a hardly a wind to ruffle the daintiest of leaves. They quickly set to work packing up all their belongings, or at least, what was left of them. Once Meredith had succeeded in feeding the baby a small handful of blueberries, they were ready to set off.
As they finally left the clearing, armed and rigged with more equipment than would generally have been thought of as healthy for two young girls to carry on their own, they were very glad to leave it behind, all nostalgic notions having been purged from them by the overshadowing gloom of death which still lurked in the atmosphere. Even the baby seemed glad to leave; she ceased her incessant sobbing and nestled, quite to Meredith’s delight, on her shoulder with a contented sigh.
Chapter Five
The track to the mountain was a long, winding one which wove its way through the heart of the forest, skirted around the edge of the lake and meandered its way through a deep, uninhabited valley with tall grass which was renowned for its beauty but generally thought of as a dangerous place. The girls had consulted their map and were quite certain that there was no other route- or at least, no other route that wouldn’t take them at least a week to traverse- so they had resolved that they would just have to brave whatever came their way. However, they were quite taken aback by the sudden revelation of their first difficulty. They had reached a river- a wide, deep river with a strong current- and, as far as they were aware, they had no means of crossing it.
“Just great!” exclaimed Katrin, throwing up her hands in desperation. “Obstacle number one already, and we’re not even an hour into the journey.”
“Have you never heard the expression, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’?” Meredith smiled, a little too patronisingly for Katrin’s liking. “First thing’s first, we need to stop for a break. The baby’s getting fretful. I bet she’s hungry.”
Meredith, whilst carefully holding the baby in one arm, slipped the massive rucksack from off her shoulder with the other. Katrin put down the coil of rope she was holding and went to assist her.
“You know, Katrin,” said Meredith, managing a smile, “I’m so glad you’re here. Even if we were to never get across this river...”
“Now who’s not looking on the bright side?” retorted Katrin, setting down Meredith’s rucksack on the grass.
“Even if we never were get across...” continued Meredith, “I know we’d survive much longer just because you’re here. You’re far more practical than I am. I could never have survived out in the wilderness on my own… you seem to have the knack of an explorer.”
Katrin sat down cross-legged and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, maybe I’m more practical, but you’ve got more common sense and... I suppose you might call it... life experience. Even though you’re not that old.”
“You’re just trying desperately hard to find something to compliment me about,” laughed Meredith. “And what d’you mean, ‘not that old’! I’m only a three-and-a-bit years older than you, you know.”
Katrin smiled. But her smile was only skin deep. A twinge of pain had shot through her as she realised how much she would miss her sister when she went back to Scotland. Or was that now if she went back to Scotland? The two- or three- of them would have to survive the journey back to the caravan first. There seemed to be so much going against them already...
“Oh, I guess you’re pretty young from like... Mum and Dad’s point of view,” Katrin admitted, trying to put all the troublesome thoughts away. “Besides, what would I know? I’m ‘barely out of my childhood’, according to you!” She stuck out her tongue.
“Well, so you are!” Meredith shook her long, glossy curls with the air of someone who really did have much ‘life experience’.
The baby’s sudden cries put an abrupt end to their attempt at joviality. Meredith quickly gathered up the sobbing child and went to rummage about in her rucksack for the flask. Once she had found it, she brought it out and sat down on a nearby boulder, supporting the baby with one hand and offering the flask to her with the other. The baby stopped crying, gave a loud hiccup and proceeded to hungrily gulp down the milk like a famished wolf cub.
“Just how much milk do we have left?” asked Katrin, a little anxiously.
Meredith didn’t answer at first, but she arched an eyebrow and instinctively drew the child closer.
“There’s... um... perhaps enough to last till tomorrow morning,” she said, slowly.
“Perhaps?” Katrin picked up the tone of uncertainty in her sister’s voice. “When it runs out, then what?”
Again, Meredith didn’t answer. She gently wiped the baby’s mouth and looked past her, past Katrin and up, up over the snow-topped mountain where the sun rested like a great mass of burning yellow, casting shafts of gold through the slender trees where shadows lurked, shrank and grew, where hosts of brightly-coloured flowers swayed to the tune of the gentle breeze, and tiny birds flitted from flower to flower in exultant chorus. There was something about the scene which made her feel peculiarly quiet inside, peculiarly safe and sheltered, even when there seemed to be so much danger at hand. A flicker of hope was kindled inside her at that moment.
Katrin felt that she ought not to press the matter. Surely all they could do was to try and deal with the more imminent matters, such as the fast-flowing, deep-bottomed river before them.
“Why don’t I try walking along the river a bit, and see if there isn’t a more suitable place to cross?” suggested Katrin.
“You can try, but I very much doubt there will be,” said Meredith, setting down the flask as the baby swallowed her last mouthful. “It looks pretty much the same right the way along, for as far as I can see.”
But Katrin had already turned on her heel and was jogging along steadily by the edge of the water. Her keen eyes took in every slight meander, every small rise in the embankment and every dip; she even attempted to judge the depth of the water by its colour, and noticed when there appeared to be more of an abundance of rocks, or less. Her heart began to sink as she realised that there was really very little change, or at least, not enough change to be worth relating back to her sister. Apparently the river was not going to oblige them by making it easier to cross at another point.
But then, all of a sudden, she came across something. A kind of smallish plateau in the water, wider than the rest of the river, with the banks on either side sloping at a much gentler gradient. It was round a slight bend, making it quite hidden from view to anyone standing farther up river. Jutting out from the bank nearest to Katrin was a tiny jetty, and attached to the jetty by a length of thick rope was a small, flat plank of wood which looked as though it could have been a raft, or at least, could have served the purpose of a raft.
Feeling as though she had been endued with a new lease of life, she sped back to the place where Meredith- and the baby- were waiting for her. The look on Katrin’s face told Meredith what she wanted to know long before any words were even exchanged.
“Good... news,” Katrin confirmed Meredith’s speculation between gasps for air. “I’ve... found... a plank... at the jetty...”
“Jetty? Where?”
“Down... river... a bit. We... could use... the plank... as... a raft.”
“How big is the plank?”
“Not very... big,” came Katrin’s breathless reply.
“But big enough?”
“Think so.”
“Good, then maybe you could take the baby while I get my rucksack back on.”
Katrin had no time to refuse; the baby was hastily passed into her arms as Meredith stood up and attempted to hoist the heavy rucksack back onto her shoulders. Katrin gazed down at the heavy, wriggling bundle in her arms with something like trepidation in her expression.
At first she had felt almost wary of this little smiling creature, and more than that; she could even have gone as far as to say that she felt jealous of her; jealous of the attention that her sister was showing her. But now she felt herself warming to its tiny, round, dimpled face and hands, and its curious coal-black eyes, as round as saucers, gazed intently into hers.
When they reached the jetty, Meredith held out her arms for the baby. Was it with something like reluctance that Katrin passed her back? Evidently, the child was not prone to favouritism, as the change of arms did nothing to upset her; she simply stretched out a hand to pat Meredith’s nose, as though attempting to get better acquainted with the layout of her face. Meanwhile, Katrin carefully walked to the middle of the jetty and bent down to examine the raft more carefully.
“It’s in pretty good condition, even if it is a bit small,” was her conclusion, as she straightened up to face her sister. “And there’s an oar- or something like an oar- fastened onto the side.”
“I think we ought to make several journeys on it,” decided Meredith. “I don’t mind going first with the bags, then I could come back for you and the baby.”
“I’ll go first,” said Katrin, in a tone which made it impossible for Meredith to even think about trying to persuade her otherwise. She reluctantly consented with a nod of her head, the raft was loaded up with all the bags, and at last Katrin took her position. She sat down with her knees tucked up and the oar held tightly in both hands, smiling only for Meredith’s reassurance.
“Are you sure you’re OK about this?” asked Meredith for the last time, as she clutched the baby with one hand and held the end of the rope that had secured the raft to the jetty with the other.
“I’m sure,” said Katrin, with a stubborn shake of her ponytail.
Then Meredith- with moist, trembling fingers, and all the time staring into Katrin’s face with a mournful expression, as though she were about to witness the execution of a martyr- let go of the rope. Slowly and gently, the raft began to float out onto the water.
Katrin studied the opposite embankment with the art of someone who knew all there was to know about rivers, and judged the distance from where she was to the embankment to be about fourteen metres. Not a great distance, but great enough when your heart was thumping, your hands trembling and your teeth chattering. Katrin would never have admitted it to anyone, but she had, what you might have called, a very strong dislike of the water. Even a fear.
Meredith, experiencing the very same physical symptoms of anxiety as her sister, tried to keep her voice from wavering as she called out, “How deep d’you think the water is, Katrin?”
Katrin, who was now at about the middle of the river, shrugged her shoulders and replied, more coldly than she had intended, “How am I supposed to know?”
“Use your oar,” suggested Meredith. “Stick it into the water; see if you can touch the bottom with it.”
Katrin did as her sister suggested. When she pulled the oar back out, after having touched (what she thought had been) the riverbed with it, she realised that it had touched much more than that; in fact, something had most definitely touched it. Something had taken a chunk out of the end of the oar, as well as leaving half-a-dozen teeth marks.
“Meredith, Meredith!” shrieked Katrin, pulling herself further away from the edge of the raft. “There’s something down there!”
“What do you mean, ‘something’?” Meredith’s panic was evident in the tone of her voice.
“Something’s bitten the oar, look!” She extended the oar for Meredith to see and quickly drew it back in again, afraid that she might lose balance.
“Then hurry, please!” cried Meredith, as the danger of their situation became more evident. “And whatever you do, be careful.”
“I will,” promised Katrin. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach.
“Just great!” exclaimed Katrin, throwing up her hands in desperation. “Obstacle number one already, and we’re not even an hour into the journey.”
“Have you never heard the expression, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’?” Meredith smiled, a little too patronisingly for Katrin’s liking. “First thing’s first, we need to stop for a break. The baby’s getting fretful. I bet she’s hungry.”
Meredith, whilst carefully holding the baby in one arm, slipped the massive rucksack from off her shoulder with the other. Katrin put down the coil of rope she was holding and went to assist her.
“You know, Katrin,” said Meredith, managing a smile, “I’m so glad you’re here. Even if we were to never get across this river...”
“Now who’s not looking on the bright side?” retorted Katrin, setting down Meredith’s rucksack on the grass.
“Even if we never were get across...” continued Meredith, “I know we’d survive much longer just because you’re here. You’re far more practical than I am. I could never have survived out in the wilderness on my own… you seem to have the knack of an explorer.”
Katrin sat down cross-legged and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, maybe I’m more practical, but you’ve got more common sense and... I suppose you might call it... life experience. Even though you’re not that old.”
“You’re just trying desperately hard to find something to compliment me about,” laughed Meredith. “And what d’you mean, ‘not that old’! I’m only a three-and-a-bit years older than you, you know.”
Katrin smiled. But her smile was only skin deep. A twinge of pain had shot through her as she realised how much she would miss her sister when she went back to Scotland. Or was that now if she went back to Scotland? The two- or three- of them would have to survive the journey back to the caravan first. There seemed to be so much going against them already...
“Oh, I guess you’re pretty young from like... Mum and Dad’s point of view,” Katrin admitted, trying to put all the troublesome thoughts away. “Besides, what would I know? I’m ‘barely out of my childhood’, according to you!” She stuck out her tongue.
“Well, so you are!” Meredith shook her long, glossy curls with the air of someone who really did have much ‘life experience’.
The baby’s sudden cries put an abrupt end to their attempt at joviality. Meredith quickly gathered up the sobbing child and went to rummage about in her rucksack for the flask. Once she had found it, she brought it out and sat down on a nearby boulder, supporting the baby with one hand and offering the flask to her with the other. The baby stopped crying, gave a loud hiccup and proceeded to hungrily gulp down the milk like a famished wolf cub.
“Just how much milk do we have left?” asked Katrin, a little anxiously.
Meredith didn’t answer at first, but she arched an eyebrow and instinctively drew the child closer.
“There’s... um... perhaps enough to last till tomorrow morning,” she said, slowly.
“Perhaps?” Katrin picked up the tone of uncertainty in her sister’s voice. “When it runs out, then what?”
Again, Meredith didn’t answer. She gently wiped the baby’s mouth and looked past her, past Katrin and up, up over the snow-topped mountain where the sun rested like a great mass of burning yellow, casting shafts of gold through the slender trees where shadows lurked, shrank and grew, where hosts of brightly-coloured flowers swayed to the tune of the gentle breeze, and tiny birds flitted from flower to flower in exultant chorus. There was something about the scene which made her feel peculiarly quiet inside, peculiarly safe and sheltered, even when there seemed to be so much danger at hand. A flicker of hope was kindled inside her at that moment.
Katrin felt that she ought not to press the matter. Surely all they could do was to try and deal with the more imminent matters, such as the fast-flowing, deep-bottomed river before them.
“Why don’t I try walking along the river a bit, and see if there isn’t a more suitable place to cross?” suggested Katrin.
“You can try, but I very much doubt there will be,” said Meredith, setting down the flask as the baby swallowed her last mouthful. “It looks pretty much the same right the way along, for as far as I can see.”
But Katrin had already turned on her heel and was jogging along steadily by the edge of the water. Her keen eyes took in every slight meander, every small rise in the embankment and every dip; she even attempted to judge the depth of the water by its colour, and noticed when there appeared to be more of an abundance of rocks, or less. Her heart began to sink as she realised that there was really very little change, or at least, not enough change to be worth relating back to her sister. Apparently the river was not going to oblige them by making it easier to cross at another point.
But then, all of a sudden, she came across something. A kind of smallish plateau in the water, wider than the rest of the river, with the banks on either side sloping at a much gentler gradient. It was round a slight bend, making it quite hidden from view to anyone standing farther up river. Jutting out from the bank nearest to Katrin was a tiny jetty, and attached to the jetty by a length of thick rope was a small, flat plank of wood which looked as though it could have been a raft, or at least, could have served the purpose of a raft.
Feeling as though she had been endued with a new lease of life, she sped back to the place where Meredith- and the baby- were waiting for her. The look on Katrin’s face told Meredith what she wanted to know long before any words were even exchanged.
“Good... news,” Katrin confirmed Meredith’s speculation between gasps for air. “I’ve... found... a plank... at the jetty...”
“Jetty? Where?”
“Down... river... a bit. We... could use... the plank... as... a raft.”
“How big is the plank?”
“Not very... big,” came Katrin’s breathless reply.
“But big enough?”
“Think so.”
“Good, then maybe you could take the baby while I get my rucksack back on.”
