Aniwa 02

[partly]

The boy didn't move when Aniwa pointed the dagger at him. He didn't even look at her. His eyes never left the Remembrance Wall.

"The names are so many," he said, "for the small village that once stood here."

Aniwa fought to calm her rapidly beating heart. She looked around but she couldn't see sign of anyone else. Not that she'd seen sign of him. She looked back and studied him as carefully as he was studying the names carved on the wall. He looked older upon closer inspection; Aniwa thought he must be a year or two older than Rusk. He was dressed in simple leggings and tunic that, while neat, were worn and inexpertly patched. A good four inches taller than she, he had long black hair that hung in disarray around his face and over his shoulders. His thin face was as pale as the white statue that he reminded her of and his eyes glittered like dark green gems. An intricate pattern of henna and black lines covered his left cheek and trailed around his neck to disappear down his back.

A cool breeze rattled the dried leaves around their feet and stirred his hair, but he didn't move. His stillness unnerved Aniwa.

"What do you want?" She waved the knife slightly so he would be sure to know she had one.

He finally looked at her. "Do you not have any manners?" He seemed even taller when he faced her. "That you greet strangers at knife point?" His eyes went from her face to the knife

"But... I..." Aniwa straightened to her full height. "You frightened me!"

"It was not my intention to frighten you," he said. There was an unfamiliar lilt to his voice when he spoke.

Aniwa suddenly felt ridiculous holding the knife and she stuffed it back into its scabbard. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"I am not always aware at how quietly I move through the forest. My apologies." As he said the words, he lifted his left hand slightly and extended it to her, palm up and last three fingers curved closed. He held it there for a second before dropping it to his side again.

Aniwa recognized the gesture as part of an ancient ritual of absolution. She had seen the ritual demonstrated as part of a festival but she had never known anyone to actually use it. She couldn't remember how to respond to it but she felt that the gesture needed to be answered with an equally formal one, so she settled on presenting a ceremonial introduction. Bowing her head and holding her hands away from her sides, palms facing away from her, she held the pose to the count of three, then she straightened. "I am Aniwa of StormValley, daughter of Patzau of StillWater. May we be well met in Grace." She bowed her head again, this time crossing her hands in front of her. It was only after she finished that she realized she had used her birthplace. She shouldn't have said StormValley, she now lived in AcademyCenter. And she never should have given her mother's name and birthplace. She was supposed to be keeping the past in the past.

Aniwa held the bow as long as she could then stood and looked back across at the boy, hoping that her lack of discretion won't be noticed.

If he did, he didn't comment on it. He stood for a minute, then placed his hand over his heart. "I am Cadott." He raised his hand and bowed his head to touch his brow. "We are, indeed, well met in Grace, Aniwa, daughter of Patzau."

The greeting, as archaic and obscure as his earlier apology, still fulfilled the obligations of the greeting. Aniwa wondered if such formality part of the teaching at the Academy.

Cadott turned his attention back to the wall. "Were you looking for someone?"

"Yes." The answer was out of her mouth before she realized it. "I mean, no. Of course not." She hadn't really been looking for anyone, after all, she was just checking to see if her father's name was there. "I don't know anyone who lived around here."

"None of your family is from AcademyCenter?" He glanced behind him as if he could see the village through the trees. "Not even your father?"

"No. He was from--" Aniwa stopped herself with an effort. She'd already told too much with the formal introduction. "No. He wasn't." She fought to change the subject. "I don't see any names I recognize from AcademyCenter on here." It was tradition to honor those who have gone before by keeping their name alive in the newly born.

Cadott's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, but he just shook his head. "Nor will there be. This Remembrance Wall belongs to ShadowHill."

"ShadowHill?"

Cadott gestured around him. "This is ShadowHill. Or was ShadowHill, before."

Aniwa waited, but he didn't say before what and she took the opportunity to continue to change the subject. "It's terrible, what happened here," Aniwa waved to the ruins around her. "I can't believe people could be so evil as to destroy a WatchTower."

"There is a coldness that steals into the heart, that makes the hands do evil acts," Cadott said. "ShadowHill was destroyed from within long before the WatchTower fell."

Aniwa didn't have any idea what he meant by that. "Was this your family's home?"

"ShadowHill was our life." He shrugged. "My family was LifeBound."

