Chapter 4.
“For many seasons we toiled under the Tal. Those of us who became too weak to work were ‘sacrificed’ to the Tal gods, as were the rebellious ones among us. We buried their bodies in the pit that surrounds that evil place.
“We were made to quarry stones in the north lands, drag them back and erect them, thus completing the circular structure. We were even made to quarry the stones upon which many of us were executed.
“From the beginning we plotted how we might defeat the Tal. But without weapons this could not be done. But one night my son Eff devised a plan.
“From time to time we were made to travel into the south lands to gather small trees and limbs with which to construct a covering for the massive stone structure.
“Eff suggested that we bind these light pieces of wood together to construct something which would float upon the surface of the water, something which would buoy us up so that we could escape by crossing the water quickly. We knew that the Tal possessed no such thing, and that they would not be able to pursue us in like manner.
“Finally, one night we put our plan into action. We quickly assembled 6 such craft and dragged them the several miles to the water’s edge, all while the Tal were sleeping.
“By the time the sun arose, we had made it to the water’s edge. As quickly as we could, we ran along the shoreline toward the shallows where we had originally crossed.
“For a full day and night we ran, carrying the floats on our shoulders. Our women carried the children who could not keep up. All of us were near exhaustion. Occasionally we stopped to rest, but soon the fear of the Tal forced us to continue.
“To our left, the steep white cliff walls. To our right, churning serf. We had no where to go but forward.
“Finally, at the dawn of the second day we reached the place of the shallows. But the once wide shoreline had diminished to only a narrow path, just wide enough for us to move in single file. Water lapped at our feet as we made our way forward.
“High above us on the cliff tops we heard commotion. Almost immediately large stones began falling down the cliff face. The Tal had found us! If we did not move quickly out into the water some of us would surely be hit.
“The water was well over our heads, but we had no choice. It would be many hours before the waters receded. We must risk the deep water or be killed by the falling stones. We could hear the Tal screaming in rage as they hurled stones over the precipice.
“Slowly we made our way out into the water, but the current kept pulling us back toward shore.
“One stone came crashing down, ricocheted off the cliff face and flew toward one of the floats, smashing it to pieces. There were nine people clinging to it. One was killed immediately when the stone struck. The others floundered in the water, but soon disappeared below the surface.
“Gradually we made headway and were soon safe from the raining stones. We could still hear the Tal screaming in rage. A few of them tried to descend the cliff, but quickly lost purchase and fell to their deaths.
“All that night we struggled in darkness, not knowing which way we were going. We managed to bring our floats close together, but still a few of us gave in to exhaustion and sank.
“Our children wailed in terror for what seemed to be many hours. We tried piling them on the floats but they would not all fit. We did what we could, but by morning there were fewer. Gone also were their parents.
“Finally we saw land. With renewed determination, we made our way forward. There on the shore we saw people, waving and shouting. Some of them waded out into the water to help pull us in. They were the same ones who had remained behind so many months before.
“Once we were safely on dry land, I made a count. Of the fifty-six who had made it to the water, only twenty-seven of us had survived. Lorn’s mate Leo and their two sons were not among them.”
For many minutes the two friends were silent, absorbed in what had been spoken. Broc remained motionless, head lowered, staring at the floor. Amon again wondered why his brother had chosen to join him, but thought better of asking.
Broc finally stirred, sat upright, and continued, while Amon listened respectfully.
“The Tal did not follow. Why, I’m not sure. We did not encounter them for a long time afterward. But that is yet another story.
“For a day and a night we remained there on the shoreline, mourning our loss. We stacked the remaining wooden bundles together and set them ablaze, offering tribute to those who lost their lives at the hands of the Tal and in the waters during our escape.
“My daughter Lorn would not speak for days afterwards. She would eat what was placed before her, but otherwise she did not respond. Sara spent almost all her time trying to console her, but nothing worked. She sat where we placed her. She walked with us when we moved, but never did she say a word.
“Then one night as we all sat around the fire, Lorn stood and walked over to me and her mother. She sat down between us, smiling, and told us how much she loved us. Then she began crying, sobbing quietly, the first response she had made since the loss of her mate and children.
“We held her close until her sobbing stopped. Then she stood slowly and said she was tired, that she was going to sleep. She hugged us both, then turned and walked the few paces to her bedding.
“The next morning when we awoke, Lorn’s bed was empty. We thought she had gone to relieve herself, but after a long time she still did not return. We decided to go down to the shoreline where we could easily see her if she was there. Sara was the first to see them. Footprints leading down to the water’s edge.”
Broc’s eyes filled with tears. His body shivered for a few brief moments. Then he continued.
“Sara was never the same after that. She never laughed. She never cried. She just went from day to day, doing what was necessary to keep living, but nothing more. She never spoke except when it was necessary. At night she slept with her back toward me. Our son Eff told me he thought she had given up, that she no longer wanted to live.
“Eff never chose a mate. Instead he remained at his mother’s side, caring for her, seeing to her needs, talking to her as though everything was normal, though she seldom if ever responded.
“It was almost four years later. I remember I was asleep in my bed, my back toward her. I was gently awakened by the warmth of her body drawn close to mine. I was about to turn over when I felt her breath on my neck. ‘No, my mate,’ she whispered. ‘Lay still. Let me hold you.’
“I remember that moment like it was yesterday. It was supreme joy.
“The next morning I awoke with a chill. Sara’s arm was still wrapped around me. It was cold.”