Katrin had no time to refuse; the baby was hastily passed into her arms as Meredith stood up and attempted to hoist the heavy rucksack back onto her shoulders. Katrin gazed down at the heavy, wriggling bundle in her arms with something like trepidation in her expression.
At first she had felt almost wary of this little smiling creature, and more than that; she could even have gone as far as to say that she felt jealous of her; jealous of the attention that her sister was showing her. But now she felt herself warming to its tiny, round, dimpled face and hands, and its curious coal-black eyes, as round as saucers, gazed intently into hers.
When they reached the jetty, Meredith held out her arms for the baby. Was it with something like reluctance that Katrin passed her back? Evidently, the child was not prone to favouritism, as the change of arms did nothing to upset her; she simply stretched out a hand to pat Meredith’s nose, as though attempting to get better acquainted with the layout of her face. Meanwhile, Katrin carefully walked to the middle of the jetty and bent down to examine the raft more carefully.
“It’s in pretty good condition, even if it is a bit small,” was her conclusion, as she straightened up to face her sister. “And there’s an oar- or something like an oar- fastened onto the side.”
“I think we ought to make several journeys on it,” decided Meredith. “I don’t mind going first with the bags, then I could come back for you and the baby.”
“I’ll go first,” said Katrin, in a tone which made it impossible for Meredith to even think about trying to persuade her otherwise. She reluctantly consented with a nod of her head, the raft was loaded up with all the bags, and at last Katrin took her position. She sat down with her knees tucked up and the oar held tightly in both hands, smiling only for Meredith’s reassurance.
“Are you sure you’re OK about this?” asked Meredith for the last time, as she clutched the baby with one hand and held the end of the rope that had secured the raft to the jetty with the other.
“I’m sure,” said Katrin, with a stubborn shake of her ponytail.
Then Meredith- with moist, trembling fingers, and all the time staring into Katrin’s face with a mournful expression, as though she were about to witness the execution of a martyr- let go of the rope. Slowly and gently, the raft began to float out onto the water.
Katrin studied the opposite embankment with the art of someone who knew all there was to know about rivers, and judged the distance from where she was to the embankment to be about fourteen metres. Not a great distance, but great enough when your heart was thumping, your hands trembling and your teeth chattering. Katrin would never have admitted it to anyone, but she had, what you might have called, a very strong dislike of the water. Even a fear.
Meredith, experiencing the very same physical symptoms of anxiety as her sister, tried to keep her voice from wavering as she called out, “How deep d’you think the water is, Katrin?”
Katrin, who was now at about the middle of the river, shrugged her shoulders and replied, more coldly than she had intended, “How am I supposed to know?”
“Use your oar,” suggested Meredith. “Stick it into the water; see if you can touch the bottom with it.”
Katrin did as her sister suggested. When she pulled the oar back out, after having touched (what she thought had been) the riverbed with it, she realised that it had touched much more than that; in fact, something had most definitely touched it. Something had taken a chunk out of the end of the oar, as well as leaving half-a-dozen teeth marks.
“Meredith, Meredith!” shrieked Katrin, pulling herself further away from the edge of the raft. “There’s something down there!”
“What do you mean, ‘something’?” Meredith’s panic was evident in the tone of her voice.
“Something’s bitten the oar, look!” She extended the oar for Meredith to see and quickly drew it back in again, afraid that she might lose balance.
“Then hurry, please!” cried Meredith, as the danger of their situation became more evident. “And whatever you do, be careful.”
“I will,” promised Katrin. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach.
Chapter Six
Crossing the next seven metres was Katrin’s idea of her worst nightmare. She seemed to be moving painfully slowly, her eyes kept darting from the slightly-fraying rope which tied the planks of wood together to make the raft, to a substantial-sized gap between two of the planks which surely hadn’t been there before? But at last she reached the opposite embankment and wasted no time in springing up onto it, clutching the rope tightly in her hands. Once she had it safely secured around a tree trunk, she proceeded to unload the raft’s contents onto a spot of ground at a safe distance from the edge of the river. She worked quickly and tried to keep her mind focused; she wouldn’t let herself think about the return journey, just yet. But in no time at all, the raft was unloaded. It was time to face the inevitable journey back to the other side.
Meanwhile, Meredith waited with baited breath. There was something in Katrin’s expression she had never seen before, and it was disconcerting to see her look so... so... But fear was never a word one associated with Katrin.
The second journey went without any major, or minor for that matter, catastrophes. As Meredith carefully took her seat and was endowed, once again, with baby, of whom Katrin had been given charge whilst Meredith clambered on board, she studied the fraying rope and the widening gap between two of the planks rather dubiously. Most likely just her imagination. Or was it...?
Katrin found this journey the most difficult. Perhaps it was because she was so determined that nothing would go wrong. The oar felt like lead; the raft seemed barely to be moving at all; the baby began to whimper. Katrin felt her forehead growing moist and her grip on the oar tightening. She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, her lips pursed. The silence was deafening. Even the birds had ceased their chorus as they regarded the raft and its passengers with much interest. Did they have some kind of sixth sense which warned them that disaster was about to strike? The air was growing thick with tension. It grew so thick that Katrin could hardly breathe.
And then, at last, they reached the embankment. Katrin used the oar to carefully draw them in along beside it. Meredith wasted no time in giving Katrin charge of the baby and springing up onto the safety of the bank. Her heart was still beating wildly. She had never really felt as terrified as she had done on the raft. Stepping onto the grass was like waking up from a nightmare. But little did she know that the nightmare was only just about to begin.
She leaned over to take the baby from Katrin. It was then that she noticed it, or rather, noticed the lack of it: a piece of rope was floating on the surface of the water, and it was only too apparent where it had come from. Several of the planks which had made up the raft were beginning to float away also, one after the other, like a procession of soldiers, with no intent in returning from whence they had come. Her heart sunk to her boots and she let out an ear-piercing scream.
Katrin whirled around but it was too late; the planks beneath her gave way, and with a desperate cry she plummeted into the murky water.
Meanwhile, Meredith waited with baited breath. There was something in Katrin’s expression she had never seen before, and it was disconcerting to see her look so... so... But fear was never a word one associated with Katrin.
The second journey went without any major, or minor for that matter, catastrophes. As Meredith carefully took her seat and was endowed, once again, with baby, of whom Katrin had been given charge whilst Meredith clambered on board, she studied the fraying rope and the widening gap between two of the planks rather dubiously. Most likely just her imagination. Or was it...?
Katrin found this journey the most difficult. Perhaps it was because she was so determined that nothing would go wrong. The oar felt like lead; the raft seemed barely to be moving at all; the baby began to whimper. Katrin felt her forehead growing moist and her grip on the oar tightening. She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, her lips pursed. The silence was deafening. Even the birds had ceased their chorus as they regarded the raft and its passengers with much interest. Did they have some kind of sixth sense which warned them that disaster was about to strike? The air was growing thick with tension. It grew so thick that Katrin could hardly breathe.
And then, at last, they reached the embankment. Katrin used the oar to carefully draw them in along beside it. Meredith wasted no time in giving Katrin charge of the baby and springing up onto the safety of the bank. Her heart was still beating wildly. She had never really felt as terrified as she had done on the raft. Stepping onto the grass was like waking up from a nightmare. But little did she know that the nightmare was only just about to begin.
She leaned over to take the baby from Katrin. It was then that she noticed it, or rather, noticed the lack of it: a piece of rope was floating on the surface of the water, and it was only too apparent where it had come from. Several of the planks which had made up the raft were beginning to float away also, one after the other, like a procession of soldiers, with no intent in returning from whence they had come. Her heart sunk to her boots and she let out an ear-piercing scream.
Katrin whirled around but it was too late; the planks beneath her gave way, and with a desperate cry she plummeted into the murky water.
Chapter Seven
Katrin felt the water closing over her head. She tried desperately to grab hold of something, anything. Blackness enveloped her. She sank lower and lower and was utterly powerless against the swirling force of the river’s current. Then she remembered the teeth-marks on the oar...
All of a sudden, she felt a hand seize her by the arm and pull her up, up, with incredible strength and speed, so that in seconds she burst through the water’s surface with such velocity that she felt her lungs might explode. Paralysed by shock, she was helplessly at the mercy of this hand that gripped her arm so tightly, but not so tightly as to hurt her. She barely noticed as the hand became an arm around her shoulders, which half dragged, half carried her to the edge of the embankment and finally set her down on it, dripping wet and shivering, but not with the cold. And she barely noticed that her rescuer hadn’t been Meredith, that in fact it had been a peculiarly-clad boy, who now slipped away through the trees as quickly as he had come, without so much as a word.
“Oh Katrin, Katrin!” Meredith came rushing over and dropped down on her kness beside her. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she wrapped Katrin’s shivering body in her own jersey. Katrin pulled it closely around herself and buried her face in her sister’s sleeve. She couldn’t speak. She felt sick, relieved and very shaken, all at the same time. The familiar smell of her sister’s jumper was comforting to her; she breathed it in deeply and felt like a child again.
“Katrin,” said Meredith, after some time. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
Katrin lifted her head and looked into her sister’s tear-filled eyes. She managed a weak smile.
“You frightened me,” said Meredith, also managing a smile.
“You were frightened?” Katrin sat up and arched an eyebrow. “If you were frightened, how d’you think I was feeling?”
“I can’t begin to imagine,” laughed Meredith.
Katrin smiled again. She felt as though she was experiencing a new and fresh sense of her sister’s care for her, and that somehow their relationship had been strengthened. They had always been considerably close, but they had had their differences and difficulties. Maybe it was due to the almost four-year age-gap between them. But today, and even since last night, it seemed like some kind of barrier had been broken down between them. They were on level ground now. They both needed each other.
It was only once they were ready to set off again that the subject of their mysterius visitor was brought up. While Meredith helped Katrin on with her rucksack, about half-an-hour after the incident, Katrin gazed up at the cloudless sky with eyes that told she was far away and lost in her own thoughts.
“Meredith,” she said, softly. “Who was that person? Where did he come from?”
“You mean the boy who rescued you?”
Katrin nodded.
“I don’t know,” said Meredith, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Perhaps we’ll never know. But I’ll tell you one thing- this whole incident has made a believer out of me.”
“A believer?” asked Katrin, curiously. “A believer in what?”
“A believer in... miracles.”
All of a sudden, she felt a hand seize her by the arm and pull her up, up, with incredible strength and speed, so that in seconds she burst through the water’s surface with such velocity that she felt her lungs might explode. Paralysed by shock, she was helplessly at the mercy of this hand that gripped her arm so tightly, but not so tightly as to hurt her. She barely noticed as the hand became an arm around her shoulders, which half dragged, half carried her to the edge of the embankment and finally set her down on it, dripping wet and shivering, but not with the cold. And she barely noticed that her rescuer hadn’t been Meredith, that in fact it had been a peculiarly-clad boy, who now slipped away through the trees as quickly as he had come, without so much as a word.
“Oh Katrin, Katrin!” Meredith came rushing over and dropped down on her kness beside her. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she wrapped Katrin’s shivering body in her own jersey. Katrin pulled it closely around herself and buried her face in her sister’s sleeve. She couldn’t speak. She felt sick, relieved and very shaken, all at the same time. The familiar smell of her sister’s jumper was comforting to her; she breathed it in deeply and felt like a child again.
“Katrin,” said Meredith, after some time. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
Katrin lifted her head and looked into her sister’s tear-filled eyes. She managed a weak smile.
“You frightened me,” said Meredith, also managing a smile.
“You were frightened?” Katrin sat up and arched an eyebrow. “If you were frightened, how d’you think I was feeling?”
“I can’t begin to imagine,” laughed Meredith.
Katrin smiled again. She felt as though she was experiencing a new and fresh sense of her sister’s care for her, and that somehow their relationship had been strengthened. They had always been considerably close, but they had had their differences and difficulties. Maybe it was due to the almost four-year age-gap between them. But today, and even since last night, it seemed like some kind of barrier had been broken down between them. They were on level ground now. They both needed each other.
It was only once they were ready to set off again that the subject of their mysterius visitor was brought up. While Meredith helped Katrin on with her rucksack, about half-an-hour after the incident, Katrin gazed up at the cloudless sky with eyes that told she was far away and lost in her own thoughts.
“Meredith,” she said, softly. “Who was that person? Where did he come from?”
“You mean the boy who rescued you?”
Katrin nodded.
“I don’t know,” said Meredith, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Perhaps we’ll never know. But I’ll tell you one thing- this whole incident has made a believer out of me.”
“A believer?” asked Katrin, curiously. “A believer in what?”
“A believer in... miracles.”
Chapter Eight
The two girls, decked once again with baby and heavy rucksacks, trekked through the forest with renewed resolution. Although their stomachs complained and the baby was growing more restless, it seemed that Katrin’s near-death experience had spurred them on to survive.
They followed a narrow track which Meredith strongly suspected would take them to the base of the mountain. Most likely carved by the hooves and paws of many animals over time, it rambled through dense thickets and small clearings, skirted its way around pools of water and enormous trees, delved into small valleys and scoured gentle slopes. Sometimes it was a wide track, other times it was narrow and overgrown and seemed almost to lose itself completely amongst the trees and shrubbery or under long grass; but the girls would follow their instinct, and always, at some point or another, it would become visible again, much to their relief. The track was like their guiding star.
It seemed like they had been travelling in this way for hours. The girls seldom spoke to each other; they were absorbed in their own thoughts, trying to forget about the gnawing hunger, the fatigue of their bodies and the baby’s incessant crying. On one occasion Meredith suddenly stopped in her tracks, passed the baby to Katrin without any explanation, sat down on a nearby boulder and proceeded to try and take off her rucksack. Katrin quietly went to her sister’s aid and then watched with a sinking heart as Meredith took out what was left of the food preserves- the yoghurt, several blueberries, a couple of crackers. She knew fine well for what purpose they were about to serve.
“I can’t stand her crying anymore,” said Meredith, rummaging about for some kind of feeding utensil. “I’ll give her the yoghurt, the blueberries and some milk. We can have what’s left of the milk and a cracker each. It’ll help to take the edge off our hunger.”
Katrin nodded her agreement, although she wished that they could have saved the food for just that little bit longer. Anything to stop the baby from crying, though, she reasoned with herself. Besides, they might be fortunate enough to stumble across another source of food in the near future; fruit trees, for example. She had never seen a wild fruit tree in this part of the country- at least not the kind of fruit fit to be eaten- but she could always hope. Hadn’t a miracle already happened for them today?
