The Collectors of Peyka

Chapter 2

We shared the same stride as we maneuvered through the forest, passed the old shack that marked the halfway point between Kelpwood and Peyka, and around the old rock on the southern border that was shaped like a human nose. When we reached the outskirts of the village, the sound of wailing children bounced from the trees and I grinned at Alto.

"Bailey will be glad you're home," I said. His fingers flexed in the stiff material of his gloves and my grin morphed into a smirk. "I can take care of her if you want."

"Would you really, though?" He narrowed his eyes and I tossed my hands up.

"Only if she crosses me again."

"You can be so-"

Before he could mock me, a small red-haired child came sprinting from one of the outer tents. She bound up the path and threw her arms around Alto's waist, swinging behind him like she was hiding from her death. When Alto twisted his neck to raise an eyebrow at her, her eyes misted over until they drained down flushed cheeks.

"What's wrong, Ava?" He turned around and knelt before her, taking her shoulders in his hands. When she tried to answer, she fell into a blubbering mess and I rolled my eyes. He was a lot better with the children; most of the time, I only saw them as a nuisance. "Calm down, little one. What's going on?"

"S-s-she's coming."

Up ahead, Bailey stomped her way across the leaf-littered path with her hand clutched around a twig the length of my forearm. Her right temple bulged and it made her dark beady eyes more beast-like. Under her breath, she muttered something I could only assume were obscenities. When her eyes landed on Alto, she dropped the stick and her whole mood shifted.

She sprinted the rest of the way with a smile plastered to her thin lips. With every step, her body jiggled in a way that repulsed me - a symbol of weakness that my people would've looked down on for anyone else but the breeders. Her thick arms closed around Alto's biceps and he let out a loud grunt when she squeezed him. Before she released him, I caught a slight snarl as she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"You took a long time. Commander wasn't happy," Bailey said. Alto took the opportunity to retreat with his head hanging. He was good at acting like a wounded child. A master at manipulation, I would tell him. "Don't worry. I told her you would have your reasons. She was mostly upset with you." She turned toward me. "Maybe it would be better if you didn't take your time doing your job."

"Maybe it would be better if-"

"Go home, little one," Alto interrupted. He fixed his attention on the small child that sat idly by. When he patted her head, she smiled at him, mostly relieved that he saved her from the clutches of the foul beast that had come searching for her, and she sped off back the way she came. "Where is the commander?" Alto continued before we could fall back into our tangent. He shielded his eyes from the sun and glanced around the outer tents like he could peer into the village from our poor vantage point. "We've something we need to discuss with her."

"She's with the dials. She plans to flip a new one this morning. You guys might want to hurry."

"You could've started with that," I hissed, but before she could say anything more, I started up the path. I offered one more glance over my shoulder and stuck my tongue out at Alto as she pulled him in for another loving embrace.

The village never changed, regardless of how long we were gone. Our last collection took us away for nine days after a problem in a tavern erupted and our target managed a narrow escape. The outer tents were still as noisy as ever, and the farther I walked inward, the more bustling the village became. Mayilda still tended to the same medicinal herbs that bulbed the day we left. Arthur's sweet scents of freshly baked bread still wafted in the air. Old Grayson and some of the other elders still hovered around the ale maker's hut while they tried out the new ferments. And everyone still stayed in line, just as Alayna commanded.