Remi's Great Escape (Forestfolk Prequel)

Chapter 5a

I managed to get home just as darkness set in. I buried my newly acquired weapon beneath a pile of rocks before entering the compound. I was so exhausted, my legs wobbled as I walked. I'd nearly reached my hut when Pode's sizable follower, Jabu, grabbed my arm.

"There you are!" He jerked me toward him. "Trying to sneak past us?"

"No." I didn't have the will to fight back, even with words. "Just tired."

"Well, you're to report straight to Pode."

I nodded, and let him drag me to the toad's hut. He was an insult to toads, really. I liked toads. They ate bugs. I would like toads to eat Pode. I grinned at my exhaustion-fueled thoughts.

"Happy news, I take it?"

Pode's oily voice wiped the grin off my face. "I found nothing unusual at the Zurbo tribe."

Pode's lip curled, like I was a thing of disgust. "Nothing?"

In that moment, I knew if I gave him nothing at all, I would suffer for it, even though it wasn't my fault the rumors were false.

I had to give him something. I thought about changing my answer, lying to say yes, there were piles of spears being made by the Zurbos. But then my tribe would go to war with them, and what would happen to that pale-haired girl I saw? I had no idea who she was, but for some reason I didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

"So I went to the Kembari tribe," I heard myself saying.

Pode's eyebrows lifted. "The Kembari?"

I nodded, fabricating the falsehood as I stood there. "I heard one of the Zurbos say something about them. About weapons. So I went to check it out."

His eyes bored into me with interest. "Go on."

"And—and it was true. They were making spears."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"And clubs. Lots of them." I held my breath. If he saw through my lies, he would strangle me for sure.

Pode nodded. "I knew it. Good work, boy." He slapped my shoulder, which almost sent me reeling. "You sure are a scrawny one. Here." He took an entire roasted rabbit from a nearby table. "I suppose you've earned this."

I snatched it from his hands before he could change his mind.

"What's that, now?" He cocked an ear as if I had said something.

I glared at him, a few choice words on my tongue. "Thank you," I mumbled instead.

He nodded, satisfied, and I charged outside before he could say anything else. Relief flooded through me. He must have been desperate to present the Chief with some kind of news. What a preening boar's ass.

I clutched the roasted rabbit in both my filthy hands. The smell of it made my mouth water. I wanted to stuff the entire thing into my mouth, but I made myself take reasonable bites instead. Thoughts of Ma lying sick in bed quickened my step.

The sun was long gone, and the hut was dark when I entered. "Ma, I'm back."

She didn't reply.

Not wanting to disturb her sleep, I removed the unlit torch from the wall and took it outside to touch it to a burning one. After tucking the lit torch into a wall sconce, I crouched down next to Ma's bed. She looked so peaceful.

I brushed her hair away from her face.

My breath caught in my throat.

Her skin felt tepid.

"Ma?" I whispered.

I stared at her, willing her to open her eyes. Listened hard for her wheezing breath.

I heard none, and her eyes did not move.

"Ma." I shook her arm. "Ma, wake up! I'm home!"

Her head lolled a little from my shaking, but she remained deathly still.

Cold dread squeezed my heart. No. I couldn't be too late. I couldn't be!

"Ma!" My voice cracked. I tried to sit her up. I tried to feed her meat. I tried every ineffectual thing my stupid brain could think of, but she would not wake.

Tears streaked my face as I ran outside. "Help! We need help!"

No one was out in the cold night, and no one came to my aid.

I ran to the herbalist's hut and shoved my way past the heavy curtain. "You have to help!"

Rinnic—the man who'd allowed me to keep the fruit—jumped to his feet, eyes hard and fists rigid with alarm. "What are you doing in here?"

"It's Ma," I said between panicked breaths. "She's—she's not moving. She won't open her eyes." I wiped my own eyes with the back of my hand.

Rinnic released his fists and turned to the older woman across the table from him. "It seems you are needed, mother."

She calmly set down the hide she'd been sewing and stood. "Then let's see what the problem is."

No, no, Ma... what can be done?? (Believe it or not, voting helps.)