The girls sat down together under the shade of a tree and Meredith began to feed the baby with the yoghurt. She stopped crying and received it gladly, hardly stopping to take a breath as she gulped down each mouthful. Katrin wondered if the child would ever come to know how much had been sacrificed for her. Or was it a sacrifice? Could it be called a sacrifice when the motive was so far from being selfless? It was, in fact, a course of action taken in desperation, for the preservation of the girls’ sanity.
Once the yoghurt had been consumed, Meredith fed the child the milk, leaving about a third of the flask for herself and Katrin. The baby accepted the milk with as much enthusiasm as she had accepted the yoghurt. Finally, the blueberries and crackers were distributed evenly among the girls... and baby. As Meredith had forewarned, the food merely took the edge off their hunger, providing them with enough energy to get their belongings together again and their rucksacks back on their shoulders, and little more. Only the baby seemed fairly contented with the meagre meal, and, about ten minutes back into the journey, fell asleep on Meredith’s shoulder.
They followed a narrow track which Meredith strongly suspected would take them to the base of the mountain. Most likely carved by the hooves and paws of many animals over time, it rambled through dense thickets and small clearings, skirted its way around pools of water and enormous trees, delved into small valleys and scoured gentle slopes. Sometimes it was a wide track, other times it was narrow and overgrown and seemed almost to lose itself completely amongst the trees and shrubbery or under long grass; but the girls would follow their instinct, and always, at some point or another, it would become visible again, much to their relief. The track was like their guiding star.
It seemed like they had been travelling in this way for hours. The girls seldom spoke to each other; they were absorbed in their own thoughts, trying to forget about the gnawing hunger, the fatigue of their bodies and the baby’s incessant crying. On one occasion Meredith suddenly stopped in her tracks, passed the baby to Katrin without any explanation, sat down on a nearby boulder and proceeded to try and take off her rucksack. Katrin quietly went to her sister’s aid and then watched with a sinking heart as Meredith took out what was left of the food preserves- the yoghurt, several blueberries, a couple of crackers. She knew fine well for what purpose they were about to serve.
“I can’t stand her crying anymore,” said Meredith, rummaging about for some kind of feeding utensil. “I’ll give her the yoghurt, the blueberries and some milk. We can have what’s left of the milk and a cracker each. It’ll help to take the edge off our hunger.”
Katrin nodded her agreement, although she wished that they could have saved the food for just that little bit longer. Anything to stop the baby from crying, though, she reasoned with herself. Besides, they might be fortunate enough to stumble across another source of food in the near future; fruit trees, for example. She had never seen a wild fruit tree in this part of the country- at least not the kind of fruit fit to be eaten- but she could always hope. Hadn’t a miracle already happened for them today?
The girls sat down together under the shade of a tree and Meredith began to feed the baby with the yoghurt. She stopped crying and received it gladly, hardly stopping to take a breath as she gulped down each mouthful. Katrin wondered if the child would ever come to know how much had been sacrificed for her. Or was it a sacrifice? Could it be called a sacrifice when the motive was so far from being selfless? It was, in fact, a course of action taken in desperation, for the preservation of the girls’ sanity.
Once the yoghurt had been consumed, Meredith fed the child the milk, leaving about a third of the flask for herself and Katrin. The baby accepted the milk with as much enthusiasm as she had accepted the yoghurt. Finally, the blueberries and crackers were distributed evenly among the girls... and baby. As Meredith had forewarned, the food merely took the edge off their hunger, providing them with enough energy to get their belongings together again and their rucksacks back on their shoulders, and little more. Only the baby seemed fairly contented with the meagre meal, and, about ten minutes back into the journey, fell asleep on Meredith’s shoulder.
Chapter Nine
It soon became apparent that the track was gradually leading them uphill. Although both girls felt as though they could hardly take another step, neither wanted to admit it, even to themselves. They pressed on almost mechanically, hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before they reached the base of the mountain.
As the night began to settle around them, changing the leaves on the trees from vibrant-green to dazzling-silver, Katrin felt the weariness in her body begin to overwhelm her. She wondered how many more steps she could take before her legs gave in altogether. They must have covered well over nine miles since they had last stopped, she reckoned. Just how many more would they have to cover tonight? Could she, would she survive it?
The track took a turn and led them to the base of a steep hill. The hill was overgrown with tall grass and the soil was soft and uneven, protruding in several places as large mounds, rather like mole hills. Tall, thin trees grew at various points on the hill and their long, winding roots would serve conveniently as handles and footholds. Since Katrin was the more agile of the two, the baby was passed to her to allow Meredith the use of both her hands for this slightly awkward ascension.
Although Katrin felt that she could easily have passed out right there and then from sheer exhaustion, she felt compelled to go on for the sake of her sister, and even for the sake of this small, helpless bundle of humanity which she cradled in her arm, and which looked up at her with eyes that spoke neither of fear nor of despair, but of trust, dependence and naivety.
“You go first, Katrin,” said Meredith, the tremor in her voice portraying how weak and tired she was feeling.
Katrin nodded. It took every last ounce of strength she could muster, both physical and emotional, to take hold of the nearest root and to pull herself up, heavy rucksack, baby and all. She could only allow herself the use of one hand; with the other she carefully supported the baby. Her foot found another root to balance on. Her weak arm stretched for the next available leverage- a tree trunk, slightly peeling, a little crooked. Had she been less tired, her better judgement might have warned her to look for something stronger and more stable, but since most of her faculties were numbed by her lack of energy, she used the tree anyway. It proved to be more stable than it appeared, as it merely bent a little under the weight it was forced to bear for a second or two, until Katrin found a new foothold.
The latter was a large boulder which jutted out from the hill like a small platform. It was wide enough, Katrin reckoned, to set her rucksack down on momentarily, so that she could catch her breath. But just as she was about to do so, Meredith’s voice came ringing, loud and clear:
“Katrin Anna Spencer! Don’t you dare stop now!”
Katrin glared fiercely at her sister. “Meredith, I need a break! Can’t you see I’ve got no energy left, and you expect me to get myself, my rucksack and the baby to the top of this hill!”
“If you stop now,” said Meredith, reaching for a nearby tree trunk, “you won’t be able to go on anymore. You’ll give in; you’ll have no more strength to get yourself to the top of this hill, let alone to the caravan, before... before it’s too late. Please, Katrin. You’ve just got to keep going.”
Katrin sighed and looked doubtfully towards the top of the hill, which seemed forever away. Her sister was right. They had come too far to stop now. It seemed impossible, but if there really were such things as miracles, then she might be able to do it. She could at least try. After all, it wasn’t for herself anymore. She really was doing this for Meredith and the baby.
As the night began to settle around them, changing the leaves on the trees from vibrant-green to dazzling-silver, Katrin felt the weariness in her body begin to overwhelm her. She wondered how many more steps she could take before her legs gave in altogether. They must have covered well over nine miles since they had last stopped, she reckoned. Just how many more would they have to cover tonight? Could she, would she survive it?
The track took a turn and led them to the base of a steep hill. The hill was overgrown with tall grass and the soil was soft and uneven, protruding in several places as large mounds, rather like mole hills. Tall, thin trees grew at various points on the hill and their long, winding roots would serve conveniently as handles and footholds. Since Katrin was the more agile of the two, the baby was passed to her to allow Meredith the use of both her hands for this slightly awkward ascension.
Although Katrin felt that she could easily have passed out right there and then from sheer exhaustion, she felt compelled to go on for the sake of her sister, and even for the sake of this small, helpless bundle of humanity which she cradled in her arm, and which looked up at her with eyes that spoke neither of fear nor of despair, but of trust, dependence and naivety.
“You go first, Katrin,” said Meredith, the tremor in her voice portraying how weak and tired she was feeling.
Katrin nodded. It took every last ounce of strength she could muster, both physical and emotional, to take hold of the nearest root and to pull herself up, heavy rucksack, baby and all. She could only allow herself the use of one hand; with the other she carefully supported the baby. Her foot found another root to balance on. Her weak arm stretched for the next available leverage- a tree trunk, slightly peeling, a little crooked. Had she been less tired, her better judgement might have warned her to look for something stronger and more stable, but since most of her faculties were numbed by her lack of energy, she used the tree anyway. It proved to be more stable than it appeared, as it merely bent a little under the weight it was forced to bear for a second or two, until Katrin found a new foothold.
The latter was a large boulder which jutted out from the hill like a small platform. It was wide enough, Katrin reckoned, to set her rucksack down on momentarily, so that she could catch her breath. But just as she was about to do so, Meredith’s voice came ringing, loud and clear:
“Katrin Anna Spencer! Don’t you dare stop now!”
Katrin glared fiercely at her sister. “Meredith, I need a break! Can’t you see I’ve got no energy left, and you expect me to get myself, my rucksack and the baby to the top of this hill!”
“If you stop now,” said Meredith, reaching for a nearby tree trunk, “you won’t be able to go on anymore. You’ll give in; you’ll have no more strength to get yourself to the top of this hill, let alone to the caravan, before... before it’s too late. Please, Katrin. You’ve just got to keep going.”
Katrin sighed and looked doubtfully towards the top of the hill, which seemed forever away. Her sister was right. They had come too far to stop now. It seemed impossible, but if there really were such things as miracles, then she might be able to do it. She could at least try. After all, it wasn’t for herself anymore. She really was doing this for Meredith and the baby.
Chapter Ten
Katrin could hardly believe she had finally reached the top of the hill as she gazed out over a large meadow. It rose at a gentle gradient for a few metres before flattening out completely. There were very few trees; instead there was an abundance of long grass and wild flowers which swayed rhythmically in the warm breeze. And in the distance, appearing as a dark silhouette against a darkening sky, was the mountain.
The baby had fallen asleep. Katrin marvelled that the jolting, pulling and stretching hadn’t woken her. Katrin called to her sister in hushed tones.
“I can see the mountain!” she told Meredith, with renewed vigour. “It can’t be far away now. And you should see this meadow... it’s so flat. It shouldn’t be difficult to cross it at all. Meredith, I think... I think we can do this!”
Meredith wearily pulled herself up until she was standing on a mound just below her sister, able to survey their new surroundings. Katrin set the baby down on the grass and managed to hoist herself up over the edge, so that she was facing Meredith. She noticed that her sister’s hands were red and bloody, and her face white with exhaustion.
“Oh, Meredith!” Katrin’s voice had faded to a bare whisper. “You’re going to be alright, Meredith. See the mountain? We’re not far away now. We can do this... you and me.”
“Katrin, I...” said Meredith, but stopped short. Something had caught her attention, something moving in the long grass behind Katrin.
“Meredith, what is it?” Katrin suddenly found her heart beating faster as she saw the look in her sister’s eyes changing. A minute ago they had been dull with exhaustion; now they were tinted with fear.
Meredith kept her eyes fixed on whatever it was that she had seen. Her heart missed a beat as it suddenly leapt out of the grass and became a man clad in animal skins, with a bow and arrow raised over his head. She clapped a hand to her mouth; she was too weak to cry out.
Katrin whirled around. Her heart, too, missed a beat as she beheld the man’s tall figure, his peculiar dress, the evil gleam in his narrow eyes and the arrow poised in the bow, ready to be shot at any given moment. She snatched the baby from where she was lying on the grass and cuddled her close.
“Don’t shoot!” she cried, imploring the man with her eyes. “Please, don’t shoot!”
Meredith laid a weak hand on her sister’s arm. “Sssshhh, Katrin,” she pleaded.
“Who are you?” Katrin demanded, ignoring her sister’s attempt to quieten her.
The man narrowed his eyes even more and began to pull back the string of his bow. But just as he was about to release it, something made him change his mind. He slowly lowered the bow until it was resting on his hip.
The baby was awake now and crying, most likely out of fear, since the atmosphere was heavy with it. The man’s eyes fastened on her small head; his face took on a peculiar expression. He took a step closer to Katrin. The smell of tobacco and animal-skin was overpowering.
With a hand movement that was quicker than lightening, he snatched the child from Katrin’s arms. The baby began to shriek. Katrin felt paralysed. There was nothing she could do. Her head began to spin. The man lifted his head and he, too, let out a shriek, which was entirely different from the baby’s heart-wrenching cries. It sent shivers down the girls’ spines.
The next moment the man was joined by several others, all clad as peculiarly as he was, their bows poised imposingly above their heads. Meredith’s eyes met those of the man nearest to her. He was tall and young, and he had the same coal-black eyes and long, black hair as the others, but there was something different about him. His eyes were gentler, his expression far less threatening. He had a handsome face but not proud; he looked determined, resolute, but not cruel. She stifled a gasp. It was that boy... the same boy who had rescued Katrin from the river. Of this she had no doubt.
The baby had fallen asleep. Katrin marvelled that the jolting, pulling and stretching hadn’t woken her. Katrin called to her sister in hushed tones.
“I can see the mountain!” she told Meredith, with renewed vigour. “It can’t be far away now. And you should see this meadow... it’s so flat. It shouldn’t be difficult to cross it at all. Meredith, I think... I think we can do this!”
Meredith wearily pulled herself up until she was standing on a mound just below her sister, able to survey their new surroundings. Katrin set the baby down on the grass and managed to hoist herself up over the edge, so that she was facing Meredith. She noticed that her sister’s hands were red and bloody, and her face white with exhaustion.
“Oh, Meredith!” Katrin’s voice had faded to a bare whisper. “You’re going to be alright, Meredith. See the mountain? We’re not far away now. We can do this... you and me.”
“Katrin, I...” said Meredith, but stopped short. Something had caught her attention, something moving in the long grass behind Katrin.
“Meredith, what is it?” Katrin suddenly found her heart beating faster as she saw the look in her sister’s eyes changing. A minute ago they had been dull with exhaustion; now they were tinted with fear.
Meredith kept her eyes fixed on whatever it was that she had seen. Her heart missed a beat as it suddenly leapt out of the grass and became a man clad in animal skins, with a bow and arrow raised over his head. She clapped a hand to her mouth; she was too weak to cry out.
Katrin whirled around. Her heart, too, missed a beat as she beheld the man’s tall figure, his peculiar dress, the evil gleam in his narrow eyes and the arrow poised in the bow, ready to be shot at any given moment. She snatched the baby from where she was lying on the grass and cuddled her close.
“Don’t shoot!” she cried, imploring the man with her eyes. “Please, don’t shoot!”
Meredith laid a weak hand on her sister’s arm. “Sssshhh, Katrin,” she pleaded.
“Who are you?” Katrin demanded, ignoring her sister’s attempt to quieten her.
The man narrowed his eyes even more and began to pull back the string of his bow. But just as he was about to release it, something made him change his mind. He slowly lowered the bow until it was resting on his hip.
