Never Go Home

Chapter 1 - The Offering Begins

"Don't look back," Eluena whispered. She tugged on my sleeve to bring my attention back to the road ahead.

The other girls continued to walk along, boots dragging in the dirt, shoulders hunched. Little puffs of dust rose from underneath our feet.

The sun rose and fell in the sky, and the road now ran parallel to the river. The murky water tinged with green. I'd read in old books bought from the peddler that the water used to be clear down to the bottom of the riverbed. I longed to jump in as sweat trickled between my shoulder blades and beaded above my lip, but instead, I swiped the salty moisture away and adjusted the brim of my hat.

Knowing we would walk all day, I wore something sensible, a loose-fitting cotton shirt and pants to protect my skin from the sun. The other girls dressed in their best sundresses. They might regret that decision tonight while they nursed a nasty sunburn.

As the 'wayward' person in our village, I often found myself off to the side observing everyone else. Maggie and Edith trailed behind the rest of us with eyes downcast or staring at the river; their shoulders slumped forward. They hadn't accepted their fate yet, but it was an improvement upon when we first left. The other two girls, Mindy and Becka, tittered about meeting their husbands. I walked a few feet behind them and eavesdropped on their giggles.

As usual, their inane chatter bored me, so my mind focused on the journey ahead. I wanted to see more than a few villages, but the dream I could fit in somewhere appealed to me. The people of Chernibden had never accepted me. Eluena was the only person who seemed to understand. She didn't have subversive thoughts, as our teacher liked to call them, as I did, but at least she never judged me for my ideas and dreams. The others were a different story.

I had tried to fit in with them. I'd fake interest in new dresses and ribbons. It didn't matter. Sooner or later, I'd open my mouth and say something shocking like, "Did you know before the Great Warming women used to go to school for years and years and even fought in the military?" I would say it with such awe and fascination that everyone would stare at me and then break out in laughter. Mindy would be the one to start. The others always followed.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't see Eluena move up next to me again. She knocked my arm to get my attention. "We're finally coming up to the crossroads."

I squinted as I looked ahead, covering my brow with my hand to block out more of the harsh sun. The crossroads would have shade. Even though I wore a large brimmed hat, which was standard for any sane person growing up in Chernibden, I was ready to cool off. Even better though, the crossroads meant we stopped for the day, and we'd find out who would move on tomorrow and who would stay for a few days.

My thoughts warred with one another. A part of me wanted to stay for the extra five days with Eluena. Unless we wound up in the same village, we'd likely never see one another again. The other part of me wanted to be one of the first three girls to move on. That way I could keep traveling and see all of Tel-Eile. Finding a husband didn't interest me.

Just that morning, I hinted at my wishes to my mother. I always was the one to braid my hair, but this morning my mother insisted.

"One last time, my Talia," she had said, her face stoic and eyes glassy. Without a word, I had sat on the stool in front of her. Father puttered around us gathering his tools. He'd be off to work as soon as the Offerings were out of sight. She pulled the brush through my long auburn locks, hissing as she hit the snarls. "You never cared much for your presentation."

I examined my mother in the mirror. Her head was bent, attention towards the task at hand. I always thought she was beautiful, but now I noticed her hair, so like my own, was more gray than auburn. Lines marred her face. At least they were what they called laugh lines. That was a good thing, I thought. When I was older, I hoped the lines on my face showed everyone how happy I was. The only times I recalled those lines tarnishing her pleasant looks was when my sister or I had done something wrong, which was often. But I also remembered seeing them when we were around the Elder Council.