The Mender

Tied Up

Zura, Dagan, and Esri sat up slowly. Zura whispered, "Don't move unless I tell you. Watch me."

Zura looked up at the Others, nodded quietly with the smallest of smiles, and gradually moved her hand into one of the food pouches. She brought out a piece of root, took a bite and offered it to the largest and oldest of the four Others standing around them.

He stared at her in astonishment and brought up his spear. Zura did not flinch. She put her hand on Dagan's arm to keep him sitting and quiet as she could sense his aggression building. She said softly, "We wait."

The large Other did not hurl his spear but began gesturing with it, waving it up and down and saying something she couldn't understand.

"I think he wants us to stand. To look at us." Zura put the root down on the animal skins.

Cautiously, watching the movement of the Others, she, Dagan, and Esri stood up. Zura had the three of them turn slowly and open their robes so that the Others could see that they were People like them. Zura, Dagan, and Esri stood still, a little apart from each other, their hands at their sides.

Once they were standing, Dagan's great size and obvious strength became the centre of attention for the Others. They stayed poised with their spears raised, except for the large, older Other. He lowered his spear and gazed at Zura, curious about this older woman who was clearly the leader of this little group of strangers. It was unusual to encounter someone so calm and fearless. Where had they come from? He wanted to know, but their words were different than his words and he could not make them understand what he was saying.

Zura patted her chest saying, "Zura, Zura." Then she touched Dagan's chest and said, "Dagan" and touched Esri and said, "Esri." And she repeated this again.

The large, older Other understood what she was doing, patted his own chest and said, "Tars." Zura nodded, gestured toward him with her hands and said "Tars."

Tars then pointed to a man about his age in his group and said, "Piram," Tars motioned to the young woman, "Riga" and finally the young man, "Kai." Zura knew then that they would not be killed, at least not instantly. These were the familiar beginning rituals when they traded with groups of Others.

But their safety was by no means assured. They needed to be careful. If these Others were Violent Ones, they might have decided not to strike immediately, though it would be to their advantage to do so.

Zura said, "It's good we are exchanging names. Stay quiet. I'm going to show them what we are carrying."

The Others were particularly interested in the carefully knapped points from Esri's pouch. Kai, the younger man, came over to examine them. He picked up several of the most precisely made points and her Huti stone and tucked them away in his pouch. Esri did not move.

Zura tried to indicate what direction they were traveling from and pointed at Esri's Sun-Man Stick to show how many days they had walked. It was doubtful that the Others grasped what she was trying to convey but Tars, especially, seemed to understand that Zura had a story to tell and he wanted to hear it. Perhaps she held knowledge that could explain the Ash Rain that had passed through and killed so many and why it was so cold.

Zura knew that their lives depended on every move they made and how it was interpreted. These were fearsome times and though Tars, the leader, appeared to be intelligent, she was sure he would not hesitate to strike them down if he felt they were a threat. What she did next surprised all of them.

She packed everything away again, had Dagan and Esri pick up their pouches, and ready themselves to walk. All of this was done deliberately and cautiously. Then she told Dagan, "Tie my hands."

"What?"

She pulled one of the strings of hide hanging from his belt. "Tight" she said.

Using her tied together hands, Zura pulled another string from Dagan's belt, handed it to Tars and motioned him to tie Dagan's hands together.

Zura held her breath as she knew how much she was asking of Dagan. Though he was always obedient to her, she had never asked this much of him before. Submitting his strength in this way went against every hunting instinct that was at the core of his being. She could sense his shallow breathing. For several moments, he kept standing with his hands at his side, not looking at her. Then he took a step forward and lifted up his crossed wrists to Tars.

Tars did not bind Dagan's wrists tightly.

Esri's wrists were also bound by Tars, not tightly. Tars motioned the group to start moving. They continued along the River of Life. All seven of them understood that they were taking a great risk. Zura and Tars understood it most of all. Those two also knew that it was potentially a greater risk if they stayed apart or began killing each other.

After a while, Tars spoke with Kai, the young man who took Esri's flints, and Kai took off running ahead of them.

Esri spoke to Zura, "Why do we have our hands tied? It makes it difficult to walk and you are still not well. You can't go like this for long."

"I don't think we have far to go. They're traveling light and now the young man, Kai, has run ahead, probably to let Others know we are coming," said Zura. "I don't think they are Violent Ones. Tars, the leader, has wisdom in his eyes. I wanted to let them know we are not Violent Ones."

"And now do we look too weak?" asked Esri.

"I can easily break my ties," said Dagan.

"I know," said Zura. "And Tars knows that too."

Zura was right. They soon came to a bodefire in front of a cave. Besides Kai, three Others were sitting around the fire, a young boy, a woman Zura's age who appeared unwell, and a younger woman who looked like the older woman, probably her daughter.

None of them could have imagined what an important moment that was and how what unfolded in those first minutes, days, weeks, and months would resonate down through time.