The baby was awake now and crying, most likely out of fear, since the atmosphere was heavy with it. The man’s eyes fastened on her small head; his face took on a peculiar expression. He took a step closer to Katrin. The smell of tobacco and animal-skin was overpowering.
With a hand movement that was quicker than lightening, he snatched the child from Katrin’s arms. The baby began to shriek. Katrin felt paralysed. There was nothing she could do. Her head began to spin. The man lifted his head and he, too, let out a shriek, which was entirely different from the baby’s heart-wrenching cries. It sent shivers down the girls’ spines.
The next moment the man was joined by several others, all clad as peculiarly as he was, their bows poised imposingly above their heads. Meredith’s eyes met those of the man nearest to her. He was tall and young, and he had the same coal-black eyes and long, black hair as the others, but there was something different about him. His eyes were gentler, his expression far less threatening. He had a handsome face but not proud; he looked determined, resolute, but not cruel. She stifled a gasp. It was that boy... the same boy who had rescued Katrin from the river. Of this she had no doubt.
Chapter Eleven
The first man signalled to the others to lower their bows. They did so reluctantly, whilst keeping their eyes fixed on the two girls. Their expressions clearly reflected their distrust, curiosity, and even hatred. Only the boy’s eyes were different; they betrayed his far less hostile attitude towards them. They seemed to flicker with something that could almost have been called sympathy.
The first man began to bark out a series of orders in a language which neither of the girls could understand. In a moment they were surrounded, and the baby was passed to another man as the first brutally pulled the girls to their feet and bound their hands together with rough twine. Realising that she was far too weak to fight back, and suddenly overcome with the pain of in her fatigued muscles, hunger and disappointment, Katrin broke down into tears. Meredith was far too weak to even cry.
The men used the handles of their bows to prod and shove the girls in the direction in which they should walk. Meredith managed several steps before crumpling to the ground. The first man growled angrily, but seeing how pale and weary she looked, he signalled for one of the men to pick her up and carry her over his shoulder. In this way they started on a journey which would take them another full day to complete; a journey which Meredith strongly suspected she would not survive.
**
The journey took them across the plateau, through a small forest and around the edge of a great lake. They moved swiftly, silently. There was no communication between the men and the girls- only the prodding of bows on their backs every so often to remind them to keep up. Katrin secretly wondered why their lives had been spared, and where they were headed. Meredith didn’t care. She hated being carried by strange men, sometimes forced to walk until she felt as though she was going to die with exhaustion, and poked and prodded as though she had no more feeling than a ragdoll. But after several hours, it became apparent that they were finally going to stop for a break.
To the girls’ relief, everyone was provided with a little nourishment. A handful of fruit and nuts, a little cold meat, a mouthful of sweet milk and piece of some kind of dry cake which tasted like sweet bread. Even the baby got a share of the food. Although the portions were very meagre, and although the food proved quite indigestible to their unaccustomed stomachs, the girls found the small meal quite satisfying. They were allowed to rest for half an hour before being roughly pulled to their feet and made to continue on their journey.
Meredith felt a little more refreshed and revived after the nourishment, but her aching muscles still found it difficult to keep up with the pace that the men were setting. Katrin was given charge of the baby. She found peculiar comfort in holding her close and whispering encouragement- although perhaps vain encouragement- into her small ears as she walked behind her sister and between two of the men who kept prodding her on the back with their bows. She longed to get a moment alone with her sister, in order to tell her of the plan that she had been devising in the privacy of her mind.
An opportunity arose for the girls to converse as they came to a halt at the edge of a river, and the majority of the men slipped away to seek out a means of crossing it, leaving the young boy in charge of them. Meredith had not found the energy or the occasion to speak to Katrin about him yet, but Katrin herself could pick up something from his face that told her he was not like the others. She even wondered if he might have been willing to help them escape. As the last man slipped away, the boy sat down on a nearby boulder and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes fixed on his charge. Katrin decided to take the risk and to seize the opportunity to talk to her sister. Much to her relief, the boy never even batted an eyelid as she began to relate her plan to Meredith in hushed undertones.
“As soon as I get the chance, I’m going to run away,” Katrin informed her sister. “I don’t like these men, and they’re leading us away from the mountain.”
“Oh, Katrin, you don’t honestly think you could run away, do you? I’m sure any one of these men could easily outrun you, and I’d hate to think what would happen to you if they caught you again. You saw how close we were to being killed back at the top of that hill...”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” said Katrin, lowering her eyes. “I need to get help for you. You’re too weak to walk, let alone run, so there’s no chance of you getting away. And... and I’m worried where they’re leading us, and why.”
“Oh, Katrin, I’m worried too, but I’d much rather have you with me.”
“But I’ve got this feeling, Meredith, that we’re being led into something... something bad. These men are cruel- you can see it in their eyes. Except from that one, there’s something different about him.” At this point she quickly glanced at the boy who was sitting on the boulder with his head turned away from them, plucking the head off a tall reed as he quietly hummed a tune to himself.
“Oh yes, he’s different,” said Meredith. She grabbed her sister’s hand. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I haven’t had the chance yet... Katrin, he’s the boy who saved you from the river!”
“What!” Katrin looked startled and bemused. “But... but why?”
“I don’t know why,” said Meredith, softly. “But he did, so he just can’t be like the others.”
“That’s all very well, but I still plan to run away.” Katrin was struggling to come to terms with what her sister had just told her.
“If you do run away, will you take the baby?” asked Meredith, glancing anxiously at the child in her sister’s arms.
“I... don’t know,” said Matrin, slowly. “She doesn’t look that well, either. I don’t know if I could cope with her on my own, and she’d be a burden to me if I was trying to get away as quickly as possible...”
“If there’s any chance of you getting to safety, then you must take her. Who knows what these men might do. It doesn’t matter so much what happens to me, but the baby... Either you take her with you, or don’t go at all.”
“Then I’ll take her with me,” came Katrin’s decision.
The first man began to bark out a series of orders in a language which neither of the girls could understand. In a moment they were surrounded, and the baby was passed to another man as the first brutally pulled the girls to their feet and bound their hands together with rough twine. Realising that she was far too weak to fight back, and suddenly overcome with the pain of in her fatigued muscles, hunger and disappointment, Katrin broke down into tears. Meredith was far too weak to even cry.
The men used the handles of their bows to prod and shove the girls in the direction in which they should walk. Meredith managed several steps before crumpling to the ground. The first man growled angrily, but seeing how pale and weary she looked, he signalled for one of the men to pick her up and carry her over his shoulder. In this way they started on a journey which would take them another full day to complete; a journey which Meredith strongly suspected she would not survive.
**
The journey took them across the plateau, through a small forest and around the edge of a great lake. They moved swiftly, silently. There was no communication between the men and the girls- only the prodding of bows on their backs every so often to remind them to keep up. Katrin secretly wondered why their lives had been spared, and where they were headed. Meredith didn’t care. She hated being carried by strange men, sometimes forced to walk until she felt as though she was going to die with exhaustion, and poked and prodded as though she had no more feeling than a ragdoll. But after several hours, it became apparent that they were finally going to stop for a break.
To the girls’ relief, everyone was provided with a little nourishment. A handful of fruit and nuts, a little cold meat, a mouthful of sweet milk and piece of some kind of dry cake which tasted like sweet bread. Even the baby got a share of the food. Although the portions were very meagre, and although the food proved quite indigestible to their unaccustomed stomachs, the girls found the small meal quite satisfying. They were allowed to rest for half an hour before being roughly pulled to their feet and made to continue on their journey.
Meredith felt a little more refreshed and revived after the nourishment, but her aching muscles still found it difficult to keep up with the pace that the men were setting. Katrin was given charge of the baby. She found peculiar comfort in holding her close and whispering encouragement- although perhaps vain encouragement- into her small ears as she walked behind her sister and between two of the men who kept prodding her on the back with their bows. She longed to get a moment alone with her sister, in order to tell her of the plan that she had been devising in the privacy of her mind.
An opportunity arose for the girls to converse as they came to a halt at the edge of a river, and the majority of the men slipped away to seek out a means of crossing it, leaving the young boy in charge of them. Meredith had not found the energy or the occasion to speak to Katrin about him yet, but Katrin herself could pick up something from his face that told her he was not like the others. She even wondered if he might have been willing to help them escape. As the last man slipped away, the boy sat down on a nearby boulder and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes fixed on his charge. Katrin decided to take the risk and to seize the opportunity to talk to her sister. Much to her relief, the boy never even batted an eyelid as she began to relate her plan to Meredith in hushed undertones.
“As soon as I get the chance, I’m going to run away,” Katrin informed her sister. “I don’t like these men, and they’re leading us away from the mountain.”
“Oh, Katrin, you don’t honestly think you could run away, do you? I’m sure any one of these men could easily outrun you, and I’d hate to think what would happen to you if they caught you again. You saw how close we were to being killed back at the top of that hill...”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” said Katrin, lowering her eyes. “I need to get help for you. You’re too weak to walk, let alone run, so there’s no chance of you getting away. And... and I’m worried where they’re leading us, and why.”
“Oh, Katrin, I’m worried too, but I’d much rather have you with me.”
“But I’ve got this feeling, Meredith, that we’re being led into something... something bad. These men are cruel- you can see it in their eyes. Except from that one, there’s something different about him.” At this point she quickly glanced at the boy who was sitting on the boulder with his head turned away from them, plucking the head off a tall reed as he quietly hummed a tune to himself.
“Oh yes, he’s different,” said Meredith. She grabbed her sister’s hand. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I haven’t had the chance yet... Katrin, he’s the boy who saved you from the river!”
“What!” Katrin looked startled and bemused. “But... but why?”
“I don’t know why,” said Meredith, softly. “But he did, so he just can’t be like the others.”
“That’s all very well, but I still plan to run away.” Katrin was struggling to come to terms with what her sister had just told her.
“If you do run away, will you take the baby?” asked Meredith, glancing anxiously at the child in her sister’s arms.
“I... don’t know,” said Matrin, slowly. “She doesn’t look that well, either. I don’t know if I could cope with her on my own, and she’d be a burden to me if I was trying to get away as quickly as possible...”
“If there’s any chance of you getting to safety, then you must take her. Who knows what these men might do. It doesn’t matter so much what happens to me, but the baby... Either you take her with you, or don’t go at all.”
“Then I’ll take her with me,” came Katrin’s decision.
Chapter Twelve
It became evident that the men had discovered a shallow point in the river where it would be relatively easy to wade across. One of the men related this to the boy with hand gestures and a series of low grunting noises; the girls had come to realise that this was how they spoke to one another. Katrin wondered if it was a language in its own right, or merely a primeval form of communication which they had developed for themselves.
Both she and Meredith knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that these men were from an Indian tribe. The way they dressed, the way they moved, and all their weaponry and tools which they carried over their shoulders in leather pouches made it impossible to believe otherwise. The thought had crossed Katrin’s mind several times that perhaps these were the men who had killed the child’s mother. In fact, it was more than likely. So why had they preserved Katrin and Meredith’s lives, and the life of the child? It didn’t make sense. All Katrin knew was that she had to get away and get away fast, before it was too late.
**
Her window of opportunity came at a time when she least felt like following through with her plan.
Most of the men were more than half-way across the river already, and Meredith was draped over one of their shoulders. Katrin and the boy were bringing up the rear. Suddenly, without any warning, Meredith slipped from the shoulders of the man who had been carrying her and crashed into the water. She cried out as she hit the sharp rocks; the water went over her head; she disappeared entirely from view.
At first the men only stared. The first man grunted and made as though to continue on his way. Realising the others lack of intention to help, the boy left Katrin where she was standing at the edge of the water and rushed to Meredith’s timely rescue. As he lifted her weak body from what should have been her watery grave, Katrin could see that her sister was breathless, bruised and bleeding, but nevertheless, still alive. She knew that the boy would make sure she was OK. So this was it, then. The opportunity she had been waiting for. With the other men pressing ahead and the boy preoccupied with Meredith, she knew that the time had come.
Quickly, silently, she scrambled back up onto the bank. Her legs were weary, her wrists burned and smarted from the twine that had bound them together before the men had decided that she should be made to carry the baby, her whole body ached, her mind felt numb. But there was nothing else for it. She held the baby close and with every last drop of energy she could muster, turned on her heel and ran. Ran as fast as she could, as softly as she could, away from those men and the river and Meredith. She ran with one purpose- to get help. To save herself and Meredith- and the baby- from whatever doom was lurking in the offing. The doom that she had read so often in those Indian men’s eyes. She ran like she had never run before. She felt sure that their lives depended on it.
Both she and Meredith knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that these men were from an Indian tribe. The way they dressed, the way they moved, and all their weaponry and tools which they carried over their shoulders in leather pouches made it impossible to believe otherwise. The thought had crossed Katrin’s mind several times that perhaps these were the men who had killed the child’s mother. In fact, it was more than likely. So why had they preserved Katrin and Meredith’s lives, and the life of the child? It didn’t make sense. All Katrin knew was that she had to get away and get away fast, before it was too late.
**
Her window of opportunity came at a time when she least felt like following through with her plan.
Most of the men were more than half-way across the river already, and Meredith was draped over one of their shoulders. Katrin and the boy were bringing up the rear. Suddenly, without any warning, Meredith slipped from the shoulders of the man who had been carrying her and crashed into the water. She cried out as she hit the sharp rocks; the water went over her head; she disappeared entirely from view.
At first the men only stared. The first man grunted and made as though to continue on his way. Realising the others lack of intention to help, the boy left Katrin where she was standing at the edge of the water and rushed to Meredith’s timely rescue. As he lifted her weak body from what should have been her watery grave, Katrin could see that her sister was breathless, bruised and bleeding, but nevertheless, still alive. She knew that the boy would make sure she was OK. So this was it, then. The opportunity she had been waiting for. With the other men pressing ahead and the boy preoccupied with Meredith, she knew that the time had come.
Quickly, silently, she scrambled back up onto the bank. Her legs were weary, her wrists burned and smarted from the twine that had bound them together before the men had decided that she should be made to carry the baby, her whole body ached, her mind felt numb. But there was nothing else for it. She held the baby close and with every last drop of energy she could muster, turned on her heel and ran. Ran as fast as she could, as softly as she could, away from those men and the river and Meredith. She ran with one purpose- to get help. To save herself and Meredith- and the baby- from whatever doom was lurking in the offing. The doom that she had read so often in those Indian men’s eyes. She ran like she had never run before. She felt sure that their lives depended on it.
