Kinderling 18

 Captian Bezart, or Bez as he insisted that I call him, and his wife Tilly are wonderful people.  Uncle Zon was right, I like them a lot.  After a tour of the garrison, Uncle Zon and I found Father sitting in a comfortable chair with his feet propped up on an ottoman, relaxing in front of a nice comfortable fire, with a blanket and a mushroom beer, dozing off.

I instantly felt guilty.  Mama was out there alone and afraid, and here we were in the lap of luxury.  Well, hopefully she wasn't alone, Tommil should be with her, but what help could he be?  I love my older brother with all my heart, but face it, he takes after Father and is about as tough and has the survival instincts of a marshmallow.  I couldn't help but think that one of them in danger was bad enough.  The two of them in danger was almost too hard to bear.

"Oh dear" Tilly patted me on the shoulder.  Which I appreciated because since I am small for my age, most grown-ups pat me on the head like one would a toddler, which is so humiliating.  Tilly, however, isn't all that much taller than me.  "No use in crying.  I know your mother, she is going to be just fine."

I couldn't help it.  My world was crashing in.  My village, my home, was destroyed.  My friends...  well, maybe crying over lost friends was a bit much.  I didn't even like most people, and a vast majority of those I did like were here at The Outcropping, or should be at Old Barrel with Mama.  But still, I had a general kind of love for all the Kinderlings of the village.  I just didn't want to have to... you know... talk to them or interact with them much.  Now so many were dead, I wished I could go back and make more of an effort.

Mostly I was angry, and didn't know what to do with it.

Tilly made an incredible stew.  It was so good, but I couldn't eat much after the first bite.  How could I eat such wonderful food when Mama and Tommil were probably shivering under a bush out there somewhere.  Tilly and Bez tried their best to steer me towards a nice, warm, comfortable bed, but I pulled my slightly damp bedroll out of my pack and curled up in the corner instead.  Finally Father asked them to let me be, explaining that sometimes I had to work things out for myself.

I hoped they understood.  

I promised myself I wouldn't sleep, but who was I kidding?  I was exhausted and was out before I knew it.  

Morning came much too early.

"Tandy?"  shake shake.  It was Father, probably the only person who could shake me awake without getting a sock in the eye.  Well, Mama could too, but that's different.  I usually come up swinging whenever I wake up.  No idea why.  When Father wake me up he has the sense to say a few things first, and in turn, I have trained myself not swing.  Mama on the other hand, was no-nonsense.  On the rare occasion she felt the need to go as far as shaking me awake, she just casually batted my feeble swings away like it was nothing.  I think that skill came from so many years working with sick and injured people.  Tommil usually got a black eye, if he was lucky.  On a bad day, it would be accompanied with a split lip.  I usually felt bad once I was awake, but man, you gotta learn to duck!

After what was probably the most delicious breakfast I had ever eaten, I was ready to go.

"We are leaving your Father here for now Tandy." Explained Uncle Zon.  "He would just slow us down, and I'm worried.  Besides he's safer up here."

"No argument here.  Sorry Father, no disrespect but you are way too noisy to be sneaking through the forest anyway."  I consoled Father.

"Zon, the path down to Old Barrel should be relatively easy for the most part, I have been using it to play with an idea Tilly and I had for using bramble bushes as part of fortifications.  I think you'll like it."  Bez said.

"He has such a good hand with growing things, he does wonders with the mushroom garden.  It has been a good hobby for him."  Tilly explained.  The way she looked at Bez, you could tell this old couple adored each other.  I wanna be like that with someone some day, but I can't imagine who.

Uncle Zon lead me out through the murder tunnel and onto the Outcropping, then down a small path on the far side.  When we arrived, we climbed up the North side.  Counterintuitively, we were leaving down the South side.  

"Uncle Zon, wouldn't it be closer if we left the other way?"  I asked.

"Yes, but closer isn't always faster Tandy.  There isn't a path down from that side.  There is from this side."

When we found the path.  I had to gasp.  The path lead into a tunnel of sorts.  Carved? Grown?  Shaped?  Out of the middle of one of the nastiest, thorniest, bramble bushes I had ever seen.  Sure, I love me some blackberries or raspberries like anyone else, but I never wanted to be murdered by a bush.  That monster had thorns that looked like you could almost use them for knives.

"Everyone watch where they put their paws!"  Uncle Zon joked. 

The walk down to Old Barrel was amazing.  The bramble tunnel took us most of the way.  When we exited, I took a close look and could tell that Bez had been busy encouraging the brambles to continue along the path so he could extend the tunnel.  I didn't know exactly why he did all this work on a place that the Kinderlings had all but abandoned, but I'm sure he had his reason.

The walk from there to the caravan grounds was almost a pleasant one.  We did the usual.  Move a short way, stop, listen.  Nary a sniff sniff, nor a grumble grumble was heard.  It was almost curious that we didn't come across any Gorfs.  Those guys are usually everywhere.  

