Demon Child Ch. 04

Kwal'kek was standing in the middle of camp talking with a Jhardron when Neekah approached. She tried one of her new words. "Greetings." Kwal'kek nodded and held up a hand, signaling her to wait, and turned back to Jhardron. They spoke for many more minutes as Neekah stood watching. The camp was rapidly coming down. All the tents were down except for Kwal'kek's and the boys were busily moving its contents into a wagon.

Neekah jumped when Kwal'kek tapped her on the shoulder. "Greetings, ha'akh." She quickly pointed toward the latrine pits and asked leave to go. He nodded and shooed her off, but did not follow. Neekah trotted off, feeling giddy with her independence. As soon she was back, he had her help the boys as they moved the supplies from his tent to the second wagon.

As the last of the regiment's supplies were being arranged carefully in the wagon, the tent was coming down and being rolled into a neat package. It was heavy and it took all five young men to pick it up and load it on the wagon.

Now that the camp site was completely clear that it was strangely silent. She wondered where the Jhardron and the warriors had gone. Looking around she saw only the young men that Kwal'kek seemed in charge of and the one surly warrior that had been so harsh with the boys the day before. They were harnessing large solidly muscled horses to the two wagons. There was a small group of the tall war horses tethered to one side.

"Ha'akh tet!" Kwal'kek's voice was loud but she had gotten used to his tendency to bellow at nearly everyone. Neekah trotted over to him. She squealed in surprise when he wrapped his hands around her waist, picked her up and dumped her into the wagon on top of the folded hides that had been his tent. He pressed a handful of dried meat and fruit into her hand and walked over to the horses. He pulled himself onto the back of a massive warhorse.

The two wagons and the riders moved away from the camp site. A wave of excitement swept through the first year warriors. They urged their mounts into a sudden gallop, circling around the slow wagons, their voices raised in the shrill war cries Neekah remembered from the attack on the Ramaldi village only two days before.

The wagons moved slowly. Neekah was the only person who was riding on a wagon. The draft horses that were pulling the wagons were led by a young warrior on foot, walking along side. His horse tethered to the back of the wagon as he took his turn leading. Neekah sat up tall and watched as the valley slowly slipped by.

The young warriors practiced their riding skills as they escorted the wagons. They had a small leather ball that they threw back and forth between each other as they rode in circles around the wagons. Testing their skills by attempting more and more daring catches, leaning low, galloping at top speeds.

If a rider missed his catch, the other players would shout and laugh, but it then became an intense competition to see who could pick up the ball from the ground as they galloped past at top speed. The boys would race by with one foot in a stirrup, holding onto the girth of their saddles, and would reach down and snatch up the ball. The challenge was that the other riders were trying to get the ball too and it seemed totally acceptable to attempt to knock each other out of the saddle. Many times the young men would tumble into the dirt and their horse would canter off.

This would start a new game of one rider charging past the one on the ground and they would link hands and the boy on the ground would fly up and mount behind the first. They would ride after the riderless horse and the second rider would slip effortlessly onto its back and the game would resume.

Neekah watched as the first year warriors played their endless evolving game of catch.

At first it was exciting to ride up high on the wagon and watch as the world slowly went by, but by the time the sun was high in the sky Neekah found riding in the wagon exhausting. The sun burned down hot and the young warriors stopped their games. Every rock and stick made the whole wagon jerk and bang. Her seat high in the wagon was rough, bumpy and choppy. Sitting up made her neck and back ache.

They traveled north, following the valley cut by the creek. Kwal'kek brought the small group to a halt near a small pond.

Neekah walked with Kwal'kek as he walked down to the pond. She pointed at the water and asked, "Bath?" Kwal'kek nodded. She pulled off her shift and her head scarf and waded out into the water. She eagerly began to scrub off the dust of the long ride. She was quickly developing a preference for being clean.

As she came out of the water she became aware of the warrior that had ridden throughout the day at the edge of the group. He was standing at the edge of the water. His eyes were sweeping across her form, his eyes predatory. She could feel his anger and lust. Neekah felt a wave of nervous dread. She looked for Kwal'kek but he had returned to the camp.