Chapter Thirteen
Katrin didn’t look back. She kept on running, even when she felt like her legs were about to buckle under her, even when her chest felt tight and her breathing became sore, even when the baby began to cry and thrash her small arms against Katrin’s throat. It was so dark that she could barely see the way ahead, but she just kept on running. For the moment, her goal was to get as far away from the Indians as possible.
Suddenly she heard a noise from behind. The pounding of feet. An animal? Her pace quickened. The baby cried all the harder. The pounding grew louder. Images of being attacked by a wild animal flooded her mind. What could it be? A lynx? A cougar? She could feel it gaining on her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She had been saved from the river. She had escaped from the Indians. But now she would be mulled by a wild beast.
Her legs gave way and collapsed to the ground in pain and in utter exhaustion, and despair. With the baby still clasped to her chest, she closed her eyes and prayed that neither she nor the child would feel any pain when the animal launched its attack.
But it was neither teeth nor claws that she felt on the back of her neck the next moment. Instead, something thin and sharp, which pierced her skin and sent shooting pain all through her body. Suddenly her head grew very light. She felt like she was drowning again, only not in water this time; in a heavy blackness. Then she lost all consciousness.
**
Meredith sat with her back to the wall and watched the sun’s rays leap and dance through the high window, casting various shadows onto the slanted ceiling. She hadn’t been able to sleep that night; her mind had been far too active, and the pain in her body far too intense. She was worried about her sister and wished that they could be together again. That was all she cared about now.
The next minute the door of the cell was opened a crack, and a small person slipped through, carrying a round, wooden tray. The small person quietly made their way over to where Meredith was sitting and set down the tray beside her. Then, without a word, she hurriedly slipped away again.
The tray contained a tall beaker of water, a plate of biscuits, a slice of melon and a small quantity of dark-coloured meat. To Meredith’s hungry eyes, it looked like a small feast. She wasted no time in devouring every last morsel.
With breakfast over, she resumed her previous occupation of watching the shadows dance on the roof. Her mind slowly turned over all the events of the last few days. She would have given anything, anything to have had Katrin with her at that moment.
They had become so close recently. She could hardly believe that at one time she had considered Katrin as little more than a burden; her charge, her responsibility as the older sister. She reckoned that jealousy had played a part in her lack of affection for Katrin. Katrin had always been the more witty, the more adventurous, the more playful and the more courageous of the two. Meredith possessed a little of each of these qualities, but not enough to make her outstanding. It was Meredith’s fault that a distance had grown between them, and she deeply regretted it. Now she would have sacrificed anything to have her with her, and to never be separated from her again.
She looked down at her ring. She pulled it off from her finger and held it up to the sunlight. A host of tiny rainbows appeared on the ceiling where the shadows had been. As she slowly twisted the ring, the little rainbows turned with it. A smile came to her lips.
It was short-lived. She took the ring between finger and thumb and raised it above her head. What need did she have of it now? Likely as not, she would never see Simon again. Never... see... him... again. As she let the words sink in, an overwhelming sense of grief caused her to lower her arm and grip the ring tightly. Then, cradling it in her hands, she wept as though her heart would break. The realisation that she might never see the very two people she loved most in all the world ever again caused a pain inside her that was like nothing she had ever experienced before.
If only Katrin had managed to get away. If only she had managed to get help...
Suddenly she heard a noise from behind. The pounding of feet. An animal? Her pace quickened. The baby cried all the harder. The pounding grew louder. Images of being attacked by a wild animal flooded her mind. What could it be? A lynx? A cougar? She could feel it gaining on her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She had been saved from the river. She had escaped from the Indians. But now she would be mulled by a wild beast.
Her legs gave way and collapsed to the ground in pain and in utter exhaustion, and despair. With the baby still clasped to her chest, she closed her eyes and prayed that neither she nor the child would feel any pain when the animal launched its attack.
But it was neither teeth nor claws that she felt on the back of her neck the next moment. Instead, something thin and sharp, which pierced her skin and sent shooting pain all through her body. Suddenly her head grew very light. She felt like she was drowning again, only not in water this time; in a heavy blackness. Then she lost all consciousness.
**
Meredith sat with her back to the wall and watched the sun’s rays leap and dance through the high window, casting various shadows onto the slanted ceiling. She hadn’t been able to sleep that night; her mind had been far too active, and the pain in her body far too intense. She was worried about her sister and wished that they could be together again. That was all she cared about now.
The next minute the door of the cell was opened a crack, and a small person slipped through, carrying a round, wooden tray. The small person quietly made their way over to where Meredith was sitting and set down the tray beside her. Then, without a word, she hurriedly slipped away again.
The tray contained a tall beaker of water, a plate of biscuits, a slice of melon and a small quantity of dark-coloured meat. To Meredith’s hungry eyes, it looked like a small feast. She wasted no time in devouring every last morsel.
With breakfast over, she resumed her previous occupation of watching the shadows dance on the roof. Her mind slowly turned over all the events of the last few days. She would have given anything, anything to have had Katrin with her at that moment.
They had become so close recently. She could hardly believe that at one time she had considered Katrin as little more than a burden; her charge, her responsibility as the older sister. She reckoned that jealousy had played a part in her lack of affection for Katrin. Katrin had always been the more witty, the more adventurous, the more playful and the more courageous of the two. Meredith possessed a little of each of these qualities, but not enough to make her outstanding. It was Meredith’s fault that a distance had grown between them, and she deeply regretted it. Now she would have sacrificed anything to have her with her, and to never be separated from her again.
She looked down at her ring. She pulled it off from her finger and held it up to the sunlight. A host of tiny rainbows appeared on the ceiling where the shadows had been. As she slowly twisted the ring, the little rainbows turned with it. A smile came to her lips.
It was short-lived. She took the ring between finger and thumb and raised it above her head. What need did she have of it now? Likely as not, she would never see Simon again. Never... see... him... again. As she let the words sink in, an overwhelming sense of grief caused her to lower her arm and grip the ring tightly. Then, cradling it in her hands, she wept as though her heart would break. The realisation that she might never see the very two people she loved most in all the world ever again caused a pain inside her that was like nothing she had ever experienced before.
If only Katrin had managed to get away. If only she had managed to get help...
Chapter Fourteen
Meredith sincerely believed she was hallucinating as the door to the cell opened and a man stepped in, carrying the limp figure of a young girl with long, blondish hair and pale skin... it was Katrin! He laid her gently down on the hay beside Meredith and hurried away, without any explanation.
Meredith was battling with reality. Surely it was only her imagination. She tentatively reached out a hand and touched Meredith’s forehead, but she didn’t fade away as she had expected. Instead, she fluttered her eyelids and let out a groan. Her forehead felt warm and real. She really was here, and she was alive.
Meredith slid closer beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Katrin,” she whispered. “Katrin, are you OK?”
Katrin groaned. Her lips moved as though she was trying to speak, but no sound came out. She wouldn’t open her eyes.
“Katrin, can you hear me? What’s the matter?”
Another groan.
Meredith wondered if Katrin was unconscious. Since she appeared to be neither asleep nor awake, it would stand to reason that this was the case. She wished she could talk to someone. She wished she wasn’t locked up in a poky cell with very little ventilation and no food or drink to offer Katrin if she came round.
She wished none of this had ever happened.
It was only a minute or two later when one of her wishes actually came true. The cell door opened a crack, Meredith heard whispering voices; she saw fingers appear round the door, followed by a long arm, and then two people stepped into the cell. One was tall, dark and young; the other small, dark and young. The tall one was the boy- the boy who had been part of the group which had brought Meredith here and had rescued both herself and her sister from almost drowning- and the small one was the girl who had slipped in earlier with the tray of food. The girl stayed near to the door and kept her eyes to the ground, while the boy stepped forward, his forehead set with resolution.
Meredith didn’t know what to expect. She wondered if the boy had been set to finish them off, once and for all. But if that was the case, why all the trouble to get them here in the first place? The Indians had had plenty of opportunity along the way to kill them. That first man- the one who had found them- could have done it. He had been about to do it. But something had mad him change his mind.
“Why are you here?” asked Meredith, boldly.
He took another step closer. Then, slowly, cautiously, he knelt down beside Katrin. She was lying on her side, still and motionless, alive but as though dead. He looked tentatively at Meredith; she relaxed as she saw that his expression conveyed pity, understanding and a desire to help.
The boy waited, watching Meredith’s face. At last, he slowly reached out, gently gathered Katrin’s hair in his hand and pulled it to the side, revealing the back of her neck. Meredith moved nearer, bemused. But it didn’t take long for her to notice what the boy was trying to show her. There was a puncture mark on her neck; a hole about the size and shape of an apple seed; and surrounding the puncture was a peculiar, dark-coloured rash.
The boy turned and signalled to the girl by the door. She hurried over and took out a small bottle from her apron pocket. Cautiously, gently, the boy turned Katrin onto her back. Then the girl knelt down beside her and poured a little of the bottle’s contents into Katrin’s mouth
At first, nothing happened. Katrin lay just as still, her eyelids fluttering occasionally, groaning intermittently. Then Meredith got a surprise.
“Your sister will recover,” said a voice. She looked up- it was the boy. He had spoken.
Meredith was battling with reality. Surely it was only her imagination. She tentatively reached out a hand and touched Meredith’s forehead, but she didn’t fade away as she had expected. Instead, she fluttered her eyelids and let out a groan. Her forehead felt warm and real. She really was here, and she was alive.
Meredith slid closer beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Katrin,” she whispered. “Katrin, are you OK?”
Katrin groaned. Her lips moved as though she was trying to speak, but no sound came out. She wouldn’t open her eyes.
“Katrin, can you hear me? What’s the matter?”
Another groan.
Meredith wondered if Katrin was unconscious. Since she appeared to be neither asleep nor awake, it would stand to reason that this was the case. She wished she could talk to someone. She wished she wasn’t locked up in a poky cell with very little ventilation and no food or drink to offer Katrin if she came round.
She wished none of this had ever happened.
It was only a minute or two later when one of her wishes actually came true. The cell door opened a crack, Meredith heard whispering voices; she saw fingers appear round the door, followed by a long arm, and then two people stepped into the cell. One was tall, dark and young; the other small, dark and young. The tall one was the boy- the boy who had been part of the group which had brought Meredith here and had rescued both herself and her sister from almost drowning- and the small one was the girl who had slipped in earlier with the tray of food. The girl stayed near to the door and kept her eyes to the ground, while the boy stepped forward, his forehead set with resolution.
Meredith didn’t know what to expect. She wondered if the boy had been set to finish them off, once and for all. But if that was the case, why all the trouble to get them here in the first place? The Indians had had plenty of opportunity along the way to kill them. That first man- the one who had found them- could have done it. He had been about to do it. But something had mad him change his mind.
“Why are you here?” asked Meredith, boldly.
He took another step closer. Then, slowly, cautiously, he knelt down beside Katrin. She was lying on her side, still and motionless, alive but as though dead. He looked tentatively at Meredith; she relaxed as she saw that his expression conveyed pity, understanding and a desire to help.
The boy waited, watching Meredith’s face. At last, he slowly reached out, gently gathered Katrin’s hair in his hand and pulled it to the side, revealing the back of her neck. Meredith moved nearer, bemused. But it didn’t take long for her to notice what the boy was trying to show her. There was a puncture mark on her neck; a hole about the size and shape of an apple seed; and surrounding the puncture was a peculiar, dark-coloured rash.
The boy turned and signalled to the girl by the door. She hurried over and took out a small bottle from her apron pocket. Cautiously, gently, the boy turned Katrin onto her back. Then the girl knelt down beside her and poured a little of the bottle’s contents into Katrin’s mouth
At first, nothing happened. Katrin lay just as still, her eyelids fluttering occasionally, groaning intermittently. Then Meredith got a surprise.
“Your sister will recover,” said a voice. She looked up- it was the boy. He had spoken.
Chapter Fifteen
Meredith was stunned to silence. She felt for Katrin’s hand and grasped it. It was very cold. Then she looked up at the boy with a mixture of disbelief and bewilderment in her expression.
“You do not believe that she will recover?” asked the boy, searching Meredith’s face.
“It’s not that...” said Meredith, slowly, quietly. “It’s just that... you... spoke! In our language, I mean!”
“Yes, I can speak the language of white men,” said the boy, smiling. “I am the only one amongst the Chinukee who can.”
“Chinukee? That’s the name of your...”
“It is the name of our tribe,” said the boy, with a proud glint in his dark eyes.
“My sister... what happened to her? What’s that mark on her neck?” asked Meredith, quickly.
“It is the mark of the Hakutah arrow. She had been poisoned, but the poison is not deadly. The medicine which we have given her will reverse the effects of the poison in her body.”
“She’s been... poisoned?” Meredith’s voice was weak and shaky.
“Yes, but she will not die. The poison only causes a man or a woman to fall into a deep sleep. Usually after several weeks they will regain consciousness. But if they are given the juice of the yellow-berry, they will waken sooner.”
“The medicine you gave her...”
“The juice of the yellow-berry,” said the boy, with a smile.
Meredith tightly squeezed her sister’s hand and looked up at the boy with eyes which were brimming with tears of gratitude.
“Thank you,” she said, quietly. “Thank you for everything.”
The boy smiled again. He stood to his feet, took one last glance at Katrin and made as though to leave. But just as he was reaching out for the door handle, Meredith remembered.
“Wait!” she cried.
The boy turned back round; so did the girl.
“The baby... where is she? Is she alright?” Meredith’s voice was wrought with worry.
At first the boy didn’t answer. He slowly put his arm around the shoulders of the young girl who stood timidly by his side. Whispering something into her ear, he led her nearer to where Meredith was kneeling.
“This is my sister,” said the boy. “In the language of white men, her name is Willow. My name is White Bear, and you are Meredith, and your sister is Katrin.”
Meredith smiled.
“You may be surprised to learn that my sister is in fact the mother of the young child you speak of. Willow wishes me to tell you how grateful she is that her child has been safely returned to her.”
“She’s the baby’s mother?” asked Meredith, her eyes widening. “Then it wasn’t the mother that we found... dead...?”
“The woman you speak of was the child’s aunt, our half-sister. She and my sister’s child were taken hostage from our camp more than four moons ago. It is likely that she tried to escape with the child, but the Inukhuh kill any who attempt to get away.”
“Another tribe?” Meredith looked astonished. “I didn’t know there were so many Indians around her!”
“It is our duty to see that we are never discovered by any white man,” said White Bear, a peculiar expression passing over his dark face. “We do not wish to be tamed and made civilised like our ancestors. If we are seen by any white man, they must be killed or taken hostage.”
Meredith felt a pang of fear and her heart-beat quickened with the boy’s words. So this was their plight. They would either remain among these hard-hearted Chinukee Indians indefinitely, or be killed. Their future certainly wasn’t looking very bright.
