Before the Sky Fell

[ 11 ] The Drop

"I'm not trying to pull a Carl," Whik joked.

"You and I both. Enjoy your day. I'll be here burning to a crisp."

"It's not all that bad if you stay in the shade. Too bad it's such a trek down the cliff side. A dip every so often would do the trick."

"Then there would be no one here to protect the island from imminent danger. Who's out on the dinghy today?"

"Torra Grimley." Whik looked to the ground. He wished Halloh wouldn't have asked.

"That boy's had it rough. First Tully drowns and then a boar skews the woman looking after him. That family wasn't meant to have good luck."

"Perhaps," Whik said. Torra had said the water made him feel closer to his brother, so he insisted to take to the sea whenever he had the choice. Whik was reminded of Tully's death every day. "I'll see you for the feast tonight."

"I nearly forgot about the feast. This is going to be the longest shift ever. Can't tell a man to sit on an outpost while there's roasted fowl on the spit."

Whik was tired of conversing, so he picked up his bag and mounted Lana. Halloh waved his hand and chomped down on the piece of straw sticking out of his mouth before saying, "Save me some boar!"

The breeze and the shade of the forest calmed Whik's hot skin. He always enjoyed the ride back to Tannuchi, with the chattering of wildlife and sounds of swaying pines. If he were feeling adventurous, he would ride to the beach and practice shooting his slingshot with weathered pebbles. There was no time for that today, so he followed the ropes and bells.

He examined each ringer, looking for cracks in the pottery or creatures that would try to declare it home and muffle the ring. The guardsmen always looked to him to repair them. The job was tedious and rough on the hands, but Whik didn't mind feeling needed. That's what I get for being able to climb.

Whik forced his horse to a gallop in between the hanging outposts. He rode past Gordon's dilapidated cabin and the plots they had dug years ago for their fallen. The incident with Gordon felt like it happened a lifetime ago. Too much has changed. Geoffrey Marg lived in Eckrondale now, the northernmost city on the island. Whik had visited him countless times and often considered moving there, but Charlotte wouldn't leave Tannuchi.

The years didn't go by without incident. When Whik was eleven, a case of spotted fever swept across the island. Dozens passed by the time Frankford Millstone created a remedy for it. Even Charlotte fell ill with it, but she fought through and recovered. Others weren't so lucky. Margarie Govney was in bed for nearly a year. Marly, one of the town guards, witnessed his entire family die from the disease. For a while, the town thought another plague had been unleashed, but soon enough they had it under control.

Whik kissed a girl for the first time when he was thirteen. Her name was Kaily and she was beautiful. The kiss was awkward and sloppy, but soon enough they learned how to do it better. Whik saw her every day for a year, until her father found out. She told Kaily that she wasn't fit to marry an orphan, so the family uprooted and moved to Ashwood, a day's ride from Tannuchi. Whik snuck a visit in once in a while, but the distance took its toll and Kaily met someone else.

When he was fourteen, Whik broke his leg while climbing to check the ringers. He was in bed for weeks, but Frankford put all sorts of ointment and braces on him and soon enough he was climbing and riding again. He read Coliasus while he was resting. The book was violent and sad, but it told the story of Sonora's people, so he took in every word. He promised himself that before he died he would visit the isles of Kolos, to see the slaves for himself.