He said it simply, as if he talked about the color of his hair or his favorite food but Aniwa knew better. LifeBond was one of the seven sacred bonds, shielded by ritual and secrecy. Those LifeBound to the Tower provided the life essence of the building. They were the living, breathing soul of the stone and mortar and they were Bound to it for as long as Grace allowed. It was said that the Tower was only as strong as those with which it was Bound and that if the LifeBond was corrupted both the Tower and the people would die. Aniwa looked from Cadott to the crumbling Tower. "If the Tower is destroyed, shouldn't you be..." she trailed off.

"Dead?" Cadott finished the sentence with a wry smile as he shook his head. "The Tower did not die, it was abandoned. The Tower has released me and I am free to relinquish the LifeBond if I so choose. But this is where my family—" he stopped and stared off at the statues standing in the overgrown garden.

"This is your home." Aniwa understood the power of belonging to a place. "These statues, are they special to you?" She walked past Cadott and headed back to the statues.

"They are not..."

Aniwa turned to face him when he didn't continue. The darkness had deepened enough that she could no longer see his expression. She reached into her waist pouch and pulled out the stone she had picked up earlier. "I took this." She held it out to him. "I know that I probably shouldn't have, but I didn't think it would matter. I'm sorry."

Cadott's still form blended into the darkness for a moment, then he walked forward. The movement seemed to shake the shadows off of him. "Where did you get that?"

The sharp edge of his voice startled Aniwa. "I... I found on the ground. Next to the head of the girl."

"The stone." He reached his hand out toward the stone but did not touch it. "How did you remove it?"

"I didn't. It was just lying there." She gestured to the spot on the ground where she found it. "It was on a ribbon. It must have fallen off with the head."

Cadott stared at her a moment, a deep, piercing look that made Aniwa shiver. Suddenly afraid, she wanted to run away but her feet wouldn't move.

"Tell me." It was almost a command.

"I found it on the ground." Aniwa repeated her first statement. She had to explain what happened. He needed to know the truth. "It was on a ribbon and was buried in the grass, next to the statue's head. I returned the head, but I kept the stone. I thought my mother would like it." She offered it to him again. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Cadott's eyes left her to stare instead at the stone. Aniwa shook her head as if to clear it and took a deep breath. His look had so unnerved her that she felt as if she were waking from a sleep. He didn't take the stone and instead dropped his hand to his side. "You replaced the head?"

Aniwa nodded. "Two of them were off," she said as she turned. "It's so sad that they were—" The words died in her throat as she looked more closely at the statues. They were perfect, with no signs that they had ever been vandalized. There wasn't a trace of a crack across the necks, the ears were perfectly chiseled and marble stone was an unblemished white. "Grace be," she muttered, taking a step back.

"Do not be alarmed," Cadott said. "They have special protections on them." He walked past her and over to the statues. "They will heal if they are whole. When you put the heads back on, they could return to their original state."

Aniwa nodded, still trying to catch her breath. "Are they sentinels?" Some sacred places were watched by spiritual sentinels; sculpted likeness of people who would forever safeguard it. Sentinels, she assumed, would need to be able to heal themselves.

"Sentinels?" Cadott smiled. "That would be an accurate description. They are my family. Five of my brothers and sisters."

The stone was still in her hand and, not knowing what else to do, she dropped it back into her waist pouch. "They do look like you," Aniwa said. "Especially that one." She pointed to the one who's head she had replaced.

"Nye – my twin. Even though I was born two minutes before him he refused to call me the older brother." He reached over and brushed some leaves from the statue

The gesture was both tender and heartbreaking. Aniwa understood now. It was more than land and duty that kept Cadott here. Before she could tell him how sorry she was or ask what had happened to them all, a low note echoed though the still dusk air.

"Oh, no," Aniwa turned and looked back toward AcademyCenter. A longer, lower tone followed. It was the final call. The gates of Academy center would be closing in a quarter of a turn. "I need to go."

She turned and ran back to the buckets of water. Perhaps she could make it back in time if she ran. The heavy buckets banged against her legs when she picked them up and water sloshed over the edges. Two steps were enough for her to realize that she could never make it, not if she carried the water. She would have to leave it.

"I can help," Cadott said.

She jumped when he spoke from next to her. She hadn't heard him walk over. "How?"

"There is a path, through the woods that will get you to AcademyCenter before the next horn call."

"Really?"

He nodded. "The path follows the hollow and is much shorter than the road that must wind through the hills. It will bring you to the side path and you will arrive on time. You have my word."

The third note of the final call sounded through the darkness. She didn't have a choice. "I will follow you."