“So why has nobody killed us yet?” asked Meredith, hopelessly. “Why did you even bother saving me from that river? And Katrin! It doesn’t make sense...”
“You and your sister are under nahkumetekah; you are being tried for the crime of kidnapping the child, and if you are found guilty, then you will be killed. But if you are found not guilty, you will have the chance to live among us as one of our own.”
“But that’s ridiculous!” cried Meredith, her cheeks burning. “We didn’t kidnap the baby, you know we didn’t! You said it yourself- it was those other Indians.”
“I know that and my sister knows, but our word is of very little value to the men who must make the final decision. You see, my mother was a white woman, and my tribe believe that I am soft towards you and your sister because you are white women also, and that I am speaking falsely in order to protect you. They will not listen to my sister, either, because she is a woman. They do not listen to women.”
“Then... there’s no hope.” Meredith sank to the ground and covered her face with her hands. She felt like her world was caving in all around her. And the noise of it was deafening. So deafening that she didn’t even hear White Bear and Willow leave the room.
“You do not believe that she will recover?” asked the boy, searching Meredith’s face.
“It’s not that...” said Meredith, slowly, quietly. “It’s just that... you... spoke! In our language, I mean!”
“Yes, I can speak the language of white men,” said the boy, smiling. “I am the only one amongst the Chinukee who can.”
“Chinukee? That’s the name of your...”
“It is the name of our tribe,” said the boy, with a proud glint in his dark eyes.
“My sister... what happened to her? What’s that mark on her neck?” asked Meredith, quickly.
“It is the mark of the Hakutah arrow. She had been poisoned, but the poison is not deadly. The medicine which we have given her will reverse the effects of the poison in her body.”
“She’s been... poisoned?” Meredith’s voice was weak and shaky.
“Yes, but she will not die. The poison only causes a man or a woman to fall into a deep sleep. Usually after several weeks they will regain consciousness. But if they are given the juice of the yellow-berry, they will waken sooner.”
“The medicine you gave her...”
“The juice of the yellow-berry,” said the boy, with a smile.
Meredith tightly squeezed her sister’s hand and looked up at the boy with eyes which were brimming with tears of gratitude.
“Thank you,” she said, quietly. “Thank you for everything.”
The boy smiled again. He stood to his feet, took one last glance at Katrin and made as though to leave. But just as he was reaching out for the door handle, Meredith remembered.
“Wait!” she cried.
The boy turned back round; so did the girl.
“The baby... where is she? Is she alright?” Meredith’s voice was wrought with worry.
At first the boy didn’t answer. He slowly put his arm around the shoulders of the young girl who stood timidly by his side. Whispering something into her ear, he led her nearer to where Meredith was kneeling.
“This is my sister,” said the boy. “In the language of white men, her name is Willow. My name is White Bear, and you are Meredith, and your sister is Katrin.”
Meredith smiled.
“You may be surprised to learn that my sister is in fact the mother of the young child you speak of. Willow wishes me to tell you how grateful she is that her child has been safely returned to her.”
“She’s the baby’s mother?” asked Meredith, her eyes widening. “Then it wasn’t the mother that we found... dead...?”
“The woman you speak of was the child’s aunt, our half-sister. She and my sister’s child were taken hostage from our camp more than four moons ago. It is likely that she tried to escape with the child, but the Inukhuh kill any who attempt to get away.”
“Another tribe?” Meredith looked astonished. “I didn’t know there were so many Indians around her!”
“It is our duty to see that we are never discovered by any white man,” said White Bear, a peculiar expression passing over his dark face. “We do not wish to be tamed and made civilised like our ancestors. If we are seen by any white man, they must be killed or taken hostage.”
Meredith felt a pang of fear and her heart-beat quickened with the boy’s words. So this was their plight. They would either remain among these hard-hearted Chinukee Indians indefinitely, or be killed. Their future certainly wasn’t looking very bright.
“So why has nobody killed us yet?” asked Meredith, hopelessly. “Why did you even bother saving me from that river? And Katrin! It doesn’t make sense...”
“You and your sister are under nahkumetekah; you are being tried for the crime of kidnapping the child, and if you are found guilty, then you will be killed. But if you are found not guilty, you will have the chance to live among us as one of our own.”
“But that’s ridiculous!” cried Meredith, her cheeks burning. “We didn’t kidnap the baby, you know we didn’t! You said it yourself- it was those other Indians.”
“I know that and my sister knows, but our word is of very little value to the men who must make the final decision. You see, my mother was a white woman, and my tribe believe that I am soft towards you and your sister because you are white women also, and that I am speaking falsely in order to protect you. They will not listen to my sister, either, because she is a woman. They do not listen to women.”
“Then... there’s no hope.” Meredith sank to the ground and covered her face with her hands. She felt like her world was caving in all around her. And the noise of it was deafening. So deafening that she didn’t even hear White Bear and Willow leave the room.
Chapter Sixteen
Meredith was woken by a stream of light pouring through her window, and a weak cough which appeared to have come from someone standing just outside the window. As she opened her eyes and slowly sat up- her body aching from the position in which she had fallen asleep and the chains which bound and cut into her ankles- she let out a cry of disbelief as she saw Katrin sitting up with her back against the wall, eyes open, studying the ceiling.
“Katrin!” gasped Meredith, laying a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “You’re awake!”
Katrin turned and looked at Meredith. Her face was pale, her eyes dull, her lips cracked. But she managed a weak smile.
“I’m so glad you’ve woken up,” said Meredith, patting Katrin’s hand. “I was practically going off my head with no-one to talk to. Except from White Bear and Willow. White Bear’s the boy who saved you, you know. And Willow’s his sister. Oh, and she’s also the baby’s mother! Would you believe it? Such good news! It’s about the only good...”
But she stopped short. There was no point in informing Katrin about their situation just yet. It was probably the last thing the poor girl needed to hear. So instead, she informed her that breakfast would soon be arriving and that Willow would bring it. Katrin nodded. Either she was too weak to talk, or she had nothing to say.
Minutes later the door to the cell opened and, true to form, Willow appeared with their breakfast. She must have expected Katrin to be awake as there was a little more on the tray this morning. Hastily setting the tray down on the ground between the two girls, she hurried away again, without a word or even a smile. Meredith wondered if this was how all the Chinukee women acted, or if Willow was just very shy.
Once she was gone, Meredith eyed the tray hungrily. This morning there was a large hunk of bread, two dishes containing something that resembled a thick lentil soup, a dish of cold meat and two beakers of sweet milk. She wasted no time in offering one of the beakers to her sister, even though her own stomach was crying out.
“Here you go,” said Meredith, gently. “Some nice, cold milk. Drink it all up.”
Katrin was too weak to throw Meredith one of her don’t-treat-me-like-a-baby looks. Instead, she allowed her sister to hold up the beaker for her as she slowly sipped the cool liquid. After a few mouthfuls she stopped and turned her head.
“It hurts my throat,” she said, weakly.
Meredith was glad to hear her sister’s voice, but she put the beaker down and shook her head remorsefully.
“Well, we’ll take a break and you can have a rest later. But you better drink it all up. You haven’t eaten or had a drink for at least two days.”
“Meredith,” said Katrin, hoarsely, and caught her sister’s hand, “Meredith- yesterday, when that girl Willow and her brother were here- I heard. I heard it all.”
“You heard it? All?” Meredith arched an eyebrow. “But I thought you were... asleep.”
“I was. Well, kind of... I could still hear things,” said Katrin, her voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s sort of hard to explain. I felt like I was dreaming, but I could hear voices and see shapes. It was like... like I was watching from another room.
“Did you feel it when Willow gave you the medicine?”
“Medicine? I don’t remember any medicine...”
“They gave you yellow-berry juice. I think that’s what they called it. Anyway, it appears to have worked. So what d’you think of it all, then? I mean, our situation and everything?”
Katrin stared at Meredith for a moment, then looked up at the ceiling. There was something in her expression that Meredith did not want to see. A kind of hopelessness and despair.
“What’s to think about it?” she retorted, shrugging her shoulders.
Meredith sighed and set to eating her own breakfast. Somehow it had lost all its taste.
“Katrin!” gasped Meredith, laying a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “You’re awake!”
Katrin turned and looked at Meredith. Her face was pale, her eyes dull, her lips cracked. But she managed a weak smile.
“I’m so glad you’ve woken up,” said Meredith, patting Katrin’s hand. “I was practically going off my head with no-one to talk to. Except from White Bear and Willow. White Bear’s the boy who saved you, you know. And Willow’s his sister. Oh, and she’s also the baby’s mother! Would you believe it? Such good news! It’s about the only good...”
But she stopped short. There was no point in informing Katrin about their situation just yet. It was probably the last thing the poor girl needed to hear. So instead, she informed her that breakfast would soon be arriving and that Willow would bring it. Katrin nodded. Either she was too weak to talk, or she had nothing to say.
Minutes later the door to the cell opened and, true to form, Willow appeared with their breakfast. She must have expected Katrin to be awake as there was a little more on the tray this morning. Hastily setting the tray down on the ground between the two girls, she hurried away again, without a word or even a smile. Meredith wondered if this was how all the Chinukee women acted, or if Willow was just very shy.
Once she was gone, Meredith eyed the tray hungrily. This morning there was a large hunk of bread, two dishes containing something that resembled a thick lentil soup, a dish of cold meat and two beakers of sweet milk. She wasted no time in offering one of the beakers to her sister, even though her own stomach was crying out.
“Here you go,” said Meredith, gently. “Some nice, cold milk. Drink it all up.”
Katrin was too weak to throw Meredith one of her don’t-treat-me-like-a-baby looks. Instead, she allowed her sister to hold up the beaker for her as she slowly sipped the cool liquid. After a few mouthfuls she stopped and turned her head.
“It hurts my throat,” she said, weakly.
Meredith was glad to hear her sister’s voice, but she put the beaker down and shook her head remorsefully.
“Well, we’ll take a break and you can have a rest later. But you better drink it all up. You haven’t eaten or had a drink for at least two days.”
“Meredith,” said Katrin, hoarsely, and caught her sister’s hand, “Meredith- yesterday, when that girl Willow and her brother were here- I heard. I heard it all.”
“You heard it? All?” Meredith arched an eyebrow. “But I thought you were... asleep.”
“I was. Well, kind of... I could still hear things,” said Katrin, her voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s sort of hard to explain. I felt like I was dreaming, but I could hear voices and see shapes. It was like... like I was watching from another room.
“Did you feel it when Willow gave you the medicine?”
“Medicine? I don’t remember any medicine...”
“They gave you yellow-berry juice. I think that’s what they called it. Anyway, it appears to have worked. So what d’you think of it all, then? I mean, our situation and everything?”
Katrin stared at Meredith for a moment, then looked up at the ceiling. There was something in her expression that Meredith did not want to see. A kind of hopelessness and despair.
“What’s to think about it?” she retorted, shrugging her shoulders.
Meredith sighed and set to eating her own breakfast. Somehow it had lost all its taste.
Chapter Seventeen
The girls spent the rest of the day thinking and sometimes talking. As the light grew duller and the shadows began to wax and wane, and as the moon finally took its position in the clear evening sky, casting a silver ribbon through the cell window and lighting up all the dark corners where spiders lurked on silken webs, there came a noise outside. It was quiet at first, but it grew louder and more distinct with every passing minute. It was the slow, steady beat of a drum, accompanied occasionally by a low moan or a high-pitched shriek. The girls covered their ears with their hands in an attempt to block it out. It was eerie and peculiar; it made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.
“That noise!” cried Meredith, shouting to be heard above the racket. “That horrible noise... what on earth is it?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it!” came Meredith’s reply. “Whatever it is, I wish it would hurry up and stop!”
Just then, the door to their cell burst open,and in ran White Bear, his face as pale as the moonlight.
“They have made their decision,” he told them, speaking quickly. “According to nahkumetekah, you will both be burned at the stake at high noon tomorrow. You have been found guilty of kidnapping the child.”
Meredith stood to her feet, her eyes blazing.
“Found guilty? But how?”
“They have no evidence to prove otherwise,” said White Bear, lowering his gaze. “As I have explained already, they will not believe my word, nor the word of my sister. They are intent on your execution.”
White Bear looked up and his eyes met Katrin’s. A peculiar expression passed across his face. Katrin swallowed; she couldn’t speak.
Meredith felt a lump forming in her throat, also. “Then... then there’s nothing that can be done?”
White Bear looked sadly from Katrin to Meredith, then back at Katrin, whose eyes were brimming with tears. If either girl could have read White Bear’s heart at that moment, they would have seen that it was breaking in two. Instead, they only saw the shaking of his head and then the sudden, peculiar determined look in his eye, the almost-proud tilt of his chin, and the turning of his back towards them as he disappeared out of the door. Unknown to him, he took with him every last ounce of their hope.
“That noise!” cried Meredith, shouting to be heard above the racket. “That horrible noise... what on earth is it?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it!” came Meredith’s reply. “Whatever it is, I wish it would hurry up and stop!”
Just then, the door to their cell burst open,and in ran White Bear, his face as pale as the moonlight.
“They have made their decision,” he told them, speaking quickly. “According to nahkumetekah, you will both be burned at the stake at high noon tomorrow. You have been found guilty of kidnapping the child.”
Meredith stood to her feet, her eyes blazing.
“Found guilty? But how?”
“They have no evidence to prove otherwise,” said White Bear, lowering his gaze. “As I have explained already, they will not believe my word, nor the word of my sister. They are intent on your execution.”
White Bear looked up and his eyes met Katrin’s. A peculiar expression passed across his face. Katrin swallowed; she couldn’t speak.
Meredith felt a lump forming in her throat, also. “Then... then there’s nothing that can be done?”
White Bear looked sadly from Katrin to Meredith, then back at Katrin, whose eyes were brimming with tears. If either girl could have read White Bear’s heart at that moment, they would have seen that it was breaking in two. Instead, they only saw the shaking of his head and then the sudden, peculiar determined look in his eye, the almost-proud tilt of his chin, and the turning of his back towards them as he disappeared out of the door. Unknown to him, he took with him every last ounce of their hope.
Chapter Eighteen
That night, the girls couldn’t sleep. They felt as though they were already dead. They couldn’t speak; they could hardly even think. Seconds, minutes, hours all seemed to merge into one. When at last the sun appeared through the window, and the familiar sounds and smells of the morning met their ears and nostrils, they lay still and quiet, awaiting the day’s events with a numb feeling of almost-acceptance.