"Ha'akh tet." The warrior's voice was loud and angry. Neekah reluctantly walked up to him. He reached out and gripped her upper arms, his fingertips digging deep into her flesh. He pulled her close, forcing her up on her tip toes as he stared into her face. His rage flowed over her.

"Klektor!" Kwal'kek's voice cracked loud. The warrior turned, still gripping her arm and calmly spoke to the old warrior. The spoke back and forth for a while but Neekah could not catch many of the words. She heard 'ha'akh' several times and then Kwal'kek said Jhardron's name and suddenly the warrior released her arm and spun on his heel and walked away.

They did not put up any tents, spreading their sleeping mats on the ground around the fire and slept beneath the stars. No warriors came to take her and Neekah found herself wondering wistfully where they had gone, when they would come back.

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The small group of riders and the two wagons moved up and out the Ramaldi valley and onto the wide clear plains of the nomadic herders. Neekah watched as the rocky red stones of the valley fell behind. The thought that she was leaving the only home she had ever known did not even enter her heart. A deep sense of correctness filled her. This was something that was meant to be, she wasn't leaving a place so much as going toward another.

The sight of the wide open sky above the rolling grasslands filled her mind. A soft humming seemed to fill Neekah, numbing thought. It seemed that the soft movements of the wind in the grass pulled at the corners of her vision. She found she was listening to the wind, listening for something she could not name. Neekah shook her head trying to chase these clouds from her mind, but try as she might the sense that something was hovering at the edge of her consciousness would not go away.

The wide grassland was easier for the wagons to move along and the ride became smoother. Fatigued she lay down upon the skins of the tents and let the rocking of the wagon lull her into a trance. Her awareness was spinning in wider and wider circles. She found herself looking down at the sea of grass from a great height, looking down at the group of riders and wagons as they traveled. She turned her vision to the north. Something was there, something she needed to see.

Neekah was dimly aware of hands roughly shaking her. Kwal'kek's voice seemed to be coming from a long distance, calling her back. Neekah fought against waking. If she could just fly a little further she would see...

A hard hand slapped her face and her eyes flew open. She was not in the wagon. She was on her feet, the horizon spinning sickeningly. The only thing that kept her from crumbling to the ground was Kwal'kek's strong hands on her arms, his eyes dark with worry. An overwhelming wave of nausea swept over her. Pulling loose from his hands she fell to her knees and vomited into the grass.

Neekah stayed on her knees until the world stopped moving. She sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was suddenly aware that all the young warriors were standing in a circle, looking down at her. She felt a wave of heat sweep across her face. Staggering to her feet she stumbled to the wagon and reached for a water skin. She could hear Kwal'kek barking some orders and the boys moved off to complete their evening assignments.

She felt his hands gentle on her shoulders and he turned her around. He looked carefully into her eyes and his hard calloused hand touched the skin of her forehead. Then he reached down and firmly pressed on her stomach and then down lower over her bladder. Neekah stood still and passive under his hands. She could feel his worry and concern. She looked at him and smiled a shaky smile and patted his hands trying to communicate to him that she no longer felt sick.

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Kwal'kek looked carefully at the girl that Jhardron had placed in his care. She had been laying still in the wagon for many miles. He had assumed she was sleeping. She had not woken when he called the wagons to a halt at the end of the day. He had gone to her, but she did not respond to his call.

He had pulled her from the wagon, shaking her to wake her. She had opened her eyes and stood before him but there was no awareness in her eyes. She had opened her mouth to speak but the voice that came out from her lips was deep and hoarse, the language unfamiliar.

Kwal'kek slapped her; desperate to free her from this waking dream she seemed trapped in. She woke suddenly and had gone limp in his hands. Her sickness was alarming. It was common for a ha'akh to die in the first days of their training. The terror of being taken captive would weaken their spirits. But this girl had not seemed unhappy or terrified. She had not even tried to run away, something nearly all ha'akh did in the first weeks of training. Jhardron would be very displeased if this ha'akh did not survive.