We made it to Old Barrel a little before noon.  Uncle Zon explained that since we didn't need to be anywhere near as careful on the path through the brambles, we were able to travel much faster than he had expected.  I looked around and didn't see Mama anywhere.

"Don't start worrying yet Tandy.  There are a couple places they could be hiding."  Uncle Zon reassured me.

Uncle Zon guided me through a gap between two large stone formations and we found ourselves inside Old Barrel.  You know?  I suppose if I crossed my eyes and set my head side-ways I could almost see it, but it didn't really look all that much like the inside of an old barrel to me.  Also crossing your eyes and turning your head sideways is a good way to give yourself a splitting headache, so I don't recommend it.  Stay barrel-less, and thus less disappointed, and headache free.  That's what I say.

Alas, no Mama found.  The lake was pretty.  The water was so clear that I could see there was some good size fish swimming around in there.  I promised myself I would snag one of those fishes later for dinner if happenstance permitted.  

We exited the Old Barrel through the same gap we entered, and walked around the rock formations headed North.  That's when I saw the first signs that someone had been here recently.  I'm not sure if Uncle Zon saw them, they were faint.  Like someone who really knew what they were doing had covered their tracks, but I am a pretty good tracker if I do say so myself.  A bit of crushed grass here, some disturbed weeds there, and a place where the overgrown gap between a couple rock formations had been disturbed and then set back in place.  That was where Uncle Zon was heading for.

"Mama!  Are you in there?" I hollered.  Uncle Zon gave me a look that said "Shut up Tandy!  What you trying to do?  Get us killed?!?"  

Oops...

But sure enough, the branches moved out of the way and out popped Mama with a huge grin on her face.

I was taken aback...  My Mama didn't grin.  Not ever.  And she never wore hunting leathers... or carried a bow... or a knife big enough to almost be a sword!  Mama looked like a wild woman possessed by the forest!

"Tandy!  You're late!"  Mama exclaimed.

"Sorry Mama, got slowed down by a couple grumbly old men."

Mama laughed...  LAUGHED!  My brain went a little sideways.  I don't recall ever once, in my entire life, hearing Mama laugh out loud like that.  Sure, a quiet, controlled chuckle on a rare occasion, but never a full out laugh.

I noticed movement behind Mama, and out came Tommil, looking terrified like he hadn't just seen a monster... he had seen them all.

"Tommil, you ok?"  I asked.

He just looked at Mama all wide-eyed like she was some kind of creature from his nightmares.

"Oh Tandy."  Mama explained, "Tommil is just having some problems adjusting."  Then she turned to Uncle Zon and magically became the Mama I remembered again.  "Hideout isn't livable.  There was a cave-in at some point.  I brought Tommil, his girlfriend, and about half of your patrol.  Best I could do."

I could tell by the way Mama said the word "girlfriend" that she liked her.  From the look on Tommil's face, I don't think he knew.  I wasn't going to be the to tell him, he had to learn to read Mama on his own.

In spite of Mama's proclamation that the hideout was unlivable, when we made our way through the  overgrown path I was surprised by what we found.  If this was what Mama called unlivable, I'm not sure what that phrase means.  Sure, everything was dusty.  After all, by all accounts this place hadn't been used for at least twenty years, but other than that, it was great.  There was a good-size fireplace with a pot of stew suspended over the fire by a hook. There were all the comforts of home.  There was even a large platter on one of the tables that held evidence that someone besides me had already had the idea of snagging a fish out of the Old Barrel pond.  Sadly, only bones were left.  I was getting hungry.

Around the table sat four of the members from Uncle Zon's militia patrol.  I recognized two of them, one of which was one of the few Kinderling women in the militia.  

"Zenna, I didn't expect you here.  I thought you would stay to help your parents, are they okay?"  Uncle Zon asked the young woman.

"They're doing as well as can be expected so far Zon."  She replied.  "I wanted to stay and help them, but Baot has ordered that only boys can be in the militia, and any girls past name-day are to report to Baot's war council to be assigned a husband because the village needs babies."  There was no mistaking how she felt about those orders.  "So sorry Capitan, I'm no longer part of the militia.  As far as I'm concerned I'm my own boss!"   I could tell she was on the edge of breaking down and crying, but wasn't about to give anyone the satisfaction.

I was shocked.  Baot is assigning husbands?  How would he dare?

"Mizzy just had her name-day last month."  I mused.  Mizzy was the closest thing I had to a friend my own age.  To me, Mizzy was ridiculous.  All she cared about was cooking and cleaning, and one day snagging the perfect husband and being the perfect Kinderling wife.  No runes for Mizzy.  No fun.  No shenanigans.  Just baking bread, and bee keeping, and gardening, and anything else that fit her ideals as something the perfect Kinderling wife would do.  You might think us exact opposites, and you would be right.  Except, in Mizzy's ideals of the perfect Kinderling wife, apparently there is room for having a crazy friend that stops by from time to time.  We got along surprisingly well.  One evening when Mizzy was checking on the progress of some bottles of honey wine that she bottled the previous year, she inadvisably decided to taste one, and being Mizzy's crazy friend, it was my job to help.  Needless to say, it wasn't long before we were feeling the effects.  After a particularly hard fit of giggles, Mizzy got serious.