They were provided with breakfast as usual, but neither of the girls wanted to eat. Meredith hardly noticed that it was a different girl who brought them the tray, and not Willow. Noon came, and so did a great commotion outside the girls’ window. Men were shouting- there must have been at least thirty of them gathered there- shrieking and calling in their strange, insipid language. At last the door of their cell was flung open and two fierce-looking men- dressed from head-to-foot in animal skins and with red pains smeared over their tanned faces- entered. They took out sharp knives and hurriedly cut the chains from the girls’ ankles before pulling them to their feet and brutally shoving them in the direction of the door. Meredith caught Katrin’s eye. Their only consolation was that they were going through with this together.
Outside, the scene was horrific. Crowds of people had gathered around a tall, wooden pole where men were piling wood and dried grass. All the men had their faces smeared with red paint, while the women wore red neckerchiefs or red ribbon in their hair. Children were crying and men were calling. The air was heavy with cruel anticipation. And overhead two vultures circled, eyeing the seen below them with glee.
The girls were pushed towards the centre of the crowd. Every pair of eyes fastened on them. Meredith looked from face to face and could find no pity or sympathy; only curiosity, hardness and in some, raw hatred. One young woman forced her way to the front of the crowd and stepped right up to Meredith. She shook her fist at her, said something which Meredith couldn’t understand and then slapped her hard across the face. Meredith’s eyes welled up with tears. Her face smarted, but it wasn’t the physical pain which made her cry. It was the pain of being treated so cruelly by a stranger, at a time when all she wanted was for someone to show her a little kindness.
Suddenly, the crowd’s attention was shifted to someone or something else. Every head turned to see what was causing such a commotion at the back of the crowd. People were shouting and pointing; a man had appeared among them who was different from the others. He was dressed in skins of a darker colour, and his tunic was intricately woven with many different patterns and colours. He wore a necklace of shark’s teeth and had long, snow-white hair which he wore in two long pleats down his back. His face was hard and unmoved, his eyes black as coal, his skin tanned and cracked like leather. Altogether he looked very imposing.
The man began to push his way forward. The crowd parted for him without hesitation. Faces now showed awe, reverence and even fear. As he drew nearer to where the girls were standing, they noticed that he was leading someone on the end of a rope. It was a young man, bare to the waist, with long, dark hair and a determined chin. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. All around him, people began to gasp and whisper among themselves. Katrin also gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
It was White Bear.
And both girls knew enough about the Indian culture to realise that the great man who was leading him and who now stood before them was the Chief of the Chinukee. He towered over them, his coal-like eyes burning into theirs. Meredith felt almost nauseated by their intensity.
At last, he pushed White Bear forward and barked out a command in a voice which was deeper than any the girls had ever heard before. It sent shivers down their spines and made their blood run cold.
The crowd hushed to a dead silence. Then White Bear spoke up. His eyes were blazing, his fists clenched. In the language of the Chinukee he spoke a few words to the bewildered crowd, then turned to Katrin and Meredith.
“I told you,” he began, “that according to Nahkumetekah, a person who is guilty of kidnapping must be put to death. But what I did not tell you is that a person may go free if someone offers to take their place. Since I am the Son of the Chief, I have the right to offer myself as a substitute for both of you.”
Katrin stared, aghast. Meredith lowered her gaze.
“But... but why? Why would you do that for us?” Katrin asked, quietly.
“I have the right to do as I please,” said White Bear, with an air of authority.
He then nodded at the men who were holding Katrin and Meredith. They suddenly released their grip and Katrin fell to her knees, her face white with grief, her whole body trembling. Why? She asked herself. Why was he doing this? At first she had been a bit dubious of White Bear, but now she felt quite differently about him. After all, it was he who had saved her life. And now he was doing it again.
She weakly pulled herself back up onto her feet. Looking desperately at Meredith and at the people around her, she realised that she had to get away. She could not watch this boy die for her sake. She hurled herself into the crowd and fought her way through to the other side. Then she ran. Ran as fast as she could, away from Meredith, away from White Bear. Away from everything.
It seemed like all she ever did was run away from things. Meredith though she wasn’t scared of anything. She had tried to tell herself that she wasn’t scared of anything. But really, she spent most of her life running away from the things she was scared of.
And now she was frightened- very frightened. She had never felt so lost, so confused. Not even the relief of being set free was enough to comfort her.
At last, she collapsed in a heap by the side of an old, stone well which was quite apart from the village, and cried. All the trauma of the last few days came pouring out in the torrent of her tears. There was no-one to comfort her; she had to face her grief alone.
When at last she could cry no more, she stood to her feet. She was thirsty; she would take a drink from the well before deciding what to do next.
It was an old-fashioned well with a wooden bucket and rope pulley, and it took her a moment to work out how to use it. When at last she did succeed in lowering the bucket and drawing it back out again, her attention was caught by something floating on the water’s surface.
She picked it out. It was a large purple feather, larger than any feather she had ever seen before. She wondered what kind of bird it had come from. Perhaps an eagle. Maybe even a golden eagle.
She let the bucket slide back into the well and sat down with the feather. It must have come from one of the Indians’ headdresses. Funny; so far she hadn’t seen any of the Chinukee wearing feathers, let alone purple ones...
Then the penny dropped. But it felt more like a heavy weight dropping than a penny. It hit her with such force that something like electricity went right through her body and literally sent her springing into action. She had no time to lose. How fast was it possible for her to run? She was about to find out...
Her legs seemed to move on their own accord as she made for the place where the crowd was gathered. She knew that White Bear’s life depended on her getting there in time. Faster, faster, she pounded the air with her fists and gritted her teeth together. The warm wind blew dust into her face as tall grass, bushes and then mud-huts flew past her on either side. How far had she come? Surely it could not be far now...
Suddenly the top of the pole came into view. Dark-grey smoke was swirling around and above it, and the smell of it met her nostrils.
“Oh no!” she cried, running all the harder. “I hope I’m not too late...”
She turned a corner and found herself at the back of the crowd. It appeared to have doubled in size, and the people had broken out into a riot. The noise of it was deafening. Katrin’s heart sunk to her boots as she saw White Bear being tied to the stake and two men beginning to light the grass at the bottom with torches.
“Stop!” cried Katrin at the top of her voice, as she shoved her way into the crowd. “You’ve got to stop! I’ve found some evidence to prove we’re not guilty!”
Some heads turned but the majority ingnored her as she tried to push her way to the front.
“Let me through!” she pleaded, trying to make herself heard above the din. “Let me speak to the Chief!”
Eventually the crowd made way for her and she hurried over to where the Chief was standing, arms crossed, his expression cold and seemingly unmoved. She held up the purple feather for him to see.
“Look!” she cried, waving it in his face. “I found it in the well. It must have belonged to those other Indians, the Inukhuh. It was them who kidnapped the baby... not us!”
The Chief stared at her blankly. It was obvious he did not understand.
“The feather!” cried Katrin, waving it all the harder. “From the Inukhuh! They took the baby- not us!” She rocked her arms as though she were cradling a child in an attempt to make him understand.
Suddenly the Chief’s expression altered. He laid a large, thick hand on Katrin’s shoulder and hurriedly barked out a series of commands in a voice which was even louder than before. Immediately the men who had been lighting the grass stopped what they were doing; several others hurried away and returned, seconds later, with buckets of water. To the crowd’s astonishment, they began to throw the water over the fire and over the torches.
A few buckets later, the fire was put out altogether.
It was the Chief himself who walked over to the stake, took out a knife and cut the rope from his son’s wrists and ankles. White Bear- his face pale and worn- fell gladly into his father’s embrace.
They were provided with breakfast as usual, but neither of the girls wanted to eat. Meredith hardly noticed that it was a different girl who brought them the tray, and not Willow. Noon came, and so did a great commotion outside the girls’ window. Men were shouting- there must have been at least thirty of them gathered there- shrieking and calling in their strange, insipid language. At last the door of their cell was flung open and two fierce-looking men- dressed from head-to-foot in animal skins and with red pains smeared over their tanned faces- entered. They took out sharp knives and hurriedly cut the chains from the girls’ ankles before pulling them to their feet and brutally shoving them in the direction of the door. Meredith caught Katrin’s eye. Their only consolation was that they were going through with this together.
Outside, the scene was horrific. Crowds of people had gathered around a tall, wooden pole where men were piling wood and dried grass. All the men had their faces smeared with red paint, while the women wore red neckerchiefs or red ribbon in their hair. Children were crying and men were calling. The air was heavy with cruel anticipation. And overhead two vultures circled, eyeing the seen below them with glee.
The girls were pushed towards the centre of the crowd. Every pair of eyes fastened on them. Meredith looked from face to face and could find no pity or sympathy; only curiosity, hardness and in some, raw hatred. One young woman forced her way to the front of the crowd and stepped right up to Meredith. She shook her fist at her, said something which Meredith couldn’t understand and then slapped her hard across the face. Meredith’s eyes welled up with tears. Her face smarted, but it wasn’t the physical pain which made her cry. It was the pain of being treated so cruelly by a stranger, at a time when all she wanted was for someone to show her a little kindness.
Suddenly, the crowd’s attention was shifted to someone or something else. Every head turned to see what was causing such a commotion at the back of the crowd. People were shouting and pointing; a man had appeared among them who was different from the others. He was dressed in skins of a darker colour, and his tunic was intricately woven with many different patterns and colours. He wore a necklace of shark’s teeth and had long, snow-white hair which he wore in two long pleats down his back. His face was hard and unmoved, his eyes black as coal, his skin tanned and cracked like leather. Altogether he looked very imposing.
The man began to push his way forward. The crowd parted for him without hesitation. Faces now showed awe, reverence and even fear. As he drew nearer to where the girls were standing, they noticed that he was leading someone on the end of a rope. It was a young man, bare to the waist, with long, dark hair and a determined chin. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. All around him, people began to gasp and whisper among themselves. Katrin also gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
It was White Bear.
And both girls knew enough about the Indian culture to realise that the great man who was leading him and who now stood before them was the Chief of the Chinukee. He towered over them, his coal-like eyes burning into theirs. Meredith felt almost nauseated by their intensity.
At last, he pushed White Bear forward and barked out a command in a voice which was deeper than any the girls had ever heard before. It sent shivers down their spines and made their blood run cold.
The crowd hushed to a dead silence. Then White Bear spoke up. His eyes were blazing, his fists clenched. In the language of the Chinukee he spoke a few words to the bewildered crowd, then turned to Katrin and Meredith.
“I told you,” he began, “that according to Nahkumetekah, a person who is guilty of kidnapping must be put to death. But what I did not tell you is that a person may go free if someone offers to take their place. Since I am the Son of the Chief, I have the right to offer myself as a substitute for both of you.”
Katrin stared, aghast. Meredith lowered her gaze.
“But... but why? Why would you do that for us?” Katrin asked, quietly.
“I have the right to do as I please,” said White Bear, with an air of authority.
He then nodded at the men who were holding Katrin and Meredith. They suddenly released their grip and Katrin fell to her knees, her face white with grief, her whole body trembling. Why? She asked herself. Why was he doing this? At first she had been a bit dubious of White Bear, but now she felt quite differently about him. After all, it was he who had saved her life. And now he was doing it again.
She weakly pulled herself back up onto her feet. Looking desperately at Meredith and at the people around her, she realised that she had to get away. She could not watch this boy die for her sake. She hurled herself into the crowd and fought her way through to the other side. Then she ran. Ran as fast as she could, away from Meredith, away from White Bear. Away from everything.
It seemed like all she ever did was run away from things. Meredith though she wasn’t scared of anything. She had tried to tell herself that she wasn’t scared of anything. But really, she spent most of her life running away from the things she was scared of.
And now she was frightened- very frightened. She had never felt so lost, so confused. Not even the relief of being set free was enough to comfort her.
At last, she collapsed in a heap by the side of an old, stone well which was quite apart from the village, and cried. All the trauma of the last few days came pouring out in the torrent of her tears. There was no-one to comfort her; she had to face her grief alone.
When at last she could cry no more, she stood to her feet. She was thirsty; she would take a drink from the well before deciding what to do next.
It was an old-fashioned well with a wooden bucket and rope pulley, and it took her a moment to work out how to use it. When at last she did succeed in lowering the bucket and drawing it back out again, her attention was caught by something floating on the water’s surface.
She picked it out. It was a large purple feather, larger than any feather she had ever seen before. She wondered what kind of bird it had come from. Perhaps an eagle. Maybe even a golden eagle.
She let the bucket slide back into the well and sat down with the feather. It must have come from one of the Indians’ headdresses. Funny; so far she hadn’t seen any of the Chinukee wearing feathers, let alone purple ones...
Then the penny dropped. But it felt more like a heavy weight dropping than a penny. It hit her with such force that something like electricity went right through her body and literally sent her springing into action. She had no time to lose. How fast was it possible for her to run? She was about to find out...
Her legs seemed to move on their own accord as she made for the place where the crowd was gathered. She knew that White Bear’s life depended on her getting there in time. Faster, faster, she pounded the air with her fists and gritted her teeth together. The warm wind blew dust into her face as tall grass, bushes and then mud-huts flew past her on either side. How far had she come? Surely it could not be far now...
Suddenly the top of the pole came into view. Dark-grey smoke was swirling around and above it, and the smell of it met her nostrils.
“Oh no!” she cried, running all the harder. “I hope I’m not too late...”
She turned a corner and found herself at the back of the crowd. It appeared to have doubled in size, and the people had broken out into a riot. The noise of it was deafening. Katrin’s heart sunk to her boots as she saw White Bear being tied to the stake and two men beginning to light the grass at the bottom with torches.
“Stop!” cried Katrin at the top of her voice, as she shoved her way into the crowd. “You’ve got to stop! I’ve found some evidence to prove we’re not guilty!”
Some heads turned but the majority ingnored her as she tried to push her way to the front.
“Let me through!” she pleaded, trying to make herself heard above the din. “Let me speak to the Chief!”
Eventually the crowd made way for her and she hurried over to where the Chief was standing, arms crossed, his expression cold and seemingly unmoved. She held up the purple feather for him to see.
“Look!” she cried, waving it in his face. “I found it in the well. It must have belonged to those other Indians, the Inukhuh. It was them who kidnapped the baby... not us!”
The Chief stared at her blankly. It was obvious he did not understand.
“The feather!” cried Katrin, waving it all the harder. “From the Inukhuh! They took the baby- not us!” She rocked her arms as though she were cradling a child in an attempt to make him understand.
Suddenly the Chief’s expression altered. He laid a large, thick hand on Katrin’s shoulder and hurriedly barked out a series of commands in a voice which was even louder than before. Immediately the men who had been lighting the grass stopped what they were doing; several others hurried away and returned, seconds later, with buckets of water. To the crowd’s astonishment, they began to throw the water over the fire and over the torches.
