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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.