He examined her carefully but she did not seem to have any symptoms other than possibly being a little weakened by thirst. He urged her to drink again.

All evening she appeared tired and distracted, frequently stopping and looking toward the horizon to the north, tipping her head as if to listen. She would rub her eyes and blink. She had little appetite and ate only a few bites of the cold trail rations that were normal traveling food for the Bak. Kwal'kek regretted not being able to question the girl about what she was feeling.

Once again they made a simple camp, sleeping on skins under the stars. He was careful to keep the ha'akh's bed near his, wanting to keep her close so he may observe her health. The girl was restless through the night, turning in her sleep. At one point she sat up and called out in the odd mud people language, but lay down and slept soundly after he had placed a hand on her arm and hushed her.

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Neekah was plagued by the sense of visions just outside the edge of her awareness all evening. She could almost hear words on the wind, words in a language she could not understand. She felt like she was trapped between worlds. The real world with Kwal'kek and the young warriors seemed distant and hazy, but she could not reach the other side.

Sleep came quickly but brought no rest. Dreams crowded around her. Kharthmah loomed over her like a giant, his toothless mouth cackling, "Find your own magic, Demon." A small dark woman reached out and struck her, hissing in hatred. Suddenly all vanished and the dream of flying swept over her, only this time she could see around her. Dozens and then hundreds of horses surrounded her, racing across the grass. She could sense the pounding of her hooves as they beat against the ground. She realized she was one of the horses too. Suddenly she was outside of herself looking down and she marveled the sight of a perfectly white mare, racing at the head of an endless tide of galloping horses.

Looking ahead she could see a figure standing alone in sea of grass. It was too far away to recognize but she knew it was Jhardron. She tried to call, to warn him that the horses were coming, but words would not come. As the herd of horses swept closer, the horror grew until she could not bear it. Screaming she ripped herself from sleep and called to the sky to make it stop. Half awake she felt a hand on her arm and Kwal'kek's familiar voice soothing her to sleep.

The minimal camp made for a quick start in the morning. Neekah had little chance to listen to the wind. When Kwal'kek motioned for her to climb into the wagon she looked up at her place high atop the wagon and felt a strange reluctance. She took a step away from the wagon. "Walk please." She hoped she had the right words. Kwal'kek frowned and shrugged. He pointed at the boy leading the team and said, "Walk there."

Neekah grinned and skipped up, happy to see Tim'kah was taking first turn at the horses' heads. "Greetings, Tim'kah."

The young warrior returned her smile and responded, "Greetings ha'akh."

The massive horse loomed next to her as she stood next to the young warrior. Neekah realized that this was the first time she had been so close to one of the horses of the Bak warriors. She looked up at the huge animal fearlessly and the massive draft horse returned her gaze. Neekah respectfully said, "Greetings Marmak." Then the horse lowered his head and pressed his nose against Neekah's shoulder and blew a long low breath against her and let out a soft rumbling nicker. Neekah slowly reached up a hand and touched the warm soft nose in a brief caress.

Tim'kah spoke sharply and pushed the big horse's head away. Neekah sensed he was worried that the horse might hurt her but she wondered why. She knew that this horse was her friend.

Walking in the tall grass was more difficult than Neekah had anticipated. The grass was knee high and hid many pits and hummocks that could trip her up if she did not keep a vigilant eye on the ground. The team moved along much faster than she had thought it would. She found the demands of walking helped keep her mind busy. She had no time to be distracted by the wind and the grass.

Neekah soon found herself learning how to step high and long. Her eyes pulled toward the horizon of grass and the endless domed sky above her.

The young warriors continued to play their horseback games through the morning. Every hour or so a new boy would take a turn leading the horses; and Neekah quickly learned their names. As the sun passed overhead and began to sink in the afternoon Neekah began to stumble and have trouble keeping up. Kwal'kek rode up beside her and pointed at the back of his horse. He said something new but she heard the word, "marmak".