He smiled. "Let me carry these." He took the water buckets from her and strode past the well and into the woods. Aniwa had to jog to keep up.

Within moments, they were enveloped by the dusky quiet of the woods. Aniwa's feet kept catching on roots and branches and the uneven path slowed her down. Cadott, silent and sure-footed kept disappearing into the darkness ahead. He would pause, every so often, and let her catch up to him. Just as the closeness of the forest was beginning to frighten her, the path widened and they came to a small clearing.

A small but well-built shelter protruded from the side of a hill. There was fire in a dug-out cooking area several feet to the left of it and woodshed sat a short distance beyond that. Cadott set the buckets down. "We will rest."

Instead of answering, Aniwa bent over, rested her hands on her knees and fought to catch her breath. She didn't know how Cadott could move so quickly through the dark while carrying the heavy buckets, but she was too grateful to care. She just hoped that AcademyCenter was close.

Cadott walked over to the cooking area, pulled the cover off the pot on the fire and stirred the contents gently.

A familiar sweet and spicy fragrance drifted over to Aniwa. "Tobar roots?" she asked. "Do you have tobar roots?" She said the words between breaths.

"You know of tobar roots?"

"Yes. We grew them on the homestead." The smell made her mouth water. "They were father's favorite, but no one around here grows them." He breathing was almost back to normal. "Father said that eating tobar roots keep the mind and spirit healthy."

"You father was a wise man," Cadott said. "What was his name?"

"Husher of—" Aniwa stopped herself with an effort. She was such a fool. "Will we make it to the village in time?"

Cadott looked at her with the same penetrating stare he had used earlier and seemed as if he wanted to question her further, but he nodded instead. "We have traveled half the distance already. You will be in time." He replaced the cover on the pot. "Are you recovered?"

Aniwa nodded. Her heart still raced, but that had more to do with talk of her father than her run through the woods. "Yes."

"Good." He did not return to the pails, however. He crossed to the shed, pulled open a flat wooden door that lay on the ground to reveal a storage cellar. He retrieved two tobar roots from the cellar, then shut the door. "I give these to you," Cadott put the roots in a canvas pack as he jogged back over to her. "They are a blessing and gift if you swear not to reveal where they came from."

She took the pack and peered inside. The roots' deep purple skin glistened with clear sap and their familiar musky odor wafted up to her. They were the size of her head and still had the long dark stems attached. Her mother could make at least four good meals from them. "I swear," she answered as she slipped the pack's long strap across her shoulder.

Cadott inclined his head and touched his chest and forehead with his left hand, as he had done in his greeting. "Then we must go." He picked up the buckets and headed off into the woods.

Again, Aniwa had to jog to keep pace. The tobar roots were heavy and she ran out of breath faster this time. The dark outline of Cadott was only visible when she squinted and she had to rely on the sound of the water in the buckets to be sure that she was still going the right way. She lost track of time and she was sure that any second she would hear the sound of the gate-closing horn. Her breath rang loudly through her head and her lungs felt on fire. She was just about to call for Cadott to stop when the woods fell away and the imposing stone wall of AcademyCenter rose up in front of her. Cadott stood on the gravel path that encircled the village. He still held the buckets and he wasn't even sweating.

Aniwa collapsed on the ground next to him, fighting to clear the dark spots that danced in front of her eyes and stretch away the stitch in her side. "Are... we..." she gasped out between gulps of air, "in time?"

"We are. You should compose yourself before entering the village."

Aniwa nodded but didn't bother to speak. The buzz in her head was quieting and the trembling in her legs slowed. She peered at Cadott who was standing in the shadows of the trees. "Thank you."

He gave a short nod. "I seldom have visitors. The thanks are mine to give."

Aniwa pushed herself to her feet, the pack with the tobar roots hung heavy at her side. A breeze stirred drying brush along the edges of the path and the trees gave a low moan. She shook her head to clear the sudden newly-awoke feeling that washed over her.

"I must go." He turned to leave. "As must you. Time is short."

Before he was completely lost to the woods, Aniwa called to him. "Wait! I still have this." She dug into her waist pouch and pulled out the stone. The smooth red surface was warm in her hand as she offered it to him. "You should have this back."

"No. The stone is yours now. It came to you, keep it safe." He raised his left hand again, thumb and forefinger extended, the other three fingers closed in the same manner as when he made the apology. He held his hand next to his head for a moment and then placed it over his heart and bowed his head. "Go with Grace, Aniwa of StormValley." With that, he slipped into the forest.