"Tandy, I need to make a deal with you.  There is a deal.  I need a promise from you."  Mizzy slurred with tears in her eyes.

"Anything Mizzy."

"If you get old and never find a husband, I'll be here for you.  I'll take care of you."  she sobbed.  "but I need you to promise me if I fail to be the perfect wife and my husband hates me or hurts me, you'll come for me and take care of me too."

What could I say?  Mizzy wasn't going to fail.  She was the perfect Kinderling wife.  If I was a boy I would be following her around like a lost kitten.

"You won't fail.  You are incredible!"

"Promise me Tandy.  Please!"  Mizzy sounded desperate.  So I made the promise.  Then threw up.  I was way too young and that honey wine was way too delicious.

The next thing Zenna said turned my blood cold.

"Mizzy has been married off to Old Daggi.  He has been supporting Baot's takeover from the start, and is even on the war council."  Zenna said with disgust.  "From the sounds coming from his house at all hours, he's really enjoying having such a young, beautiful wife."

"Wait." Uncle Zon practically yelled. "His house?"

"Yes."  Mama interjected, "Shortly after Beso charged you and Tadius with murdering three of his personal guard.  Baot made the announcement that he has negotiated a peace treaty with the Gorfs. His supporters have been allowed to move back to the village, and given whatever homes they want.  Everyone else has been declared unfaithful and left in the mines until they can prove themselves trustworthy.  They are saying that Tandy is the one at fault for the Gorfs invasion."

"So are you?" Came an angry voice from the other end of the table.  It was one of the patrol.  A young Kinderling I was not familiar with.  "Did you charm the Gorfs and send them to attack the village for revenge?  After all, we did find you off in the forest by yourself.  Who does that?  Nobody does that."

"Now Kurnt, that is right out of line."  Uncle Zon said forcefully.

"No!  You are in on it too, you knew right where to find her.  How did I not see it sooner?"  Kurnt cried.  "Garis is dead, Agron is dead, Moldt is dead.  Poor Moldt, how could you do that to Moldt?  Splitting him open like that and pulling out his guts so that witch Tandy could make a portal!  Everyone always said that Tandy's a witch!  I didn't believe it till now, but here you all are."

It's a common campfire story that witches cut people open and spread their guts out in a circle to make a portal.  According to the story,  the person's anguish powers the spell, so the portal stays open until the person passes out or dies.  In one of the common variations, the hero wills himself to die at just the right time so that the witch is cut in half by her own portal as it fails.  Only the weak minded would believe there is any truth to such a horrible story.

"None of that is true.  Garis stayed of his own volition to cover our escape.  Beso probably had him killed for it."  Uncle Zon said.  "The others I don't know anything about.  We escaped through the caves."

Apparently Mama had had enough.  "Call my daughter a witch one more time Kurnt, and see what happens to you."  I hadn't heard that particular tone of voice from Mama before, and it chilled me right through.  Mama started to pull out her big knife.

"Stop it, all of you!"  I yelled.  "Kurnt, if that's how you feel, you should leave. If you believed all these things, I don't know why you came here."

"He can't go Tandy, he will run back and tell Baot where we are."  Uncle Zon said gently, in that way one talks to a child when they have to say something terrible.  I don't know why people do that.  What's the point?  Saying it like that doesn't change how horrible the thing is.

"Problem is Uncle Zon, we don't have anywhere to keep him, and don't have enough people to guard him if we did."  I replied.  "If we kill him, then we are the horrible people he thinks we are.  I, for one, am not a witch.  We didn't kill anyone, and I'm not about to start with Kurnt." 

Uncle Zon just shook his head.

"She's right Zon."  Mama said, "Kurnt go.  Take your pack, a canteen, some food, and your weapons and go."

"We're sending him with weapons?" Uncle Zon exclaimed.

"It's dangerous out there Zon.  If we send him out without them, he wouldn't last long."  Mama explained.

Kurnt hastily grabbed his things and ran for the exit.  I couldn't blame him.  I was confident that nobody would hurt him, but he was smart not to stick around waiting for one of us to change our minds.

"If we leave now, we can make it back to The Outcropping before nightfall."  Uncle Zon suggested.  I thought it was a keen idea.  This place was somewhat defensible, but it didn't hold a candle to the garrison fort at Outcropping.

"If the fortifications are still in good condition, the garrison complex at The Outcropping should at least be more defensible than we are here."  Mama pointed out.

"Oh, they are Bonnie.  Bez and Tilly have been living there as caretakers since we pulled the patrol out of the garrison.  They have been spending their time fixing up the joint.  I barely recognized it when I got there."

"I had wondered where those two had gotten off to.  Suits them.  Can't wait to see them again."  Mama said.