Nightscape

Chapter Four

The tribe had settled down in a small cave carved out into the side of a cliff along a frozen over river. They huddled in darkness, crouched on the damp floor. Everything was completely dark as well, they dared not make a fire in case of smoking themselves out of their only hidden shelter at that point.

Liora, Iioran, and Atowyn were huddled together in a corner by a particularly large puddle that had ice forming at the edges. They whispered angrily to each other. The occasional "How dare she," or "She was too good to be true," could sometimes be heard echoing from their little meeting.

Alune and Iyan sat off on the edge. Alune could hear Tali whimpering to Rebu, asking for something to eat. It wasn't only the small patchy brown pup that was starving though. They all were, but their rations were too small and any food source to scarce for them to not try and stretch out the time between meals.

"This is worse than hiding in the grove," Alune muttered.

"Better than being killed," Iyan pointed out.

"True, but is living much better at this point?" Alune remarked.

Iyan shrugged.

"I don't care what she said! She's part of the enemy now! She brought those monsters right to us!" Alune and Iyan's heads snapped up when they heard a rather loud snarl come from Liora.

"She really isn't taking this well, is she?" Iyan commented.

Alune shook his head, "old bat, Nyco was her golden child really."

"Yes, that was very obvious, but what do you think happened to her?"

"What do you mean?" Alune inquired.

"Did she and that Rider bolt? Have they been tracking us possibly? Maybe the creature turned her over to the others and she's being roasted on a spit over a fire as we speak!" Iyan theorized.

Alune cringed, "she'd be long digested by now if that were the case."

"True, true," Iyan shrugged.

"If she did get away though where do you think she went?" Iyan added.

"No idea, but I need to go ask the elders about hunting patrols," Alune said, standing up and shaking the water out of his cloak.

He crossed the cave and was about to step out from behind a small stalagmite growing out of the floor when he hesitated.

"What can we even do, Iioran?" Liora hissed.

"We could search for another tribe, there must be more!" Iioran insisted.

"How can you be so sure?" Atowyn asked, skeptical.

"Nyco came from one-"

"Don't! Don't speak of that wretched traitor's name!" Liora interrupted, spitting angrily.

Iioran and Atowyn shared a look of confusion, they had never seen Liora like this before. Her anger was usually cool and collected. This new explosive anger worried the other elders though, it was like the sparks of a fire leaping out at them at any given moment.

"Anyway," Iioran continued, "We should start looking for any possible signs of another Skaars tribe, if not we might as well begin heading south to Iig and hope we aren't Rider fodder on the way."

Other tribes? Of course! They could help us! Alune thought.

"What if they turn us away though?" Atowyn said.

"We'll find another then," Iioran replied.

"But what if there aren't any more? All our neighboring tribes were destroyed or they left closer to the beginning of the war, and we know the farther away tribes have had casualties as well with the refugees Siirian would come across back when he would hunt," Atowyn added.