Aniwa stood for a second staring after him and still holding the stone. Even in the dusk it glinted and swirled as if lit from within. She placed it back into her pouch, then walked to the water and picked up the two heavy pails.

"Aniwa!"

Rusk's voice carried through the air and Aniwa turned to see her sister running down the path. "I'm here," Aniwa answered.

Rusk was at her side before she managed to take three steps. "Where have you been?" her sister demanded. "They're just about to close the gate." She jerked one of the pails out of Aniwa's hand. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I had to get water." Aniwa took the remaining pail in two hands and started to trudge toward the main gate. "You told me to go to the river."

"I didn't mean it, you fool," Rusk snapped.

Too tired to argue, Aniwa shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Do you think that makes up for the worry you have caused? " Rusk's voice was low and angry. The main gate was close now and the glow from its torches lit the path. Rusk's voice continued to drone on. "Don't you ever think of your family?"

The thought of Cadott, all alone in the forest, his family gone with nothing but sentinel statues to remember them by, stole into Aniwa's mind and guilt gnawed at her stomach. The gate sentry, standing at the edge of the light and peering into the darkness, smiled when he saw them. "They're here, Neogo."

A second sentry stepped out of the darkness to meet them. "You're cuttin' it close, girlies. The Director would have me head if'n this gate not be closed on time. I oughta let ya to the wraiths, fer all the worry ya brought us." The threat was soften by the fact he reached out and took the bucket from Aniwa's hand. He peered at the water in it, then back at Aniwa. "Just where you be gettin' this water from, Poppet?"

"The river," Aniwa lied as they finally reached the giant front gate.

"The river?" The first sentry shook his head. "That must have taken you all afternoon. Why not just use the well in town?"

"She doesn't want to dress properly." Rusk's disapproval dripped from her words.

"I was hunting, too," Aniwa protested automatically. Then she took a deep breath and continued, "but you're right," she admitted. "I am truly sorry."

Rusk stared at her and looked as if she wanted to say something but didn't know what.

"It be fine, if'n you make it back afore gate call," Neogo said. "Which ya did." He handed the bucket back to Aniwa and looked up at the turret above them. "Sound the gate call," he shouted. A second later, the mournful call of the horn signaled the closing of the gate. Neogo looked back to them. "Better head home, girlies, afore you mum has a real reason ta be punishin' ya." He turned and walked away to supervise the closing of the gate.

When Aniwa turned to head home, Rusk fell in step beside her. "I really didn't think you would go to the river." Her voice was low and tentative. "I thought... I don't know what I thought. I'm sorry."

Aniwa could almost feel regret radiating off her sister. "It will be okay, Rusk. You were right, I should've dressed for chores."

Rusk opened her mouth as if to say more, but then just walked on in silence. They reached the house and poured the water into the barrel next to the door, reserving only half a bucket to take in.

Aniwa stopped at the door. "Do you think mom is going to be really mad at me for being so late?"

"Not as mad as she's going to be at me for sending you all the way to the river."

Aniwa hadn't thought about that. She supposed she should be glad that her sister was going to get into trouble. It was what she wanted as she was walking to the river, but she didn't want that anymore. "Rusk, why don't you tell her that you got the water. From the village well. We don't have to tell her that you sent me anywhere."

Rusk chewed her lip. "She'll still be mad at you."

"I know," Aniwa took a deep breath and the pack with the tobar root jostled at her side. "I know! Look what I have." She opened the bag and showed the roots to Rusk.

"Tobar roots! Were did you get them?"

"I... I found them in the woods," Aniwa answered remembering her vow to Cadott. "I'll just tell mom that I was hunting and I found the roots. I lost track of time when I was digging them up. She might still be mad, but this should help." She took the pack off her shoulder. "What do you think?"

Rush shook her head. "What I've always thought, you're too devious for your own good. But it should work." She reached out and tussled Aniwa's hair they way she used to, back when they were both sisters and friends. "Let's go."

Aniwa followed her sister into the warm house. The stone was still in the pouch at her side but unlike the tobar roots, she didn't want to share that with anyone just yet. She wanted to keep it to herself for a little while yet. It was a foolish thought, she knew, but so many wondrous things had happened to her after finding it, that she was a little afraid that they all would be undone if other's knew of the stone. She would soon have to start Academy and she wanted to have all the good fortune she could.