The Tribes of K'haren - Completed

Chapter 27.2

At first, the camp struggled to go back to normal but when the soldiers remained up above the cliff, they went back to work. Those who were usually sent to gather food outside the Open Wound spontaneously helped build the barricade for Luthi who should have transported them was nowhere to be seen. The group which was responsible for fishing went down to the river but stayed closer than usually and those who had spent the last days building houses for everybody now worked on the barricade instead.

The barricade was what gave them a feeling of safety to strengthen the hope they got through Tarlequin's music as well as Nume and Kran's words. Though the longer nothing happened, the more nervous they became. One might think that the army's inactivity would calm them down but instead, it made them wonder what they were up to and the danger hovering above them made them feel uncomfortable and jumpy at all times. Only one person remained absolutely calm. It was a young boy sitting on a rock with a book in his lap.

Mersha occasionally looked up from his reading pleasure and scanned the camp before looking up. Once he saw the troops still standing high above, he went back to reading and sat absolutely still. He didn't even bother to turn the page, he just read the same one over and over again. It was new, he'd found it only just two days ago and spent every moment since studying it.

The boy wasn't stupid, of course he had long figured out that Tarlequin must have written the part in once he'd been asleep, but something about the entry was just wrong. Shortly before midday, he finally figured out what it was. The last few lines didn't make sense. Tarlequin had pictured a lost world in which the Outcast would have been too late and the Open Wound would spread and swallow all of K'haren, turning it into a lifeless desert. But looking around, Mersha could see grass growing and even a young tree standing proudly amongst the rocks and boulders.

Yet there they were, the soldiers, standing above the Open Wound. They were part of the queen of the night's army, Mersha knew that for sure. Their auras were black as night and none of them were really alive. But for them to return, Tarlequin said there had to be hatred so enormous, K'haren could no longer be saved. So where was that hatred? Certainly not here. Right here, right now, the Outcast was healing the land, starting with the deadest place they could find.

Mersha knew that Nume and Kran weren't actually aware of that but he didn't see why he should tell them as long as they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Also, he knew how the day was going to end, so there was nothing for him to be afraid of. A future known, no matter how dark, held nothing frightening for him. The only thing that truly scared the boy was the unknown, which was why he had originally tried to keep away from the Outcast. But now that he knew them better, he could tell their future, at least the nearer one, as well.

When he heard Tarlequin shout his name, Mersha sighed. Unfortunately, the faun had decided to look after him. As if Mersha needed that, he might have been a child, but he already knew more than most of the others in the camp ever would. At least he'd ended up with a man old enough to still somehow surpass his own wisdom and an interesting one at that. For Tarlequin had secrets, many of them, both past and future, and Mersha loved that. Secrets were different from something unknown, they were mysterious and could be solved. When the voice called again, this time from somewhere close, Mersha closed the book and got up, looking around.

'There you are!' Tarlequin said as if he hadn't exactly known where Mersha was. In fact, the boy always sat on the same rock when he was reading, ever since they had arrived. Except for when it was raining of course, he'd never put the book at risk.

'You've been looking for me.'

'I have indeed.' Tarlequin replied. He was already used to Mersha's way of speaking.