A few buckets later, the fire was put out altogether.
It was the Chief himself who walked over to the stake, took out a knife and cut the rope from his son’s wrists and ankles. White Bear- his face pale and worn- fell gladly into his father’s embrace.
Chapter Nineteen
A month later, Meredith woke up early one morning. The sun was streaming through the open door of the mud hut which had been constructed for herself and Katrin. It was warm, and outside the birds were singing in exultant chorus. Meredith decided to get up and take a stroll. She threw back the edge of the patchwork cover, slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and stood up. Then she tip-toed softly out of the mud hut, taking care not to waken her sister.
Outside, the world was just as beautiful as it had appeared through the door. Not many people were up; a couple of women were on their way to the river to get in some early-morning washing, three men were drinking coffee around an open fire, another was tending to his horse; that was all. The men grunted their good-mornings as Meredith slipped by them. She kept her eyes to the ground as was the custom of all Chinukee women when they were spoken to. It was funny to think of herself as a Chinukee woman now. But she was, and she even had the Chinukee mark on her forehead to prove it. It had been a painful operation, but now she and her sister were branded forever as belonging to the Chinukee. They could never return to their own people.
Meredith walked slowly, drinking in the fresh, summer-morning air. The sky was a beautiful blue, the grass a dazzling green. She kept on walking until she came to the well. She liked coming here. It was quite out of the way of the village, and no-one tended to visit it, except at evening to replenish water supplies. She took a long, slow drink from the bucket and sat down to catch her breath.
In the distance she could see the edge of the forest which she and her sister had come through, and beyond that, in the far, far distance, the peak of the mountain that they had been heading towards, before everything had happened. Although she still missed her parents- and Simon- dreadfully, and cried herself to sleep every night with the pain of it, she had learned to accept the distance between them, and was content to have Katrin as her constant companion now. Somehow, all that they had been through had brought them closer together.
As Meredith peered into the horizon, something drew her attention. Something very small at first, but getting larger with every second; it appeared to be moving in this direction. She wondered if it was some men on horseback. Should she run back and alert some of the Chinukee warriors?
But it soon became apparent that the moving object was not men on horses, but rather, something which was accompanied by a distinct roaring noise, and something on wheels. It was a Land Rover. As it sped nearer and nearer, Meredith’s heart pounded. Could it be...?
The Land Rover pulled up by the well. Meredith felt like she was in a dream as the doors opened and her parents came rushing out to meet her. No, she wasn’t dreaming; she really felt her mother’s warm embrace, she really smelt the familiar aroma of her perfume, she really saw the tears in her father’s large, dark eyes as he stooped to kiss her head...
“Mum, Dad!” cried Meredith, embracing them both. She could hardly speak- so intense was the joy she felt at that moment.
“Your sister, is she alright?” asked her mum, anxiously.
“Yes, yes, Mum. Katrin’s fine.” Tears were streaming down Meredith’s face.
“My little girl,” said her father, taking her hand. “We’re so glad we’ve found you at last- we’d almost given up hope...”
“What’s happened, Meredith?” asked her mum, stroking her long, auburn hair. “You look so... different.”
Meredith felt a stab of pain. Yes, she was different now. She belonged to the Chinukee.
“Mum, Dad,” said Meredith, dropping her gaze, “you’d better get away as fast as you can. If the Indians see you, they’ll kill you.”
“Indians?” asked her father, in disbelief. “But I didn’t think there were any in these parts...”
“Dad, Mum, please! You’ve seen that I’m alright, and Katrin is fine. I promise. Go back now. Hurry, before it’s too late.”
“Meredith, I’m not leaving you again,” said her mum, resolutely. “And besides, we brought...”
Before she had a chance to finish, a man came out of the Land Rover. A smallish man with a blonde goatee, freckles and pale skin. It was Simon.
“Simon!” gasped Meredith. Her heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing here?”
“When you’re parents told me you’d gone missing, I couldn’t sit around in Scotland doing nothing,” said Simon, smiling. He held out his arms and Meredith ran into them, the tears pouring freely down her face.
“But how did you get here?” asked Meredith, between sobs. “The trip out here is so expensive, and you’re just a poor bus-driver... That’s why I was going to fly back to Scotland for the...”
“For the wedding, I know,” said Simon, scuffing his toe in the dirt like a nervous school-boy. “Meredith, I... I sold my football collection. Just... just for you!”
“What?” cried Meredith, aghast. “Not your footballs!”
“Every last one,” said Simon, turning a little beetroot. “Meredith- what’s- what’s that? On your face?”
“I’m a Chinukee now,” said Meredith, solemnly.
“A Chinukee? What’s that? It sounds like... like some kind of small bird!”
“I’m an Indian, Simon,” said Meredith, with even more solemnity.
Simon laughed. “An Indian? C’mon, pull the other leg! You’re just... dressed a bit funny. That’s all. What’ve you been doing with yourself the last month or so, anyway?”
“Simon,” said Meredith, quietly but resolutely. “I’m a Chinukee now, and I can’t ever return to my own people. I mean, to Mum and Dad, and you...”
“What are you trying to say?” asked Simon, catching her hand. “Meredith, I’m not leaving you!”
“Simon, you’ve got to go! If the Indians find you, they’ll kill you, or make you their prisoner.”
“Then let them find me,” said Simon, with a determined glint in his eye. “I’d rather die her with you than return without you.”
Meredith shook her head, sadly.
No sooner had Simon said this, than there came the sound of pounding feet and gruff voices, and three Chinukee men came into view. They were armed with bows and arrows, and their expressions were terrible.
One of the men rushed at Meredith and grabbed her. A torrent of harsh words poured from his mouth as he pushed her back towards the well. She knew enough of the Chinukee language already to know that he was very angry. Very angry.
Simon tried to go after her, but a second man hit him over the head with his bow. He stumbled back and fell to the ground. Meredith let out a shriek.
The third man raised his bow at Meredith’s dad. The arrow was poised, he was ready to realise it the minute the first man gave the word...
Meredith ran up to the first man and tried to explain to him, in English as well as in broken Chinukee, that these were her parents and fiancé. But he merely shook his head and pushed her away.
Then, not a minute too soon, Katrin and White Bear came on to the scene. White Bear held up his hand as Katrin ran to her parents, tears pouring down her face. The other Chinukee men lowered their bows and watched in bewilderment.
“Mum, Dad!” cried Katrin, running into her father’s arms. “They said that there were white men outside the camp... and a white woman... and I hoped, oh, I hoped it would be you!”
“My baby!” cried Katrin’s mum, taking her face in both hands. “Oh, my baby!”
White Bear turned to Meredith. “You know that although I can spare their lives, I will not be able to allow them to return to their own land.”
Meredith looked at the boy who had become almost like a brother to her. He was kind and good and fair- he had even risked his own like for herself and Katrin- but he would never break a single Chinukee law. Not even for them.
“I understand,” said Meredith, meekly. “I just hope my parents will, and Simon...”
“Meredith, didn’t I say I wasn’t leaving you?” Meredith whirled round to find that Simon had been standing right behind her the whole time. He put his arm around her. “I’ll gladly stay here with you for the rest of my life.”
Meredith looked up at him and smiled. Then her eyes sought for Katrin. They found her busy introducing White Bear to her parents as ‘the boy who saved my life’. Meredith’s instinct told her that perhaps someday he might become part of the family...
It was funny, thought Meredith. In many ways they had both got what they wanted. Meredith had Simon, and Katrin would be able to live in the wilderness for the rest of her life...
And besides, they would always have each other.
Katrin’s eyes met Meredith’s, and she smiled.
THE END
Outside, the world was just as beautiful as it had appeared through the door. Not many people were up; a couple of women were on their way to the river to get in some early-morning washing, three men were drinking coffee around an open fire, another was tending to his horse; that was all. The men grunted their good-mornings as Meredith slipped by them. She kept her eyes to the ground as was the custom of all Chinukee women when they were spoken to. It was funny to think of herself as a Chinukee woman now. But she was, and she even had the Chinukee mark on her forehead to prove it. It had been a painful operation, but now she and her sister were branded forever as belonging to the Chinukee. They could never return to their own people.
Meredith walked slowly, drinking in the fresh, summer-morning air. The sky was a beautiful blue, the grass a dazzling green. She kept on walking until she came to the well. She liked coming here. It was quite out of the way of the village, and no-one tended to visit it, except at evening to replenish water supplies. She took a long, slow drink from the bucket and sat down to catch her breath.
In the distance she could see the edge of the forest which she and her sister had come through, and beyond that, in the far, far distance, the peak of the mountain that they had been heading towards, before everything had happened. Although she still missed her parents- and Simon- dreadfully, and cried herself to sleep every night with the pain of it, she had learned to accept the distance between them, and was content to have Katrin as her constant companion now. Somehow, all that they had been through had brought them closer together.
As Meredith peered into the horizon, something drew her attention. Something very small at first, but getting larger with every second; it appeared to be moving in this direction. She wondered if it was some men on horseback. Should she run back and alert some of the Chinukee warriors?
But it soon became apparent that the moving object was not men on horses, but rather, something which was accompanied by a distinct roaring noise, and something on wheels. It was a Land Rover. As it sped nearer and nearer, Meredith’s heart pounded. Could it be...?
The Land Rover pulled up by the well. Meredith felt like she was in a dream as the doors opened and her parents came rushing out to meet her. No, she wasn’t dreaming; she really felt her mother’s warm embrace, she really smelt the familiar aroma of her perfume, she really saw the tears in her father’s large, dark eyes as he stooped to kiss her head...
“Mum, Dad!” cried Meredith, embracing them both. She could hardly speak- so intense was the joy she felt at that moment.
“Your sister, is she alright?” asked her mum, anxiously.
“Yes, yes, Mum. Katrin’s fine.” Tears were streaming down Meredith’s face.
“My little girl,” said her father, taking her hand. “We’re so glad we’ve found you at last- we’d almost given up hope...”
“What’s happened, Meredith?” asked her mum, stroking her long, auburn hair. “You look so... different.”
Meredith felt a stab of pain. Yes, she was different now. She belonged to the Chinukee.
“Mum, Dad,” said Meredith, dropping her gaze, “you’d better get away as fast as you can. If the Indians see you, they’ll kill you.”
“Indians?” asked her father, in disbelief. “But I didn’t think there were any in these parts...”
“Dad, Mum, please! You’ve seen that I’m alright, and Katrin is fine. I promise. Go back now. Hurry, before it’s too late.”
“Meredith, I’m not leaving you again,” said her mum, resolutely. “And besides, we brought...”
Before she had a chance to finish, a man came out of the Land Rover. A smallish man with a blonde goatee, freckles and pale skin. It was Simon.
“Simon!” gasped Meredith. Her heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing here?”
“When you’re parents told me you’d gone missing, I couldn’t sit around in Scotland doing nothing,” said Simon, smiling. He held out his arms and Meredith ran into them, the tears pouring freely down her face.
“But how did you get here?” asked Meredith, between sobs. “The trip out here is so expensive, and you’re just a poor bus-driver... That’s why I was going to fly back to Scotland for the...”
“For the wedding, I know,” said Simon, scuffing his toe in the dirt like a nervous school-boy. “Meredith, I... I sold my football collection. Just... just for you!”
“What?” cried Meredith, aghast. “Not your footballs!”
“Every last one,” said Simon, turning a little beetroot. “Meredith- what’s- what’s that? On your face?”
“I’m a Chinukee now,” said Meredith, solemnly.
“A Chinukee? What’s that? It sounds like... like some kind of small bird!”
“I’m an Indian, Simon,” said Meredith, with even more solemnity.
Simon laughed. “An Indian? C’mon, pull the other leg! You’re just... dressed a bit funny. That’s all. What’ve you been doing with yourself the last month or so, anyway?”
“Simon,” said Meredith, quietly but resolutely. “I’m a Chinukee now, and I can’t ever return to my own people. I mean, to Mum and Dad, and you...”
“What are you trying to say?” asked Simon, catching her hand. “Meredith, I’m not leaving you!”
“Simon, you’ve got to go! If the Indians find you, they’ll kill you, or make you their prisoner.”
“Then let them find me,” said Simon, with a determined glint in his eye. “I’d rather die her with you than return without you.”
Meredith shook her head, sadly.
No sooner had Simon said this, than there came the sound of pounding feet and gruff voices, and three Chinukee men came into view. They were armed with bows and arrows, and their expressions were terrible.
One of the men rushed at Meredith and grabbed her. A torrent of harsh words poured from his mouth as he pushed her back towards the well. She knew enough of the Chinukee language already to know that he was very angry. Very angry.
Simon tried to go after her, but a second man hit him over the head with his bow. He stumbled back and fell to the ground. Meredith let out a shriek.
The third man raised his bow at Meredith’s dad. The arrow was poised, he was ready to realise it the minute the first man gave the word...
Meredith ran up to the first man and tried to explain to him, in English as well as in broken Chinukee, that these were her parents and fiancé. But he merely shook his head and pushed her away.
Then, not a minute too soon, Katrin and White Bear came on to the scene. White Bear held up his hand as Katrin ran to her parents, tears pouring down her face. The other Chinukee men lowered their bows and watched in bewilderment.
“Mum, Dad!” cried Katrin, running into her father’s arms. “They said that there were white men outside the camp... and a white woman... and I hoped, oh, I hoped it would be you!”
“My baby!” cried Katrin’s mum, taking her face in both hands. “Oh, my baby!”
White Bear turned to Meredith. “You know that although I can spare their lives, I will not be able to allow them to return to their own land.”
Meredith looked at the boy who had become almost like a brother to her. He was kind and good and fair- he had even risked his own like for herself and Katrin- but he would never break a single Chinukee law. Not even for them.
“I understand,” said Meredith, meekly. “I just hope my parents will, and Simon...”
“Meredith, didn’t I say I wasn’t leaving you?” Meredith whirled round to find that Simon had been standing right behind her the whole time. He put his arm around her. “I’ll gladly stay here with you for the rest of my life.”
Meredith looked up at him and smiled. Then her eyes sought for Katrin. They found her busy introducing White Bear to her parents as ‘the boy who saved my life’. Meredith’s instinct told her that perhaps someday he might become part of the family...
It was funny, thought Meredith. In many ways they had both got what they wanted. Meredith had Simon, and Katrin would be able to live in the wilderness for the rest of her life...
And besides, they would always have each other.
Katrin’s eyes met Meredith’s, and she smiled.
THE END
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