The Mender

Flat Rocks

Like Esri's old bode, this bode also had a large, deep cave, which probably explained how they survived the Ash Rain. The cave was a distance above the River of Life. A well-worn path wound down from the cave to the river. At that point, the river widened out creating several shallow pools surrounded by large, flat rocks. As they soon found out, the bode was called Flat Rocks.

The unwell older woman, her daughter, and young boy who were sitting by the bodefire stared intently at Zura, Dagan, and Esri, especially at their bound hands and waited for Tars to explain. The little boy looked with round, wide eyes and sat close to the young woman.

Dagan said, "I don't see others in the cave. Maybe some are out looking for food. But I don't think so. They wouldn't leave those three alone for long."

Zura said, "I agree. I believe it is only those we see who live in this bode."

The seven in the bode were comprised of the four in Tars's scouting group plus the three sitting around the fire: four men and three women. The boy at the fire was the youngest. Tars and the unwell woman were the oldest.

Tars spoke for some time, showed the three sitting by the fire what Zura, Dagan, and Esri were carrying. Kai brought out Esri's points and passed them around. Zura heard her name mentioned several times.

The sickly older woman then spoke as did all the others in turn, even the little boy. Zura watched the sickly woman closely as it was to her that Tars and the others mainly addressed themselves.

Zura said, "The old woman has the dry cough from the Ash Rain. Perhaps the cough will not worsen and she can still be saved. I have plants for a tea that can help her, if they let me."

Though sickly, there was nothing soft about the woman and she sat tall, taking in every detail of the three strangers that Tars brought back to the bode. She gazed into Zura's eyes for a long time. Zura chanced a slight smile and a nod. The woman spoke to the young woman sitting next to her who then helped the old woman get to her feet and slowly she walked over to Zura.

The sickly woman patted Zura's chest and said, "Zura" and then patted her own chest and said, "Nagar." And repeated the names again. Then Zura, gestured to Nagar with her bound hands and said, "Nagar, untie."

Nagar took Zura's hands and unbound them. She kept holding on to Zura's hands and stared into Zura's eyes. Before she could stop herself, tears began to run down Zura's cheeks. The death of nearly everyone she knew at her bode, the weeks of walking, and the anxiety that maybe no other people were alive anywhere overcame her. She had not cried since she was a small child, not even during the Ash Rain, but now she could not stop the tears as her hands were held by this strange woman with the intense eyes.

Zura knew she should be projecting strength, not powerlessness but it was too late to pull back the tears.

Nagar continued to hold onto Zura with one hand. With the other hand, she gestured to the young woman who had helped her get up and said, "Saba," and then to the young boy and said "Fenti-Dumu."

Zura felt a calmness wash over her. There was something emanating from Nagar that felt comforting. Clearly, Nagar was a woman of unusual intelligence, and this reassured and excited Zura. Though Zura held a high stature among her people, she often felt lonely and isolated. Esri might be her equal one day, but she still had much to learn. No, this was something new. But would Nagar's intelligence be a threat to them or could they learn to trust each other? If Zura had only known that Nagar was having identical thoughts about Zura at that moment.

No one moved or spoke, as if they were all unsure what to do next. And then Esri began to sing. No doubt, an odd, possibly dangerous thing to do at this delicate, early stage of meeting these strangers, but it worked. She sang their journey song. At first the Others were startled, but her clear, lovely voice soon softened and calmed the group.

Nagar turned and spoke a few words to Tars who, in turn spoke to Kai and he went and untied both Esri's and Dagan's hands.

When Esri finished her song, Zura walked over to Esri and Dagan and said, "Learn their language. Make them happy. Appear mild – unless they harm us."