She nodded eagerly and held up her arms to him. He kicked his foot out of the stirrup and pointed at it. Neekah had seen the riders mount many times. She knew that he meant for her to put her foot there to help herself up. She mimicked what she remembered, grabbing the stirrup with one hand and holding it still, she put her left toe on the cross piece and reaching up she took his hand. He gave a quick jerk and she flew up to sit behind him. She squealed in excitement and wrapped her arms around him as he suddenly kicked the sturdy horse into a quick trot to catch up with the group.

Kwal'kek caught up to Klektor and pulled his horse up to ride along side. The warrior glowered at her. Neekah cringed from the rage that seemed to emanate from him, turning her face away. His voice was cold as he made a comment to Kwal'kek.

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Klektor watched as the fat old warrior dropped back and allowed the ha'akh to mount behind him. He felt his anger at the girl rise. It seemed the mere sight of her clouded his mind with rage. He knew that it wasn't reasonable to blame her for his error in leaving his post but her presence was a painful reminder of his failure.

She was constantly in the way, always following Kwal'kek around like a puppy. When he had corrected her for getting in the way during the sword drills, she had cringed down to the ground and Kwal'kek's sarcastic remark about his 'seduction technique' in front of the boys had only added to his loathing.

The final insult was when he had caught her sneaking away from camp, frolicking naked in the water, her nudity taunting him. He hated that he wanted her so much. His mind filled with the images of her under his hands, her venya tight on his jhambar. He had been among the first to share her. It would be long before he would have her again.

"You spoil the ha'akh. A true warrior should not have a girl share his saddle. If she cannot keep up, put her in the wagon."

Kwal'kek shrugged, "It is a good thing that I am just an old man. Jhardron put this girl in my care. Riding in the wagon made her sick. I will not risk her health. I would not want to bring a sick ha'akh to the gathering."

Klektor grunted, "You make a fine auntie old man. I will ride ahead. The gathering is not far." Abruptly kicking his mount into a sudden canter he quickly left the group behind.

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Neekah was relieved when the angry man moved away. She had no idea why he hated her so much. Soon her attention was drawn back to the sensation of the strong horse moving between her legs. The warmth and strength of the animal under her was thrilling.

She was beginning to understand the sense of joy and enthusiasm she felt as the young men vaulted onto the backs of their mounts. She wondered what it would be like to ride like they did, like they were one with the animal under them, to ride like the wind.

They did not stop in the afternoon like the previous two days. Neekah could tell the young warriors were getting excited. Neekah was startled when they came to a crest of a tall hill and looked down on a broad valley with a lake in the center. The young warriors began to whoop and shrill war cries and kicked their horses into a furious gallop, charging toward the dozens of tents and fires that spread below them. More war cries rose up from the camp below.

Neekah was startled. At first she thought that they were attacking but soon it was apparent that the rest of the Twisted Dagger was down there and that they were just putting on a show of a mock attack. There were many times more tents than at the last camp and she could see at least six wagons parked. Neekah had never seen so many people in one place. She strained to peek around Kwal'kek as they rode down.

A rush of emotion startled Neekah as she saw Jhardron. She had not realized how much she missed this tall man. He walked up to the horse and reached up, taking her by the waist and lifted her down to the ground. "Greetings Jhardron".

"No ha'akh, say 'Greetings Khan Jhardron." Kwal'kek's voice was gentle and firm.

"Greetings Khan Jhardron."

"Greetings ha'akh." Neekah was intensely aware of his eyes on her. She could feel his fascination. She felt her face heat and she turned her eyes to the ground. She was unnerved by how her heart was racing in her chest.

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He had not been aware of what he was looking for as he looked over the wagons and riders but when he spied the girl peaking around from behind Kwal'kek he knew he had been looking for her.

He moved to the horse she was on, telling himself he needed to talk with Kwal'kek about the placement of the camp. He helped her dismount and stood gazing down at her. She looked different; already he could see that she was gaining weight, her gaunt cheeks seemed smoother, her arms rounder. Jhardron realized that he had been standing gawking at this girl for many seconds. He tore his eyes from her.

He nodded at Kwal'kek as he dismounted. "You made good time. Were there any problems on the trip?"