Exile - Chapter Two
This is the second chapter of an on going story. If you have not read chapter one, you can find it at the link below.
Their trek up the beach was slow and treacherous. The entire coast was littered with sharp rocks that tried to cut through the thin leather of the boy’s shoes with each step. The burning sun seemed to linger in the sky, stretching the days. For a week, the three exiled boys walked by day and camped by night, burning a large fire to ward off the creatures that came from the sea at night, looking for an easy meal.
While making camp on the eighth night, the sun was low in the pink sky and they all needed to rest. The beach was too dangerous for them to all sleep at once. They had made that mistake once, and Odhran was going to make sure it never happened again. He volunteered for the first watch every night. Nor took the second shift and, when needed, Zek took a third short shift.
As Odhran sat with his back to the fire, he watched the water. In the last week there had been no threats from the trees that lined the beach, but on at least three occasions crabs had besieged them when the fire had gotten low. A few crabs had been as big as dogs, and they were all hungry.
The fire seemed to keep them away, but they had to keep it blazing. With his back to the fire, he kept his eyes adjusted to the dark.
On the horizon, Odhran saw something light up the water. It was a ship. Bigger than any he had ever seen. The ship seemed to appear out of nowhere, close enough Odhran could see men moving on the deck.
“Nor, Zek, get up now!” Odhran cried out. His head pounded with blood as his heart went into double time. Odhran had seen ships before and the men who rode in them. They had to move now, and they had to put the damn fire out!
“What are you doing?” Zek was sitting up and rubbing his back as Odhran scooped the rocky sand into the fire.
“Look at the sea. There is a ship. We must go. Get your things.”
By then, Nor was up and packing his blanket into his bag. On the water, the light from the ship was getting closer. When the fire went out, the crabs moved in. The three of them ran up the beach before Nor pointed to the trees.
“We have to get off this beach and hide. Go to the trees.”
Nor was right, but Odhran’s stomach still sank. He couldn’t decide which one he feared more, the unknown danger of the trees or the actual danger of the boat and the horrible men who rode in it. Odhran ran for the trees.
Behind them, on the water, the large ship was now three lights on the water as two smaller boats were heading directly toward them. The ship had spotted them. The fire that had kept them safe for the last week had betrayed them and now the only thing left to do was run.
Racing through the thick underbrush that ripped at their clothes and tore at their skin, Odhran pulled Zek along behind him, never letting go of his arm. Nor lead the way through a flowing creek of warm water and up a steep rocky slope. Zek and Odhran both slipped on the rocks and Odhran hit his face hard enough he could taste blood.
At the top of the steep hill, Nor laid on his stomach, telling Odhran and Zek to do the same. They watched their trail, waiting to see if they were being followed.
“Tell me if you see anything. They may have dogs.” Nor crawled backwards on his belly and got up into a crouch.
“Where are you going?” Zek asked, but got no response. Nor had disappeared into the darkness.
Odhran and Zek watched for any signs of movement, trying to stay silent. Moonlight filtered down through the trees, bathing the area they had come through in dim light and for an agonizingly long time, the boys saw nothing. Odhran was giving up and mimicking Nor’s crawl and crouch maneuver when Zek grabbed him, pointing down into the trees below.
Through the trees and underbrush, they could see the light of a torch and hear the crunching of heavy footsteps. They were being followed, and they had done nothing to hide their trail. A moment later, they saw their pursuer.
It was a huge man with a rack of antlers on his head and a sword that gleamed in his torchlight. He was hacking down the thorn vines and brush, making a path for himself. He held his torch up high and looked in their direction.
The antlers on the man’s head confirmed the boy’s deepest fears. This man was part of a collective nightmare that everyone in Odhran’s village, ex-village, shared in. These people had come from the sea and attacked the village multiple times before the war effort started three years ago.
When the raiders came, they would come at night, surrounding the town before the siege that would come with the morning light. Before the sun could rise above the trees, they would be gone, leaving burning homes and blood behind and taking everything they could carry, including, in the last raid, four of their mothers.
The boys had been with the mothers when the raiders came, along with all the other children. They had torched the hut and killed them when they ran out, swinging steel swords that were sharp enough to shave a man. Odhran and Nor had kicked out a loose board in the wall and gotten out unshaven with seven or eight others, but Zek had gone out the front, hand in hand with a mother.
Odhran and Nor later found him trapped under the bodies of the slain. When the mother was cut down, she had fallen on top of him, covering him and saving his life. He did not speak for a season, only breaking his silence to wish his father luck when he left for conquest, and he was never the same.
The monster of a man with his antler helm was closer now. He was tracking their path and would soon be directly below them. Odhran’s stomach turned and beads of sweat broke out on his face as rage boiled in his heart and surged through his veins. These men were to blame for everything. The path of exile they walked was their fault, but fighting was useless. They were children; they had to run.
Odhran turned to call into the darkness for Nor, but he was right there beside him.
Nor was standing up. Above his head, he was holding a massive rock. Dirt fell from it and landed on Odhran and he watched as Nor launched the rock over the edge. It turned a half a turn before making contact with the antlers that crunched down into the man’s head, killing him instantly. The sound was a disgusting wet noise that rang through the trees and in the distance they heard the voice of another.
Odhran wanted to say something. He thought he needed to, but his voice caught in his throat and he just stared down at the dead raider. One curving antler was sticking through his crumpled face like he had grown a boar’s tusk. Odhran could feel Zek’s body shudder as he started to cry.
“Up, Up. You have to go. Head that way. I will catch up.” Nor was pulling them to their feet and pointing towards the moon. He was smiling and hugged both of them before turning.
“You… have to come.” Odhran trailed off. He felt like he was dreaming and Nor didn’t respond. Nor was scrambling down the cliff and out of sight.
Odhran and Zek stumbled on, deeper into the darkness, crying and wishing they could go home.